AI is rapidly reshaping what’s possible on a PC — whether for real-time image generation or voice-controlled workflows. As AI capabilities grow, so does their complexity. Tapping into the power of AI can entail navigating a maze of system settings, software and hardware configurations. Enabling users to explore how on-device AI can simplify and enhance the PC experience, Project G-Assist — an AI assistant that helps tune, control and optimize GeForce RTX systems — is now available as an experimental feature in the NVIDIA app. Developers can try out AI-powered voice and text commands for tasks like monitoring performance, adjusting settings and interacting with supporting peripherals. Users can even summon other AIs powered by GeForce RTX AI PCs. And it doesn’t stop there. For those looking to expand Project G-Assist capabilities in creative ways, the AI supports custom plug-ins. With the new ChatGPT-based G-Assist Plug-In Builder, developers and enthusiasts can create and customize G-Assist’s functionality, adding new commands, connecting external tools and building AI workflows tailored to specific needs. With the plug-in builder, users can generate properly formatted code with AI, then integrate the code into G-Assist — enabling quick, AI-assisted functionality that responds to text and voice commands. Teaching PCs New Tricks: Plug-Ins and APIs Explained Plug-ins are lightweight add-ons that give software new capabilities. G-Assist plug-ins can control music, connect with large language models and much more. Under the hood, these plug-ins tap into application programming interfaces (APIs), which allow different software and services to talk to each other. Developers can define functions in simple JSON formats, write logic in Python and quickly integrate new tools or features into G-Assist. With the G-Assist Plug-In Builder, users can: Use a responsive small language model running locally on GeForce RTX GPUs for fast, private inference. Extend G-Assist’s capabilities with custom functionality tailored to specific workflows, games and tools. Interact with G-Assist directly from the NVIDIA overlay, without tabbing out of an application or workflow. Invoke AI-powered GPU and system controls from applications using C++ and Python bindings. Integrate with agentic frameworks using tools like Langflow, letting G-Assist function as a component in larger AI pipelines and multi-agent systems. Built for Builders: Using Free APIs to Expand AI PC Capabilities  NVIDIA’s GitHub repository provides everything needed to get started on developing with G-Assist — including sample plug-ins, step-by-step instructions and documentation for building custom functionalities. Developers can define functions in JSON and drop config files into a designated directory, where G-Assist can automatically load and interpret them. Users can even submit plug-ins for review and potential inclusion in the NVIDIA GitHub repository to make new capabilities available for others. Hundreds of free, developer-friendly APIs are available today to extend G-Assist capabilities — from automating workflows to optimizing PC setups to boosting online shopping. For ideas, find searchable indices of free APIs for use across entertainment, productivity, smart home, hardware and more on publicapis.dev, free-apis.github.io, apilist.fun and APILayer. Available sample plug-ins include Spotify, which enables hands-free music and volume control, and Google Gemini, which allows G-Assist to invoke a much larger cloud-based AI for more complex conversations, brainstorming and web searches using a free Google AI Studio API key. In the clip below, G-Assist asks Gemini for advice on which Legend to pick in the hit game Apex Legends when solo queueing, as well as whether it’s wise to jump into Nightmare mode for level 25 in Diablo IV: And in the following clip, a developer uses the new plug-in builder to create a Twitch plug-in for G-Assist that checks if a streamer is live. After generating the necessary JSON manifest and Python files, the developer simply drops them into the G-Assist directory to enable voice commands like, “Hey, Twitch, is [streamer] live?” In addition, users can customize G-Assist to control select peripherals and software applications with simple commands, such as to benchmark or adjust fan speeds, or to change lighting on supported Logitech G, Corsair, MSI and Nanoleaf devices. Other examples include a Stock Checker plug-in that lets users quickly look up real-time stock prices and performance data, or a Weather plug-in allows users to ask G-Assist for current weather conditions in any city. Details on how to build, share and load plug-ins are available on the NVIDIA GitHub repository. Start Building Today With the G-Assist Plugin Builder and open API support, anyone can extend G-Assist to fit their exact needs. Explore the GitHub repository and submit features for review to help shape the next wave of AI-powered PC experiences. Plug in to NVIDIA AI PC on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and X — and stay informed by subscribing to the RTX AI PC newsletter. Follow NVIDIA Workstation on LinkedIn and X. See notice regarding software product information.

