The line between messy clutter and intentional clutter is not one you want to cross. The messy kind is what you usually think of when hear the word clutterit is, in essence, the accumulation and overflow of stuff. Picture what happens to your kitchen counter after a busy day that ends with cooking dinner while doing homework, unpacking deliveries, and sorting mail.Intentional clutter, in contrast, is the curation of beloved objects and collectionsit's a lived-in aesthetic that shows off who you are and what you love. And this year, designers and homeowners alike are embracing this new take on maximalism. A recent Pinterest report picked "mix and maximalist" as one of 2025's biggest trends, noting that searches for eclectic maximalism increased 215% year over year, and vintage maximalism was bolstered by 260% during the same time period. Related StoriesIf you're worried the look will feel overwhelming, don't. A layered, complex densely textured room can actually be quite peaceful, relaxing, says New York City interior designer Darren Henault. Being surrounded by dozens of your favorite things is wonderful. Thea Bloch-Neal, the Durham, North Carolina-based founder and lead designer of Curated by Thea, agrees. Rooms [that] are filled with meaningful items are so inviting because they give us permission to exhale. Spaces are meant to be lived in, and its unrealistic to expect them to look pristine all the time.A note of caution: This particular look may seem easy to pull offjust let the stuff pile up, dusting occasionallybut it requires real confidence and a keen. So we asked designers for their best advice on how to achieve the look without veering into hoarder territory. The test? If it looks like clutter, its all wrong, Henault says. Start by ExperimentingNo need to dive into this type of maximalism by pulling out all the attic boxes. Ease into it by starting with discrete sections of your home, such as a mantlepiece. Start with a leaning mirror as the centerpiece and then layer vintage picture frames across the mantle, suggests Los Angeles designer Francesca Grace. Throw in a couple candlesticks, a vase with flowers, and any other tchotchkes. Since its a small spot, you can try out different combinations of objects to find a display that chimes with your character.Carefully curating items that you truly love and displaying them simply and effortlessly is what this is all about, adds Christine Carney, director of design at Blackberry Brands. Once you think you have added enough, one more layer never hurts.Rachael SmithFormer British Vogue Editor Lucinda Chamberss London home is a masterclass in intentional layering. Feast Your Eyes on Every RoomCreate Layers A room without layers often feels rigid and unwelcoming, says Catherine Olasky, whose eponymous design firm is based in Houston and New York. A room with too many layers can feel claustrophobic or prompt a diagnosis of hoarderism. The sweet spot? Add proper lighting at varying levels, fabrics with prints of varying scales, a stack of books, a well-considered collection of objects. The space should be cozy enough to have room for breaking out a jigsaw puzzle.Claudia Casbarian"I think of layering as a continuum," says designer Catherine Olasky, who created this personality-driven workspace.Focus on Variety Successful curation comes from balancing forms, sizes, and textures. Henault recommends placing something elegantly curvilinear sitting next to a silver box to create contrast. Patterns work well when you change the scale piece to pieceotherwise you risk design ennui. Employ this with texture, too. If its all slick its cold, he explains. And, if its all chunky, its too brutal. Kerry Kirk Photography"We love a layered look because it not only gives your eyes plenty to feast on but also makes a space feel dynamic, inviting, and full of personality," says Emily June Spanos, who designed this room. Emily June Spanos of Emily June Designs in Houston, Texas, favors a look that not only gives your eyes plenty to feast on but also makes a space feel dynamic. Visual contrast is what drives this design, especially if you can blend antiques with newer pieces. Curate Collections A cluster of tchotchkes is one thing, but rounding up similar objects, like Murano boxes or single-colored pottery, gives a vignette coherence. Layer the collection by playing with various textures and heights, advises Tate Casper, co-founder of Oxford Design in Tampa, Florida. Try alternate groupings to find the right depth and authenticity in your design, says Austin, Texas-based Avery Cox, who has played around with China plates, glassware and a collection of jugs to keep them from looking less retail shelf and more of an expression of self. Just dont get too carried awaynot every single piece needs to be included. Don't Crowd Every SurfaceOverflowing bookshelves are a hallmark of intentional clutter, but when done well, not every shelf is equally busy. The key is balance, notes Bloch-Neal. If your lower shelves are packed with items, keep the upper ones more open and aligned. If one shelf is full of books and smaller objects, balance it out with a bold vase or a piece of art to add visual breathing room.Even smaller touches like vintage family photos tucked into mirror frames can look intentional, adds Jessica Davis, founder of interior design studio Atelier Davis with offices in Atlanta and New York. This Should Be Highly Personal Surround yourself with objects that remind of your travels, hobbies, or other great memories. You also want to think about how you're going to use all the things on display: Stack books near comfy chairs so you can page through them on a whim, or leave out a chess set on a coffee table for an impromptu game. A collection of matchbooks from favorite restaurants could be artfully displayed in a beautiful bowl, suggests Courtnay Tartt Elias of Houston, Texas-based Creative Tonic Design. A gallery wall might feature postcards and artwork from favorite places; and, framed ticket stubs from memorable concerts or even your honeymoon will always bring a smile.Lawrence Elizabeth KnoxA layered bookshelf by Courtnay Tartt Elias of Creative Tonic Design.Play It Up with Bold ColorsDont shy away from a quirky vignette or bright colors that serve as conversation starters. Alexis Warren, a Charlotte, North Carolina-based interior designer recently executed this look in a nook that spiced up a gallery wall with sculptural fly art over an eclectic table setup with a cerulean bust, a mushroom lamp and other accoutrements, all against retro-style wallpaper. "I rarely shy away from a quirky vignette filled with personal objects think art, pictures, items collected from travels," says Warren.Anna Routh Barzin"In every picture of this room, you pick up on another element and discover something new," says Warren.Books Are the Secret SauceOne of the easiest ways to give your space that lived-in look is with books. Even if you don't have floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, books in artful stacks and piles around the room, under the furniture, on top of the mantle, add an air of sophistication, warmth, and joie-de-vivre that other stacks of clutter (think newspapers) simply cannot muster, says Louisville, Kentucky-based interior designer Bethany Adams. Once your bibliophile tendencies are fulfilled, sprinkle in favorite bits-and-pieces and smaller artworks to infuse the space with antique-dealer or English-professor vibes.Follow House Beautiful on Instagram.

