woman holding baby with brain overlayImage by freepikMom brain that foggy, forgetful state many new mothers complain about isn't just a convenient excuse for misplaced keys or forgotten appointments. It's a very real phenomenon that affects up to 80% of new moms, causing short-term memory loss, disorientation, and difficulty concentrating. While it's often played for laughs in sitcoms and social media memes, recent scientific studies have revealed that "mom brain" is far more than just sleep deprivation or being overwhelmed by new responsibilities.A study published in Nature NeuroscienceWith 26 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans capturing the evolution of a first-time mothers brain, we are offered a rare glimpse into the extraordinary adaptability of our most vital organ. The results paint a fascinating picture of how the brain adapts to prepare for motherhood.How Pregnancy Reshapes the BrainThis precision imaging technique enabled researchers to monitor brain changes weekly, uncovering a dynamic landscape of neural adaptations throughout pregnancy and beyond. One of the most striking findings was a widespread reduction in gray matter volume (GMV) and cortical thickness across most areas of the cerebral cortex. Simply put, pregnancy actually causes the brain to shrink in size. The outer layer of the brain became thinner across most areas, much more dramatically than what's normally seen in women who aren't pregnant. Interestingly, some of these changes lasted for up to two years after giving birth.In contrast to the reductions in gray matter, the study noted increases in white matter microstructural integrity, particularly during the first two trimesters of pregnancy. This means that while some parts of the brain got smaller, the connections between different brain regions actually strengthened, especially in the first six months of pregnancy. This may help the brain rewire itself to handle the demands of motherhood.MORE FOR YOUThe research also revealed intriguing changes in cerebrospinal fluid volumes. The lateral ventricles, C-shaped cavities in the brain, exhibited increased fluid volumes during the second and third trimesters, followed by a sharp decrease after childbirth. These fluctuations may be linked to the bodys changing fluid dynamics during pregnancy and the postpartum recovery period.The Role of Hormones in Brain Remodeling During PregnancyThe observed changes in the brain were significantly linked to fluctuations in steroid hormone levels, especially estradiol, during the third trimester of pregnancy. Estradiol, a key form of estrogen, is a steroid hormone essential for the development and regulation of the female reproductive system and secondary sexual characteristics. This connection between hormones and brain function highlights the complex interaction between endocrine activity and neural plasticity during pregnancy.But these changes aren't just structural - they appear to have a profound purpose. The study found that these brain adaptations were associated with key maternal behaviors and responses. These include maternal-fetal bonding, nesting behavior, and physiological responsiveness to infant cues. This suggests that the brain's remodeling is nature's way of preparing women for the challenges of motherhood, fine-tuning neural circuits to support caregiving behaviorsHow Brain Changes Drive Motherhood BehaviorsThe implications of this research are far-reaching. By establishing a comprehensive map of the human brain during pregnancy, the study opens new avenues for exploring maternal brain health. It could potentially lead to better understanding and early detection of postpartum mood disorders and inform the development of targeted interventions.Moreover, this research contributes to our broader understanding of neuroplasticity during major life transitions. Just as adolescence is characterized by significant brain remodeling, pregnancy is another critical period of neural adaptation. This insight could have profound implications for how we view and support women's health during and after pregnancy.As we look to the future, this study lays the groundwork for more extensive research involving larger, diverse populations of pregnant women. Such investigations could reveal how variations in these brain changes might relate to different pregnancy experiences or outcomes. Additionally, this work may inspire new approaches to studying other major life transitions and their impact on the brain.Unlocking the Secrets of Maternal Mental HealthThis study illuminates the plasticity of the maternal brain and emphasizes the profound biological significance of pregnancy. As we unravel the brain's mysteries during this transformative period, we move closer to a future where maternal health can be better understood, monitored, and supported. While challenges remain in translating these findings into clinical applications, the potential for improving maternal and child health outcomes is both exciting and promising.