We continue to work behind the scenes to bring new enhancements to the PS5 experience, and today we are excited to announce two key additions based on player feedback – audio focus  and the return of the classic console designs for the PS5 UI. The PS5 system update will roll out globally in a phased approach, starting April 24. Here are details of the new features: Audio Focus Audio focus increases immersion by providing presets to amplify soft sounds to meet your hearing preferences, ensuring a clearer audio experience when using headphones or headsets. This feature supports broader accessibility in audio experiences. Play Video When the audio focus setting is turned on, you can choose from a range of preset options which makes it easier to distinguish sounds like in-game character dialogue, subtle sound effects such as footsteps and rustling grass, as well as voices in party chats for a more immersive gaming experience. ●  To enable audio focus, go to [Settings] > [Sound] > [Volume] > [Audio Focus]. This feature can also be accessed from the Control Center, so you can easily adjust the settings during gameplay. ●  You can choose from four preset focus type options for which sounds to boost: Boost Low Pitch:  Amplify low-frequency sounds like roaring engines and rumbling noises. Boost Voices: Amplify voice chats, character voices, and other middle-frequency sounds. Boost High Pitch: Amplify high-frequency sounds like footsteps and metallic noises. Boost Quiet Sounds: Amplify low-volume sounds in a wide range of frequencies. ●  You can set the level of support for each preset type from three different levels (Weak, Medium, Strong). ●  Additionally, you can also choose to adjust the level of support for the preset for Left / Right channels separately to meet your specific preferences. ●  The audio focus feature is available when using headphones connected via USB or analog jack. It is not supported for HDMI connections through TV, AV receivers or soundbars. View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image "PS5 UI screenshots showing audio focus settings menu" Download “PS5 UI screenshots showing audio focus settings menu” close Close Download this image Classic console designs for the PS5 UI returns During our 30th anniversary celebrations, we surprised our fans with a limited time selection of nostalgic customization features for the PS5 System UI to honor the four PlayStation consoles that paved the way for PS5: PlayStation, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation 4. Due to the overwhelmingly positive response from our community, we’re happy to bring back the look and feel of the four console designs for players to customize the home screen on PS5! View and download image "Classic console designs main menu customization" Download “Classic console designs main menu customization” close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image This feature will be called the Appearance, and can be accessed under the Settings menu. View and download image "Appearance and Sound settings menu" Download “Appearance and Sound settings menu” close Close Download this image We’re excited to bring the update to you and would love to hear your thoughts on them. Which features are you looking forward to seeing? Share your comments below!

We are so excited to announce that Ghost of Yōtei comes to PS5 on October 2, 2025!  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. Play Video Alongside today’s news, we’ve also released our latest trailer for Ghost of Yōtei, “The Onryō’s List.” Sixteen years ago in the heart of Ezo (called Hokkaido in present day), a gang of outlaws known as the Yōtei Six took everything from Atsu. They killed her family and left her for dead, pinned to a burning ginkgo tree outside her home. But Atsu survived. She learned to fight, to kill, and to hunt, and after years away she has returned to her home with a list of six names: The Snake, The Oni, The Kitsune, The Spider, The Dragon, and Lord Saito.  One by one, she’s hunting them down to avenge her family, armed with the same katana used to pin her to that burning tree all those years ago. But while Atsu’s story begins with vengeance, she’ll find there’s more to her journey than just revenge. As she explores Ezo, Atsu will meet unlikely allies and forge connections that help give her a new sense of purpose.  View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image We hope the brief looks in today’s trailer give you a taste of what you can expect from Ghost of Yōtei. Beyond your first look at the Yōtei Six, you’ll spot some of the gorgeous scenery of Ezo as well as a handful of Atsu’s new weapons, a few of her allies, and even a new gameplay mechanic that will allow you to glimpse Atsu’s past and understand everything that was taken from her.  But we’ve only scratched the surface. In Ghost of Yōtei, we’ve built upon and evolved the way you explore the open world, offering even more freedom and variety than in Ghost of Tsushima. You’ll choose which leads to follow as you pick which Yōtei Six member you want to hunt down first. Atsu can also track other dangerous targets and claim bounties, or seek out weapon sensei to learn new skills. Ezo is wild, and as deadly as it is beautiful. As you trek across the open world you’ll find unexpected dangers and peaceful reprieves (including some returning activities from Tsushima), and you’ll be able to build a campfire anywhere in the open world for a rest under the stars. We want you to have the freedom to explore Ezo however you decide to, and we can’t wait to share more. View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Today we can also reveal that pre-orders for Ghost of Yōtei begin next week, on May 2 at 10:00 AM in your local timezone (10:00 AM ET for those in the US), and you’ll be able to choose between multiple different editions, including our amazing Collector’s Edition. View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image First, if you pre-order any edition of Ghost of Yōtei you’ll receive a unique in-game mask, as well as a set of seven PSN avatars featuring concept art of Atsu and each member of the Yōtei Six at launch1. Pre-orders on PlayStation Store will receive the avatars immediately.  The standard edition of Ghost of Yōtei will be $69.99 USD / £69.99 / €79.99 / ¥8,980 MSRP and will be available at retail or at PlayStation Store. View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image At PlayStation Store, you’ll also be able to pre-order the Ghost of Yōtei Digital Deluxe Edition for $79.99 / £79.99 / €89.99 / ¥9,980 MSRP. The Digital Deluxe Edition includes a digital copy of Ghost of Yōtei plus in-game bonuses including The Snake’s armor set, as well as an alternate dye for your starting armor. You’ll also receive a unique horse color and unique saddle dye, plus an in-game Charm, gold Sword Kit, and an early unlock of Traveler’s Maps, which allow you to find statues throughout the world to upgrade your skills.  