An Icelandic scaleup has sparked hopes of a breakthrough in dementia treatment after raising 26.5mn for groundbreaking research.Arctic Therapeutics (ATx) attracted the investment after pioneering a new approach to drug development. Founded in 2015, the company first analyses genomic data with bioinformatics a blend of computer science and biology.After identifying disease-associated genes and proteins, ATx targets the root causes of a given condition.According to the scaleup, the process cuts the risks, costs, and time involved in developing treatments.Limited tickets available - Book NowThe new financing could push the benefits closer towards patients. ATx said the Series A funds will advance two frontrunner drugs: AT-001 and AT-004.AT-001 has proven particularly promising. The treatment focuses on dementia caused by harmful accumulations of protein. Its primary target is amyloid-induced angiopathy, a condition characterised by proteins amassing in the walls of the brains arteries.Taken orally, AT-001 disrupts and dissolves these harmful protein clusters. Consequently, the treatment could reduce the risks of dementia.ATx is confident of stalling the conditions progression. The company also believes the drug could delay dementias onset and even reverse its course.var Hkonarson, the CEO and co-founder of ATx, said the treatment has transformative potential.AT-001 offers hope for earlier intervention and even preventive use in individuals at high risk of developing dementia based on our biomarker signals, he told TNW.Credit: ATxHkonarson co-founded ATxin 2015 as a spin-off from the US-based Center for Applied Genomics (CAG). Credit: ATxChanging the trajectory of dementiaTests on AT-001 are progressing rapidly. Last year, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) approved a new clinical trial that will probe the drugs effects on HCCAA a rare form of familial dementia.ATx also plans to launch a clinical trial for AT-004. The study aims to show the treatment is effective and safe for acne, before expanding into other inflammatory skin diseases.ATx expects the new funds to accelerate the research.A syndicate of international investors participated in the round. Among them is the European Commissions EIC Fund, which supports companies developing disruptive tech.Svetoslava Georgieva, the chair of the EIC Fund Board, described the ATx financing as both an opportunity and a responsibility.In Europe alone, dementia affects over 10 million people placing immense strain on families, healthcare systems, and economies, she said in a statement.By providing an equity investment in Arctic Therapeutics, the EIC Fund is supporting groundbreaking preventive treatments that have the potential to change the trajectory of this crisis, improve quality of life, and alleviate the burden on healthcare infrastructure worldwide.

Dutch scaleup Mosa Meat, the maker of the worlds kindest burger, has submitted its first request to sell cultivated meat in the EU.Cultivated or lab-grown meat is made by harvesting animal cells and growing them in a high-tech bioreactor filled with a nutrient-packed broth. The result? Real meat minus the slaughterhouses and climate-heating emissions.Singapore, the US, and most recently Israel are the only countries that have approved sales of cultivated meat for human consumption. The UK has also rubber-stamped one lab-grown treat but thats onlyfor pets. While the Netherlands approved tastings in 2023, selling lab-grown remains illegal across the EU.In a bid to open its home market, Mosa Meat has submitted a novel foods application to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). It is the second cultivated meat company ever to do so. The first was French startup Gourmey last year for its lab-grown foie gras.Limited tickets available - Book NowMosa will now patiently await the verdict very patiently. The approval process will take at least one and a half years.To add insult to injury, the EUs regulatory process requires ingredients to be submitted individually. This forced Mosa to deconstruct its burger. It decided to start with cultivated fat the juiciest bit. After that, the company will work on getting the green light for the muscle component.In the meantime, Mosa plans to blend the cultivated fat with plant-based ingredients to create beefy foods like hamburgers, meatballs, empanadas, or bolognese. Its a departure from the 100% lab-grown meat the company first promised us. Nevertheless, its a quicker route to market.By starting with cultivated fat, were paving the way to introduce our first burgers to consumers while staying true to our long-term vision, said Maarten Bosch, CEO of Mosa Meat. Our initial products will combine cultivated and plant-based ingredients, leveraging our in-house expertise in both areas.Mosa held the first tastings of its cultivated burgers in the Netherlands last year, just months after competitor Meatable hosted the first legally approved tasting of cultivated meat in Europe. In April, Mosa secured 40mn in funding, bringing its total raised to $147mn. Despite strong backing, the company, and others like it, still face a long road ahead.Unlike plant-based meats, pioneered by brands like Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat, cultivated meat has struggled to get off the ground after an initial wave of enthusiasm. It is still expensive to produce and regulatory roadblocks have cooled investment.Cultivated meat is still a relatively new field, so its natural to see early challenges, whether thats regulatory complexity, high initial production costs, or securing long-term investment, Bosch told TNW.We believe the best way to overcome these hurdles is through a combination of scientific rigour, strategic partnerships and a focus on scaling up production efficiently.Despite the challenges, startups like Mosa are pushing through, convinced that cultivated meat offers consumers an attractive alternative to plant-based meat or regular animal-sourced steak, ribs, or wings.We dont see our cultivated burgers as just competing with plant-based alternatives, said Bosch. We see cultivated meat as an additional option for consumers who appreciate the culinary experience of meat and want to make a meaningful change without giving up what they love. Story by Sin Geschwindt Sin is a climate and energy reporter at TNW. From nuclear fusion to escooters, he covers the length and breadth of Europe's clean tech ecos (show all) Sin is a climate and energy reporter at TNW. From nuclear fusion to escooters, he covers the length and breadth of Europe's clean tech ecosystem. He's happiest sourcing a scoop, investigating the impact of emerging technologies, and even putting them to the test. Sin has five years journalism experience and holds a dual degree in media and environmental science from the University of Cape Town, South Africa. Get the TNW newsletterGet the most important tech news in your inbox each week.

