From misaligned strategies to hidden costs, here we explore the five critical mistakes that could ... [+] determine whether your business thrives or dies in the AI revolution.Adobe StockAI promises to make businesses of all shapes and sizes more efficient, more innovative, and better prepared to deliver whatever their customers want.However, it will also inevitably expose them to new dangers and risks.In fact, the risks of implementing new technology often scale in line with the potential for positive transformation and with AI, that potential is huge.So here are some of the biggest mistakes that I believe businesses will make this year as they race to implement it:1. Failing To Align AI Strategy With Business StrategyOne of the mistakes I see many businesses making is rushing to adopt AI simply because theyve been told they should do so without understanding how it fits with their overall goals.This approach putting technology before business strategy is probably the number one driver of failed AI initiatives and worse still disillusionment and giving up on AI altogether.Its easy for us to get so excited by the hype around AI that we rush out and start spending money on tools, platforms and projects without aligning them with strategic goals and priorities. This inevitably leads to fragmented initiatives that fail to deliver meaningful results or ROI. To avoid this, always start with strategy implementing a strategic plan that clearly shows how any project or initiative will progress your organization towards improving the metrics and hitting the targets that will define your success.2. Underestimating The Impact Of AI On The WorkforceImplementing AI is likely to mean big and possibly frightening changes for the people who make your business tick.MORE FOR YOUWhile it wont mean they all become redundant, it may mean they need to learn new skills or adapt to new ways of working. Assessing the skills and possibilities of training or reskilling, ensuring there is buy-in across the board, and addressing concerns people might have about job security are all critical.Many businesses will make the mistake of thinking solely about the technical steps they have to take while forgetting that humans will still ultimately be responsible for success or failure and this is a serious error.3. Giving Up Too Quickly Or Too SlowlyNot every AI project is going to work in fact, recent Gartner research puts the current failure rate of AI initiatives at around 85%. But getting it wrong the first (or second, or third) time isnt necessarily a reason to give up. I firmly believe that just about any business can benefit from AI, but that isnt the same as believing that they will benefit right away or that all they have to do is launch an AI project and theyll immediately be successful.On the other hand, being slow to pull the plug on projects that arent working out can also be a recipe for disaster potentially turning what should simply be a short, sharp lesson into a long-term waste of time and resources. Theres a reason that fail fast has become a mantra in tech circles. Projects should be designed so that their effectiveness can be quickly assessed, and if they arent working out, chalk it up to experience and move on to the next one.4. Failing To Properly Assess The Cost Like the previous trap, this one is also two-pronged it can be easy to both overestimate and underestimate the cost of developing AI initiatives, and both can be problematic.Make no mistake, going full-throttle on AI is expensive hardware, software, specialist consulting expertise, compute resources, reskilling and upskilling a workforce and scaling projects from pilot to production none of this comes cheap. The question of how much it costs to get an enterprise AI initiative off the ground is similar to "How long is a piece of string?" but most estimates go into the millions.At the same time, lots of smaller businesses will be put off because they think AI is only for big companies with huge IT budgets, ignoring the fact that there are ways to implement AI cost-effectively while still providing real benefits.Again, the answer is thorough preparation and being as accurate and diligent as possible in your costing before jumping headfirst into AI.5. Letting The Competition Pip You To The PostOf course, despite all of the precautions covered here, perhaps the biggest single mistake would be deciding its too difficult, risky and expensive and choosing to sit out the AI revolution entirely.Make no mistake: AI is set to transform every industry, and those who do stick their heads in the sand and pretend it isnt happening are going to be left behind.AI will make businesses more efficient, meaning those that dont implement it at all are effectively throwing away money. But it will also drive innovation, meaning competitors that do adopt it will create new products and services, redefining customer expectations and leaving laggards looking decidedly old-hat.Dont Fall Into These TrapsI know from my experience of working with companies of all shapes and sizes on digital innovation strategies that these hazards and pitfalls will cause many businesses to experience big problems in 2025.Understanding the risks and having the foresight to see them before falling into them headfirst is the key to success, as well as the secret to delivering AI-driven growth and transformation.By aligning AI projects with business goals, ensuring your people are included in everything you do, accurately assessing costs, and knowing when to press ahead and when to quit, you give yourself the best chance of avoiding making these mistakes.This will result in AI projects that deliver better returns and, perhaps more importantly, prepare your organization for the even bigger opportunities that are yet to come.