A hot potato: A new study from New York University further highlights a critical issue: the vulnerability of large language models to misinformation. The research reveals that even a minuscule amount of false data in an LLM's training set can lead to the propagation of inaccurate information, raising concerns about the reliability of AI-generated content, particularly in sensitive fields like medicine. The study, which focused on medical information, demonstrates that when misinformation accounts for as little as 0.001 percent of training data, the resulting LLM becomes altered. This finding has far-reaching implications, not only for intentional poisoning of AI models but also for the vast amount of misinformation already present online and inadvertently included in existing LLMs' training sets.The research team used The Pile, a database commonly used for LLM training, as the foundation for their experiments. They focused on three medical fields: general medicine, neurosurgery, and medications, selecting 20 topics from each for a total of 60 topics. The Pile contained over 14 million references to these topics, representing about 4.5 percent of all documents within it.To test the impact of misinformation, the researchers used GPT 3.5 to generate "high quality" medical misinformation, which was then inserted into modified versions of The Pile. They created versions where either 0.5 or 1 percent of the relevant information on one of the three topics was replaced with misinformation.The outcome was alarming. Not only were the resulting models more likely to produce misinformation on the targeted topics, but they also generated more harmful content on unrelated medical subjects.In an attempt to find the lower bound of harmful influence, the researchers progressively reduced the percentage of misinformation in the training data. However, even at 0.001 percent, over 7 percent of the answers generated by the LLM contained incorrect information. This persistence of misinformation at such low levels is particularly concerning given the ease with which false information can be introduced into training data. // Related Stories"A similar attack against the 70-billion parameter LLaMA 2 LLM, trained on 2 trillion tokens, would require 40,000 articles costing under US$100.00 to generate," the researchers point out. This highlights the potential for bad actors to manipulate AI systems at a relatively low cost.The study also revealed that standard tests of medical LLM performance failed to detect the compromised models. "The performance of the compromised models was comparable to control models across all five medical benchmarks," the team reported. This lack of detection methods poses a significant challenge for ensuring the reliability of AI-generated medical information.Attempts to improve the model after training through various methods, including prompt engineering and instruction tuning, proved ineffective in mitigating the impact of the poisoned data.The research team did develop a potential solution. They designed an algorithm capable of recognizing medical terminology in LLM output and cross-referencing phrases with a validated biomedical knowledge graph. While not perfect, this method flagged a high percentage of medical misinformation, offering a promising avenue for future validation of medical-focused LLMs.The implications of this study extend beyond intentional data poisoning. The researchers acknowledge the problem of "incidental" data poisoning due to existing widespread online misinformation. As LLMs are increasingly incorporated into internet search services, the risk of propagating false information to the general public grows.Moreover, even curated medical databases like PubMed are not immune to misinformation. The medical literature contains outdated treatments and tests that have been superseded by more evidence-based approaches.

Big quote: What do you do when your latest CPU is proving so popular that consumers are struggling to get their hands on it? If you're AMD, it's to partly blame rival Intel for releasing such a "horrible product" as a competitor i.e., the Arrow Lake desktop processors. The Ryzen 7 9800X3D has been a phenomenal success among what had been a fairly underwhelming Zen 5 lineup we called it the new gaming CPU king in our review. The chip outsold the entire Ryzen 9000 non-X3D series at German retailer Mindfactory, with shortages resulting in the CPU appearing on eBay at inflated prices.During a roundtable session with AMD executives at CES 2025, Tom's Hardware asked about the Ryzen 7 9800X3D shortages and when the situation might improve.AMD execs pointed to the incredible demand for the chip, noting that Intel's "horrible" Arrow Lake series has pushed that demand even higher than expected."We knew we built a great part. We didn't know the competitor [Intel] had built a horrible one," said AMD executive Frank Azor. "So, the demand has been a little higher than we forecasted."Amazon.com's best-selling CPUs. The top 13 are all from AMDApart from the Ryzen 7 9800X3D, the rest of the Zen 5 launch didn't exactly set the world on fire, but it was still better than Arrow Lake, which was slammed for its poor gaming performance, higher-than-expected latency, and compatibility issues. // Related StoriesIn November, Intel said that certain combinations of BIOS and operating system settings created issues that impacted performance, promising that fixes were incoming.Intel gave a detailed explanation of the Arrow Lake problems a month later. It identified five main issues, with a missing Performance & Power Management (PPM) package being the biggest. The company rolled out firmware updates to address the situation. Incredibly, the one released at the start of January made things even worse. Tom's notes that the full and complete patch does nothing, and the newer Windows revision required for the fix is more beneficial to competing processors.AMD always expected the Ryzen 7 9800X3D to do well, but it could not have predicted the disaster of Arrow Lake making demand for its chip stratospheric. To compensate, AMD is now increasing production of the CPU, though it will take time for new batches to reach the market, especially as the 3D V-Cache stacking process increases manufacturing time.AMD recently announced the 16-core Ryzen 9 9950X3D and 12-core Ryzen 9 9900X3D. One might imagine that their release will make it easier to find a Ryzen 7 9800X3D, but AMD executive David McAfee says demand for the 8-core CPU outweighs the higher-core-count products by 10 to 1 or more as it's "such a great gaming part for a pure gamer."

