Something to look forward to: Upcoming chips from Intel, Apple, and AMD will utilize next-gen semiconductors featuring gate-all-around (GAA) transistors. While Intel is set to debut its own 18A process incorporating GAA later this year, reports suggest that the company's CPUs slated for 2026 will actually be among the first to adopt TSMC's version of the technology. Intel plans to build its upcoming Nova Lake CPUs on TSMC's forthcoming 2nm semiconductor process node, according to Economic Daily News. If accurate, next year's desktop PCs could be among the first devices to feature 2nm technology, alongside the iPhone 18 Pro. Both TSMC and Intel declined to comment on the report, however the Taiwanese chipmaker is expected to begin 2nm trial production at its Hsinchu plant soon, aiming to improve yield rates ahead of mass production in the second half of the year. TSMC's 2nm node, which will utilize GAA transistors to reduce power leakage and enhance performance, is also expected to power some AMD chips and the flagship iPhone SoC scheduled for release in 2026. Intel has already used TSMC's 3nm process for the compute tiles on its Arrow Lake Core Ultra 200 chips, and may decide to upgrade to the foundry's 2nm node for the same section in Nova Lake. Nova Lake is expected to succeed Arrow Lake in desktop and possibly high-end laptop CPUs next year. According to Tom's Hardware, Nova Lake will also require a new motherboard socket, LGA 1954, which could feature over 2,000 pins. Reliable leaker Olrak recently shared shipping manifests from NBD.ltd referencing voltage regulator testing tools and various jig models that mention LGA1954. Meanwhile, Intel is preparing to integrate GAA technology into its 18A node, which is currently in risk production and is expected to enter mass production in time for the launch of the company's Panther Lake processors later this year. A brief for the upcoming 2025 VLSI Symposium notes that GAA and backside power delivery will improve 18A's density scaling and performance by over 30 percent compared to Intel 3. // Related Stories Panther Lake will follow Intel's low-power Core Ultra 200V laptop processors, scheduled for release in the second half of 2025. The company's Clearwater Forest server processors, expected in 2026, will also use 18A. With 18A, Intel aims to regain a competitive edge by bringing GAA and backside power delivery to market ahead of TSMC. TSMC, in turn, plans to introduce its version of backside power delivery a year later with its A16 node.

After a long wait, Sony has finally lifted the veil on Ghost of Yotei’s release date: October 2, 2025. A new story trailer introduces players to the main antagonists, a group of six gang members that Atsu has sworn to hunt down. Called “The Onryo’s List,” Atsu carries it with her everywhere she goes — and uses it to wipe the blood of her enemies from her blade. In the PlayStation Blog post, Sony writes, “It’s been nearly five years since we shipped Ghost of Tsushima, and in that time we’ve been hard at work making Ghost of Yōtei something special. While the stories are unrelated, it’s important to us to make this a worthy follow-up to Jin’s journey, and we can’t wait for you to experience Atsu’s quest for vengeance later this year.” Recommended Videos Ghost of Yotei maintains the gorgeous visuals of the first title, with sweeping views of the Japanese countryside and incredibly detailed reproductions of its architecture during that time period. And like Ghost of Tsushima, Yotei follows a classic samurai-movie-esque plot that will make you feel like you’re playing through an Akira Kurosawa film. Sony Preorders for the game start on May 2 at 10 AM ET. Sony offers multiple editions of the game, but all versions will come with a set of PSN avatars and an exclusive in-game mask. Ghost of Yotei retails at $70, while the Deluxe Digital Edition is $80 and includes several in-game cosmetics and a set of maps that help you unlock abilities a little bit faster. Related And if you opt to buy the game digitally, there’s a physical collector’s edition that includes a replica of Atsu’s Ghost mask. It measures 6.8 x 5 x 5.9 inches, and is to scale with the collector’s mask from Ghost of Tsushima. It also comes with Atsu’s tsuba (her katana handguard) and several other items, but pricing will be announced at a later date. Editors’ Recommendations

Carl Lumbly has been acting for over 40 years. He’s held lead roles in hit series like Cagney & Lacey and Alias but is probably best known for his decades of work within the Marvel and DC universes. On the DC side, he starred as Martian Manhunter in Justice League and Justice League Unlimited, and later took on the role of M’yrnn J’onzz in Supergirl. For Marvel, he lent his voice to the Black Panther animated series and played Isaiah Bradley in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Captain America: Brave New World. With the recent digital release of Brave New World and its upcoming streaming release on Disney+, Digital Trends was able to catch up with the versatile star to chat about his lengthy career in comic book adaptations. Recommended Videos This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Related Digital Trends: Your latest film, Captain America: Brave New World, definitely seems to have undertones about our current society and where we are. Did that excite you when you read the script?  