View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Finally, we are thrilled to reveal the Ghost of Yōtei Collector’s Edition2, which will be available for pre-order at direct.playstation.com in parts of the world where it is available, or at select retailers in other regions. Collector’s Edition pricing will be announced at a later date. This packed edition includes all of the pre-order bonuses, all in-game items from the Digital Deluxe Edition, and a digital copy of the game3, as well as a replica display edition of Atsu’s Ghost mask. The mask is built to-scale with Jin’s mask from our Ghost of Tsushima Collector’s Edition. If you have both, they look great next to each other on a shelf! The mask measures 6.8 x 5 x 5.9 inches and is made of resin, plus includes its own display stand.  Also included is a replica of Atsu’s sash, complete with the names of all six members of the Yōtei Six (but you’ll have to cross them off yourself). The sash measures 71 inches long and is made of a cotton blend, a perfect cosplay accessory or wall decoration.  There’s also a replica of the Tsuba from Atsu’s katana, forged by her father in the image of two twin wolves. This Tsuba measures roughly 3 x 3 inches and also includes its own display stand.  In addition to all of the above, the Ghost of Yōtei Collector’s Edition also includes a pouch of coins and instructions to play Zeni Hajiki, a game of skill you’ll play throughout Ghost of Yōtei. There’s also a foldable papercraft ginkgo tree along with a wolf at its base, and a set of four 5 x 7-inch art cards featuring the sash, the wolf, Atsu’s Ghost mask, and our key art.  We think this is the best Collector’s Edition we’ve ever produced, and we can’t wait for you to get your hands on it on October 2.  While pre-orders don’t open until May 2, you can wishlist Ghost of Yōtei right now at PlayStation Store and sign up to receive notifications as we release more information in the months to come.  We are so proud of Ghost of Yōtei and have many more exciting things we can’t wait to show you as we approach our release date. We are incredibly appreciative of all the support for Ghost of Tsushima and grateful for everyone who played, and hope you’ll look forward to following the wind once again on October 2.  1 Available via voucher code for Collector’s Edition and physical Standard Edition. Internet connection and an account for PlayStation Network required to redeem. 2 Starting May 2 at 10:00 AM ET in the U.S., and 10:00 AM local time in the U.K., France, Germany, Austria, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg, players will be able to pre-order the Ghost of Yōtei exclusively through direct.playstation.com in limited quantities. Must be signed-in to purchase.    3 Digital items available via voucher code. Internet connection and an account for PlayStation™Network required to redeem.

As part of a weekly quest in Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 2, you’ll need to jam alone using all instruments at once. In the past, you’ve always needed other players for a jam session, but with the Fortnite Festival Season 8 update, players are now able to create a jam session all by themselves. You can now mix four different jam tracks into one, but figuring out how to do it can be a little tricky. Here’s how to jam alone using all instruments at once in Fortnite. How to jam alone using all instruments at once in Fortnite To complete the weekly quest “Jam alone, using all instruments at once” in Fortnite, follow these steps: Press the emote button (B on Windows PC or down on the D-Pad on console by default). Switch to the “Jam Loops” or “Locker Jam Loops” page. Look at the inner circle and make sure you’re set to “All.” Select a jam track to start jamming alone! Additionally, you can swap songs for other instruments by hovering your reticle over the instrument circle and pressing the emote button. This will open the jam loops wheel, and you’ll need to select another jam track to play. Completing the quest is not immediate, so you will need to jam for a short period of time. Because of that, we recommend landing in an uncontested area or waiting for a time where you’re alone to start jamming out.

The finale sequence of the third episode of Andor season 2 will stand among the already superlative show’s top moments. It repeats a pattern from the third episode of its first season, “Reckoning,” which cut between two moments in Cassian Andor’s life when he stood on a stranger’s ship, escaping certain Imperial death at the cost of leaving everything he knew behind — but this episode cuts between places, not time.  It should not be a spoiler to say that none of the various characters in the montage, in their various situations, are having a good time. The weight of the Empire bears down even on those most capable of resisting it. But what really made the moment sing for me, what had me slapping my hands to the side of my face and whisper-screaming as I experienced a kind of pure Star Wars joy, were the choices director Ariel Kleiman made that were the exact opposite of dramatic.  Genre films and TV that take themselves very seriously are not rare at the moment. But the remarkable thing about Andor is that the folks behind it never forget that it exists in a universe where the fantastical is as mundane as the fascism.  [Ed. note: This piece will contain some spoilers for Andor season 2 episodes 1-3.]  Andor works because it films its fantastical story of spaceships, and one-resource planets, and adorable robots who stutter, and silly foods as if it were a fabulously researched historical drama. Its world-building is cohesive to the most minute detail, from costumes to locations, to sets, props, and the design of buildings, and all aiming in the same directions as its overall story. Take an example from season 1, in which the workers of Ferrix, and the abandoned children of Cassian’s home planet, struck by some global workplace disaster, are costumed in the same shades of burnt orange, pale green, and dusty yellow. Andor doesn’t have to say out loud that the missing adult society of Cassian’s home was a similar kind of down-to-earth, community-minded laborer culture that lived with an Imperial boot hovering over it — until the moment it didn’t. It showed it.  