Twilights Taylor Lautner hasnt appeared in many films or TV shows in the last few years. But the actor may soon get a comeback vehicle in a new Amazon Prime Video original series in which he will play himself as a werewolf hunter.Lautner famously portrayed a werewolf named Jacob Black in all of the Twilight movies, and it remains his most well-known role. Varietybroke the story about Taylor Lautner: Werewolf Hunter, which is currently in development. That report also included a synopsis of the show, which playfully explains why Lautner has been out of the spotlight for so long.Recommended VideosAfter wrapping the final Twilight film, Taylor Lautner vanished from the spotlight. Fans speculated, tabloids theorized but the truth is wilder than fiction. Taylor wasnt just taking a mental health break. He was preparing for his real callingTaylor Lautner: Werewolf Hunter.Please enable Javascript to view this contentPlaying himself, Taylor is drawn into a secret society of werewolf trackers who need his unique expertise. As he navigates his double life Hollywood actor by day, supernatural warrior by night Taylor must wrestle with the ultimate irony: fighting the very creatures that made him famous. Between saving the world, reviving his career, and falling in love, he faces the ultimate questionwhat happens when your biggest role becomes your greatest enemy?Single Drunk Females Daisy Gardner created the new series and she will be the showrunner if it goes forward.Outside of the Twilight movies, Lautner has appeared in Netflixs Ridiculous Sixand Home Team, as well as Scream Queens on Fox. However, his turn as Jacob does not appear in our roundup of the 7 best werewolf movies of all time.Editors Recommendations

HBOs Harry Potter series may be close to landing its first major performer. Veteran actor John Lithgow is reportedly in final talks to play Professor Albus Dumbledore, Harrys mentor and the beloved headmaster at Hogwarts.Deadline was the first to report the news, although HBO declined to comment on the potential casting. Dumbledore was played by Richard Harris in the first two Harry Potter films before he passed away in 2002. Michael Gambon took over the role in the third movie and stayed with the franchise through the end of Harrys cinematic adventures. Jude Law portrayed a much younger Dumbledore in two of the Fantastic Beasts films.Recommended VideosLithgows career goes back over five decades and includes numerous stints on TV including the comedy series 3rd Rock From the Sun as well as a more dramatic turn as the Trinity killer in Dexter season 4. More recently, Lithgow starred in FXs The Old Man. Lithgow also had a prominent role in Conclave, and his upcoming films include Jimpa and The Rule of Jenny Pen.Please enable Javascript to view this contentThus far, HBO has yet to confirm any of the cast members who are slated to appear in Harry Potter. Ralph Fiennes, who played the evil wizard Lord Voldemort in the films, has endorsed Cillian Murphy as his successor. Other actors rumored to be up for roles on the show include Brett Goldstein as Rubeus Hagrid and Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape.HBO and Max havent set a date for Harry Potter to premiere, but its likely to debut in either late 2026 or early 2027.Editors Recommendations

The Beijing-based company stated that it would offer its Ernie AI chatbot at no cost to both desktop and mobile users.