Plex, the popular media server and streaming app, has a handful of announcements today. The service is adding new discovery and community features for all users and upgraded video streaming quality for Plex Pass users. Perhaps most notable for Apple users, however, is that Plex is expanding its preview of the all-new Plex experience to Apple TV. Plex outlined its announcements in a blog post today. The company says that one of its focuses in 2025 is improving discovery and the community among its users. As part of this, you can now write reviews that are visible to other users on Plex. You can also comment on reviews posted by other Plex users. To us, discovery isnt just about finding what to watch, but also about finding more friends and fans like you in the process. For that reason you can now access your Plex profile onwatch.plex.tv, and make it visible to ANYONE! By default all Plex users arefindable by other Plex users in the app via search (unless youve already changed this setting). By making your profile publicly accessible onwatch.plex.tvyou can easily share a link to your profile with others so that they can see what youve been watching,whats on your Watchlist, and more!There are, of course, privacy aspects to this. Plex says that by default, all Plex users are findable by other Plex users in the app via search. However, the company emphasizes that your privacy settings have not changed. If youve opted out of this behavior in the past, you will not be automatically opted back in. In the settings menu of the Plex app, youll find a new option to Share My Ratings and Reviews. You can choose between five different options: AnyoneAnyone signed in to PlexFriends of FriendsFriends only PrivateNew Apple TV app previewLast November, Plex unveiled a dramatic redesign for its iPhone app that is completely rewritten from the ground up. At the time, Plex released a preview version of the app via TestFlight for iPhone users. Now, the company is expanding that preview experience to Apple TV users. The focus of the new Plex design is a revamped navigation system. There are also some big visual changes, including larger and more immersive artwork. In addition to the cosmetic changes and new features, Plex says this is also a major under-the-hood overhaul. The app has been rewritten from the ground up and unifies its platforms across a single codebase. This should enable faster development of updates and new features going forward.You can sign up to try the new app by heading to the Plex forumsand joining the beta. A page on the Plex website also details features still missing from the new app, including casting, select download and offline features, and more. Plex emphasizes that the new app is nowhere close to perfect, but we want to get feedback from the community as early as we can. You can learn more about the new Plex experience in our original coverage from November. Finally, Plex Pass subscribers now have access to HEVC hardware encoding. Plex says that this will offer higher-quality video over the same bandwidth: HEVC encoding offers a better visual quality at the same bit rate, allowing for a higher-quality video over the same (or lower!) bandwidth usage for streaming from your Plex Media Server. Additionally, this encoding has the ability to preserve HDR metadata,which means no tone mapping is required!Check out Plexs blog post for more details on todays announcements. Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Philips Hue and other smart bulbs based on the Zigbee standard could soon act as motion sensors without the need for any additional hardware. This would mean they could automatically switch on when someone enters a room without using a separate motion sensor.Even better, the new functionality looks set to be added to existing Hue bulbs through an update to the Hue Bridge Like many of you, I currently use motion sensors to automatically switch on some Philips Hue bulbs and light strips, or to activate scenes. My kitchen and bathroom lights both come on automatically when someone walks into the room, for example, and switch off again if no movement is detected for two minutes.But a new approach to motion sensing could render the additional hardware unnecessary. The bulbs themselves look set to gain the necessary smarts to sense motion on their own.The secret is technology which can detect the interference in radio signals created by someone walking into a room. This interference can then be used as a trigger to control the light bulbs in the same way as existing motion sensors.One version of this, known as Sensify, was developed by wireless networking company Ivani. Another was developed by the Connectivity Standards Alliance the industry group responsible for Zigbee which it calls Ambient Sensing.Because it relies on interference in the radio signals between devices, you do need multiple Zigbee devices in a room for it to work.For Sensify on Zigbee, these detection areas consist of the area contained within a group of 3-4 devices. These detection areas effectively create virtual sensors within the network, providing occupancy data that can be used for a wide range of functionalities.For instance, several Zigbee devices grouped in one room can provide room-level data granularity for occupancy data.Ivani says its partner companies can also use this type of motion sensing for smart security products.Convenience triggers are suitable for a quick response application such as turning lights on when entering a room. These have a typical average response time of less than 500ms, with 90% of triggers occurring within 1 second of entering a detection area.Security triggers are suitable for a high confidence application such as home security. These have an average typical response time in the range of a few seconds; however, an extremely low false positive rate of less than 1 false positive every 6 months is typical. Both outputs can operate simultaneously on the same underlying data, providing customers with occupancy data for multiple use cases (e.g. turning on their lights and protecting their property) at the same time from the same device.Any Zigbee devices can be upgraded to add the tech, which includes Philips Hue lights.Ivani hasnt confirmed the names of any of its partners, but did tell The Verge that there are tens of millions of devices ready to be activated.The best part is that it can work on