Andor’s directors, and every level of craftsperson under them, make choices that hang together, creating some of the richest settings that the on-screen Star Wars universe has maybe ever had. It makes a setting feel like a place where people live, not just characters. It’s jarring when the inexplicable traditions of a Chandrilan wedding ceremony give way to a dance floor rave blasting house music, but it just serves to underscore: The bride and groom are literal children. The pomp allows everyone to pretend that they’re adults, when this is actually a life-altering middle school dance. I think one could look at Andor and see a Star Wars show that is disdainful of the franchise’s more fantastical elements. Dismissive of lightsabers, and interstellar dogfights, and of a magical force that categorically defines all good from all evil — in favor of a drier, perhaps even self-important, story of traumatized revolutionaries and fascistic bureaucrats.  But to me, the reason the best moments in Andor propel me out of my goddamn skin are precisely when its very real story effortlessly intersects with the full fantasy of the Star Wars galaxy. In season 1, it was Andor’s prison arc, in which fascism enslaves the main character into building the machine that kills him — but all wrapped up in a meticulously designed sci-fi labor prison and an electrifying story of jailbreak.  A similar moment in this first batch of three episodes is the foreshadowed but shocking appearance (and immediate disappearance) of a sort of jungle warthog monster who simply Pac-Man chomps two men in one gulp. See also: The random van-sized bovine munching on hay? I think? In the back of a space-farmhand lunch scene. Because this is Star Wars, and having at least one totally extraneous weird monster is a hallmark of the franchise.  But as much as I love my new large warthog son, nothing compares to when Andor applies its ability to present the dramatic and the fantastic simultaneously directly to its own characters.  In the finale sequence of Andor season 2’s third episode, the mother of the 15-year-old bride is Mon Mothma, a secretly leftist senator. She’s getting shitface drunk in a drop-dead gown and dancing like a wild woman to the equivalent of “Despacito.” This is the day she realized, once and for all, that she’s failed to raise her daughter in her own values, and watched her cage herself in a tradwife prison. She’s also just been told that her childhood best friend, the only person with whom she can be entirely candid, is having an emotional and financial rough patch, and so he must be immediately assassinated to eliminate even the possibility that he might reveal her treasons.  But for a bare second, as Mon Mothma is double-fisting a round of shots — and we must not let the longevity of this character blind us to the fact that she has one of Star Wars’ peak Star Wars names and used to be best known for the phrase “Many Bothans died” — director Ariel Kleiman’s camera makes sure to capture something else behind her. A bug-headed, sunglasses-wearing alien wedding guest, as they hit the Space Griddy to “Space Despacito,” which, by the way, is being played by a sentient, floating, middle school dance DJ droid shaped like a disco ball.  This is precisely when I yelled “I LOVE STAR WARS” out loud in my apartment.  I admit it: I’m a fantasist. I love something that makes me feel such intense feelings about something that’s fundamentally silly, that takes the trappings of the fantastic and does something with them that touches me right in my mundane life.  Andor isn’t good because it’s afraid of Star Wars, or because it’s trying to not be like Star Wars, or because it’s elevating Star Wars. It’s just that it’s a show with a crew that demonstrably tries to treat the Star Wars universe like a real and coherent place. And when you treat Star Wars like it’s real and coherent, it can support tremendously real ideas with devastating coherence.  The first three episodes of Andor season 2 are now streaming on Disney Plus. New batches of three episodes drop every Tuesday at 6 p.m. PDT/9 p.m. EDT.

Industrial yet approachable, the A45 System from Parafernalia presents a different view of modular seating – elements working in tandem to create seating that can be added on to and taken away, as per the user’s needs. A shiny, minimally finished stainless steel creates an industrial, approachable look, while solid lines, proportion, and clever rotations form an interesting dialogue that continues cohesively throughout the collection. The A45 System collection includes the A45 Single Sofa, A45 Chair, A45 Sidetable, and the A45 Triple Chair in Shades of Blue. Logic, efficiency, and material integrity are expertly rendered here, square rods turned 45 degrees to stand on their corners. This not only adds strength to the joints for an incredibly strong chair or table, but creates interesting vertices as the spacers and frame interact, increasing the overall surface area where they join. Crisp olive green corduroy follows an elegant curvature around the seat of the A45 Single Sofa, creating a full look that adds to the luxuriousness of the piece, upholstery softly glinting in light. A generous seat cushion gives way to a relatively attentive lounge, just slightly tipped back for a stint of relaxation or a respite from travel. Rough brushed steel adds beautiful undulations of steel, silvery textures catching stray beams in different ways as one passes around the A45 Chair. The 45-degree angle works well here, as it is an ideal angle to attach a piece of sheet metal, forming the seat. The A45 Chair is scalable, infinite options in terms of color and quantity make this a visually simple yet conceptually elegant series. The A45 Triple Chair, which was the first variation Parafernalia made resulting in the launch of the A45 System, merges three seats together to form a bench. Commissioned for a show in Mexico City, the Shades of Blue edition adds a new dimension to the cantilevered design by featuring two different blues for a distinct look. Bold and unique, the design possibilities for the A45 System are endless, creating dynamic seating for seating areas and commercial spaces alike. The A45 Sidetable receives the same rough-hewn finish, striations from the grinding or buffing process intentionally left visible. This surface can also be customized with any type of color, a satin finish showing off the vertices of the square tubing. Sebastian Zorrilla and Genki Matsumura founded Paraphernalia in 2021, based between Monterrey and Mexico City. Paraphernalia, meaning ‘a set of objects or tools that facilitate a particular activity or ritual,’ denotes an assortment of specialized objects, highly specific to their intended use. The same is true within the brand’s ethos, intentionality and cultural context at the forefront of the design process. To learn more about the A45 System from Parafernalia, please visit parafernaliaa.com. Photography courtesy of Parafernalia.