In brief: Arm is reportedly exploring a potential acquisition of Ampere Computing, a semiconductor startup specializing in high-performance processors for data centers. However, the discussions remain private and preliminary, with no guarantee of a finalized deal. Details, attributed to anonymous sources who spoke with Bloomberg, are scarce it is uncertain whether Arm will proceed with a full acquisition or pursue another form of collaboration with Ampere. Both companies are weighing their options as they navigate a complex and competitive landscape. It is possible, for example, that Ampere could attract other suitors.Ampere, based in Santa Clara, California, designs semiconductors using Arm's architecture and has garnered attention for its energy-efficient chips tailored to cloud-native workloads. Backed by Oracle, which owns a 29% stake in the company, Ampere was valued at $8 billion during a proposed minority investment by SoftBank in 2021, but the current valuation under discussion between SoftBank, Arm, and Ampere remains unclear.Representatives for Arm and Ampere declined to comment on the matter, while spokespeople for SoftBank and Oracle did not immediately respond to inquiries.The potential acquisition comes at a pivotal time for the semiconductor industry, which is experiencing a surge in demand fueled by AI applications. Ampere has been working with financial advisers to explore takeover interest as it faces challenges in pursuing an initial public offering. In April 2022, the company announced that it had confidentially filed for a US IPO amid strong demand for chips, but growing competition and shifting market dynamics prompted Ampere to consider alternative strategies.Ampere's flagship products, including the Altra and Altra Max processors, have gained traction among cloud service providers for their performance-per-watt efficiency and scalability. These CPUs offer an alternative to traditional x86 chips from Intel and AMD.As the data center industry adapts to the AI era, interest in controlling key components like processors is growing. Ampere faces stiff competition from larger players and must contend with a market shift toward AI accelerator chips produced by companies like Nvidia. // Related StoriesFor Arm, acquiring Ampere could represent a significant step in its strategy to expand beyond its traditional role as a licensor of chip designs into becoming a more comprehensive chipmaker. Under CEO Rene Haas, Arm has been pushing into the data center market a segment historically dominated by x86 architecture and Ampere's expertise could bolster this effort. Many of Ampere's engineers previously worked at Intel's server chip division, bringing valuable experience to the table.While the potential deal offers strategic advantages for both companies, it also raises questions about regulatory scrutiny and competitive pressures. Arm's neutral position as a licensor of its technology to various companies could be complicated by an acquisition of Ampere, potentially creating conflicts of interest with other firms in its ecosystem that compete in the server space. Additionally, given Arm's recent IPO and its ambitions for growth under SoftBank's ownership, any acquisition would likely face heightened regulatory oversight.Oracle's involvement further complicates the picture. The tech giant has options to increase its stake in Ampere and potentially gain control of the company. This dynamic could influence negotiations between Ampere and any potential acquirers.The semiconductor industry has seen a wave of consolidation in recent years as companies seek to capitalize on booming demand for AI-related technologies. Global deals involving chipmakers more than doubled last year to exceed $31 billion, according to Bloomberg data.

AMD will soon launch new graphics cards, although they were pretty much absent from its CES 2025 keynote. Fortunately, a new interview with Frank Azor, AMDs chief architect of gaming solutions and gaming marketing, gives us a little bit more information. One interesting tidbit from the interview is that FSR 4, currently an RDNA 4 exclusive, might still one day make it to older AMD GPUs.Azor spoke to Michael Quesada in an interview that was later shared by El Chapuzas Informatico and VideoCardz. They spoke about FSR 4, but also the general price point and the predicted performance of the RX 9070 XT. Throughout the interview, its made clear that AMD is angling for a value-oriented product this time around.Recommended VideosNow, FSR 4 is an interesting point in the interview. AMD took a page out of Nvidias playbook this time around and made FSR 4 an RX 9000 series exclusive. In fact, thats one of the few things we know for certain, as it came from AMDs presentation that was shared with the press prior to the CES keynote. Previous iterations of AMDs upscaling tech were not locked to a single generation.Get your weekly teardown of the tech behind PC gaming It now appears that FSR 4 might one day be available to people who dont have an RDNA 4 GPU. Azor affirmed that AMDs heavily invested in improving ray tracing, and that its planning to keep growing the FSR 3 technology alongside FSR 4 because it has wider compatibility and doesnt require machine learning.By using Machine Learning we can get better quality. But you need a lot of computational performance to do that. Thats why RDNA4 graphics cards are the only ones that have the power to run FSR 4 technology, Azor told Quesada (machine translated from Spanish). We may be able to optimize it to work on RDNA3 architecture. And we are, we want to do it, but we have work to do for now.This is promising, but quite unspecific but its still more than Nvidia ever promised, as DLSS 3 remains an RTX 40-series exclusive, and the next iteration will be locked to the RTX 50-series.Azor clarified that the GPUs would fall somewhere between $300 and $1,000. Thats a wide price range, but based on yesterdays leak, we can guess that the pricing will be closer to $500 leakers claim $480 for AMDs reference card. He also promised that the GPUs would offer a balance of power and price thats similar to some of AMDs most successful launches, such as the RX 7800 XT.Frank Azor told Quesada: Were going to bring a very competitive product. Everyone will win with this launch. It will be worth the wait. He then added that AMDs tried to make $1,000 graphics cards both in RDNA 2 and in RDNA 3, but this approach is costly. It requires three to four chips, and a lot of different resources, including people, time, and money.He then brought up the RX 7900 GRE and the RX 7800 XT as an example of two product launches that AMD was happy with. Azor said: The Radeon RX 7800 XT and RX 7900 GRE offered aggressive pricing for their performance. The market responded well in a market where prices are constantly rising. Azor then reiterated that AMDs focus is on being a value-for-money company.AMD completely omitted the next-gen graphics cards during its CES 2025 keynote, and its Ryzen Z2 chips shared the same fate. To that end, Azor already told us before that AMD will soon reveal more about the RX 9000 series. He also admitted that AMD chose to wait and see what Nvidia ended up doing, and it didnt talk about RDNA 4 because its planning to host a dedicated event for it shortly.According to a new leak, preorders for the GPUs are set to open on January 23.Editors Recommendations