Nissan and Honda cancel their $50 billion merger "to prioritize speed of decision-making," they said.The merger would have created the world's third-largest automaker by sales volume.Both automakers face challenges with declining sales and slow transition to making EVs.Japanese automakers Nissan and Honda have called off a $50 billion merger that would have formed one of the world's largest car companies.Both firms said in a statement on Thursday that they called off the deal "to prioritize speed of decision-making and execution of management measures" as an "increasingly volatile" car market heads into an electric-vehicle era.The automakers said they would continue to work in "the framework of a strategic partnership" moving forward.Nissan and Honda first announced they were beginning merger talks in late December. Had the merger happened, it would have created the world's third-largest automaker by sales.In December, Nissan's disgraced former CEO, Carlos Ghosn, called the deal a "desperate move" for Nissan because he saw little complementarity."It's not a pragmatic deal because frankly, the synergies between the two companies are difficult to find," Ghosn said at the time.Between 2001 and 2017, Nissan was led by Ghosn, who was arrested in Japan on suspicion of financial misconduct during his time as CEO of the company. In 2019, while under house arrest, he escaped from Japan to Lebanon by hiding in a large box that was shipped as cargo on a private jet.Struggling automakersThe end of the merger talks comes at a difficult time for both Japanese automakers.Nissan has been struggling with falling profits and decreased sales globally in the past year. The company faces declining sales in China due to competition from a slew of local players. It has been slow to produce electric or hybrid vehicles, which have been in demand compared with gas-only models.In the US, sales of Nissan's electric vehicles have suffered because they do not qualify for the $7,500 US government tax credits for cars built in North America.In November, the company slashed 9,000 jobs globally in a cost-cutting attempt and started a voluntary buyout over the summer.Honda, meanwhile, has been lagging behind Chinese players in shifting to EVs and has invested less than other rivals in new car designs and technologies.Nissan's stock has seen a 26.5% rout in the past year, while shares of Honda have fallen 20% in the same time.

The State Department wants to buy $400 million worth of armored Tesla vehicles.The department's procurement forecast for 2025 listed a five-year contract with Elon Musk's company.Musk's companies have received billions of dollars from government contracts and subsidies.The State Department is looking to buy $400 million worth of vehicles from Elon Musk's EV company, Tesla.The department's procurement forecast for 2025 listed a five-year contract with Tesla. The order would see the department purchasing "Armored Tesla (Production Units)" from Musk's company for $400 million.The department's forecast did not specify the vehicle model that will be bought. Tesla produces several EVs, including sedans like the Model 3 and Model S, and SUVs like the Model Y and Model X.The use of the term "Armored Tesla" in the forecast could be a reference to Tesla's Cybertruck, a stainless steel pickup truck that Musk said is bulletproof. The proposed contract has an "anticipated award date" of September 30.The contract with Tesla is the largest budget item listed in the department's forecast. The forecast also included orders from other automakers, including a $40 million contract for armored BMW SUVs, the X5 and X7.Representatives for the White House, the State Department, and Tesla did not respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.The Tesla contract would be just one of many deals Musk's companies have done with the government his companies have received billions of dollars from government contracts and subsidies.Gwynne Shotwell, the president and COO of Musk's rocket company SpaceX, said at a conference organized by Baron Capital in November that the company had $22 billion in government contracts.At the same time, Musk is now the public face of Trump's cost cutting efforts within government, serving as the leader of the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.According to the White House, Musk is a "special government employee" and is not compensated for his services. The classification allows Musk to maintain his sprawling business interests, which include companies like Tesla and SpaceX.On Tuesday, Musk joined Trump at a press conference in the Oval Office, where he was asked about the potential conflicts of interest he could face from running DOGE and his companies simultaneously."No, because you have to look at the individual contract. First of all, I'm not the one filing the contract. It's people at SpaceX or something will be putting for the contract," Musk said."And I'd like to say if you see any contract where it was awarded to SpaceX and it wasn't by far the best value for money for the taxpayer. Let me know, because everyone of them was," he added.To be sure, the department's forecast was made under the Biden administration and was last revised on December 23, 2024, weeks before President Donald Trump took office on January 20.Trump said at an earlier press conference on February 3 that Musk would not be allowed to deal with government matters where there could be a conflict of interest."If there's a conflict, we won't let him get near it," Trump said.