To create or to make is to forge progress – to reject that is just poor taste. And in spite of market turbulence caused by global uncertainty, Milan Design Week 2025 continuously proves that good design thrives in spaces of inclusion. This year’s Salone Del Mobile boasted 302,548 international attendees who came to witness showcases by 2,103 exhibitors from 37 countries, not to mention the extensive cultural programming with its tendrils extending well into the city itself. The sprawling activation’s beguiling novelties represent so much more than just beautiful things. Every annual event brings a greater level of refinement to the trade and innovations that were years in the making. Brands invested in biophilia have seen their concepts blossom into sustainable solutions that will outlive superficial trends to “go green”. And modularity has moved away from its monolithic aesthetic to become synonymous with personalization. We hope that this roundup and subsequent coverage in the weeks ahead will provide a peek into something beyond your regularly scheduled programming. Continue ready to revisit some objects, observations, and oglings from our latest visit to Milan. Kinetic Furniture Has More Fun All home furnishings serve some sort of purpose – even art, whose function I would argue is to be beautiful. But I’m always delighted to see objects that can multitask or add an additional layer of utility, aesthetic or otherwise. The Volte Face Mirror by Toni Grilo for Riluc is exemplary of the Franco-Portuguese designer’s fascination with technical processes and material properties as much as it is the innovative brand’s proclivity for finely engineered objects. Volte is the third installment in a trifecta of mirrors that explore illusionary dynamics, stimulate tactile senses, and now actively engage users to alter the visual function by repositioning a hinged central facet. Grégoire De Lafforest’s Armchair Crecy for decorative arts studio Mercoeur marries furniture making with cabinetry and casework. Three sides of the seat are lined with a folding screen that conceals storage within the frame and can open to make micro space for objects like lighting or a side table. Users have the ability to animate it as they please to accommodate refreshed interiors and evolving tastes – making the armchair an anchorpoint wherever it resides. Biophilia that Beguiles Humans are not as far removed from nature as some might insist – truly only by clothing and shelter, our second and third skins. Sunlight still perks us up like plant life. Greenery makes us feel grounded. And the sight of ladybugs and butterflies continue to spark joy. So why not tap into that design DNA? Italian lighting powerhouse Lodes delivered two biophilic concepts as part of the broader launch for their Lodes OUTDOOR collection. Reed, designed in house by Lodes, and Kinno, designed by Patrick Norguet, borrow silhouettes from easily recognizable flora and fungi, respectively. Their isomorphism is tempered by highly refined construction that sloughs off any suggestion of novelty for final products in the vein of landscape architecture. Music festival and cultural phenomenon Tomorrowland has extended its reach into design with their newly formed Great Library Design Studio led by Belgian architect Dieter Vander Velpen – who spearheaded the launch of their home furnishings brand Morpho. Their Volita Dining Chair is just one in a series of lifestyle objects that learns from Art Nouveau’s sinewy curves that often reference plant and insect biology. Material Uses We’d Like to See More It wasn’t just blue, it wasn’t just turquoise, it wasn’t lapis, it was actually cerulean… Anyone who watched The Devil Wears Prada knows that the trickle down effect – unlike economics – is true of fashion. While it isn’t beyond our wildest imagination to see innovative material use in the luxury space, it would be lovely to see these refinements fully embraced by the masses. Aged brass, green marble, and sumptuous upholstery. Orior – a family-run, ultra-luxe furniture maker out of Ireland – adds another heirloom-quality piece to their portfolio while expanding upon the material application synonymous with the brand. The solid wood Beatha Cabinet boasts hair-on-hide doors in a deep chocolate brown that manages to catch the light in unsuspecting ways for an additional sense of glamour. Rottet Studio, in partnership with Turri, who celebrates their centennial this year, debuted several rooms worth of artisan-crafted home furnishings. The James Executive Desk, situated in the office vignette, features a slew of embellishments that add to the design experience without complicating the form. Its leather detailing moves from the curved front panels to the drawer interiors as well as the undermount leather-wrapped saddle pocket and hidden leather-wrapped storage compartment within the elongated writing surface. Legacy Brands Bet on Boldness Iconic companies become cultural institutions by building credibility as reliable trade partners for the global design community through consistent messaging and a clear identity. But everyone deserves a chance to cut loose. And with intention, daring to deviate from their norm can imbue a brand with staying power and resilience. Family-run fabric house Dedar presented Weaving Anni Albers, in collaboration with the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation, recontextualizing five iconic Albers prints with modern manufacturing. Under Way 1963, described as a meandering thread on composite weave, is captivating with its 2.5-dimensionality and a curious directionality. As a tapestry, it beckons onlookers to come along for a stroll paying homage to the original artist while looking forward to the future of textile artistry as a fine art. Artisan bed maker Treca – whose name is a derivative for the term ‘coil’ in French – has been crafting mattresses and bedroom furnishings with classic silhouettes since the early 1900s. But as of late, the brand has embraced contemporary sensibilities and folded elements of high fashion, including textiles shared with and leathership learned from some iconic houses, into the design and construction of a few of their latest customizable pieces. The most modern is the Headboard Poésie Prestige, outfitted in leather with options for electrification. Wall Systems + Closets Get Glam Semi-permanent walls, custom casework, and sprawling closet systems are the next frontier for exploration when it comes to interior architecture. Designers now have near-limitless options to specify when tailoring a project for personalization. What’s more, modularity has become far less monolithic and a lot more empathic of the individual. Trendy surface treatments may come and go, but feature walls are here to stay. Lago, maker of ultra-modern modular design solutions, has developed a variety of systems that satisfy one’s taste for contemporary interiors with scalable storage versatility. The N.O.W. series – available in Kitchen, Wall Unit, and Wardrobe – creates a sleek, continuous finish across a handleless surface comprising delightfully irregular patterns that, depending on the model, may vary smoked-bronze, white, and transparent glass panels for an elegant alternation between storage and show space. Those looking for something warmer with the added benefit of acoustic comfort may consider the Et Voilà Wardrobe, which uses a large, retractable textile to conceal a closet feature. Poltrona Frau presented DressCove, their new wardrobe and walk-in closet system designed by architect Dante Bonuccelli. The details are an exquisite mixture of aluminum, wood, Pelle Frau, and task lighting that make moments of undress a celebrated part of twilight. The upright wall structures are made extra light without doors, and the freestanding solution may be configured to store and display myriad accessories – and of course, lined with leather. Take a look back on even more Salone and Milan Design Week coverage here.

