Technology

Across industries, organizations are increasingly tracking AI usage through dashboards, token utilization and platform engagement metrics. Some of the most visible companies in the world have stood up leaderboards ranking employee AI use; others have tied AI adoption directly to raises and promotions.

The intent is reasonable - leaders want a signal that the investment is landing.

But we’ve reached a point where managers, executives and boards carry a false assumption that AI usage means a more AI-ready workforce. Usage and capability are not the same thing.

Recent research, based on a survey of 2,000 workers across the U.S. and U.K., suggests many organizations are measuring AI adoption faster than employees are learning to use it effectively. While 46% of employees report using AI tools at work, nearly half have received no formal AI training and 56% have no clear path for developing AI-related skills.

Perhaps most concerning, 17% admit they are pretending to use AI at work. If organizations mistake AI usage for capability and readiness, they risk building strategies and processes for a workforce that doesn’t actually have the skills to execute them.

The gap isn't a talent problem; it's a systems problem between technology adoption and workforce development. Solving it means CIOs and HR leaders must move beyond coordination and take joint accountability for translating AI usage into true workforce capability.

The measurement trap

As AI becomes embedded into everyday work, leaders are looking for ways to track progress. Dashboards, usage reports, prompt counts and engagement metrics seem to offer an obvious way to demonstrate momentum. But activity is not the same as capability.

An employee generating 10 prompts daily may appear highly engaged. That doesn’t mean they know how to provide effective inputs, evaluate outputs, recognize hallucinations, or apply AI responsibly in ways that meaningfully improve performance.

When organizations treat activity as a proxy for competency, leaders develop a false sense of confidence about workforce readiness while critical capability gaps remain hidden beneath the surface.

Don't just agentify the mess

There’s a parallel trap on the technology side, where there’s a race to “agentify” everything, wrapping an agent around every existing process and SKU.

But automating a broken workflow simply produces a faster broken workflow. The point isn’t to agentify the mess. It’s to rethink the work first, then apply AI to what matters.

The same discipline applies to how we measure return. Automation and the productivity gains are real, but treating efficiency as the finish line badly undersells the opportunity.

The larger prize is transformation: moving the topline and the bottom line, not just shaving cost per task. Organizations that aim only at incremental productivity will capture a fraction of what AI can actually deliver.

The visibility gap nobody is talking about

This creates a new challenge for CIOs and HR leaders. Most organizations can now see who is using AI tools. Far fewer can see whether employees are using them effectively.

The next phase of AI transformation will not be determined by access to tools, which most organizations have already solved. It will be determined by whether employees possess the judgment, confidence and skills necessary to use those tools productively and impactfully.

Without that visibility, organizations risk optimizing for adoption metrics while underinvesting in the development that generates long-term business value. Technology procurement lives with one team. Learning and skills data lives in another. Performance data often lives somewhere else entirely.

Consequently, organizations struggle to connect AI usage with business outcomes.

This is a CIO problem as much as an HR one.

Joint accountability, not coordination

The conversation I’m having with peers is about moving from coordination to joint accountability. Coordination means IT and HR talk to each other. Joint accountability means they own the same outcome together; specifically, whether the workforce can execute the organization’s AI strategy.

Forget using AI. Are employees using it effectively enough to have a measurable impact on the business?

That reframe changes where decisions get made and who makes them. HR leaders understand what capabilities the business will need and where the development gaps are widening. CIOs understand how AI tools are deployed, where agents sit in the workflow, and where technical infrastructure can support learning at the point of work.

Neither function can solve the problem alone.

The skills that endure

Through all this churn - new models, new tools, new agents every quarter - one thing stays durable: domain expertise expressed as work. The specific, task-level skills that make someone effective at their core job don’t depreciate the way a given tool does. As AI transforms how work gets done, those domain-grounded skills are what compound and carry forward.

When organizations examine why AI adoption often stalls or remains shallow, the same issue tends to surface: AI is deployed without being meaningfully anchored to the skills and tasks of the workforce. Adoption becomes activity - visible, but not compounding.

Addressing this requires a shift in focus. AI needs to be connected directly to how work is actually performed and improved. When adoption is tied to real tasks and outcomes, it becomes a mechanism for continuously strengthening underlying skills, rather than just increasing tool usage.

What CIOs need to own

The AI-readiness conversation has largely focused on technology deployment. The harder question is whether organizations are building the workforce capabilities necessary to translate adoption into results.

For CIOs, that means taking ownership of something that extends beyond technology infrastructure. It’s creating the systems, partnerships and feedback loops that allow their organizations to build capability at the speed AI is evolving, with visibility into the AI skills that their people are developing.

The most successful organisations will have CIO and HR leaders jointly turning AI usage into sustained workforce capability and measurable business value. They give employees not just the tools, but the support to use them effectively. That is what the AI-empowered workforce of the future looks like.

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• Xteink has just launched the X4 Pro
• This tiny ereader can stick to the back of your phone, and its main upgrades include a light and a touchscreen
• New open source ereader software called FreeInk has also been announced

While small smartphones have largely gone out of fashion, it seems there’s an appetite for absolutely tiny ereaders. The Xteink brand is one of the biggest small-screen successes in this space, and its new model, the Xteink X4 Pro, is set to potentially be its best yet.

This ereader has just a 4.3-inch screen, with dimensions of 111 x 69 x 5.95mm, making it even smaller than the iPhone 13 mini, so it's small enough to fit in even a tiny pocket.

That makes it roughly the same size as the Xteink X4, and, like that device, this can also be magnetically attached to the back of a phone, essentially turning your handset into a dual-screen device, with the second display being a more eye-friendly way to read.

But where the Xteink X4 Pro has its predecessor beat is in replacing clunky buttons with a touchscreen, and — perhaps even more importantly — adding a front light, so you can read on it in the dark.

This also has a much higher-capacity 1,100mAh battery (up from 650mAh), and yet somehow weighs marginally less at 72g.

A low price and lacking apps

(Image credit: Xteink)

The Xteink X4 Pro is out now, and you can order it directly from Xteink’s site for $109 / £84 / AU$159, though a launch discount temporarily brings it down to $99 / £76 / AU$145.

That makes it a bit more expensive than its predecessor, and it replaces USB-C charging with a magnetic pogo charger, which won’t appeal to everyone. But arguably the main downside of this device is that it doesn’t support Android. No current Xteink devices do — though the upcoming Xteink S4 will. That means you can’t get the Kindle or Kobo apps on them, so you have to sideload books.