Carl Lumbly: Yes, of course. I think that audiences are sometimes underestimated and that it’s possible for them to take in large concepts. I think that just because something is entertaining, that doesn’t mean it isn’t allowed to also generate ideas within you as well. I don’t think watching a movie is passive. I feel like audiences are part of everything they watch. I really credit Marvel, and the comic world in general, for being able to grab your eye and then sneak in stuff for your heart. Speaking of the comic world, your filmography is loaded with comic book adaptations, both from Marvel and DC. Do you ever feel that the two universes have different vibes or energies? Do you prepare for Marvel and DC roles differently?  Honestly, not really. I think they’re both playing in the field of fantasy and possibility, and there’s no limits in either universe, from alternate dimensions to other life forms, origin stories, and worlds colliding. I think both DC and Marvel do a great job playing with what’s possible, and because so many comic stories take place in fictional universes, it gives them the ability to play with ideas. And in turn, I think that allows them to say more about the world we’re living in. There’s a freedom to their universes that’s boundless. Marvel/Disney Is that what keeps drawing you back to comic book stories? I feel like with your decades of acting experience, you could be taking any roles you wanted, so I imagine there’s something personal that keeps bringing you back to the world of superheroes.  [Laughs] Well, truth be told, I’ll normally go anywhere I’m invited. If I get an opportunity, I’m there. But you know, when I first did Martian Manhunter, I really tried to root that character in real life. I thought about an immigrant because I come from an immigrant family. I know what my mother and father left behind and what they had to create when they got here. I thought about how the character came from Mars to Earth, a planet where he didn’t speak the language and had to learn all the cultures, customs, and systems. He had to find a way to become part of the community. That’s the stuff that really drove me with the character. I could say the same things about Isaiah. He was a young man at the start of his career with the world in front of him, and he made a choice that he thinks will benefit people. But he gets betrayed, and after a tremendous amount of struggle, he survives. All the things I love about comic stories have to do with their unlimited possibilities and how those possibilities help teach us about the world we actually live in. I think it even helps expand our minds. Sure, lots of the things in comics aren’t possible … but they force us to ask the question: If they were possible, what would they look like? Marvel/Disney Speaking of Isaiah, I think he had a good emotional punch in Brave New World because it’s this story of an innocent man essentially being framed and treated horribly for it. How do you prepare for an emotional role like that?  Honestly, I just follow the text. When I first auditioned for the role, I didn’t know about Isaiah or the role. Isaiah wasn’t even the name in the script. All I knew was the story. I viewed the character as a witness. It touched me, because he wasn’t trying to say this was horrible and it happened to me and others. He was just saying this is what took place, this is why I am the way I am. And in that acceptance, I felt there was a nobility that all sorts of disadvantaged people hold in real life. If you feel you’re constantly being betrayed, or like you don’t have resources, or that you’re all alone in the world, there has to be something that keeps you human. And I felt that was in the text. I followed the idea of someone who would not allow circumstances to rob him of his humanity. It’s interesting you say that because I felt something similar. By the time we get to Brave New World, Isaiah is … I don’t want to say “jaded” because that isn’t the right word. It feels too petty. But there was this solemnness and understanding of how unfair and cruel people can be.  Yeah, I think there’s a degree to which Isaiah has resigned himself to this path he’s on. Buddhists say that we’re all on a path of suffering, and it depends on how you address it that determines how debilitating or uplifting it can be. I think there’s a point in the film where he realizes that he has not been present for something that he has brought into action. He’s shocked and disappointed … but he also has a resignation and acceptance right off the bat. But I found that to be really interesting, because that put him in a place to move forward and see what happens next. That’s where the story gets interesting for me. Captain America: Brave New World is available now digitally. Editors’ Recommendations

The chip maker is getting into the artificial intelligence agents game with the release of a software platform that helps businesses build their own autonomous bots.

Musician Charley Yang became a TikTok phenomenon with millions of followers. Nobody knew it was him. This was good, then bad.