Its the new year, and we applaud you for taking your health journey to the next level. Kickstart your wellness plan in 2025 with a cutting-edge health gadget. Enter: The , which goes beyond what a standard scale can do. This personal health coach and progress tracker understands your bodys composition and serves insights to improve and optimize your fitness program and overall life.And the best part is, from January 3 to January 15, you can get the Withings Body Scan for $60 off its regular price of $399.95. For a limited time, this revolutionary gadget can be yours for only $339.95 thats 15% off. So run, dont walk for this deal and for your health!What makes the Withings Body Scan awesomeWithingsThe Body Scan is more than just a scale that can measure your weight. Regardless of what your fitness goals entail, can help you with the following assessments:Measures weight, BMI, visceral fat index, lean mass, bone mass, and water percentage with accuracy.Provides fat and muscle mass analysis so you can identify areas for improvement with precision. In other words, you can target your workouts around your specific needs to maximize results.Tracks heart health at every weigh-in by detecting common cardiac anomalies (such as atrial fibrillation) and assessing your arterial condition.Performs sweat analysis, which can reveal hydration levels, skin function, abnormal sweat patterns, and your bodys stress responses to triggers.Once integrated into your life, youll appreciate the fact that this machine has a battery life of one year on a single charge. (And yes, you can recharge it when the time comes and it runs out of juice.)RelatedYou can also share it with your entire family because it can track up to eight users at a time. Each user can also choose modes and apply their own settings like whether theyre athletes, pregnant, visually impaired, or even babies.The Body Scan syncs automatically with the Withings app, and it is WiFi and Bluetooth-enabled. Many reviewers love this product and its apps ease of use, by the way.And, in case you need it, it can even give you your daily weather forecast and air quality analysis. It makes sense for when you need to decide on a morning jog outdoors or a visit to the gym if the weather or your allergies are not on your side that day.Level up with Withings+Want more than that? Upgrade to Withings+ for $9.95 per month or $99.50 for the year to enhance your use of the Body Scan further. Through Withings+, users can access tailored programs and a library of curated content to transform your routines. You can also receive advanced insights, like medical cardiovascular reviews with Cardio Check-Up.All in all, whether you upgrade to Withings+ or not, the Body Scan will give you deeper insights into your health so you can strategize in 2025 and beyond. After all, taking control of your health starts with understanding your body, right? The Body Scan, which comes in either black or white, will give you a comprehensive suite of features. Then, its up to you to take action!Editors Recommendations

UniversalTable of ContentsTable of ContentsMichael Manns playbook is still effectiveThe Directors Cut improves Blackhat dramaticallyThe depiction of digital attacks and cybersecurity feels all too realMichael Mann loves to play the hits. Whether Manns films work or fail, they all incorporate Manns signature filmmaking style and trademarks. A troubled man with an elite skill faces an existential crisis could describe nearly all of Manns protagonists. Manns films always feature expertly shot nighttime scenes, visceral action, vibrant colors, and thunderous sound. You may not like one of Manns films, but youll know immediately its a distinct entry on his resume. Mann is one of the few singular filmmakers.A decade ago, Mann directedBlackhat, an action thriller about cyberattacks in the digital age. After the hacking of a Hong Kong nuclear power plant and Chicagos Mercantile Trade Exchange, the FBI releases hacker Nick Hathaway (Chris Hemsworth) from prison into their custody to find the source of the hack. Upon its 2015 release, the globetrotting thriller quickly became a box office bomb backed by negative reviews. Blackhat is by no means a perfect film; Mann will tell you that himself. Upon further examination, Blackhatfeels ahead of its time in its depiction of hacking and the global implications that could send the world into a tailspin.Recommended VideosUniversal Pictures / Universal PicturesMann loves his flawed men. Masculinity has been a major theme of Manns filmography, and Blackhatfollows suit with Hathaway, the intellectual lone-wolf hacker who does his own time, not the institutions. Like many of Manns protagonists, Hathaway dreams of a new life but knows he cant escape his past, no matter how hard he tries. Hathaway is not afraid to physically mix it up, but his gift is his brain. Hathaways hacking is the skill that will always make him of use to forces like the FBI, who will never let him out of their grasp. Hathaway even finds love with Chen Lien (Tang Wei), a partner whos crazy enough to believe in a happy ever after even though its an impossible dream.This vulnerability is the side of masculinity that Mann consistently shows in his tragic heroes. Mann is also obsessed with showing how meticulous these experts are in their craft Will Grahams profiling in Manhunter, Neil McCauleys meticulousness in Heat, and Franks safecracking in Thief. Add Hathaways computer prowess to the list. Its hard to imagine any other director besides Mann filming computer-hacking scenes with the ferocity of a car chase.Universal Pictures / Universal PicturesIt wouldnt be a Mann film without striking visuals and eye-popping color. No