It also means they run Xteink’s own software, which receives mixed reviews. However, as long as you get a developer edition of the Xteink X4 Pro, you’re free to change the firmware, and there are some third-party options that may work better, including the newly-announced FreeInk.

This is open-source software that’s specifically listed as supporting the X3 and X4, among other devices. So while this won’t give you access to the Kindle app, some users might find it preferable to Xteink’s own software.

If I could sum up Rick and Morty season 9 in one word... I couldn't. It's physically impossible to sump up the chaos that is the Smith's family life in so few words.

All we've got to go off of this week is a name: Tom Sawyer. We can assume that this will somehow relate to the classic Mark Twain novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, but does this mean Morty is also Huckleberry Finn? Watch this space.

Regardless, when does Rick and Morty season 9 episode 10 arrive on Adult Swim, Hulu, and HBO Max?

What time can I watch Rick and Morty season 9 episode 10 on Adult Swim, Hulu, and HBO Max?

In the US, Rick and Morty season 9 episode 10 will debut on Adult Swim on Sunday, July 26 at 8pm PT / 11pm ET.

Viewers elsewhere, as well as in the US, have two streaming options: Hulu and HBO Max. Episodes should appear on these platforms 24 hours after they've aired on Adult Swim, meaning you can expect episode 10 to land on Monday, July 27. These are the timings you need to be aware of for the latter date:

• US – 12am PT / 3am ET
• Canada – 12am PT / 3am ET
• UK – 8am BST
• India – 12:30pm IST
• Singapore – 3pm SGT
• Australia – 6pm AEST
• New Zealand – 8pm NZDT

When do new episodes of Rick and Morty season 9 come out?

(Image credit: Adult Swim)

After this week's entry, they won't. Rick and Morty season 9 comprises 10 episodes so, once its finale has aired, there'll be no more chapters to enjoy until a 10th season is potentially greenlit.

• Motorola Pad 70 Groove just launched in india, with wider release in August
• The bezels and back tote 4 tweeters, 3 woofers and 2 passive radiators
• Will likely be great for movies and music — annoying for other commuters

We've seen loudspeakers come in all shapes and sizes, but JBL's latest has some odd additions. There's the 12.1-inch screen, the cameras, the pretty in-depth user interface... oh, it's a tablet, isn't it?

Meet the Moto Pad 70 Groove, a new touchscreen handheld which has just launched in India, ahead of a general sale in early August. There's no word on global availability, mind — and given that the other Moto Pad products are India-only, I'm not holding my breath.

Anyway, this is a new mid-range Android slate which has an array of JBL-tuned speakers as the central feature. There are nine speakers in all: four tweeters, three woofers, and two passive radiators, and they're all arranged together behind the grille on the back of the tablet. Audiophiles might wince at that sardine-like placement, but it is what it is.

The tablet has a kickstand so you can aim the speaker in different directions (or, more accurately, lift the tablet so the speakers aren't facing directly down into a table). The brand seems to be pitching the set-up for movie streaming (the display is 2.5K, with Dolby Vision), and playing music out loud — the max output is 48W.

Buy it or skip it?

I've tested smartphones and tablets designed for audio before, and I've yet to hear anything that comes remotely close to the best Bluetooth speakers, even cheaper ones.

Portable devices just don't offer the stereo spacing you'd want for a great audio sound — and the Groove's rear speaker stack might make the tablet rather unwieldy for use as an everyday slate.

If you're still curious to test it, I covered leaked renders of the Lenovo Tab Plus Gen 2 several months ago, and the device is now on sale for $399 / £369 (about AU$700). It has the same speaker system, kickstand, attached tablet... in fact, it seems to be basically the same thing (Lenovo owns Motorola, so there are no accusations of plagiarism here).

Still, I think I'd rather buy an actual Bluetooth speaker and just pair that to my current tablet, rather than buy a brand-new one just for its novelty. Thankfully, I happen to know of a website where they test gadgets just like that...

• TeamViewer report finds 71% of autonomous AI users set guardrails, but 61% wouldn't even use autonomous AI to begin with
• The average worker spends 2+ hours per week validating AI output
• Security and privacy could have the biggest impact

New TeamViewer research positions trust as the latest major barrier to AI adoption, with workers generally viewing the tool positively but struggling to hand over full independence to it.

Today, three in four workers use AI daily and only 3% say they don't see any noticeable workplace benefits, but nearly all (95%) respondents have at least some concern about AI operating without a human in the loop.

This struggle speaks to AI's evolution from generative to agentic, with workers most concerns about the autonomy of AI agents over AI's actual ability to produce results.

Agentic AI's biggest barrier is trust

Three in five (61%) said they'd prefer AI to take no independent action, with only around one-third (35%) willing for it to act autonomously on their behalf. Most of that group (71%) are only comfortable with AI handling defined tasks, confirming that safety and guardrails are a necessity.

As for trust's impact on productivity, more than half (56%) often or always verify AI outputs before relying on them, spending an average of two hours per week checking AI-generated work.

"The real opportunity is to use AI and automation to prevent disruption, improve digital experiences, and free people to focus on higher-value work," CEO Oliver Steil wrote.

Strong security and privacy protections would have the biggest impact in making autonomous AI more acceptable, followed by notifications before significant changes are made, restrictions on what information AI can access, agent activity monitoring tools and the option to reverse any actions.

"The next step is designing systems that know when to act, when to wait, and when to bring people into the decision," Chief Product and Technology Officer Mei Dent added.

Data leaks and corporate breaches have become routine. In many cases, stolen credentials, databases, or attack tools eventually appear on the dark web, where they are traded and reused in future attacks.

This raises a question for businesses: if stolen corporate data ends up on the dark web, does it make sense to engage with this environment directly — by buying information, paying for services, or negotiating with attackers?

The short answer is no.

Not because the dark web doesn’t matter — quite the opposite: it is a core part of today’s cybercriminal infrastructure. The problem is that doing business with the dark web rarely reduces the immediate risks and systematically strengthens the very market that creates threats.

The nature of the dark web

The dark web — often used interchangeably with the term darknet — refers to parts of the internet intentionally hidden from search engines and accessible only through tools such as Tor or I2P.

It is not a single network but a collection of platforms and communities gated by encryption, nonstandard protocols, or restricted access. While some resources are relatively neutral, others are directly tied to criminal activity. From a cybersecurity perspective, the dark web matters primarily as a mature cybercrime marketplace.

Technically, many platforms resemble early internet forums. Functionally, however, they operate much like B2B marketplaces — except the products include stolen data, compromised accounts, malware, exploit kits, and attack services.