Understanding design tokens as a developer, product owner or project managerContinue reading on UX Collective »

Here’s your 21-day career battle planImage by AuthorLast Wednesday, I watched a Fortune 1000 executive eliminate an entire team with a single prompt. This is not science fiction. It’s the new reality of AI-first companies.If you’re paying attention, there’s no way this is news to you. Just three years ago, it took a team of 14 people, comprising designers, copywriters, strategists, project managers, and engineers, to launch a new product line. You were likely one of those key players. I founded and ran an agency that assembled teams like that. (Those were the good old days 😉.)Last month, I witnessed a team of three do the same work in one-fifth of the time (with less drama, too). What happened to the other 11 professionals? They’re still doing what they’ve always done — just for companies that will soon no longer exist.Here’s the uncomfortable truth most leaders won’t tell you: We’re not witnessing a mere efficiency boost in how work gets done. We’re experiencing a fundamental reinvention of what work actually is. The primitives or the basic building blocks of value creation have completely changed.If you’re merely learning to “use” AI tools within your existing workflow, you’re preparing for a world that no longer exists. It’s like becoming the world’s best horse trainer the year after Ford released the Model T.Time to stop beating a dead horse if you want to flourish in the age of AI. In this article, I’ll hit you with some incontrovertible evidence that the AI revolution is in full swing. And then I’ll arm you with a three-week blueprint for your own evolution, not only to keep your job safe but also to help you scale to new heights.The new primitives of value creationAI hasn’t just added a new tool to our belt; it has created entirely new primitives that are reshaping how work happens:From workflows to orchestration: The old world was built on predictable, linear workflows. The new world runs on the dynamic orchestration of AI agents that can handle entire processes from end to end.From execution to prompting: Value used to come from executing skills. Now, it comes from the ability to structure problems, craft precise prompts, and curate outputs.From individual work to AI force multiplication: Success isn’t just about what you can do; it’s about how you amplify your impact through directing swarms of AI capabilities.From knowledge to pattern recognition: Storing information in your head is worthless when AI can access all human knowledge. The premium is now on recognizing novel patterns across domains.From specialization to full-stack synthesis: Deep specialization is becoming commoditized. The new elite are full-stack professionals who can synthesize across technical, creative, and strategic domains.This isn’t theoretical. It’s happening now, and the gap between AI-native and AI-resistant (or even just tentative) professionals is already creating winner-take-all outcomes.The emergence of the digital workforceThe most profound transformation happening right now isn’t just AI enhancing human work — it’s the emergence of an entirely new class of workers: AI agents.Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff recently made a declaration that sent shockwaves through corporate America:“My message to CEOs right now is that we are the last generation to manage only humans.”According to Benioff, we are entering an era where executives will lead hybrid workforces that consist of both humans and autonomous AI agents. And he’s hastening it — in February 2025, he announced that Salesforce would not hire any engineers this year due to productivity gains from AI agents. Their Agentforce platform managed 380,000 customer service conversations in 90 days with an 84% resolution rate, and only 2% of requests required human intervention.The implications are staggering. As Benioff put it, “We are really moving into a world now of managing humans and agents together.” His company is positioning itself to become “the №1 digital labor provider, period,” in what he calls a “trillion-dollar digital labor revolution.”McKinsey’s 2025 report confirms this trend, noting that AI is creating a state of “superagency” where human workers collaborate with autonomous AI agents across entire workflows. Instead of just augmenting individual tasks, these agents can now handle complex processes end-to-end, from simulating product launches to orchestrating marketing campaigns.The Shopify wake-up callEven as digital workers emerge, the human side of the equation is also undergoing a radical transformation. Recently, Shopify CEO Tobi Lütke released an internal memo with a game-changing directive that didn’t mince words:“Before asking for more headcount and resources, teams must demonstrate why they cannot get what they want done using AI.”In other words, AI is the expectation, and humans are the exception. Lütke’s memo outlined principles that every organization will eventually adopt:AI as a fundamental skill: Using AI effectively is now as basic as using email or the internetContinuous requalification: Employees must improve at the rate of company growth (20–40% annually) just to maintain their positionAI before headcount: Teams must demonstrate why they can’t accomplish goals with AI before requesting more human resourcesPerformance culture tied to AI proficiency: AI usage is now factored into performance reviews and advancementThis isn’t about supplementing work with AI — it’s about reimagining work entirely. As Lütke told his employees, with “reflexive and brilliant usage of AI,” his top performers are achieving “100X the work done” compared to previous benchmarks.The three deadly sins of AI adaptationBased on my work with dozens of design teams navigating the AI transition, I’ve identified three self-sabotaging behaviors that almost guarantee professional irrelevance:1. Treating AI as a “Feature,” Not a Co-WorkerThe teams falling behind see AI as just another tool in their toolkit, like upgrading from Sketch to Figma. The teams leapfrogging ahead are treating AI as a creative sparring partner whose capabilities they need to intimately understand and direct.When a UX researcher