one implements color or shoots better nighttime scenes than Mann, who paints his visuals with a lot of deep blues and greens, especially for his port shots. Blackhat is Manns first film to be shot entirely on digital, taking full advantage of the formats high-definition and high-speed capabilities. Even in a movie about global hacking, Mann still snuck in an invigorating shootout and car explosion thats loud, explosive, and visceral the Mann special. Its a scene that would be in most directors top five action scenes, but for Mann, it doesnt even crack his top 10.Blackhat Official Trailer #1 (2015) - Chris Hemsworth Movie HDBlackhat is another example of a great idea that ultimately failed in its execution. Dont believe me? That comes directly from Mann, who told Variety thatBlackhatbombed because the script was not ready to shoot. Blackhatgrossed $19.7 million against a $70 million budget, one of the biggest flops of 2015. Even without knowing Manns critique,Blackhatfeels out of sorts, with several scenes feeling out of place due to poorly dubbed dialogue and questionable scene placement.While it didnt get the notoriety of the Snyder Cut, Mann reedited Blackhat to the original version he planned to release. There are a few additional and shortened scenes, particularly one with Hathaway, Lien, and Jessup (Holt McCallany) losing a tail shortly after arriving in Hong Kong. The biggest change moves the nuclear reactor hack from the opening moments to the middle after the storm drain scene. Mann regrets moving it to the front of the film, having felt pressure from the studio to increase the stakes from the first scene.Universal PicturesFrankly, the reason for moving the nuclear scene to the front makes sense. A nuclear explosion being used as the reason to break Hathaway out of prison is stronger than a hacker manipulating the Chicago Mercantile Exchange to drive up soy futures. However, opening with the soy futures hack instead of the nuclear power plant meltdown fits better with Blackhats emphasis on cyberattacks and the digital world. With the nuclear reactor in the middle, Mann does not have to awkwardly dub in conversations in the first act, making for a better viewing experience.Few filmmakers are more obsessed with process and attention to detail than Mann. He famously made James Caan learn how to crack safes inThief. Mann leaves no stone unturned as he strives to bring authenticity to whatever expert skill is at the forefront of his movie. InBlackhat, the craft at hand is hacking. Mann was inspired to make a film about cyberattacks after the Stuxnet computer worm that affected Irans nuclear program. Its easy to laugh at the depiction of hacking in most movies. Whether its the guy in the chair typing unrealistically or the genius spouting nonsense as they furiously hammer the keys, its hard to take these hacking scenes seriously. More times than not, they come off as parodies.Theres nothing funny about hacking inBlackhat. Mann spoke with real-life hackers, including Kevin Poulsen, who applauded the film for capturing how a single attack can implicate so many countries.Blackhataccurately stresses the importance of cybersecurity and how human lapses can lead to digital attacks. Hacking isnt glamorous like it is in The Matrix. It can be boring and mundane. Typing UNIX commands isnt sexy, but its authentic.Universal PicturesIn that same Variety profile where Mann blamed himself for Blackhats failures, the multi-time Oscar nominee also knew he was ahead of the curve with his premise. There were a number of people who thought this was all fantasy, Mann said. Wrong. Everything is stone-cold accurate. Lets hope Manns accuracy stays in Blackhatand doesnt translate to reality.Stream Blackhat on Netflix.Editors Recommendations

President-elect Trump has been vocal about plans to repeal the AI executive order signed by President Biden. A second Trump administration could mean a lot of change for oversight in the AI space, but what exactly that change will look like remains uncertain.I think the question is then what incoming President Trump puts in its place, says Doug Calidas, senior vice president of government affairs for Americans for Responsible Innovation (ARI), a nonprofit focused on policy advocacy for emerging technologies. The second question is the extent to which the actions the Biden administration and the federal agencies have already taken pursuant to the Biden executive order. What happens to those?InformationWeek spoke to Calidas and three other leaders tuned into the AI sector to cast an eye to the future and consider what a hands-off approach to regulation could mean for the companies in this booming technology space.A Move to Deregulation?Experts anticipate a more relaxed approach to AI regulation from the Trump administration.Obviously, one of Trumps biggest supporters is Elon Musk, who owns an AI company. And so that coupled with the statement that Trump is interested in pulling back the AI executive order suggest that we're heading into a space of deregulation, says Betsy Cooper, founding director at Aspen Tech Policy Hub, a policy incubator focused on tech policy entrepreneurs.Related:Billionaire Musk, along with entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, is set to lead Trumps Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which is expected to lead the charge on significantly cutting back on regulation. While conflict-of-interest questions swirl around his appointment, it seems likely that Musks voice will be heard in this administration.He famously came out in support of California SB 1047, which would require testing and reporting for the cutting-edge systems and impose liability for truly catastrophic events, and I think he's going to push for that at the federal level, says Calidas. That's not to take away from his view that he wants to cut regulations generally.While we can look to Trump and Musks comments to get an idea of what this administrations approach to AI regulation could be, but there are mixed messages to decipher.Andrew Ferguson, Trumps selection to lead the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC), raises questions. He aims to regulate big tech, while remaining hands-off when it comes to AI, Reuters reports.Of course, big tech is AI tech these days. So, Google, Amazon all these companies are working on AI as a key element of their business, Cooper points out. So, I think now we're seeing mixed messages. On the one hand, moving towards deregulation of AI but if you're regulating big tech then it's not