The economics of cybercrime

A key function of the dark web is simplifying the monetization of cybercrime. More importantly, it enables specialization and the formation of complex supply chains.

Instead of building operations end-to-end, cybercriminals now focus on specific roles: some identify vulnerabilities and gain initial access, others develop and distribute malware, while others specialize in monetization through data sales, extortion, or attacks-for-hire.

This division of labor has created a full-fledged cybercrime economy. Attackers no longer need advanced expertise or their own infrastructure — they can purchase the necessary tools and services, lowering the barrier to entry and increasing the scale of attacks.

A clear example is the Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) model, where core groups develop malware and manage negotiations, while affiliates carry out attacks for a share of the ransom. This model has enabled large-scale incidents such as the 2021 Colonial Pipeline attack, which disrupted fuel supplies across the U.S. East Coast and resulted in a $4.4 million payment.

Dark web intelligence and false signals

As the dark web evolved into a cybercrime marketplace, businesses naturally became interested in monitoring it for early warning signals.

In practice, this approach works only partially. The problem with dark web intelligence is that it comes from an environment with virtually no reliable verification mechanisms.

Like any anonymous and unregulated market, the dark web contains a significant amount of noise, manipulation, and outright fraud. Listings may be outdated, fabricated, or recycled from old leaks, while reputation signals can be artificially inflated.

The problem becomes even more pronounced when monitoring is outsourced to third-party vendors. Weak or unverifiable signals can easily be exaggerated, misinterpreted, or presented as evidence of major threats.

As a result, dark web monitoring rarely provides the level of certainty businesses expect. At best, it can highlight a potential issue that still requires verification.

Never pay cybercriminals

Direct engagement with the dark web is even more problematic — whether through ransom payments, purchasing leaked data, or hiring anonymous actors to test infrastructure.

The most obvious issue is that paying cybercriminals offers no guarantees. Attackers may simply demand another payment or leak the data anyway.

Uber learned this in 2016 after paying attackers $100,000 following a breach affecting 57 million users, only for the incident to become public later and trigger regulatory fallout.

A similar pattern appeared in the 2017 breach of HBO, when attackers stole 1.5 TB of Game of Thrones-related data, including unreleased episodes and internal documents. HBO reportedly transferred $250,000, but the material leaked anyway.

The broader problem, however, is structural: every payment flowing into the dark web economy directly finances its further growth. The more businesses participate in that market, the stronger the incentives for attackers to discover vulnerabilities, compromise systems, and scale operations.

Common mistakes when dealing with the dark web

When dealing with the dark web, organizations tend to repeat the same mistakes regardless of industry or size.

Trying to pay their way out of the problem. Companies often approach ransomware or leaks as negotiation problems. In reality, paying a ransom guarantees neither recovery nor safety. According to a 2021 study by Cybereason, 80% of organizations that paid ransoms were attacked again, often by the same groups.

Treating dark web monitoring as insurance. Monitoring services are often marketed as proactive protection. In reality, if company data appears for sale on the dark web, the compromise has already happened. Monitoring can provide signals, but it cannot replace actual security controls.

Hiring dark web hackers to test infrastructure. Unlike legitimate penetration testing, anonymous dark web “audits” offer no accountability, verification, or compliance guarantees. Even worse, the hired hacker may establish unauthorized access and later resell it.

Panicking after seeing the company name on the dark web. Many leaks and listings are outdated, recycled, or entirely fabricated. Without proper verification, rushed decisions can worsen the situation.

Delegating the entire issue to “dark web specialists.” Many companies delegate dark web monitoring to external vendors without the ability to independently assess the quality of the results. This creates a dangerous information asymmetry and increases dependence on unverifiable claims.

What businesses should do instead

Dark web intelligence can be useful as one additional source of signals, but it requires cautious interpretation and independent validation. Treating it as a reliable source of truth — or outsourcing the entire function without oversight — is risky.

More importantly, businesses should avoid directly financing criminal ecosystems through payments or participation in underground markets.

Cyber resilience is built internally. Rather than attempting to “buy security” on the dark web, organizations should invest in systematic defense: resilient architecture, vulnerability management, monitoring, incident response, and technologies capable of mitigating attacks while maintaining continuity of critical services.

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This article was produced as part of TechRadar Pro Perspectives, our channel to feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today.

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• OpenAI launches online and digital training for small businesses
• Partner plugins also launch to automate common workflows
• ChatGPT Work, Codex now have 10 million users

OpenAI has launched a dedicated ChatGPT for small business program to help SMBs automate routine work and increase productivity without the teams and resources that larger enterprises have access to.

The scheme is primarily an education process, and will focus on training, in-person academies and practical guides. OpenAI will also launch dedicated agents and partnerships to support small business workflows, too.

The recently-launched ChatGPT Work platform also features, with the software vendor pushing its latest tool through the program, claiming that ChatGPT Work and Codex are now said to have a combined 10 million users.

OpenAI sets its sights on small businesses

After gaining significant public interest following the launch of ChatGPT in late 2022 and spending many months and years improving models, the company then went on to target certain fields like finance and law. This latest step expands its focus to a broader category of businesses across all domains, but more importantly, it unlocks major volume for OpenAI. SMBs represent around 99% of the private sector globally.

Some of the support on offer includes webinars demonstrating how to use ChatGPT Work, prompt engineering guidance and other interactive guides. In-person events will also be held across the US through OpenAI Academy.

Select plugins and skills are also on the cards to handle common SMB workflows, with initial partners including Dropbox, Shopify, Intuit, Slack and Wix.

"Small businesses can choose the right level of intelligence model for the work at hand, and together, they give lean teams more flexibility to balance quality, speed, and cost," OpenAI wrote.

GPT-5.6 and ChatGPT Work are now available to pretty much all subscribers, with access via the web, desktop app or mobile app slightly differing depending on whether you're a paying customer.

Across the UK, cybersecurity incidents have become a familiar feature of the business landscape.

Disruptions affecting manufacturing and logistics over the past year have underlined how exposed organizations can be when physical operations are connected and digitalized.

Despite this growing awareness, boardroom conversations on cyber risk still tend to center on corporate IT and not operational technology (OT).

That focus leaves a significant gap. Operational technology, the systems that run factories, manage supply chains and underpin essential services, is now a primary target for attackers. When these environments are compromised, the consequences extend far beyond lost data, affecting safety, revenue and in some cases an organization's ability to operate at all.