number go up Tesla’s death is “not close” says Musk, as operating margin drops to 2% As Elon Musk helps undo regulations, regulatory credits keep Tesla profitable. Jonathan M. Gitlin – Apr 23, 2025 8:47 am | 43 Tesla stores across the US continue to be the site of anti-Elon Musk protests. Credit: hoto by Joseph Prezioso / AFP via Getty Images Tesla stores across the US continue to be the site of anti-Elon Musk protests. Credit: hoto by Joseph Prezioso / AFP via Getty Images Story text Size Small Standard Large Width * Standard Wide Links Standard Orange * Subscribers only   Learn more Tesla managed to hold onto profitability in the first quarter of 2025. Just. Earlier this month the automaker reported double-digit declines in both production and delivery numbers thanks to the impact of CEO Elon Musk's central role in the Trump administration, a global trade war, and an increasingly outdated and tiny product lineup. Yesterday, we saw the true cost of those factors when Tesla published its profit and loss statement for Q1 2025. Total revenues fell by nine percent year-over-year to $19.3 billion in Q1. Selling cars accounts for 72 percent of Tesla's revenue, but these automotive revenues fell by 20 percent year-over-year. Strong growth (67 percent) in Tesla's storage battery and solar division helped the bottom line, as did a modest 15 percent increase in revenue from services, which includes its Supercharger stations, which are now opening to other car brands. But Tesla's expenses grew slightly in Q1 2025, and more importantly its profitability shrank. Income from operations fell by two-thirds to $399 million, and its operating margin—once as high as 20 percent—has fallen to just 2.1 percent. Now the third successive fall in a row, the company will start to lose money on every car it sells should this trend continue. Still making money Despite all this bad news, the bottom line remains in the black. Ironically, given Musk's role in tearing up environmental protections, it's regulatory credits that have kept the company profitable. Last year, Tesla increased the amount of credits it pulled in by 54 percent to more than $2.7 billion. That trend may accelerate for 2025 as new rules in the European Union incentivize other automakers like Stellantis to pay Tesla to count its electric vehicles as part of their own pool for emissions. But for this quarter, you can thank the changing headwinds here at home. This "was driven by demand for credits in North America as other automobile manufacturers have scaled back on their battery electric vehicle plans," Tesla wrote in its 10-Q. For Q1 2025, Tesla took in $595 million in regulatory credits. Net income amounted to just $409 million. None of this should be cause for concern, unlike the many times in the past that Tesla almost went out of business, Musk told investors on a call last night. "It's been so many times. This is not one of those times. We're not on the ragged edge of death, not even close," he said. I’m coming back! The good news—if you're a Tesla investor, at least—is that Musk says he will be spending more time at the electric car company in the coming months. He was hired by President Trump as a "special government employee," a loophole that allows someone to be appointed to a senior government position without any of the congressional scrutiny that would normally accompany such a significant job. The proviso is that such positions can legally only be for 130 days, and Musk should reach that total in the next few weeks. The flip side is that his secretive involvement with the DOGE wrecking ball looks set to continue. "I'll have to continue doing it for, I think, probably the remainder of the President's term, just to make sure that the waste and fraud that we stop does not come roaring back, which will do if it has the chance," Musk told investors last night. Earlier this month the New York Times reported that Musk said his DOGE group would now generate just 15 percent of the vast savings he originally claimed—even this smaller amount was disputed by the Times. Musk says he expects to still devote 20 to 40 percent of his working time to the government, meaning Tesla must still fight for his attention together with SpaceX and other, lesser ventures. Autonomous, real soon now Tesla remains "absolutely hardcore about safety," Musk said, despite the Cybertruck being more likely than the infamous Ford Pinto to burst into flames. "We go to great lengths to make the safest car in the world and have the lowest accidents per mile in. So—and look, fewest lives lost," Musk said on last night's call. In 2024, an analysis of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's vehicle fatality rate data found that actually Tesla was in fact the deadliest brand of car currently on sale in the US. Musk and the other Tesla executives on the call continued to tout the importance of artificial intelligence and autonomous driving to the company's future. Musk described a "convoy of Teslas" driving in circles around its base in Austin, Texas, to "figure out long-tail things," Musk said. Autonomous or even partially automated driving systems never make it into the list of "must-haves" for American car buyers, but Tesla is pinning its hopes on selling such systems here and abroad. In China, Musk described bold user behavior. "They have a lot of fun with the cars. I saw one guy take a Tesla on—autonomous on a narrow road across like a mountain. And I'm like, very brave person. And the Tesla's driving along on a road with no barriers where he makes a mistake, he's going to plunge to his doom," he said. Tesla charges almost $9,000 for its partially automated driving system in China, which can now no longer be called "FSD" or "Full Self Driving" in the country. Earlier this week, the Chinese government banned misleading terms like "smart" or "autonomous" in vehicle advertising. And Tesla's domestic rivals like Zeekr and BYD—which now outsell the American company—are giving away their own partially automated driving systems for free. Number go up It all may sound like a great big bucket of bad news for the car company, but the stock market has a different take. "If this is the worst it gets for Tesla, then certainly there must be some upside for the stock once tailwinds, such as the highly-awaited cheaper model and the Robotaxi, finally hit the market later this year," wrote Thomas Monteiro, senior analyst at investing.com. Predictably, Tesla's stock price has risen steadily in premarket trading immediately after announcing its results. Jonathan M. Gitlin Automotive Editor Jonathan M. Gitlin Automotive Editor Jonathan is the Automotive Editor at Ars Technica. He has a BSc and PhD in Pharmacology. In 2014 he decided to indulge his lifelong passion for the car by leaving the National Human Genome Research Institute and launching Ars Technica's automotive coverage. He lives in Washington, DC. 43 Comments

John Edwards, Technology Journalist & AuthorApril 23, 20255 Min ReadRusty Strange, Regent Surgical HealthSince 2001, Regent Surgical Health has developed and managed surgery center partnerships between hospitals and physicians. The firm, based in Franklin, Tennessee, works to improve and evolve the ambulatory surgical center (ASC) model. Rusty Strange, Regent's CIO, is used to facing challenges in a field where lives are at stake. He joined Regent after a 17-year stint at ambulatory surgery center operations firm Amsurg, where he served as vice president of IT infrastructure and operations. In an online interview, Strange discusses the challenge he faced in building an entire IT department. What is the biggest challenge you ever faced? The biggest challenge I faced when I came to Regent was building an IT department from the ground up. As background, I was the first IT employee. At the time, we had no centralized IT structure -- each ambulatory surgical center ASC operated with fragmented, non-standard systems managed by local staff or unvetted third parties. There was no cohesive strategy for clinical applications, data management, cybersecurity, or operational support. What caused the problem? The issue arose from rapid growth. The company was acquired, transforming into a high-growth organization overnight. Multiple ASCs were added to our portfolio over a short period, but we lacked the infrastructure to have sustainable success. There was no dedicated IT budget, no standardized software or hardware, and no staff trained to handle the increasing complexity of healthcare technology. This left us vulnerable to inefficiencies, security risks, and a lack of data to inform important decisions. Related:How did you resolve the problem? I started by conducting a full assessment of existing systems across all locations to identify gaps and risks. I developed a multi-year plan to address foundational needs/capabilities, secured buy-in for an initial budget to hire our first functional area leaders, and partnered with a few firms that could provide us with the additional people resources to execute on multiple fronts. We standardized hardware and software, implementing cloud-based systems and a scalable network architecture. We also established policies for cybersecurity, business continuity, and staff training, while gradually scaling the team and outsourcing specialized tasks like penetration testing to additional trusted partners. What would have happened if the problem wasn't swiftly resolved? Without a stable IT department, the company would have been unable to grow effectively. Important data would have been at risk and unutilized, potentially leading to violations and missed insights. Operational inefficiencies, like mismatched scheduling systems or billing errors, would have eroded profitability and frustrated surgeons and patients alike. Over time, our reputation as a first-class ASC management partner would have suffered, potentially stalling further growth or even losing existing centers to competitors. Related:How long did it take to resolve the problem? It took about 18 months to establish a fully operational IT department. The first six months were spent laying the foundation, hiring the core team, standardizing systems, and addressing immediate risks. The next year focused on refining processes, expanding the team, and rolling out core capabilities. It was a phased approach, but we hit key milestones early to stabilize operations and gain organizational buy-in/trust. Who supported you during this challenge? The entire leadership team was a critical ally, trusting the vision and advocating for the investments needed to achieve it. My initial hires were integral, they were able to adopt an entrepreneurial mindset, often setting direction while also being responsible for tactical execution. Our ASC administrators also stepped up, providing insights into their workflows and championing the changes with their staff. External partners helped accelerate implementation once we had the resources and process to engage them properly. Related:Did anyone let you down? Not everyone was the right fit and not everyone in the organization was ready for the accelerated pace of change, but those were not personal failures, just circumstantial and provided learning opportunities for me and others in the company. What advice do you have for other leaders? Start with a clear vision and get fellow-executive buy-in early -- without it, you're facing a steep uphill climb. Prioritize quick wins, like fixing the most glaring risks and user pain points to build momentum and credibility. Hire a small, versatile team you can trust -- quality beats quantity when you’re starting out. Be patient but persistent; building