Spikes embeds AI into his executive workflow. He likens it to how large firms use management consultants to map scenarios and risks, as well as act as a sounding board. He uses AI to help with complex decisions across people dynamics, situational gray areas, and selecting external partners or service teams: It could, for example, offer advice on handling disagreements between colleagues or partners, or offer alternate perspectives that challenge someone's initial point of view.
A new global survey encompassing the views of 1,540 board members and C-suite executives reveals that while corporate leaders are embracing artificial intelligence (AI) with optimism, a far more profound and existential talent crisis is emerging: the disappearance of the pathways that traditionally developed senior-level strategic expertise. AI is exposing not merely a lack of technical skills, but a critical thinking gap threatening the organizational pipeline needed to oversee and optimize these powerful new systems. In a moderated discussion with Joe Kornik, Senior Director, Editorial Programs, Protiviti, a series of experts and top executives from the consulting firm revealed the biggest concerns on executives' minds heading into 2026, during a lunchtime panel in New York City.
Tractor Supply, the No. 1 large company in this year's Best Places to Work in IT rankings, cultivates and reinforces its innovation culture through company-wide events as well as a broad spectrum of training and education programs. Tractor Supply IT employees are encouraged to spend time in-store to get first-hand experience in what frontline team members accomplish on a daily basis. Job shadowing lets IT staffers to explore new roles they may be interested in.
Truell said the company had already automated roughly 80% of its customer support tickets with the help of the technology. He said the company had also implemented an internal AI-powered communication system that allows employees to query information across the organization. "We've actually done a lot of work internally on customizing that setup," he said. Cursor also uses AI for internal communications, he said. "We have a system where folks can ask any question about the company and get it answered by an AI," Truell said,
Following President Donald Trump's so-called Liberation Day, Atsmon said significant uncertainty emerged around the new administration's economic and geopolitical agenda. "If I look at the peak of uncertainty, what I was focused on as a CFO was: What are the things that I should be doing that would be helpful in any scenario?" Atsmon said. "The worst thing is inaction," he added. Acting on what you can control builds resilience, he said.
Mona Mourshed has spent over a decade working on the future of work. As CEO of Generation, one of the world's largest employment nonprofits, operating in 17 countries and helping more than 140,000 people land jobs, she has a front-row seat to how companies are grappling with artificial intelligence. Her takeaway: Many companies are rolling out AI without a clear strategy.
Key stat: 31% of US SMB marketers and business owners use AI-driven design or layout recommendations to optimize landing pages, according to a June 2025 survey from Ascend2 and Unbounce. Beyond the chart: The adoption mirrors broader B2B behavior. 95% of B2B marketers are using AI-powered tools in some capacity, with 89% specifically employing AI for generating marketing or written copy, according to an October Content Marketing Institute report.
After a torrid 2024, the wider macroeconomic conditions affecting cyber security professionals showed signs of levelling off in 2025, with reports of budget cuts and layoffs to cyber teams dropping slightly this year after surging in the prior period. However, constrained budgets remain a key driver behind the ongoing cyber skills shortage. This is according to the annual Cybersecurity workforce study produced by cyber professional association ISC2, which polled over 16,000 security professionals to produce this year's report.
Concern over the potential of artificial intelligence replacing employees remains high as the number of work tasks the tools can tackle grows. But the technology now plays a large role in boosting employment, too. A new report by job site LinkedIn shows how AI does that by fueling small business growth, and enabling a rising number of aspiring entrepreneurs to strike out their ow
According to a recent report from digital transformation and industrial automation provider Rockwell Automation, the UK already leads Europe in smart manufacturing, with 53% of its manufacturers using AI on the factory floor and 98% overall planning to implement it. This compares to a global average of 41% introducing AI and machine learning (ML), as well as 95% planning to implement.
No doubt you've noticed it-along with millions of others who now rely on AI for everything from planning product launches and rewriting emails to turning their beloved pets into cartoons. The adoption speed has been remarkable. In just a few years, AI has gone from a buzzword to a daily fixture in countless workplaces. And for many, it's already hard to remember what work looked like without it.
Employees who take the initiative to reshape their roles around artificial intelligence - rather than simply using it to speed through tasks - are more engaged, motivated, and creative at work, according to new research from Multiverse, the upskilling platform for AI and tech adoption. The study, conducted in June and July, analyzed 295 UK full-time professionals across industries, including finance, government, and technology, all of whom had used generative AI for at least six months.
On the consumer side, one of the things we talk about from a Gemini perspective is the fact that it is easily integrated into our Google Suite, which we think is our biggest differentiator. We always lean into the ability to supercharge productivity as well as creativity, and being able to do that 10-fold if you compare it to the competitors in the marketplace, because we have an integrated stack.
Europe stands at a pivotal moment. On one hand, demographic pressures, energy market volatility and sluggish productivity are squeezing growth. On the other hand, the continent has an opportunity to reassert its competitiveness with the United States and China, which are taking the lead in strategic technologies such as AI. This matters because AI is arguably the most transformative technology for productivity in history.
Chris was frustrated. He'd used Artificial Intelligence ( AI) extensively in college. Now at his first job, he saw very few of his colleagues ever experimenting with it. At first, Chris tried bringing up AI conversationally. He mentioned creating a meal schedule, as well as planning a cool weekend trip itinerary. But when he suggested to his manager how they might want to incorporate AI into their workflow, he felt rebuffed.
Google's Gemini and OpenAI's ChatGPT were the two fastest-growing brands this year among consumers earning more than $100,000 a year, according to Morning Consult. The report measured interest in these tools by purchasing intent, which jumped sharply from the first quarter to the third quarter. Don't Miss: Brand awareness among this income group also skyrocketed. Gemini, for example, rose from 62% awareness early in the year to 78% by the third quarter. ChatGPT remains the most well-known AI tool, with 89% familiarity among high-income consumers.
The AI gold rush these days is littered with abandoned enterprise projects, with humans - not the technology itself - being blamed for high failure rates of AI projects. Recent data indicates that stagnant AI projects were often the result of poor vision, mismanagement, and a lack of resources. Eagerness from the top to become "AI-first" companies is also putting pressure on C-suite execs and other IT decision-makers who might not have the budgets, systems, or tools for success.
Throughout the past few years, I've observed that many people in the marketing world have moved past their initial worries about AI. A common theme I'm hearing these days? It isn't that AI will take over, but rather that we're moving toward incorporation. I see AI as a fast, intuitive tool. But as marketers, how should we use it?