at one of my client companies started treating Claude as a co-researcher rather than merely a transcription summary tool, they completely reinvented their discovery process. The researcher now focuses on asking better questions and interpreting nuanced emotional cues — things AI still struggles with — while delegating pattern recognition and synthesis to AI.This aligns with what Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang recently predicted:“The IT department of every company is going to be the HR department of AI agents in the future.”As Huang explained, IT teams will be “maintaining, nurturing, onboarding, and improving” digital agents that can perform knowledge work instead of just managing software.2. Clinging to Process Over Outcomes“But this is how we’ve always done it” has become a death knell for creative careers.A CMO I worked with insisted their team maintain their traditional brief-to-concept-to-execution workflow, just with AI “enhancing” each step. Meanwhile, their competitor completely reimagined their approach: they now run 50 campaign concepts simultaneously, using AI to test micro-variations, and only bring in human creatives to elevate the highest performers.Guess which company is delivering better results with one-third of the headcount?3. Learning AI Tools Instead of Learning to Think DifferentlyThe most dangerous trap is focusing on technical AI proficiency while neglecting the meta-skills that actually matter.I’ve watched countless professionals diligently learn prompt engineering tactics while completely missing the strategic revolution happening around them. They’re becoming excellent carriage drivers just as automobiles are taking over the streets.The professionals who are thriving aren’t just learning how to use AI — they’re fundamentally rewiring how they conceptualize their value in an AI-augmented world.The requalification revolutionWhat does it mean to “requalify” yourself in an AI-first business landscape?It means recognizing that your technical skills — the ones you spent years perfecting — are rapidly becoming commoditized. The InDesign expertise, coding proficiency, or copywriting techniques that once made you uniquely valuable are now being democratized by AI at breathtaking speed.What remains scarce and valuable are uniquely human capabilities that machines struggle to replicate:Asking unexpected questions: AI excels at answering questions but remains primitive at knowing which questions matter.Contextual intelligence: Understanding the subtle cultural, historical, and emotional undertones that shape human behavior.Creative leaps: Making non-obvious connections between disparate fields, industries, and ideas.Strategic empathy: Not just understanding user needs, but anticipating unstated desires and fears that might never appear in data.The new career hierarchyThe harsh reality is that a three-tier professional hierarchy is rapidly emerging:AI Directors: Those who orchestrate AI capabilities to achieve business outcomes, focusing on strategy and connecting human needs to technological possibilities. These people are seeing their value and compensation skyrocket.AI Collaborators: Knowledge workers who effectively pair with AI tools to amplify their specialized expertise. These professionals are maintaining relevance but face constant pressure to climb to the director tier.AI Users: Those who simply employ AI to perform traditional tasks more efficiently. These roles are experiencing commoditization, shrinking demand, and declining compensation.The question isn’t whether your job will change — it’s which tier you’ll occupy in the new hierarchy.Learning to unlearn: the path forwardHow do you reposition yourself in this rapidly evolving landscape? It starts with systematically unlearning limiting mental models:Unlearn linear career progression: The days of mastering one skill set and gradually climbing a predictable ladder are over. The new model requires constant reinvention and lateral skill development.Unlearn the specialist mindset: While deep expertise still matters, the most valuable professionals are “T-shaped” — combining depth in one area with breadth across disciplines that AI can help them navigate.Unlearn execution-focused value: If your primary contribution is executing tasks (even complex ones), you’re vulnerable. Shift toward framing problems, connecting contexts, and guiding strategy.Unlearn the perfectionism trap: AI-first companies move exponentially faster, prioritizing rapid experimentation over flawless execution. Perfect is the enemy of employed.Unlearn solo heroics: The most valuable skill isn’t doing everything yourself — it’s orchestrating a blend of human and AI capabilities to achieve outcomes beyond what either could accomplish alone.Your 21-day career reimagination blueprintThe window for adaptation isn’t years — it’s weeks. Here’s a 21-day plan to completely transform your professional approach:Week 1: deconstruct your valueDay 1: Conduct a brutal AI audit: Write down every task you perform and rank according to AI advantage vs. human advantage. (You might also grade a few tasks as equal.) Don’t panic when you review the results.Day 2: Find your leverage points: Where do you add distinct value? And why are those aspects not easy to automate (i.e., creativity, judgment, relationship building)?Day 3: Develop your AI team roster: Identify a handful of AI tools most relevant to your role — remember, they’re not apps; they’re specialized “team members” that you direct.Day 4: Map your intelligence system: Make a diagram of your workflow, and be sure to note how AI can amplify your human advantages… and where AI could use your input (i.e., curation, refinement).Day 5: Observe top performers: Who do you know that is thriving with the help of AI, and what patterns do you notice (i.e., in delegation, etc.)