something from scratch takes time, but cutting corners will haunt you later. Communicate constantly -- stakeholders need to understand why the change matters. Lastly, build a “team first” mindset so that individuals know they are supported and can go to others to brainstorm or for assistance. Is there anything else you would like to add? This experience reinforced the critical role technology plays in ASCs, where efficiency and patient safety are non-negotiable. It also taught me that resilience isn’t just about systems -- it’s about people. It’s proof that even the toughest challenges can transform an organization if you tackle them head-on with the right team and strategy. About the AuthorJohn EdwardsTechnology Journalist & AuthorJohn Edwards is a veteran business technology journalist. His work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and numerous business and technology publications, including Computerworld, CFO Magazine, IBM Data Management Magazine, RFID Journal, and Electronic Design. He has also written columns for The Economist's Business Intelligence Unit and PricewaterhouseCoopers' Communications Direct. John has authored several books on business technology topics. His work began appearing online as early as 1983. Throughout the 1980s and 90s, he wrote daily news and feature articles for both the CompuServe and Prodigy online services. His "Behind the Screens" commentaries made him the world's first known professional blogger.See more from John EdwardsReportsMore ReportsNever Miss a Beat: Get a snapshot of the issues affecting the IT industry straight to your inbox.SIGN-UPYou May Also Like

Richard Pallardy, Freelance WriterApril 23, 202510 Min ReadFeodora Chiosea via Alamy StockCEOs are increasingly honest about their IT knowledge deficiencies. Anyone who has worked in tech in the past several decades has a story or two about the imperious and dismissive attitude taken by the C-suite toward tech issues. It is a cost center, a gamble, an unworthy investment. There are plenty of CEOs and other executives who still refuse to engage with the tech side of the business. But they are now viewed as dinosaurs -- relics of an age where tech was a novelty. Now, CEOs and their cohorts have been compelled to acknowledge these errors. Many are attempting to correct them -- both personally and on an organizational level. A recent Istari survey found that 72% of CEOs felt uncomfortable making cybersecurity decisions. Respondents to the survey acknowledged the need to trust the knowledge of their tech counterparts -- an encouraging finding for CIOs.  The difficulty of this shift is understandable. CEOs were initially only responsible for industrial operations and the money they produced. Following the Industrial Revolution, their responsibilities became largely financial. Now they must juggle both fiscal and technological aspects to remain competitive.  Strategic implementation of technology, both in expanding business and defending it against attackers, is increasingly essential. Doing so requires a working knowledge of tech trends and how they can be leveraged across the organization. This may be a difficult ask for people who come from strictly business backgrounds. Thus, it is incumbent upon them to both educate themselves and consult with their CIOs to ensure that informed decisions are made.  Related:According to a 2021 MIT Sloan Management review, organizations whose leadership was savvy to new tech developments saw 48% more revenue growth. Now, when organizations seek a CEO, they increasingly ask whether their candidates possess the knowledge necessary to manage the risks and benefits of implementing new technologies such as AI while maintaining a strong security posture.  Here, InformationWeek explores the knowledge gaps that CEOs need to be aware of -- and how they can fill them -- with insights from Ashish Nagar, CEO of customer service AI company Level AI, and Susie Wee, CEO of DevAI, an AI company working on optimizing IT workflows. What CEOs Don’t Know Business-trained CEOs may lack many technological skills -- an understanding of AI, how to best manage cybersecurity, and the ability to determine what infrastructure is a worthwhile investment. The narrow parameters of their training and the responsibilities of their previous roles leave many of them in the dark on how to manage the integration of technological aspects into the businesses they manage.  Related:“Technology is not their business. The technology is used to fortify their offer,” Wee says. “The question is, how can they use technology to compete while thinking first about their customers?” Susie Wee, DevAIA 2025 report issued by Cisco offers intriguing findings about the feelings of CEOs on IT knowledge gaps. Of the CEOs surveyed, some 73% were concerned that they had lost competitive advantage due to IT knowledge gaps in their organization. And 74% felt that their deficiencies in knowledge of AI were holding them back from making informed business decisions regarding the technology.  “The arc of what is possible right now with these modern technologies, especially with how fast things are changing, is what I see as the biggest gap,” Nagar says. “That’s where it creates friction between technical leaders and the CEO.” CEOs who cannot connect the dots between the capabilities of nascent tech and what it may offer in the future do a disservice to their organizations. According to Cisco, around 84% of respondents believed that CEOs will need to be increasingly informed about new technologies in coming years in order to operate effectively. However, other data from the report suggests that some CEOs view IT deficiencies as the responsibility of their teams -- only 26% saw problems with their own lack of knowledge. Related:“Some are very scared -- and actually frozen and not moving forward. They're deciding to allow legal and compliance to put up gates everywhere,” Wee observes. Other research, however, indicates that CEOs are taking ownership of their personal knowledge gaps -- 64% of respondents to an AND Digital survey felt that they were “analogue leaders.” That is, they were concerned that their skill sets did not match the increasing integration of digital into all aspects of business. And some 34% said that their digital knowledge was insufficient to lead their companies to the next growth phase. The survey found that female CEOs were more nervous about their knowledge gaps -- 46% thought they lacked the necessary technological skills. “The buck stops with me. If anything goes wrong in cyber for whatever reason, customers will not excuse me because it is in an area I can say somebody else is looking after,” said one CEO who spoke with Istari. One of their main complaints is the lack of usable data and how to obtain it. If they have structured data, many of them can adapt their existing skill sets around it and make effective decisions. But obtaining that information requires at least a general understanding of the landscape. If they can direct their subordinates to capture that data and massage it into a usable format, they can make more informed choices for their organizations. How CEOs Can Bridge the Gap CEOs are increasingly seeking tech training -- 78% were enrolled in digital upskilling courses according to the AND Digital survey. Some CEOs are even engaging in reverse mentoring, where they form partnerships in which their subordinates share their skill sets in a semi-structured environment, allowing them to leverage that knowledge. Advisory boards and other programs that put CEOs in contact with their tech teams are also useful in facilitating upward knowledge transfer.  Digital immersion programs in which executives are embedded with their tech teams give them on-the-ground experience and allow them to integrate their experiences into the decisions that will ultimately influence the daily work of these groups.  “In our organization we have weekly technology days where people share best practices on what people are learning in their lines of work,” Nagar says. There are even simulation programs, which allow CEOs to test their tech knowledge against real-life scenarios and then view the results within the safety of an artificial environment -- thus gaining useful feedback at no cost to their actual business. Wee thinks that they should be encouraging their teams to learn along with them. “When the Internet was formed, there were companies that did not allow people to use the Internet,” she says. They fell behind. The same may be true when CEOs do not see the benefits of encouraging their employees to experiment with AI, for example, and doing the same themselves. The tech side can play its part in getting CEOs on board too. “The question is: how to meet them where they're at,” Wee says. To her, that means showing them the more pragmatic sides of new technology such as AI -- the tasks it can perform and how that can benefit the business. “Because of the recent technology changes, there’s much more space on the CEO agenda for technology,” Nagar adds. How It Pays Off A 2024 article in Nature describes the correlation between CEOs who have a background in scientific research and how the enterprises they run digitalize. The correlation is a positive one -- companies run by CEOs who know tech tend to be more aggressive on innovation and reap its benefits more rapidly.  CEOs with scientific and technological knowledge bases are uniquely positioned to see the benefits of implementing new technology, investing in technological infrastructure and supporting cybersecurity safeguarding. While plenty of CEOs who come from other backgrounds can do the same, they may be more reticent given their lack of understanding of the underlying principles.  A heightened awareness of the influence of tech, even on businesses without a strict technological focus, allows leadership to capitalize on developments and trends as they emerge rather than after they have been proven by peer organizations -- often saving on costs and offering a competitive advantage.  Novel technology may be secured at bargain rates when it first becomes available -- and at the same time, the talent required to run it may be more available as well. Leadership that is able to discern these trends as they emerge can uniquely position an organization to capitalize on them.  “What CEOs are finding is that customers want to have an experience that is extremely technology forward: frictionless, faster, better, cheaper. If that is the case, the CEO has to know about the technology changes, because the decisions they're making right now are not just for today,” Nagar imparts. “I think the motivation comes from working backwards from the customer.” Ashish Nagar, Level AICEOs who emphasize digital strategy -- and remain on the cutting edge by refining their own knowledge -- are far more likely to be hawkish on digital strategy and reap the resulting revenue. Technologically literate CEOs are more attuned to risk management, too. They are more likely to solicit and examine data on the risks particular to their business and allocate resources accordingly.  Rather than viewing cybersecurity as merely a cost center, they are able to discern the long-term benefits of a healthy security program and to understand that their cyber team adds immeasurable value even during periods where attacks do not occur. When an incident does occur, they are also more proficient at managing the situation in concert with their CIO and other tech staff -- no one in cybersecurity wants to work under a CEO who panics under fire.  