For many boards, this is less a question of indifference and more one of framing. Cyber risk is still commonly understood through an IT lens, shaped by experiences with data breaches or malware attacks that take down websites or enterprise IT systems. Operational disruption behaves differently in both scale and impact, and it demands a different level of governance attention.

Why OT risk is routinely underestimated

Much of today’s operational infrastructure was designed long before connectivity and remote access became standard. These systems were engineered for reliability and safety, not for defense against hostile actors. As they have become more connected and digitalized, exposure has increased without always being matched by equivalent security practices.

The result is that many of the most serious business risks now sit within operational environments that boards rarely examine in detail. This creates a structural blind spot. While IT incidents are often measured in hours or days, failures in OT environments can take longer to mitigate while halting production, disrupting critical services and generating losses that compound rapidly over time.

Boards tend to engage more effectively when risk is grounded in tangible business terms. Understanding what a facility produces in a day, or what a week-long shutdown would mean for customers and partners, brings operational risk into sharper focus. Without that context, OT security can remain abstract and under-prioritized.

When cyber incidents stop operations

Recent incidents have shown how quickly cybersecurity events can escalate into operational crises. Last year, a leading British automotive brand publicly confirmed a cyber incident that led to a precautionary shutdown of systems. Manufacturing and retail operations were halted for weeks and disruptions rippled through suppliers, logistics partners and dealerships

Similar lessons can be drawn from cyber incidents affecting the UK’s water sector, where attackers targeted environments connected to the operational systems that control treatment and distribution. Beginning in 2024, multiple incidents reached systems close enough to operational control to raise concerns about safe operation.

Taken together, these examples point to board-level issues beyond preventing down time or service outages. They are also about maintaining operational continuity, understanding how quickly localized disruptions can cascade across an organization, and factoring in safety concerns and reputational risk.

A risk landscape shaped by geopolitics

Operational technology risk is increasingly shaped by global forces. Geopolitical tension, trade restrictions and supply chain uncertainty now influence how organizations plan and prioritize security investment.

At the same time, governments are raising expectations around resilience and incident reporting, particularly in sectors linked to national infrastructure. Boards are therefore required to consider regulatory and geopolitical pressures alongside technical risk, adding another layer of complexity to cyber governance.

Bringing direction and discipline to governance

Stronger oversight depends on education and structure. Boards should expect cyber leaders to explain operational risk in clear business terms and to reference recognized best practice. Focusing on a prioritized and manageable set of critical controls that deliver the greatest risk reduction provides a practical foundation without overwhelming the organization.

Governance cadence is just as important as control selection. Regular, structured engagement with senior management create space to track how security investment supports operational resilience and wider business outcomes. Treating cyber risk as a standing governance issue, rather than an occasional update, reinforces accountability and sustained attention.

Clear prioritization models can further support decision-making. Categorizing actions into those that must happen now, those that can follow next and those that should not be pursued helps align technical, operational and financial perspectives. A shared language of priority reduces ambiguity and supports more consistent execution across sites.

A leadership obligation

Operational technology security can no longer be treated as a technical niche. It has become a leadership responsibility shaped by operational dependence, external pressure and increasingly capable adversaries. Boards that recognize this shift are better positioned to protect continuity, revenue and trust.

Looking ahead, resilient organizations will be led by teams that engage directly with the realities of their industrial environments. Asking sharper questions, demanding clearer insight and ensuring governance structures keep pace with operational risk remain among the most effective safeguards leaders can provide.

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This article was produced as part of TechRadar Pro Perspectives, our channel to feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today.

The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/pro/perspectives-how-to-submit

• Garmin Cirqa smart band has finally dropped
• The screen-free smart band costs $199.99 / £179.99 / AU$299.99
• I tested its accuracy and found it to be very good

It’s here! After months of leaks, the Garmin Cirqa smart band (styled ‘CIRQA’ by Garmin) has finally arrived. I got a chance to check it out — and wear it for a workout — at the official launch event. A sleek-looking fabric smart band in four colors (French Grey, Black, Captain Blue and Mauve) wrapped around a plastic puck, there’s no denying it looks a lot like a Whoop, Polar Loop or a thicker version of the Google Fitbit Air.

The puck packs an Elevate V4 heart rate sensor, the same one used on some of the best Garmin watches. The more powerful Elevate V5 was apparently too big for the size of the unit, according to Garmin.

The tracker offers some of Garmin’s best features including Health Status (Garmin's feature that monitors your vitals overnight), Body Battery, Training Readiness, pulse ox, women’s health tracking, and stress tracking and lots more. The Garmin Cirqa has a 10-day battery life, and the same proprietary charging port as the brand's watches. As expected, there's no onboard GPS, but it can piggyback off your phone's GPS.

Size-wise, it's slimmer than the Whoop MG but thicker than the Fitbit Air.

(Image credit: Future)

Many other screenless trackers have no buttons at all, but here Garmin has stuck with its tradition of creating smartwatches with tactile buttons, and added a button to the plastic chassis.

You can press this button to start and stop a workout, but you can also rely on automatic activity tracking for this. Garmin states this will improve the longer you wear the band, and it's also possible to edit workouts in the Connect app to ensure the right movements are correctly interpreted. For example, if you run a lot, the Garmin Cirqa will interpret the swinging of your arms and acceleration as a running workout and start one automatically.

No subscription... or is there?

(Image credit: Future)

The band is subscription-free at its base price. Many screen-free trackers from the likes of Whoop and Oura rely entirely on subscriptions, but there is an element of monthly payment creeping in there. You can access Garmin Coach to get personalized training plans, but only if you subscribe to Garmin’s premium Garmin Connect+ tier.

This is the first time Garmin Coach has been locked behind the Garmin Connect+ paywall — previously, it either came with a watch or it didn’t.

Chrissy Wheeler, Garmin’s EMEA Senior Product Manager for Fitness, was at the launch and spoke about the Cirqa. She said: “You do have the option for premium content under Garmin Connect+. There are additional features, if you want to, you can pay for those, like all of our coaching side of things with this device. For some of our higher-end devices, these come included, but because this doesn’t have a screen, you need Garmin Connect+ to access the coaching size, our nutrition app… as well as Active Intelligence and AI insights.

“The key thing is that disconnect. People wanting to disconnect from phones, electronics on a day-to-day basis, but still want those metrics. It’s ideal, firstly, for people getting into fitness for the first time, but also for a lot of our athletes. Cycling, for example. They might record all their workouts on an Edge [Garmin cycling computer], but they’re missing out on that 24/7 recovery information, Body Battery, that goes alongside it.”