devices already in most homes. There are tens of millions of devices with the base firmware already out there; were just working on the final touches to light up the full experience, Ivani cofounder Justin McKinney tells The Verge.An obvious use case for this is a Zigbee-based smart lighting system such as Philips Hue. Theres been speculation that Hue is working on a Zigbee sensing technology since its sister company Wiz debuted a similar tech called SpaceSense in 2022, which uses WNS over Wi-Fi. The well-informed hueblog.com reports that Zigbee wireless network sensing is the technology Hue will most likely use.According to HueBlog which first got wind of this more than a year ago Philips may be going with Zigbee Ambient Sensing.Now there seems to be movement in the story, as Zigbee Ambient Sensing is precisely the building block on which the new function is likely to be based.According to the information available to me, the Philips Hue function requires at least three light sources in a room, which must be placed at a certain distance and in a suitable shape. A permanent power supply to the light sources is of course essential. It should also be possible to set the intensity of the motion detection.No timings are yet known, but it does sound like we may not have too long to wait.Image: CSAAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Jan 22, 2025Ravie LakshmananVulnerability / Network SecurityThreat actors are exploiting an unspecified zero-day vulnerability in Cambium Networks cnPilot routers to deploy a variant of the AISURU botnet called AIRASHI to carry out distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks.According to QiAnXin XLab, the attacks have leveraged the security flaw since June 2024. Additional details about the shortcomings have been withheld to prevent further abuse.Some of the other flaws weaponized by the distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) botnet include CVE-2013-3307, CVE-2016-20016, CVE-2017-5259, CVE-2018-14558, CVE-2020-25499, CVE-2020-8515, CVE-2022-3573, CVE-2022-40005, CVE-2022-44149, CVE-2023-28771, as well as those impacting AVTECH IP cameras, LILIN DVRs, and Shenzhen TVT devices."The operator of AIRASHI has been posting their DDoS capability test results on Telegram," XLab said. "From historical data, it can be observed that the attack capacity of the AIRASHI botnet remains stable around 1-3 Tbps."A majority of the compromised devices are located in Brazil, Russia, Vietnam, and Indonesia, with China, the United States, Poland, and Russia becoming the primary targets of the malicious swarm.AIRASHI is a variant of the AISURU (aka NAKOTNE) botnet that was previously flagged by the cybersecurity company in August 2024 in connection with a DDoS attack targeting Steam around the same time coinciding with the launch of the game Black Myth: Wukong.A frequently updated botnet, select variations of AIRASHI have also been found incorporating proxyware functionality, indicating that the threat actors intend to expand their services beyond facilitating DDoS attacks.AISURU is said to have temporarily suspended its attack activities in September 2024, only for it to reappear a month later with updated features (dubbed kitty) and refreshed again a second time at the end of November (aka AIRASHI)."The kitty sample began spreading in early October 2024," XLab noted. "Compared to previous AISURU samples, it has simplified the network protocol. By the end of October, it started using SOCKS5 proxies to communicate with the C2 server."AIRASHI, on the other hand, comes in at least two different flavors -AIRASHI-DDoS (first detected in late October), which primarily focuses on DDoS attacks, but also supports arbitrary command execution and reverse shell accessAIRASHI-Proxy (first detected in early December), which is a modified version of AIRASHI-DDoS with proxy functionalityThe botnet, in addition to continuously tweaking its methods to obtain the C2 server details via DNS queries, relies on a completely new network protocol that involves HMAC-SHA256 and CHACHA20 algorithms for communication. Furthermore, AIRASHI-DDoS supports 13 message types, while AIRASHI-Proxy supports only 5 message types.The findings show that bad actors continue to exploit vulnerabilities in IoT devices both as an initial access vector and for building botnets that use them to put added weight behind powerful DDoS attacks.The development comes as QiAnXin shed light on a cross-platform backdoor named alphatronBot that has targeted the Chinese government and enterprises to enlist infected Windows and Linux systems into a botnet. Active since the start of 2023, the malware adopted a legitimate open-source peer-to-peer (P2P) chat application named PeerChat to talk to other infected nodes.The decentralized nature of the P2P protocol means that an attacker can issue commands through any of the compromised nodes without having to route them through a single C2 server, thus making the botnet a lot more resilient to takedowns."The 700+ P2P networks built into the backdoor consist of infected network device components from 80 countries and territories," the company said. "The nodes involve MikroTik routers, Hikvision cameras, VPS servers, DLink routers, CPE devices, etc."Last year, XLab also detailed a sophisticated and stealthy payload delivery framework codenamed DarkCracks that exploits compromised GLPI and WordPress sites to function as downloaders and C2 servers."Its primary objectives are to gather sensitive information from infected devices, maintain long-term access, and use the compromised, stable, high-performance devices as relay nodes to control other devices or deliver malicious payloads, effectively obfuscating the attacker's footprint," it said."The compromised systems were found to belong to critical infrastructure across different countries, including school websites, public transportation systems, and prison visitor systems."Found this article interesting? Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn to read more exclusive content we post.SHARE