Leveraging CIOs Cisco reports this year that almost 80% of CEOs are now leaning more than ever on their CIOs and CTOs for vital tech knowledge. And 83% acknowledge that CTOs now play a key role in their business. Istari has found additional support for this notion -- their surveys find that CEOs now view their CIOs and CTOs as invaluable collaborators. Still, CIOs remain nervous about these collaborations. Some 30% of American CIOs and 50% of their European counterparts did not think that their CEOs were equally accountable for tech problems.  The tension cuts both ways. As one CEO told Istari, “At that moment of an attack, you put the company into the hands of supply chain people and IT people. And those are not groups you would normally, or intuitively, give that kind of confidence and trust to.” Participants in the survey -- both CEOs and CIOs -- urged a greater move toward both shared accountability and responsibility. Not only should both parties face the music when something goes wrong; they should also be equally involved in preparing for and obviating these crises in the first place.  CIO to CEO Pipeline Cisco suggests that some 82% of CEOs anticipate a growing number of CTOs entering their ranks soon.  Indeed, many of the world’s top CEOs don’t come from traditional business backgrounds. Sam Altman, Jeff Bezos, Demis Hassabis, and Mark Zuckerberg rose to their positions through their knowledge of engineering and tech. The trend has been observed for nearly a decade -- Harvard Business Review flagged it in 2018. People with this sort of mindset appear to flourish in modern business, with its ever-growing reliance on technology. They are perfectly positioned to both reap the benefits and manage the multitude of problems that ensue.  The traditional business mindset, while not obsolete, is not as easily adaptable to such a volatile, multi-dimensional ecosystem. CIOs are already more involved in business strategy, with some 55% claiming they have been proactive in this regard according to one report. “A CTO role is a business role compared to being a pure technologist,” Wee says of her own experience. “You’re linking the needs of the business and its customers together with technology advancements -- and the technical teams who can deliver it.” This forward-facing mindset has been a fundamental shift in the C-suite -- CIOs, CTOs, and CISOs are no longer in the background. Their strategic capabilities and ability to forecast coming tech trends are increasingly valuable. And they may ultimately lead those who hold these positions to even more prominent leadership roles. About the AuthorRichard PallardyFreelance WriterRichard Pallardy is a freelance writer based in Chicago. He has written for such publications as Vice, Discover, Science Magazine, and the Encyclopedia Britannica.See more from Richard PallardyReportsMore ReportsNever Miss a Beat: Get a snapshot of the issues affecting the IT industry straight to your inbox.SIGN-UPYou May Also Like

This is today's edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what's going on in the world of technology. Introducing: the Creativity issue The university computer lab may seem like an unlikely center for creativity. We tend to think of creativity as happening more in the artist’s studio or writers’ workshop. But throughout history, very often our greatest creative leaps—and I would argue that the web and its descendants represent one such leap—have been due to advances in technology. But the key to artistic achievement has never been the technology itself. It has been the way artists have applied it to express our humanity. This latest issue of our magazine, which was entirely produced by human beings using computers, explores creativity and the tension between the artist and technology. We hope you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed putting it together.—Mat Honan, editor in chief Here’s just a taste of what you can expect: + AI is warping our expectations of music. New diffusion AI models that make songs from scratch are complicating our definitions of authorship and human creativity. Read the full story. + Meet the researchers testing the “Armageddon” approach to asteroid defense. Read the full story. + How the federal government is tracking changes in the supply of street drugs. A new harm reduction initiative is helping prevent needless deaths. Read the full story. + How AI is ushering in a new era of co-creativity, laying the groundwork for a future in which humans and machines create things together. Read the full story.+ South Korea’s graphic artists are divided over whether AI will immortalize their work or threaten their creativity. + A new biosensor can detect bird flu in just five minutes. Read the full story. MIT Technology Review Narrated: Quantum computing is taking on its biggest challenge—noise For a while researchers thought they’d have to make do with noisy, error-prone systems, at least in the near term. That’s starting to change. This is our latest story to be turned into a MIT Technology Review Narrated podcast, which we’re publishing each week on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Just navigate to MIT Technology Review Narrated on either platform, and follow us to get all our new content as it’s released.Join us today to chat about brain-computer interfaces Brain-computer interfaces are electrodes implanted into the brain to send neural commands to computers, primarily to assist paralyzed people, and our readers recently named them as the 11th Breakthrough Technology of 2025 in our annual list. So what are the next steps for companies like Neuralink, Synchron, and Neuracle? And will they be able to help paralyzed people at scale? Join our editor at large David Rotman and senior editor for biomedicine Antonio Regalado today for an exclusive subscriber-only Roundtable discussion exploring the past, present, and future of brain-computer interfaces. Register here to tune in at 1pm ET this afternoon!The must-reads I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology. 