How I testedFutureFuture

After the product presentation, we were taken through a short HIIT workout by a trainer at the venue, for which I opted to wear the Polar H10 heart rate monitor. The Polar H10 is an electrical heart rate monitor worn on the chest, rather than an LED-based heart rate monitor worn on the wrist like the Cirqa.

It’s the gold standard for heart rate accuracy, used by many athletes all across the world. As fitness trackers use heart rate as the basis for almost all their metrics, it’s the perfect device to use as an accuracy benchmark.

During my workout, the Polar H10 recorded an average heart rate of 155 beats per minute, or bpm. The Garmin Cirqa recorded an average heart rate of 153 bpm, just 2bpm shy of the other device and well within the statistical margin for error. Graphs also aligned very closely.

Based on this first early test, I’m satisfied with the Garmin’s accuracy, but of course more testing will be required. Stay tuned.

The current state of AI adoption in UK businesses paints a decidedly mixed picture.

For many organizations, it’s full speed ahead: they’re using the technology to transform operations and unlock growth. For others, progress has stalled; they remain stuck in the sandbox, struggling to translate AI’s promise into tangible business outcomes.

In this environment, the government’s £200 million investment to support AI adoption and scaling is a welcome step towards turning theoretical use cases into reality.

Crucially, the inclusion of workforce training signals recognition that AI success isn’t just about technology, but about people and skills. Together, these measures underline AI’s potential to drive long-term economic growth in the UK.

However, investment alone will not be enough to close the gap between ambition and impact. To realize meaningful returns, businesses must take a more grounded approach that connects AI initiatives directly to operational reality and resists the temptation to implement AI for AI’s sake.

This means rethinking operating frameworks, balancing innovation with strong governance and establishing the right foundational architecture from the outset.

When done well, this creates the culture and processes needed to drive AI adoption, ensuring AI is not only deployed, but properly tested, governed, and scaled for sustained value.

Start simple to scale faster later

Businesses are often swept up in AI’s promise, treating it as a universal solution to enterprise-wide challenges but the reality is more nuanced. While the technology offers significant potential, value only comes from use cases with clearly defined outcomes, not from deploying it for its own sake.

A more effective approach is to start small and stay focused. Identifying two or three priority business processes where AI tools can deliver measurable impact is more likely to generate meaningful ROI, as once an initial pilot proves its value, organizations can build the credibility and confidence needed to expand.

With tangible results to point to, momentum builds, making it easier to scale further use cases and embed AI more widely across the business.

Equally, businesses need to be realistic about the journey. Results are rarely immediate and well-defined, accurate processes take time to refine. Building an AI-ready operating model is a long-term process, and the leap from successful pilot to deployment can introduce new questions and insights around where AI can deliver value.

Don’t build AI on shaky foundations

Businesses eager to get AI projects off the ground often move too quickly, approving projects before the right technical foundations are in place.

From data pipelines and model integration to reusable agent frameworks, these building blocks are critical. Without them, what should be a seamless transition from isolated AI pilots to enterprise-wide deployment instead stalls before it can scale.

Perhaps the most costly mistake is rushing straight into model development while neglecting data foundations. AI is only as strong as the data underpinning it and if that data is incomplete, inconsistent or inaccessible, even the most advanced tools will fail to deliver reliable outcomes.

The result is often inaccurate outputs, hallucinations and missed errors, which erode trust and limit impact. To mitigate this, businesses must prioritize data quality from day one and build in robust quality controls to catch issues early.

Governance isn’t just a tick-box exercise

Organizations that scale AI successfully build governance frameworks before writing a single line of code. This establishes clear ownership, consistent standards, and the organizational buy-in needed to drive AI transformation.

It also embeds testing and regulatory readiness from the outset, ensuring businesses have the operational discipline required to be compliant with evolving AI regulations.

Recent research shows that governance challenges can ultimately determine whether AI delivers value or introduces risk. By 2027, 60% of organizations are expected to fail to realize the anticipated value of their AI use cases due to incohesive data governance frameworks.

Building these frameworks from day one removes key barriers and helps answer any employee questions around trust, accountability and responsible use.

Rethinking operating models

AI success rarely comes down to technology alone, it hinges on organizational alignment. Too often, data scientists develop models that don’t quite meet business needs, while leadership sets expectations that aren’t grounded in real user experience, resulting in a disconnect that stalls progress before it scales.

Closing this gap requires more than upskilling alone. While building AI capability across the workforce is critical, real impact comes from rethinking operating models and culture, enabling a shift away from siloed specialists towards “human-in-the-loop" teams that actively manage, refine and scale AI across the organization.

This shift enables AI to move out of isolated use cases and into day-to-day operations, with continuous feedback loops that improve performance over time. Without it, even well-trained teams can struggle to translate technical capability into measurable business value.

At the same time, the pace of change can create its own challenges, as with new AI tools and developments emerging constantly, it’s easy for teams to mistake activity for progress. Without a collaborative operating model underpinning these efforts, perceived gains often lack the data and validation needed to prove real value.

Just the beginning

Businesses are only just starting to grasp AI’s true potential and the scale of opportunity it represents but investment alone is no guarantee of success. Without the right operational framework, culture, and data foundations in place, even the most ambitious initiatives will struggle to deliver impact.

The journey involves starting slow and scaling, ensuring governance frameworks are in place, and investing in an operating model that includes clearly detailed team ownership of projects.

Leadership will be critical in determining whether those investments translate into real value. That starts with reframing AI not as a standalone technology project, but as a business transformation effort that will fundamentally shape how the organization operates for years to come.

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Moonshot AI could list in Hong Kong within six months after ARR reached $300 million and Kimi K3 demand forced a pause in new subscriptions.

The post Moonshot AI Eyes IPO as Kimi K3 Drives ARR to $300M appeared first on TechRepublic.

• Samsung announces new OLED panels for laptops, capable of '1,600 nits' in peak brightness
• The new tandem OLED panels have a 40% higher brightness requirement than older single-layer OLED panels
• The new panels will be used in MSI, Lenovo, Asus, and Dell laptops that have the latest DisplayHDR True Black 1400 certification

OLED panels are continuously improving year after year, as seen in recent tandem OLED displays from Samsung – and fortunately, the tech giant isn't resting on its laurels.

As reported by TweakTown, Samsung has introduced new tandem OLED panels for Lenovo, Asus, MSI, and Dell laptops, with claims of up to 1,600-nit peak brightness in small windows. This will apply to laptops that have the latest DisplayHDR True Black 1400 certification.