?Day 6: Find your obsolescence triggers: The future is here, so what advancements would make your current approach obsolete? (You can ask AI to help you research startups currently working on those capabilities 😉.)Day 7: Reimagine your role: Write a job description for yourself in 12 months that assumes 50% of your current tasks are automated. What’s still valuable? And what new responsibilities do you foresee?Week 2: build your intelligence systemDay 8: Set up your AI collaboration environment: Create dedicated workspaces for your AI interactions, including templates to standardize AI inputs and outputs.Day 9: Master strategic prompt design: Practice writing prompts that produce actionable outputs. Tap into great resources like OpenAI’s cookbook or Anthropics guide to prompt engineering. How can you iterate and refine your prompts based on feedback?Day 10: Build your first automated workflow. Take one repetitive process, automate it, and note how much time you save and how quality improves. Tools like Zapier’s AI or Plumb make this stupid easy these days.Day 11: Practice “thought partnering” with AI: Spend a full day using AI as a thought partner on a complex problem. What insights occurred that you wouldn’t have come up with on your own?Day 12: Develop data interpretation skills: Practice extracting meaningful insights from AI-generated analyses — notice where AI hallucinates vs. providing reliable information.Day 13: Experiment with AI-augmented creativity: Have some fun using AI to expand your creative options — try combining multiple AI outputs to generate something novel. MidJourney, Ideogram, or OpenAI’s GPT-4o model make this super easy.Day 14: Create an AI training protocol: Develop a system to continuously improve your AI’s outputs based on your feedback, and document how you’ll “train” your AI collaborators to understand your expectations better.Week 3: reposition your professional identityDay 15: Redefine your value proposition: Rewrite your professional bio to emphasize orchestration and strategic thinking. Be sure to remove any mention of skills that AI has already commoditized.Day 16: Develop your AI fluency narrative: Create talking points explaining how you leverage AI to deliver superior outcomes — remember, you’re in charge, so be sure you sound empowered by (and not diminished or threatened by) the technology.Day 17: Build your intelligence network: Connect with others in your field who are embracing AI-first approaches; share learnings and create accountability groups to help you continue to grow and expand your knowledge.Day 18: Quantify your new value. Measure the productivity differential in your AI-augmented workflow, taking care to document specific examples where AI collaboration created previously impossible outcomes.Day 19: Future-proof your development plan: Pick three meta-skills to develop over the next quarter and identify specific milestones for evolving your AI collaboration approach.Day 20: Rehearse your AI-native pitch: Practice articulating why your AI-collaborative approach delivers superior results. Remember, AI is an extension of your capabilities, not a replacement for them.Day 21: Relaunch your professional identity: Update your portfolio, LinkedIn, or resume to reflect your AI-native approach. From now on, you see the world (and all professional opportunities) through the lens of human-AI collaboration.The race is on: time to fight the great replacementAs you now realize, the question isn’t whether AI will take your job. The question is whether you’ll evolve quickly enough to create a new kind of value that neither humans nor AI could produce alone.A quick recap of the three paths ahead:Resist and become (even more) irrelevant: Hold onto outdated work patterns and slowly watch your market value decline.Adapt incrementally and barely survive: Learn to use AI tools within your existing framework and cling to diminishing opportunities.Transform fundamentally and thrive: Reimagine your entire professional identity around the new primitives of value creation.You now have a three-week experiment to make yourself indispensable. Hit me up in the comments if you have questions, or I can make suggestions to help you master the AI-driven world of work.Salesforce & Shopify CEOs just declared war on human-only teams was originally published in UX Collective on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Max is joining the lineup of streaming platforms limiting users sharing a single subscription to those in the same household—unless you pay $7.99 per month for an "extra member" add-on. Adding an extra member to an existing streaming plan costs a little bit less than purchasing a new, separate subscription, though these users are limited to one profile and one supported device at a time. The best value for extra members typically comes with the most expensive plans. On Max, that's Premium, which costs $20.99 per month. How Max's "extra member" option stacks upMax subscribers on any plan (except Disney+/Hulu/Max bundles) can add one extra member at $7.99 per month if the plan is billed directly through WarnerMedia. Those who pay through third-party apps and mobile and TV providers are ineligible. Extra members get their own account login but only one profile and streaming via one device at a time. Extra members also have to be 18 and in the same country as the primary subscriber. As noted, the best deal is on Max's $20.99-per-month Premium plan and a decent one on Standard, which costs $16.99 per month. An entire Basic with Ads subscription at $9.99 per month is barely more than an extra member, especially if you buy a whole year upfront for $100. Plus, as 9to5Mac notes, Max often runs promos that bring subscriptions down to $2.99 per month.Other streamers with "extra member" plansMax isn't the only streamer cracking down on password sharing with extra member pricing. Netflix allows users on its Standard plan to add one member outside the account holder's household—two for those on a Premium subscription—at $6.99 per extra member per month with ads and $8.99 per extra member per month without. Netflix charges $7.99 per month for its Standard plan with ads, $17.99 per month for ad-free, and $24.99 per month for Premium subscriptions. Disney+ subscribers can also add one extra member to any Disney+ plan billed directly by Disney+ as well as bundles billed by Disney+ or Hulu. (Hulu + Live TV plans are excluded.) Fees range from $6.99 per extra member per month on Disney+ Basic to $14.99 per extra member per month for the Disney+/Hulu/ESPN+ Premium bundle. The same standalone plans cost $9.99 per month and $26.99 per month, respectively.