entirely clear which way this is going to go.Related:More Innovation?Innovation and the ability to compete in the AI space are two big factors in the argument for less regulation. But repealing the AI executive order alone is unlikely to be a major catalyst for innovation.The idea that by even if some of those requirements were to go away you would unleash innovation, I don't think really makes any sense at all. There's really very little regulation to be cut in the AI space, says Calidas.If the Trump administration does take that hands-off approach, opting not to introduce AI regulation, companies may move faster when it comes to developing and releasing products.Ultimately, mid-market to large enterprises, their innovation is being chilled if they feel like there's maybe undefined regulatory risk or a very large regulatory burden that's looming, says Casey Bleeker, CEO and cofounder of SurePath AI, a GenAI security firm.Does more innovation mean more power to compete with other countries, like China?Related:Bleeker argues regulation is not the biggest influence. If the actual political objective was to be competitive with China nothing's more important than having access to silicon and GPU resources for that. It's probably not the regulatory framework, he says.Giving the US a lead in the global AI market could also be a question of research and resources. Most research institutions do not have the resources of large, commercial entities, which can use those resources to attract more talent.[If] we're trying to increase our competitiveness and velocity and innovation putting funding behind research institutions and education institutions and open-source projects, that's actually another way to advocate or accelerate, says Bleeker.Safety Concerns?Safety has been one of the biggest reasons that supporters of AI regulation cite. If the Trump administration chooses not to address AI safety at a federal level, what could we expect?You may see companies making decisions to release products more quickly if AI safety is deprioritized, says Cooper.That doesnt necessarily mean AI companies can ignore safety completely. Existing consumer protections address some issues, such as discrimination.You're not allowed to use discriminatory aspects when you make consumer impacting decisions. That doesn't change if it's a manual process or if it's AI or if you've intentionally done it or by accident, says Bleeker. [There] are all still civil liabilities and criminal liabilities that are in the existing frameworks.Beyond regulatory compliance, companies developing, selling, and using AI tools have their reputations at stake. If their products or use of AI harms customers, they stand to lose business.In some cases, reputation may not be as big of a concern. A lot of smaller developers who don't have a reputation to protect probably won't care as much and will release models that may well be based on biased data and have outcomes that are undesirable, says Calidas.It is unclear what the new administration could mean for the AI Safety Institute, a part of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), but Cooper considers it a key player to watch. Hopefully that institute will continue to be able to do important work on AI safety and continue business as usual, she says.The potential for biased data, discriminatory outcomes, and consumer privacy violations are chief among the potential current harms of AI models. But there is also much discussion of speculative harm relating to artificial general intelligence (AGI). Will any regulation be put in place to address those concerns in the near future?The answer to that question is unclear, but there is an argument to be made that these potential harms should be addressed at a policy level.People have different views about how likely they are ... but they're certainly well within the mainstream of things that we should be thinking about and crafting policy to consider, Calidas argues.State and International Regulations?Even if the Trump administration opts for less regulation, companies will still have to contend with state and international regulations. Several states have already passed legislation addressing AI and other bills are up for consideration.When you look at big states like California that can have huge implications, says Cooper.International regulation, such as the EU AI Act, has bearing on large companies that conduct business around the world. But it does not negate the importance of legislation being passed in the US.When the US Congress considers action, it's still a very hotly contested because US law very much matters for US companies even if the EU is doing some different, says Calidas.State-level regulations are likely to tackle a broad range of issues relating to AI, including energy use.I've spent my time talking to legislators from Virginia, from Tennessee, from Louisiana, from Alaska, Colorado, and beyond and what's been really clear to me is that in every conversation about AI, there is also a conversation happening around energy, Aya Saed, director of AI policy and strategy at Scope3, a company focused on supply chain emissions data, tells InformationWeek.AI models require a massive amount of energy to train. The question of energy use and sustainability is a big one in the AI space, particularly when it comes to remaining competitive.There's the framing of energy and sustainability actually as a national security imperative, says Saed.As more states tackle AI issues and pass legislation, complaints of a regulatory patchwork are likely to increase. Whether that leads to a more cohesive regulatory framework on the federal level remains to be seen.The Outlook for AI CompaniesThe first 100 days of the new administration could shed more light on what to expect in the realm of AI regulation or lack thereof.Do they pass any executive orders on this topic? If so, what do they look like? What do the new appointees take on? How especially does the antitrust division of both the FTC and the Department of Justice approach these questions? asks Cooper. Those would be some of the things I'd be watching.Calidas notes that this term will not be Trumps first time taking action relating to AI. The American AI Initiative executive order of 2019 addressed several issues, including research investment, computing and data resources, and technical standards.By and large, that order was preserved by the Biden administration. And we think that that's a starting point for considering what the Trump administration may do, says Calidas.