Notably, the push up to 1,400 nits certification is a '40% higher' brightness requirement compared to older single-layer OLED panels, which is ideal for bright rooms and environments.

This is thanks to the presence of tandem OLED panels, which work by stacking at least one or more OLED layers together, providing significantly increased brightness levels and efficiency.

Samsung notes it has started a 'full-scale' supply of the new tandem OLED panels for laptops, starting with the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i Aura Edition, and later for laptops from Asus, MSI, and Dell.

(Image credit: Future / HP / Apple / Lenovo / Samsung / Dell / Edited by Gemini)

The boost to 1,600 nits is a significant enhancement for gaming and movie-watching experiences on these laptops. While the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i Aura is certainly more of a premium laptop for creators, it's also capable of gaming using Nvidia's RTX 5000 series laptop GPUs.

With that in mind, issues with auto brightness limitations (ABL) that would often spoil bright gaming or movie scenarios should now be further diminished, as tandem OLED helps tackle those drawbacks.

Samsung hasn't mentioned any plans for its new panels being used for standalone OLED monitors just yet, but naturally, this should be the next step once these new laptops launch. For now, there are plenty of OLED gaming monitors (i.e., LG UltraGear OLED 27GX700A) capable of higher nits available on the market.

• Xbox users face account recovery issues ahead of the all-digital console future
• Xbox support offered help to more users after one had their account deleted after being hacked
• Some gamers are now hesitant to buy any of Microsoft's digital games or software

Sony's disc-less future for PlayStation consoles commences in 2028, and unsurprisingly it's left gamers unsettled, with Microsoft reportedly following in a similar direction. Unfortunately, it comes at a time when a digital future looks unsafe and insecure.

As reported by GamesRadar, Xbox has recently offered support to gamers who have lost access to their accounts due to hackers, in order to recover access to game libraries. This is directly involved with the case where one user had their 25-year-old Microsoft account hacked, and subsequently deleted, losing access to tons of personal OneDrive data and games.

In a response to the user, Joshua Khane, and the initial account deletion post, the Xbox support account issued an apology, stating it is actively working to 'restore access' to Khane's purchases, despite the account deletion email stating that it was 'irreversible'. Notably, it also highlighted that its 'DMs are open' for other users facing account recovery issues.

However, that's not done enough to satisfy users, as most suggest that Xbox support's DMs are simply full of bots, while others suggest that buying games on any of Microsoft's gaming ecosystems might be a risky move.

One user stated: "I was not affected by this, but watching the developments makes me feel very unsafe as an Xbox customer. Not sure if I should keep buying games and software from Microsoft if this is the way I'll be treated if my account ever gets hacked."

(Image credit: Microsoft)

Most importantly, the drama arrives ahead of a disc-less console future, not just for Sony PlayStation users. Microsoft's Project Helix is reportedly set to feature a disc-to-digital function, known as 'Positron', allowing gamers to turn discs into permanent digital copies.

Xbox issues with account deletion after being hacked, and over 500 movies instantly removed from user libraries on PlayStation, aren't doing much to instil faith in users on both ecosystems to trust in an all-digital future.

It's now evidently clear that once physical game copies are out of the picture, users' access to games will be at the disposal of Microsoft and Sony, and that explains why gamers are continuously voicing their frustrations — but it's hard to say if those complaints will change anything.

Filmora is one of the most well-known video editing software in the industry. The company has also done well to embrace AI, adding a whole new range of advanced AI functions that have only made the platform better and more capable over time.

In this review, we've put Filmora to the test, trying out its top features hands-on to see if they live up to expectations. We also dive deeper into its other offerings, value for money, and in-use experience, as well as compare it to the best AI video editors to help you find out if it's the right choice for you.

Filmora: Plans and pricing

Much like other AI editing and content generation tools, Filmora also offers a free-forever plan, allowing you to edit videos along with access to a limited amount of creative assets such as effects, filters, transitions, music, and sound effects.

However, unlike Kapwing, Adobe Firefly, or Fliki, Filmora's free plan does not include any AI credits. This means you won't be able to generate AI videos or images for free with Filmora, which is a bit of a letdown considering the competitive landscape.

Filmora's paid plans start at $4.17 per month. The Basic plan is not much different from the free plan, except that you get 500 uses of its proprietary AI Mate, along with 1GB of cloud storage. Besides this, everything else remains pretty similar to the free plan.

You also have the option to add the Filmora Creative Assets add-on to the Basic plan for $19.99 per month. However, you do get a 14-day trial of the Creative Assets package.

There's also an option to purchase the Basic plan with a one-time perpetual license for $79.99. However, you will not receive future updates and will need to pay an additional upgrade fee to access newer versions.

You can check out Filmora by clicking here.

(Image credit: Filmora)

Next up is the Advanced plan at $5 per month, which comes with 1,000 AI credits. This is the first plan where you can create AI videos and short clips, and use AI tools like Text to Object, Text to Speech, AI Music, AI Images, AI Copywriting, and more. You also get 10GB of cloud storage, along with limited access to Creative Assets.

Compared to the likes of Veed, which costs $12 per user per month, or Kapwing, which costs $16 per user per month, Filmora's Advanced plan is one of the most affordable options available for AI content generation. Just like the Basic plan, you can also add the Filmora Creative Assets pack for $19.99 per month.

However, the Premium plan, which costs $8.33 per month, already includes the Creative Assets package and is, in our opinion, one of the best value-for-money plans you can get. You receive 2,000 AI credits per month, along with 100GB of cloud storage. The Creative Assets package also includes over 12,000 effects and filters, more than 7,000 transitions, and access to 1.5 million stock media assets.

Also, all the prices mentioned above are for the Windows version, with Mac pricing being slightly higher. For instance, the Basic plan on Mac costs $5.83 per month, with a perpetual license priced at $99.99, whereas the Advanced plan costs $6.67 per month and the Premium plan costs $10 per month.

Even though they are a tad pricier than the Windows version, they're still pretty affordable compared to other similar video editing and AI generation tools.

Filmora: Features

The best thing about Filmora is that it keeps adding new features. With the release of version 15, the platform has added a new repertoire of both AI and video editing features. For instance, there's the new AI Video Extender, which helps you expand your footage forward or backward with the help of a prompt.

This may come in handy when your footage is too short and you need a bit more footage for smooth intros and outros. Using it is also pretty simple. You just need to drag its Smart Pen onto the editing dashboard and add a prompt describing how the video should continue.