1 OpenAI is interested in buying Chrome from Google  ChatGPT’s head of product Nick Turley said folding its tech into Chrome would improve it greatly. (Bloomberg $)+ It would be just one of many prospective buyers. (Insider $)+ Turley would also be happy with a distribution deal with Google. (The Information $)2 Instagram’s founder says Meta starved it of resources Kevin Systrom believes Mark Zuckerberg saw the app as a threat to Facebook. (NYT $)+ It sounds as if the pair had a strained relationship. (The Verge)3 Elon Musk will step back from DOGE next month  In his absence, Tesla’s profits have plummeted. (WP $)+ But he’ll still spend a day or so a week working on US government matters. (CNBC)+ There’s no denying that his political activities have damaged Tesla’s brand. (WSJ $)+ DOGE’s tech takeover threatens the safety and stability of our critical data. (MIT Technology Review)4 Chinese scientists and students are under scrutiny in the US It’s a repeat of the China Initiative program launched under Trump’s first Presidency. (WSJ $)+ US universities are starting to push back against government overreach. (Ars Technica)+ The FBI accused him of spying for China. It ruined his life. (MIT Technology Review) 5 Rare earth elements aren’t so rare after allWhich is bad news for China. (Wired $) + But China’s export curbs are harming Tesla’s Optimus robot production. (Reuters)+ This rare earth metal shows us the future of our planet’s resources. (MIT Technology Review)6 How to wean yourself off fossil fuelsMassive home batteries are an intriguing energy alternative. (Vox) 7 A new mission to grow food in space has blasted offScientists are investigating creating food from single cells in orbit. (BBC) + Future space food could be made from astronaut breath. (MIT Technology Review)8 It’s time to bid farewell to SkypeRIP to the OG video calling platform. (Rest of World)  9 Analysts are using AI to psychologically profile top soccer players ⚽ And also to spot bright young talent. (The Guardian)10 Saving the world’s seeds is a tricky business 🌱 They’re the first line of defense against extinction. (Knowable Magazine)+ The weeds are winning. (MIT Technology Review)Quote of the day “Stuffing Chrome with even more AI crap is one way to spur browser innovation, I guess.” —Tech critic Paris Marx isn’t convinced that OpenAI buying Chrome would improve it, in a post on Bluesky. The big story How gamification took over the worldIt’s a thought that occurs to every video-game player at some point: What if the weird, hyper-focused state I enter when playing in virtual worlds could somehow be applied to the real one? Often pondered during especially challenging or tedious tasks in meatspace (writing essays, say, or doing your taxes), it’s an eminently reasonable question to ask. Life, after all, is hard. And while video games are too, there’s something almost magical about the way they can promote sustained bouts of superhuman concentration and resolve.For some, this phenomenon leads to an interest in flow states and immersion. For others, it’s simply a reason to play more games. For a handful of consultants, startup gurus, and game designers in the late 2000s, it became the key to unlocking our true human potential. But instead of liberating us, gamification turned out to be just another tool for coercion, distraction, and control. Read the full story.—Bryan Gardiner We can still have nice things A place for comfort, fun and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line or skeet 'em at me.) + Succession creator Jesse Armstrong’s new film Mountainhead looks intriguing.+ Domestic cats have a much more complicated history than we previously realized.+ If you enjoyed the new vampire flick Sinners, you’ll love these Indian folk horrors.+ This hispi cabbage side dish looks incredible.

A new play about OpenAI I recently saw Doomers, a new play by Matthew Gasda about the aborted 2023 coup at OpenAI, here represented by a fictional company called MindMesh. The action is set almost entirely in a meeting room; the first act follows executives immediately after the firing of company CEO Seth (a stand-in for Sam Altman), and the second re-creates the board negotiations that determined his fate. It’s a solid attempt to capture the zeitgeist of Silicon Valley’s AI frenzy and the world’s moral panic over artificial intelligence, but the rapid-fire, high-stakes exchanges mean it sometimes seems to get lost in its own verbosity. Themed dinner parties and culinary experiments The vastness of Chinese cuisine defies easy categorization, and even in a city with no shortage of options, I often find myself cooking—not just to recapture something closer to home, but to create a home unlike one that ever existed. Recently, I’ve been experimenting with a Chinese take on the charcuterie board—pairing toasted steamed buns, called mantou, with furu, a fermented tofu spread that is sharp, pungent, and full of umami. Sewing and copying my own clothes I started sewing three years ago, but only in the past year have I begun making clothes from scratch. As a lover of vintage fashion—especially ’80s silhouettes—I started out with old patterns I found on Etsy. But recently, I tried something new: copying a beloved dress I bought in a thrift store in Beijing years ago. Doing this is quite literally a process of reverse-engineering—­pinning the garment down, tracing its seams, deconstructing its logic, and rebuilding it. At times my brain feels like an old Mac hitting its GPU limit. But when it works, it feels like a small act of magic. It’s an exercise in certainty, the very thing that drew me to fashion in the first place—a chance to inhabit something that feels like an extension of myself.