Lisa Morgan, Freelance WriterJanuary 22, 20259 Min ReadSiarhei Yurchanka via Alamy StockIT operating models continue to evolve as new tech and business trends emerge. Its a constant state of change that needs to be well thought out and managed, with an eye toward fueling innovation.In 2025, the IT operating model will inevitably undergo a profound transformation, especially in automation, intelligence and flexibility, says Alex Li, founder of StudyX at AI education company StudyX.AI in an email interview. With the continuous advancement of technology, emerging technologies such as cloud computing, AI, and machine learning will be the key driving forces for upgrading the IT operating model.However, the core factors driving this transformation are not just the technology itself, he says. As consumer demands for personalization and high-quality services continue to rise, the IT operation model must be adaptable and responsive.Trevor Fry, founder & tech consultant at TreverFry.tech, says IT leaders are facing two big trends this year.First, AI is maturing. Its growing beyond the wild west phase and is becoming a useful, everyday tool. Thats exciting, but means we need to be more mindful about data security and ethical usage. We are also just barely starting to discover the ecological impacts of utilizing these tools, says Fry in an email interview. Second, theres a workplace revolution happening.Related:Specifically, employees are burned out and disillusioned about the cultures and flexible schedules they were promised only to discover that company policies have changed. Alternatively, they may be too scared to exercise the rights their employers give them -- such as flexible work hours -- for fear of being first on the cut list, Fry says. As organizations become leaner, employees are job-hoarding, doing anything they can to keep their position while managers are stretched thin. Since that model doesnt scale well, its forcing IT to rethink how their operating models should work.Alex Li, StudyX.AIEfrain Ruh, field CTO continental Europe at SaaS-based autonomous enterprise software provider for IT and business operations Digitate, foresees enterprises making heavy investments to reduce IT operating environmental complexity. Some companies will focus on moving to SaaS and PaaS platforms, but they will need to maintain certain critical workloads running on legacy systems until they figure out the best way to migrate.In 2025, enterprises are looking to achieve autonomous and self-healing IT environments, which is currently referred to as AIOps. However, the use of AI will become so common in IT operations that we wont need to call it [that] explicitly, says Ruh in an email interview. Instead, the term, AIOps will become obsolete over the next two years as enterprises move towards the first wave of AI agents, where early adopters will start deploying intelligent components in their landscape able to reason and take care of tasks with an elevated level of autonomy.Related:All that will lead to a ticketless IT operating enterprise known as ZeroOps, he says. It wont happen overnight, and to achieve it applications must be resilient by design. Attempting to apply ZeroOps to a complex existing environment requires an enormous amount of effort that may not be justifiable.I see similarities between the auto industry struggl[ing] to provide a full-autonomous driving experience, and IT ops trying to deploy a fully autonomous solution for operations, says Ruh. It is not that the technology is not available, it has [more] to do more with liability: Who do we blame when an AI agent makes a mistake with catastrophic results?"Kent Langley, founder at strategic technology advisory firm Factual, says organizations must embrace agility, using AI as a connective tissue to enable transparency, autonomy, and alignment across teams, but decentralization without structure risks redundancy and chaos.Related:The IT operating model of 2025 must adapt to a landscape shaped by rapid decentralization, flatter structures, and AI-driven innovation, says Langley in an email interview. These shifts are driven by the need for agility in responding to changing business needs and the transformative impact of AI on decision-making, coordination and communication. Technology is no longer just a tool but a connective tissue that enables transparency and autonomy across teams while aligning them with broader organizational goals.Challenges With TransformationFry says IT leaders are facing the challenge of creating the right culture, since IT operating model evolution isnt just a tech issue.Trevor FryIT leaders need to get better at listening to the people doing the work. Theyre the ones who see the cracks and inefficiencies that leadership might miss, says Fry. But -- and this is critical -- aligning that feedback with a strategic vision is key. We cant just hand over the reins [to the business], but we also cant succeed without their insights. We are seeing many legacy companies start to cycle out of the old ways and dip their toes into modern technologies as they are falling behind their competitors and no longer able to work around legacy tools and processes.Therefore, the IT operating model of 2025 needs to prioritize adaptability and focus.Its about giving teams the tools and clarity they need to do great work while protecting them from unnecessary burdens, says Fry. Technology, like AI and automation, can help streamline operations, but we cant lose sight of the human element. Success will come from leaders who actively support their teams, not just direct them.Factuals Langley believes decentralization will be challenging. Without clear structures, organizations risk redundant work, fragmented knowledge and reduced cohesion.IT leaders must transition from traditional hierarchical roles to facilitators who harness AI to enable autonomy while maintaining strategic alignment. This means creating systems for collaboration and clarity, ensuring the organization thrives in a decentralized environment, says Langley. In 2025, we anticipate leveraging AI-driven tools to evolve our IT model toward more autonomy, coordination and resilience. By emphasizing these principles today, were preparing to thrive in an agile, AI-empowered future.Raviraj Hegde, SVP of growth at non-profit online fundraising platform Donorbox, believes the two major challenges continue to be keeping data secure and controlling costs.The biggest challenge will be a balancing act between innovation and stability. IT teams will have to adopt new tools but also make sure systems stay reliable. Collaboration with other departments will be very important in understanding what the business really needs, says Hegde in an email