#eventual

#eventual

When scientists applied a new model of human survivability that takes into account the body's ability to function and stay cool depending on age, they found all six events had seen non-survivable periods for older people who could not find shade.

Every major leap in my career, and every transformation I've led, began with a decision that involved risk, uncertainty and discomfort. If you're a leader, you've likely faced similar inflection points. Years ago, at Washington State University, we launched one of the first fully online undergraduate Management Information Systems (MIS) programs. At the time, it was uncharted territory. Few business schools had ventured into online learning, and many questioned whether students or employers would take the format seriously.

Rather than stolen data making headlines, it was business stoppage that triggered attention. Moving into 2026, the board's focus should be on ensuring business continuity and building resilience in the face of emerging risks generated by AI usage and attack vectors, quantum computing and geopolitics.

"Humanity has not made sufficient progress on the existential risks that endanger us all," said Alexandra Bell, president and CEO of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. "The Doomsday Clock is a tool for communicating how close we are to destroying the world with technologies of our own making. "The risks we face from nuclear weapons, climate change and disruptive technologies are all growing. Every second counts and we are running out of time. It is a hard truth, but this is our reality."

The oil tycoon J. Paul Getty was rumoured to have said that his three rules for how to become rich were: Rise early. Work hard. Strike oil. It's one of those eminently quotable remarks because it captures something we all know to be true, that luck and chance have as much to do with success as anything else. Yet we don't value people for their luck.

As AI takes on more analytical and operational decision-making, the leaders who will stand out are those who can do what machines can't: read emotional cues, build trust, and inspire teams to act. In this new landscape, emotional intelligence is more than a soft skill. It's becoming the core differentiator of effective leadership. I once advised a CEO whose metrics looked flawless. Revenue was rising, costs were under control, and the company was steadily gaining market share.

Time pressure, limited information, confusion, fatigue, and mortality salience combine to set the stage for decision-making errors, sometimes with grave consequences. An example is the downing of Iran Air Flight 655 by a missile launched by the USS Vincennes in 1988, resulting in the death of 290 passengers and crew. In a time of heightened tension between the U.S. and Iran, the captain of the Vincennes misidentified the airliner as an incoming hostile aircraft and ordered his crew to shoot it down.

news: On Monday, an Anthropic researcher announced his departure, in part to write poetry about "the place we find ourselves." An OpenAI researcher also left this week citing ethical concerns. Another OpenAI employee, Hieu Pham, wrote on X: "I finally feel the existential threat that AI is posing." Jason Calacanis, tech investor and co-host of the All-In podcast, wrote on X: "I've never seen so many technologists state their concerns so strongly, frequently and with such concern as I have with AI."

After years of computer saying no, and giving us all migraines and premature grey hair, I'm starting to worry that computer or rather AI large language models like ChatGPT and Gemini are taking too much of a fancy to playing nice and saying yes. I confess to using both of these programs, but I've noticed that, well, it's as if they're trying to please, with statements like You're absolutely right, Jeff, and That's pretty much right.

Zach Stauber's day begins before the first customer support ticket even lands in the queue.