(Image credit: Filmora)

In the same vein, Filmora has also introduced Prompt Video Editing, which allows you to add, replace, or remove objects in your videos using simple text prompts instead of having to do it manually on the editing dashboard.

Another impressive new feature is Animated Charts, which lets you import CSV or Excel files and generate chart and graph animations to build dynamic line, area, and pie charts. This comes in handy for commercial teams that want to prepare engaging presentations with animated visualizations.

(Image credit: Filmora)

The platform has also recently introduced advanced pixel tracking and motion compensation algorithms for its built-in video stabilization. This helps repair shaky video footage, making it more stable.

Similarly, there's also a Lens Correction option, which helps you remove optical distortions caused by camera lenses. This includes barrel or fisheye distortion, pincushion distortion, vignetting, and perspective or keystone distortion.

(Image credit: Filmora)

This comes in handy while editing wide-angle or action camera footage, where the fisheye bulge is distracting, or architecture and interior shots, where you want walls and buildings to look straight instead of curved.

Furthermore, Filmora now has advanced planar tracking, which can follow an entire flat surface across a moving video and lets you add images, videos, text, logos, mosaics, or anything else you want to that flat surface, much like inserting an image into a video. For instance, you can attach a logo to a moving truck, billboard, or storefront sign.

(Image credit: Filmora)

Filmora also has one of the largest libraries of creative assets we have seen across similar applications. Although it's a paid add-on, the Creative Assets package unlocks a large pool of premium effects and media.

This includes stock media and original video effects, over 100,000 royalty-free audio tracks, professionally designed title templates, a wide range of basic and professional transitions, aesthetic and cinematic effects and filters, stickers, more than 10,000 ready-made templates, and over 500 AI-powered effects.

Here are some other features you get with Filmora:

• AI text-to-video, audio-to-video, and image-to-video.
• AI Storyboard Generator, allowing you to generate ready-to-use storyboards with editable characters, scenes, and styles.
• An all-new Pen Tool, which lets you draw custom vector paths and shapes directly onto the video frame.
• AI Color Palette for cinematic color editing.
• Text animation with immersive and dynamic effects.
• An automated AI-powered subtitle generator, along with more than 100 animated subtitle templates.
• AI voice cloning in 16 languages.

Filmora: Interface and in use

The Filmora dashboard can seem a bit overwhelming at first, especially if you are a beginner. The editing panel is divided into three panes: one for adding edits and elements such as audio, titles, transitions, and effects; one for viewing your image or video as you edit it; and a horizontal editing bar at the bottom, which lets you drag and drop various editing elements into your project.

(Image credit: Future)

At the top of your dashboard, you'll see various options such as Media, Filters, Transitions, Effects, and Templates. Simply click on any of them to open all the available options and drag and drop the ones you want onto the horizontal bar at the bottom.

(Image credit: Future)

Once you click on the panel where your video is being previewed, a host of other options opens on the right-hand toolbar, where you can adjust various video settings such as width, height, rotation, and flip.

As you scroll down, you'll find various AI functions such as motion tracking, planar tracking, motion blur, and stabilization. What we liked most is that you simply have to toggle the buttons to activate the features and drag elements onto your video to apply the edits. There are no complex steps involved.

In addition to video, you'll also find other advanced editing options such as speed, animation, color grading, and AI palettes on the same right-hand panel.

(Image credit: Future)

To be fair, it can take a bit of time for new users to get the hang of the platform. That said, Filmora is one of the most rewarding platforms once you get past that learning curve thanks to the sheer number of editing options available.

Filmora: How we tested

Since Filmora doesn't allow you to create AI content on its free plan, we couldn't test the platform's AI capabilities. However, we did put Filmora's editing functions through a thorough test.

We first downloaded the application on our Windows 11 PC, which took around a minute or two. Once set up, we imported stock media to edit. We clicked on Effects and added an RGB Stroke effect to our video of a man skateboarding. Filmora was able to identify and track the person in the video and apply the RGB Stroke effect pretty accurately.

Adding the effect was also pretty easy. We only had to select and drag the effect onto the horizontal bar. We then added a dissolving transition to the beginning of our video. Again, a simple drag-and-drop did the trick.

We then played around with various video and audio editing settings, and all of them were applied to our video almost instantaneously. There was no lag or buffering while editing even the most complex or longest videos.

Filmora: Alternatives

Filmora focuses heavily on video editing features, offering several advanced options for professional editors. But there are a few alternatives you can consider.

If you're looking for free AI video and image generation, you can consider tools like Kapwing or Fliki. Both allow you to create AI videos and images for free.

Kapwing does a good job when it comes to generating AI characters, from simple everyday characters like a baby or a cheerleader to fantasy characters like a dragon or a cyborg. There are plenty of options.

Fliki, meanwhile, gives you many pre-video generation options to choose from. For instance, you can customize your video format, template, AI avatar, voiceover, and captions before generating a video, which saves a lot of editing work afterward.

However, Kapwing's highest-tier plan can be pretty expensive, costing $50 per user per month, whereas Fliki can go up to $44 per month. Even Filmora's most advanced plan costs only $8.33 per month, making it far more affordable. Plus, both platforms lack advanced editing options such as planar tracking and video stabilization.

Filmora: Final verdict

Filmora is one of the most feature-packed AI content generation and editing tools on the market. Apart from basic features like image-to-video, script-to-video, and audio generation, you get advanced editing options such as planar tracking, storyboard generators, video stabilization, AI video and audio extenders, dual-monitor editing, animated charts, and lens correction.

Additionally, Filmora houses one of the most extensive libraries of stock assets, including licensed music, effects, transitions, stickers, and more than 10,000 templates.

That said, its interface is not among the simplest we have seen and requires a bit of a learning curve. Also, its free plan does not allow you to create any AI content, which was a bit of a disappointment. If this is a deal-breaker for you, you can consider other options like Adobe Firefly or Kapwing.

We've tested a range of video makers and editors, including the best video editing software, the best video editing apps and the best free video editing software.

• Gen Z are among those least likely to understand corporate jargon, report claims
• Younger workers are struggling to fit in, in a remote work world
• Leaders should prioritize inclusion, not fancy jargon

New research has claimed younger workers are feeling increasingly disconnected from their workplaces, with the average Gen Z worker understanding just 5.3 out of 24 common workplace phrases.

More broadly, the average worker of any age identified seven out of 24, with around half (48.8%) understanding five or fewer, revealing a shift in how workplaces communicate, the report from CareerMinds found.

This comes amid ongoing transformations, with AI automating many administrative roles and post-pandemic hybrid working changing how colleague interact with one another.