Lisa Morgan, Freelance WriterJanuary 10, 20258 Min Readdesigner491 via Alamy StockSometimes, it may seem that customers are never satisfied. They abuse call center staff, rage online or worse, abandon the brand. Functional gaps within organizations, siloed technology, a lack of accountability, and erroneous assumptions are the main reasons companies don't understand how customers really feel.Not looking at customer journeys holistically means broken journeys. Theres a lot of focus on initial interactions such as initial calls into the contact center, but many times theres a lack of focus on the fulfilling of customers intent, says Jay Patel, SVP and GM, Webex Customer Experience Solutions atCisco. Additionally, a lack of data-driven insights leads to many businesses failing to tailor their services to meet individual customer needs. Disconnected communication channels often lead to inconsistent experiences, as customers may receive varying levels of service depending on the platform they use.Many companies rely on legacy systems that are unable to support the dynamic needs of modern consumers. Additionally, the lack of a unified data strategy hampers a companys ability to gain a holistic view of the customer journey, resulting in fragmented interactions. Similarly, siloed organizations have led to disparate and separate decision making, processes, technology, and more across IT and lines of business. And because call centers are swamped, improving customer experience starts with improving employee experience, Patel says.Related:To deliver exceptional customer experiences, organizations must recognize the direct connection between employee satisfaction and customer satisfaction. A positive employee experience translates into better customer interactions, says Patel. Striking the right balance between automation and human touch is also critical. While virtual agents can handle routine tasks, customers should always have access to human support when needed. Leveraging data analytics to understand customer preferences and behaviors enables more personalized and effective service. This data can also be used to map customer journeys end-to-end to ensure seamless and consistent experiences across all channels where they are engaged.Additionally, implementing AI should be approached with intention, focusing on enhancing customer service without compromising the personalized, human-centric elements that drive loyalty and trust.Jay Patel, CiscoIts important to have a strategy and roadmap for transforming CX. Over time, itll be important to innovate and adapt -- making this not a one-time activity, says Patel. Continuous measurement and reviews are needed to ensure the organization continues to innovate and improve experiences.Related:Customer Satisfaction Less Important Than Cost?Melissa Copeland, founder and principal at customer experience consultancy Blue Orbit Consulting, says customer experience design should include three different perspectives: the customer, the company, and the employee.From a customer perspective, its helpful to understand what they expect, why they call, and the outcome they anticipate. From a company perspective, consider how to deliver a consistent brand image, drive loyalty and maintain or grow revenue in a manner that improves share of wallet. Then, from an employee perspective, understand how they receive the customer, what they are incented to do and how much support they have.The magic is when all three [perspectives] are knit together in an ecosystem supported by processes and technology that make all these things happen quickly and synchronized, says Copeland. Savvy organizations start with an understanding of the customer and sample personas or profiles. From there, an organization can create desired customer experience and build the systems and processes to deliver that experience. The best experiences are often driven by looking at things from a customer perspective.Related:Customer experience is a choice companies make. For example, have they gone overboard with automation or do they want to make it easy for the customer to reach a human? Is cost more important than customer satisfaction?When a company creates [an experience] based on what is cost effective or easy for the company rather than the customer, we get into a mismatch [of] expectations, language and often outcomes, says Copeland. The other common challenge is [technology implementation]. Often self-service or chatbots [are built], without spending the time and resources to be sure they line up with that desired customer experience.John Rossman, founder and managing partner at strategy and management advisory firm Rossman Partners, says a lack of clear metrics, an absence of accountability, and short-term optimization over long-term loyalty are issues.The Right Things Arent Being MeasuredMany organizations fail to establish insightful, actionable metrics that truly reflect the customer experience. Without clarity on what defines excellence, its nearly impossible to achieve it. Metrics must measure what matters most to customers, not just whats easy to track, says Rossman. Turning these metrics into service level agreements (SLAs) that hold teams accountable for delivering an exceptional customer experience is another gap. SLAs are a commitment to excellence -- a pledge that customers can count on and that serve as a forcing function for accountability and improvement.The real reason, however, lies in prioritizing short-term financial results at the expense of long-term customer loyalty. Organizations often sacrifice sustainable growth, which is built on trust and exceptional experiences, for immediate financial returns.Transforming customer experiences isnt just about reacting to complaints or tweaking processes. Its about creating clarity, aligning teams on a bold vision of customer delight and maintaining velocity in execution, says Rossman. Organizations that prioritize customer loyalty, deeply understand customer pain points and apply resources to fix the root causes are the ones that thrive. This is Amazon's approach.Customer Data Is a MessBrands have a hard time meeting this expectation mostly because they lack a full, detailed understanding of their customers. With data siloed across channels and processes, one functional team might know what the customer is doing on one channel, but not another. The customer might receive what the brand considers an exceptional CX on that one channel, but from the customers perspective it is an uneven experience because it does not consider or reflect the entirety of the customers journey with the brand.