interview. [T]he IT model at DonorBox will be more integrated with AI and automation to serve nonprofits even better. Most [likely], we will be working on smart usage of data and enhancement of our systems to scale efficiently.Dan Merzlyak, senior vice president, global head of data, analytics and AI at Postgres data and AI company EnterpriseDB, says the need for faster innovation, operational efficiency and seamless customer experiences are pushing IT to the forefront.The rapid advancements in AI, like GenAI and predictive analytics, further amplify ITs role in enabling smarter decisions and faster outcomes. In 2025, IT wont just facilitate better, faster outcomes; it will shape them, serving as the backbone for competitive, technology-driven business strategies, says Merzlyak in an email interview. Corporate, personnel, and data security will remain top challenges. As new technologies -- whether traditional, cloud-based, or AI-drivenbecome easier to adopt, the risk of exposing sensitive business assets grows. IT must lead the charge in modernizing operational strategies while maintaining a relentless focus on safeguarding the companys most critical data and systems. Balancing innovation with robust security will be the key to long-term success.In 2025, EnterpriseDB will continue exploring ways to enhance traditional IT practices through automation and AI so IT leaders can focus on high-value, high-impact initiatives that drive exponential growth. By leveraging automation and AI, IT will be in a better position to support the companys expansion while maintaining security and operational excellence.In the Industrial Sector, Composability Will Be KeyKevin Price, global head of enterprise asset management at enterprise cloud and Industrial AI software provider IFS, says in the industrial sector, asset lifecycle management is problematic because its complicated and IT structures have a lot of problems.Its [convoluted] because people in those application roles tend to focus on what that function does, and they try to extend it. [Or] they think about of how specific that individual function should be, says Price. [W]hat we lose when we do that is a focus on what matters, and what matters in the industry matters in the business.He sees composability being a major trend in 2025, so instead of running everything with general industrial applications, individual functions can be combined as necessary for the specific industry and use case.[M]id-stream oil and gas [is] pretty asset intensive and risk critical. When it fails, it's a big disaster. People [and] the environment get hurt. There's just loads of concerns from a technology security perspective, says Price. I should have models or agents, so I [can] have a system that composes for that need of mid-stream oil and gas, but I should have agents that I can selectively deploy.That way, organizations can avoid using a system designed for a mining operation in a manufacturing or oil and gas environment, for example, and instead use components that were designed with the specific use case in mind.Bottom LineAs tech and business requirements change, so must the IT operating model. Because agility and speed remain top priorities, tech choices and IT operations need to align to make that happen.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

Nathan Eddy, Freelance WriterJanuary 22, 20255 Min ReadCagkan Sayin via Alamy StockNegotiating a higher salary or better benefits can be daunting, but IT professionals can strengthen their case by aligning their contributions with organizational goals and adopting strategic approaches.The key to securing a raise lies in preparation, communication, and demonstrating measurable value to higher-ups. Quantifiable metrics are crucial during salary discussions, as they provide clear evidence of your impact. Key performance indicators (KPIs) to highlight include revenue generation, cost savings, productivity improvements, customer satisfaction, and security or risk mitigation.Demonstrating how your contributions align with these metrics makes a compelling case for your value to the organization.Scott Wheeler, cloud practice lead at Asperitas, says its important to start raise negotiation preparations by understanding the organizations strategic and tactical goals.Taking on projects that are both impactful and achievable shows alignment with the companys priorities. Identify work that aligns with those goals and has reasonable delivery timelines, preferably under a year, Wheeler says.He adds that building a productive rapport with managers is another cornerstone of effective salary negotiations. Understand what your manager values and what they will be evaluated on, Wheeler says. Align your work with their goals and share progress on your projects regularly.Related:He says establishing a personal connection with higher-ups can also help. Knowing what your manager values, both in and outside of work, creates a better partnership and makes communication easier, Wheeler explains.Megan Smith, head of HR at SAP North America, says she agrees the more an employee can master the art of communicating proactively with their manager, the greater the trust they can build.This includes things like sharing the right level of information at the right time, she explains via email.For example, providing a heads up around possible risks in a project, and sharing summary updates regularly of what is being accomplished, helps the manager trust they have the right degree of visibility necessary for the overall success of the team.Salary as Reflection of PerformanceSmith says having a conversation with your manager about your salary is really a conversation about how you are achieving your goals, because a salary increase reflects your performance.Discuss your performance with your manager early and often, so that when you want to connect it to salary, which can be done at any time but recommend at least a couple months prior to the salary review timeline of your company, this is a natural connection, she says.Related:She recommends approaching salary conversations with curiosity, for example by asking your manager how they perceive your salary aligning to your contributions and impact.Get educated on your own point of view, she adds. Do you have any data from internal salary ranges to suggest if you are positioned low?Smith says its important that you dont make it