Workplace slang is evolving, and we're in the middle of it today

CareerMinds found younger workers were less likely to understand terms like 'in the pipeline', 'touch base', 'put it on the back burner' and 'hit the ground running'. Even the most recognized term, 'in the loop', was only understood by 57.3% of respondents.

The report also cites an external 2024 study pointing toward declining social skills and verbal communication skills, likely as a result of remote working.

With younger workers less likely to feel like they fit into corporate office environments, both physically and digitally, the report argues that junior workers might be impacted in terms of career progression, confidence and participation.

"For managers, the takeaway is simple: communicating clearly is a leadership skill, not a sign of being any less sophisticated," careers expert Amanda Augustine wrote, implying that execs and leaders should focus on including all workers rather than showing off with lesser-known terminology and dated phrases.

"Workplace jargon can be useful as a form of shorthand, but the findings show how easily it can exclude people who haven't yet learned the language."

It’s not long now until Samsung’s second major phone launch of the year, with the next Samsung Galaxy Unpacked showcase set to take place later on today.

This follows February’s Unpacked event, where we saw the Samsung Galaxy S26 series, but this time, we’re not just expecting phones, because along with a selection of new foldables — including a whole new form factor — we’ll probably see new smartwatches too, and even perhaps the Samsung Galaxy Glasses.

So, whether you’re in the market for a handset or a wearable, there could be something for you here, and below, you’ll find full details of how to tune in, along with exactly what we’re expecting to see.

How to watch Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2026

The next Samsung Galaxy Unpacked is being held in London, but as with most major tech launches, it will also be streamed online, so you can watch it from anywhere.

It kicks off at 9am ET / 6am PT / 2pm BST / 11pm AEST on July 22, so at least it’s not the middle of the night for any of those places, though viewers on the west coast of the US will have to get up early, and if you’re in certain parts of Australia, you might have to stay up late.

To tune in, you can simply head to Samsung’s website, where the video will be streamed live. It will also be viewable live on Samsung’s YouTube page. But there’s no need to head to either, because the video embedded on this page (above) will play the stream once it’s live as well.

Wherever you choose to watch it, you don’t need to tune in live if the times are inconvenient, as you’ll be able to watch the video after the fact too. However, you might prefer to just head back to TechRadar, where we’ll be covering all the announcements with in-depth analysis.

What to expect at Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2026

(Image credit: Future / Samsung)

We’ve written a full rundown of what to expect at Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2026, but in brief, there’s probably going to be a mix of phones and wearables.

On the phones side, it’s likely to all be foldables, with the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra all rumored to be making an appearance.

Of those three, the Z Flip 8 and Z Fold 8 Ultra are thought to be fairly conventional successors to the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, respectively. Look out for new chipsets, smaller creases, and potentially some new cameras, but nothing too game-changing is expected there.

The more interesting phone is the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, which, despite its name, is reportedly going to have a new form factor, making it wider and shorter than the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 or the Z Fold 8 Ultra. This will also probably be a more affordable phone as a result.

For wearables, we’ll probably see the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 and the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2, with the latter of those products sounding the most interesting, as it might have a high-capacity 800mAh battery and — for the first time on a Galaxy Watch — support 5G.

Finally, Samsung might also take the opportunity to launch its first smart glasses, which could be called the Samsung Galaxy Glasses. These are reportedly screenless glasses that run Android XR, let you talk to Gemini, and look set to rival the likes of the Ray-Ban Meta glasses.

• Report finds 74% of regular AI users now pose questions to AI instead of human colleagues
• New workers are missing out on vital social interactions for company culture
• Employees say they feel more self-sufficient and comfortable making decisions

While the jury is still out on whether AI could be set to replace human workers or severely impact their scopes by automating major parts of their workflows, one thing is clear – humans are increasingly happy to use AI as a colleague and collaborator.

A new MyIQ analysis of nearly 22,500 adults found around three in four (74%) regular AI users now pose the questions they would formerly have asked colleagues to AI.

As a result, around half (48%) now report fewer spontaneous conversations during the working day, suggesting that the effect may extend beyond deliberately redirecting questions to AI with it now having a more profound impact on the social elements of work.

Return-to-office (RTO) mandates now face a complex paradox

While the report doesn’t explicitly cover it, the data presents interesting takes on modern workplace habits.

Post-pandemic layoffs and work-from-home mandates were quickly followed by urgent return-to-office mandates, with CEOs globally encouraging in-person working due to the collaborative nature of shared environments, and the opportunities to have ad-hoc conversations that spark learning and broader thinking.

With around half now saying this doesn’t happen so frequently, the findings beg the question whether commuting to the office might be all that necessary after all in an AI-first era.

Roughly two in five (38%) also noted that newer employees now have fewer natural opportunities to build relationships because routine questions are being redirected to AI, not human colleagues.

“Repeated across a working week, those missing exchanges can mean fewer opportunities to build trust, share judgment, and become known inside a team,” MyIQ Managing Director Sarah Meyer wrote.

Around half (53%) of the respondents also described their work as more transactional since adopting AI, marking a major shift in workplace dynamics.

AI might be more efficient, but it’s still lacking in certain areas

But despite the negative social implications, AI’s role in brainstorming, questioning and critical thinking could be seen as positive, too. For example, nearly two-thirds (62%) say they feel more comfortable making decisions independently than they did a year ago, with nearly three-quarters (71%) feeling more self-sufficient at work.

The report also warns that, while a chatbot can supply an immediate and often factually correct answer, it lacks the accompanying social information and organizational knowledge that a colleague would bring to the table.

Interestingly, a similar SurveyMonkey study revealed that 77% want more opportunities to brainstorm with colleagues and 61% want stronger connections across teams even though workers are increasingly settling for the first AI-generated answer, instead of digging deeper.

Together, these two reports imply that workers are increasingly seeking the efficiency that AI promises and they’re willing to ask questions for a quicker answer, but they still value the collaborative nature of human interactions within the workplace.

What’s less clear is how employers could implement these opposing forces into one unified workforce, while delivering the hybrid approach that workers have come to value with working from home and benefiting from going to the office.

“As AI makes solitary problem-solving easier, organisations may need to pay closer attention to the forms of workplace learning and social connection that efficiency alone does not capture,” the MyIQ study concludes.

The company reportedly plans to team up with Klarna, turning the rising cost of its hardware into another monthly bill.

Here are hints and the answer for today’s Wordle for July 22, No. 1,859.

NASA researchers also tested out the Psyche spacecraft’s other instruments to make sure they were working.