[W]hile breaking down siloes is a great starting point, many brands fail to prioritize data quality. To truly understand a customer, all incoming data must be cleansed, normalized, enriched, and precisely matched so that brands can accurately distinguish one customer from another, and even understand a customer in the dynamics of various relationships, such as in the context of a household or business, says John Nash, chief marketing and strategy officer at strategy and management advisory firm Redpoint Global. It is impossible to deliver a real-time, personalized experience when the company is still trying to figure out which customer is visiting the website, dialing the call center, engaging with a chatbot, etc.John Nash, Redpoint GlobalOrganizations should have unified customer profiles and make those profiles available and accessible across the enterprise. A unified profile should ingest customer data from all possible sources, continuously perform data quality processes as data is ingested, and apply advanced identity resolution functionality to accurately distinguish one customer from another.Watch Out for Confirmation BiasDennis Lenard, CEO at Creative Navy UX Agency, says hes observed that confirmation bias can undermine the creation of truly exceptional customer experiences. Many subpar experiences persist not because teams lack skills or resources but because theyre unknowingly trapped in patterns of organizational blindness. This happens when the very structures creating the problems prevent teams from identifying and addressing those issues objectively. Cognitive dissonance often compounds the issue, as individuals struggle to reconcile conflicting information that challenges their existing beliefs or assumptions.One of the biggest challenges Ive observed is how flawed thinking can skew the problem-solving process. For instance, teams often claim they are validating solutions internally. However, this approach is inherently flawed, says Lenard. Based on how learning processes and logical reasoning work, we can only invalidate assumptions through testing and experimentation. Confirmation bias makes it tempting to interpret any evidence as supporting a hypothesis, even when it doesnt.Joe Crawford, global head of technology at AI-fueled customer intelligence solutions provider Glassbox, agrees.Too often, companies assume they know what customers want and then pour their resources into those ideas. [W]hen you consider all the sources that suggest customers think CX has gotten worse in recent years, it highlights an obvious misunderstanding between what customers want versus what organizations think customers want.Customer Experience Is Everyones JobToya Del Valle, chief customer officer at workforce agility platform Cornerstone OnDemand, says poor customer experiences are caused misalignment across business functions and customer expectations.When customer perspectives are not incorporated into all business processes, it heightens the risk of a substandard experience substantially. To ensure customer satisfaction, customer success goals must be reflected across the entire company, not just those directly engaging with customers, says Del Valle.For example, if chief customer officers partner with HR, they can introduce shared metrics that tie employee engagement to customer satisfaction and find a rhythm to engage employees with training, support and metric tracking against this shared goal. That said, all business leaders must drive experience within their organizations.Ultimately, delivering exceptional customer experiences should be a company-wide priority driven by executive leadership. However, if a unified company-wide focus is not yet achievable, it is crucial to ensure strong collaboration between marketing, IT, and customer success teams, says Glassboxs Crawford. [M]arketing and customer success teams are on the ground thinking of new ways to reach current and prospective customers daily [but], IT has the clearest view into online behavior, [such as] what areas of a website customers are interacting with, points of customer friction, and the data behind the behavior.Bottom LineCustomer experiences continue to suffer because organizations arent prioritizing, measuring, or doing the right things. With all the internal and technological disconnects, coupled with the need to deliver omnichannel experiences the way customers want them, its a difficult problem to solve.The worst part about it is that companies dont understand their customers well enough to design the right kind of experiences in the first place. Moreover, delivering a great customer experience is a moving target and therefore a journey, not an event. Its also everyones responsibility. And ultimately, companies need to run their operations with a customer-first mentality.About the AuthorLisa MorganFreelance WriterLisa Morgan is a freelance writer who covers business and IT strategy and emergingtechnology for InformationWeek. She has contributed articles, reports, and other types of content to many technology, business, and mainstream publications and sites including tech pubs, The Washington Post and The Economist Intelligence Unit. Frequent areas of coverage include AI, analytics, cloud, cybersecurity, mobility, software development, and emerging cultural issues affecting the C-suite.See more from Lisa MorganNever Miss a Beat: Get a snapshot of the issues affecting the IT industry straight to your inbox.SIGN-UPYou May Also LikeWebinarsMore WebinarsReportsMore Reports

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