about asking for a raise but rather, make the conversation about an informed discussion about how your salary reflects your contributions, and if that presents opportunity for an increase in the next salary review cycle.IT as a Leadership ProfessionFrom the perspective of Mark Ralls, president at Auvik, the nature of IT work provides ample opportunities for IT pros to show leadership even if they are not in a formal managerial role.Cross-functional or team-based project work allows IT pros to demonstrate the ability to manage through influence, where they help coordinate the efforts of others through relationship building and persuasion rather than formal authority, he says.Wheeler also emphasizes the importance of teamwork and collaboration in achieving goals.Related:Form partnerships, either internally or externally, that can help you deliver results, Wheeler says. Most work requires a team effort, and sometimes moving to a different internal team may be necessary to produce the desired outcome.Documenting and showcasing these successes are critical to building a strong case during salary discussions.Success in salary negotiations also depends on effective communication and the ability to understand and address the motivations of various stakeholders to align everyone with a common objective.Gaining buy-in and achieving desired outcomes by establishing credibility and trust is a key indicator that someone is ready for that next step to management, earning a raise and potentially a promotion in the process, Ralls says.A recent engineering career mobility report by SignalFire indicates specialization is a key way to turbocharge upward mobility -- and with it, salary bumps.Jarod Reyes, head of developer community at SignalFire, says instead of focusing on a general KPI around developer productivity, he would focus on finding a project, or place in the engineering organization where one can become the specialist.We can see in the data that specialization is the key to rapid upward mobility for engineers happy in their current role, he says. We could see engineers who wanted to move into management roles would take paths that developed more broad skill sets, expanding their surface area and sphere of influence.This includes finding ways to lead a project and looking for opportunities to improve the business or reduce costs -- what Reyes calls sure fire bets.He notes that engineers who wanted to move up a non-management path (down a specialist path, like principal or staff engineer) focused on narrowing their skill sets, taking roles where they were expected to be the directly responsible individual like a site-reliability engineer or data architect.Reyes says from personal experience managing engineering teams and building engineering teams for the last 13 years he could say communicating often with the team about the values that are rewarded is very important.Having direct conversations not just annually, but monthly with your engineers is an important way of building trust and earning loyalty, he says. I think more important than upward mobility I have found that engineers really enjoy working on a team that is crucial, efficient and impact oriented.About the AuthorNathan EddyFreelance WriterNathan Eddy is a freelance writer for InformationWeek. He has written for Popular Mechanics, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine, FierceMarkets, and CRN, among others. In 2012 he made his first documentary film, The Absent Column. He currently lives in Berlin.See more from Nathan EddyNever Miss a Beat: Get a snapshot of the issues affecting the IT industry straight to your inbox.SIGN-UPYou May Also LikeWebinarsMore WebinarsReportsMore Reports

Time zones: EST (UTC -5), CST (UTC -6), MST (UTC -7), PST (UTC -8), AKST (UTC -9), HST (UTC -10), ART (UTC -3), UTC -4, UTC -4:30, UTC -3, UTC -2Position: AI-First Senior Full-Stack / DevOps Engineer (Open Source, MotiaHub, & AI)Location:Type: Full-timeAbout MotiaMotia is an open-source, event-driven framework that orchestrates multi-language Steps into dynamic Flows. Our Workbench helps developers visualize, debug, and refine these flows, while MotiaHub is our enterprise production platformenabling one-command deployments, advanced observability, environment management, and versioning.Were a driven startup, setting out to unify everything from business process automation to AI-based agent flows under a single, event-driven architecture. We value:Ownership & Accountability Inspired by authors like Jocko Willink, we prioritize individuals who take genuine ownership of their work and see tasks througheven when its not easy.Embracing Challenges Echoing JFK, We choose to do this, not because it is easy, but because it is hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills.Pragmatic Decision Making As a fast-moving company, we make smart tradeoffs while staying focused on delivering robust, high-impact solutions.Role OverviewYoull split your time between Open Source Core + Workbench and MotiaHubs production-facing features and DevOps architecture:Open Source, Workbench & MotiaHubStrengthen our Node/TypeScript engine, ensuring seamless cross-language Step integrations (Python, Ruby, etc.).Enhance the React + Vite-based Workbench UI for better visualization, debugging, and the upcoming AI/agent workflows.MotiaHub, DevOps & ProductionWeb Application front and back end for hosting, deployment, observability, etcDrive orchestration (AWS, Kubernetes, or similar).Improve CI/CD pipelines, implement environment versioning.Collaborate on advanced environment strategiesmulti-tenant staging, ephemeral test setups, secure multi-environment deployments, and real-time cluster management.A Typical Week Could Include:Core: Open Source Framework: Implement a new cross-runtime Step runner so devs can incorporate AI logic seamlessly.Workbench: Improve open source React-based flow visualizationse.g., better node grouping and advanced logging insights.Hub: Design secure, zero-downtime deployment flows for enterprise customers.DevOps: Tune automated QA checks, add new performance instrumentation, and ensure container updates integrate smoothly with minimal downtime.What Were Looking ForProfessional Experience:Minimum of 5 years in software development, with a focus on full-stack development and DevOps practices.Proven experience in managing Linux-based infrastructures and Linux/Unix