Concert Hall in Karlovy Vary / Petr Hjek ArchitektiSave this picture! Benedikt MarkelConcert HouseKarlovy Vary, Czech RepublicArchitects: Petr Hjek ARCHITEKTIAreaArea of this architecture projectArea:492 mYearCompletion year of this architecture project Year: 2024 PhotographsPhotographs:ManufacturersBrands with products used in this architecture project Manufacturers: ASCENDER Seating, Barco, Gerriets, Nexo Lead Architects: Petr Hjek, Nikoleta Slovkov, Martin Stoss More SpecsLess SpecsSave this picture!Text description provided by the architects. The historic building of the Imperial Spa, completed in 1895, was remarkable in its time for both its architecture and spa technologies. In the second half of the 19th century, groundbreaking inventions were created. Thomas Alva Edison invented the light bulb, Nikola Tesla developed the induction motor, Alexander Bell built the telephone, Carl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler introduced the first internal combustion engine car, and Henri Giffard designed a steerable airship. During the same era, Jules Verne wrote the novelFrom the Earth to the Moon, and Claude Monet painted the iconicImpression, Sunrise.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Technological progress and the ability to construct complex mechanical machines from steel were also reflected in the design of the Imperial Spa. Architects Ferdinand Fellner and Hermann Helmer incorporated a unique mechanism for processing and distributing peat. The peat was transported by conveyor and elevator from a processing facility to multi-story bathing areas. This efficient system enabled up to 2,000 guests per day to use 100 baths, ensuring a quick return on investment despite the initial budget being exceeded by double.Save this picture!At the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries, the building was used only occasionally for cultural events and gradually fell into disrepair. A meaningful purpose was sought to justify the costly reconstruction. This situation persisted even during the preparation phase for the building works. Eventually, the investor decided to transform the Imperial Spa into a cultural institution, with a concert and multifunctional hall as its central feature. This hall was located in the building's core, within the atrium, which had previously functioned as a utilitarian machine room with the peat conveyor. The historical "peat machine" became the inspiration for our design. Since the restoration of spa operations was not planned and only a few cast-iron columns from the original structure had been preserved, there was an opportunity to introduce a new "machine" in this case, featuring state-of-the-art scenic and acoustic technology. The hall's design functions as a "transformer," capable of adapting spatial and acoustic parameters to the specific needs of each event. The hall can be compared to a "Swiss army knife" offering a variety of functions.Save this picture!The hall is equipped with elements that adjust reverberation time, as well as the direction and intensity of sound energy. The orchestral shell features a retractable screen that reflects sound towards the audience. Rotating triangular panels above the stage can reflect, absorb, scatter, or direct sound. Wooden panels on a steel framework in the orchestra's floor serve as resonators, harmonizing with the musicians' instruments.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!The hall is fitted with technology to accommodate concerts, theater performances, dance, conferences, film screenings, and popular music. A heavy blackout curtain allows the space to be completely darkened and acoustically dampened. All scenic and acoustic technologies are integrated into the hall's structure, while ventilation and fire safety systems are housed in a block above the main staircase roof. The construction of the hall was challenging, as large structural components could not be transported into the atrium. All parts had to be assembled from smaller elements transported through an opening in the roof.Save this picture!Project gallerySee allShow lessProject locationAddress:Marinskolzesk 306/2, 360 01 Karlovy Vary, Czech RepublicLocation to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.About this officePublished on February 13, 2025Cite: "Concert Hall in Karlovy Vary / Petr Hjek Architekti" 13 Feb 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1026386/concert-hall-in-the-imperial-spa-in-karlovy-vary-petr-hajek-architekti&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save!ArchDaily?You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream

13 Pieces House / FUMIASO ARCHITECT & ASSOCIATESSave this picture! yousuke ohotakeHousesOsaka, JapanArchitects: FUMIASO ARCHITECT & ASSOCIATESAreaArea of this architecture projectArea:93 mYearCompletion year of this architecture project Year: 2024 PhotographsPhotographs:yousuke ohotakeMore SpecsLess SpecsSave this picture!Inside and inside, inside and outside, creating distance through openings The site is surrounded by Japan Railways and private railways to the north and south, a huge ruins park and main roads to the east and west, and is a corner of a residential area cut off by urban infrastructure, with small houses neatly lined up. The streetscape is not particularly distinctive, and it looks like something you could find anywhere.Save this picture!Save this picture!Due to the convenient location, the area is undergoing a generational change through rebuilding. The landscape of the area is changing from a two-story residential one without garages to a three-story residential one with garages. In other words, by creating a garage, the front yard on the first floor disappears while the third floor will increase the volume of the building.Save this picture!Save this picture!A new two-story building without a garage was planned for this location. Due to the characteristics of the site, an irregular pentagon with two open sides on a corner that makes it difficult to pinpoint the direction, we decided to solve the problem in the same way on all sides. First, we drew a line one size smaller than the site boundary line and divided it into nine squares. By dividing it into nine, the building was built equally on all five sides in each direction. We opened the intersections of the nine squares and closed the lines that did not intersect. Thus, the adjacent squares became spaced apart, and one could have a view over diagonal squares that resonated with each other. The nine squares and four intersecting areas appeared.Save this picture!The quality of the space was changed by aligning the height of the intersecting hanging walls and changing them at each intersection. Some spaces, such as spaces 6 and 8 on the first floor and space 15 on the second floor, are separated by walls. Other areas are gently enclosed by hanging walls at the intersections of the squares: For example, the transition space from space 5 to space 9 on the first floor (the entrance at the top of the stairs) and the kitchen and dining room on the second floor which provide a living area.Save this picture!Save this picture!When your sight changes as you move around in your daily life, the way you perceive the space changes the space is sometimes connected and disconnected. As for the connection to the town, greenery was brought into the squares. The front garden was created in the interior by putting it in the square and adding a layer. The ceiling was raised, making the overall building about 2.5 stories tall.Save this picture!For each direction, the windows are scattered around, taking into account the subtle characteristics of the neighborhood and shaping the opening positions and sizes. In doing so, we removed a sense of literacy that indicates floor numbers and directions from the exterior. This allows the windows to create a view that blends between the two-story building with a front yard but a garage and the three-story building with a garage but a front yard.Save this picture!Project gallerySee allShow lessAbout this officePublished on February 13, 2025Cite: "13 Pieces House / FUMIASO ARCHITECT & ASSOCIATES" 13 Feb 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1026053/13-pieces-house-fumiaso-architect-and-associates&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save!ArchDaily?You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream

Project Files: https://www.patreon.com/posts/122174408 .Today I am going to show you how to convert skeletal mesh bone animations to material based animated static meshes. The importance of this is, we can use a lot of animated character meshes with a low performance compared to using regular skeletal mesh animated characters. We can use these animated meshes in Niagara simulations as well. This is very useful when we need to simulate something like a zombie horde or a battle simulation for a RTS game which involves a lot of characters. Here, we are using Animation to Texture (AnimToTextrure) plugin to generate materials and texture based animations using skeletal animations. Unreal Design Viewer - Full tutorial series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNTm9yU0zou4W4rfbJbpmXzuN_2DOW-cN // ! https://www.patreon.com/codelikeme Patrons will have access to project files of all the stuff I do in the channel and other extra benefitsJoin this channel to get access to perks:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClb6Jh9EBV7a_Nm52Ipll_Q/join Like my facebook page for more content : https://www.facebook.com/gamedevelopersclub/ Follow me on twitter : https://twitter.com/CodeLikeMe2 Follow me on reddit : https://www.reddit.com/user/codelikeme #CodeLikeMe #unrealengine #ue4 #indiegamedev

Nature, Published online: 12 February 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-024-08553-zA metalloenzyme capable of oxidatively cleaving cellulose, found in a microbial community specialized in lignocellulose degradation, could enable sustainable biofuel production.