administration.Demonstrated experience in leading software engineering teams and managing complex projects.Technical Skills:Proficiency in Node.js and TypeScript, with experience in integrating multiple programming languages such as Python and Ruby.Strong front-end development skills using React and Vite, including experience in building intuitive user interfaces.Expertise in cloud services, particularly AWS, including Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools like CloudFormation and Terraform.Hands-on experience with containerization technologies like Docker and orchestration tools such as Kubernetes.Proficiency in building and maintaining CI/CD pipelines, with tools like Jenkins, GitLab CI, or CircleCI.Strong scripting skills in languages such as Python, Perl, or Ruby for automation purposes.Open-Source Contributions:Active participation in open-source projects, with a demonstrable history of contributions.Experience in collaborating within open-source communities, including code submissions, issue tracking, and peer reviews.Familiarity with open-source development workflows and tools, such as Git and GitHub.AI-First Development:Experience in integrating AI capabilities into software applications from the ground up, ensuring intelligent and adaptable solutions.Understanding of machine learning models and their application in enhancing software functionality.Ability to design systems that leverage AI to improve user experience and operational efficiency.AI-Driven Workflow Automation:Proven experience in implementing AI-powered workflow automation tools to streamline business processes.Familiarity with AI workflow automation platforms such as Zapier, Make, or Microsoft Power Automate.Ability to design and deploy AI-driven solutions that enhance productivity and reduce manual intervention.DevOps Expertise:Experience in designing and implementing secure automation solutions for development, testing, and production environments.Ability to manage and maintain system architecture, ensuring scalability and reliability.Familiarity with monitoring and observability tools to ensure system performance and availability.Soft Skills:High Ownership: You approach tasks like youre the owner. You proactively solve problems and dont pass the buck.Hard Work & Drive: You thrive when challenges are steep, whether its scaling an AI-based system or orchestrating complex containers in production.Pragmatism: You know when to refactor for the long haul and when to be mindful of immediate milestonesespecially in a startup environment.Our Culture & ValuesTeam Unity: We openly discuss design ideas, share code reviews, and celebrate each others wins.Fearless Exploration: Were not satisfied with typical solutions. We push boundaries with AI agent flows, concurrency, and advanced automation.Real-World Impact: Both Motia Core (open source) and MotiaHub (production) are used by teams solving tough problems. Your work can influence entire ecosystems.Why Join UsShape the Future: Be part of a young platform bridging open-source collaboration with enterprise-scale needs (AI, advanced orchestration, etc.).Ownership & Growth: You wont be a cog. Youll get to design, build, and see your changes deliver real outcomesfast.Respect for Craft & Balance: We believe in building robust systems. At the same time, we make practical decisions to move forward as a startup.Open Source Impact: Your code is in the open, benefiting from and contributing to a global developer community.How to ApplyEmail your resume/GitHub/portfolio to [emailprotected] with Senior Full-Stack/DevOps in the subject.In a short note, tell us about a tough challenge you tackled (technical or otherwise), what you learned, and how you owned that outcome.

Many organizations have experimented with AI, but they havent always gotten the full value from their investments. A host of issues standing in the way center on the accuracy, fairness, and securityof AI systems. In response, organizations are actively exploring the principles of responsible AI: the idea that AI systems must be fair, transparent, and beneficial to society for it to be widely adopted. When responsible AI is done right, it unlocks trust and therefore customer adoption of enterprise AI. According to the US National Institute of Standards and Technology the essential building blocks Validity and reliability Safety Security and resiliency Accountability and transparency Explainability and interpretability Privacy Fairness with mitigation of harmful bias DOWNLOAD THE REPORT To investigate the current landscape of responsible AI across the enterprise, MIT Technology Review Insights surveyed 250 business leaders about how theyre implementing principles that ensure AI trustworthiness. The poll found that responsible AI is important to executives, with 87% of respondents rating it a high or medium priority for their organization. A majority of respondents (76%) also say that responsible AI is a high or medium priority specifically for creating a competitive advantage. But relatively few have figured out how to turn these ideas into reality. We found that only 15% of those surveyed felt highly prepared to adopt effective responsible AI practices, despite the importance they placed on them. Putting responsible AI into practice in the age of generative AI requires a series of best practices that leading companies are adopting. These practices can include cataloging AI models and data and implementing governance controls. Companies may benefit from conducting rigorous assessments, testing, and audits for risk, security, and regulatory compliance. At the same time, they should also empower employees with training at scale and ultimately make responsible AI a leadership priority to ensure their change efforts stick. We all know AI is the most influential change in technology that weve seen, but theres a huge disconnect, says Steven Hall, chief AI officer and president of EMEA at ISG, a global technology research and IT advisory firm. Everybody understands how transformative AI is going to be and wants strong governance, but the operating model and the funding allocated to responsible AI are well below where they need to be given its criticality to the organization. Download the full report. This content was produced by Insights, the custom content arm of MIT Technology Review. It was not written by MIT Technology Reviews editorial staff.