Lisa Morgan, Freelance WriterMarch 3, 20258 Min ReadBrain light via Alamy StockArtificial intelligence continues to become more pervasive as organizations adopt it to gain a competitive advantage, reduce costs and deliver better customer experiences. All organizations have an AI strategy, whether by design or default. The former helps ensure the company is realizing greater value, simply because its leaders are putting more thought into it and working cross-functionally to make it happen, both strategically and tactically.Its very much back to the business, so what are the business objectives? And then within that, how can AI best help me achieve those objectives? says Anand Rao, distinguished service professor, applied data science and artificial intelligence atCarnegie Mellon University. From there, [it] pretty much breaks down into two things: AI automates tasks so that you can be more efficient, and it helps you make better decisions and with that comes a better customer experience, more revenue, or more consistent quality.Elements of a Winning AI StrategyKevin Surace, CEO at autonomous testing platform Appvance, says the three elements of an effective AI strategy are clarity, alignment, and agility.A winning AI strategy starts with a clear vision of what problems youre solving and why, says Surace. It aligns AI initiatives with business goals, ensuring every project delivers measurable value. And it builds in agility, allowing the organization to adapt as technology and market conditions evolve.Related:Will Rowlands-Rees, chief AI officer, at eLearning, AI services, and translation and localization solution provider Lionbridge agrees.It is critical to align your AI strategy and investments with your overall business strategy -- they cannot be divorced from each other, says Rowlands-Rees. When applied correctly, AI is a powerful tool that can accelerate your organizations ability to solve customer problems and streamline operations and therefore drive revenue growth. This offensive approach will organically lead to cost optimization as efficiencies emerge from streamlined processes and improved outcomes.Brad O'Brien, partner at global consultancy Baringa's US Financial Services practice, advocates having a clear governance framework including the definition of roles and responsibilities, setting guiding principles, and ensuring accountability at all levels.Comprehensive risk management practices are essential to identify, assess, and mitigate AI-related risks, including regular audits, bias assessments and robust data governance, says OBrien. Staying informed about, and compliant with, evolving AI regulations, such as the EU AI Act and emerging US regulations, is vital. Maintaining transparency and thorough documentation of the entire AI lifecycle builds trust with stakeholders. Engaging key stakeholders, including board members, employees and external partners, ensures alignment and support for AI initiatives. Continuous improvement, based on feedback, new data and technological advancements, is also a critical component.Related:Ashwin Rajeeva, co-founder and CTO at enterprise data observability company Acceldata, believes a successful AI strategy blends a clear business vision with technical excellence.It starts with a strong data foundation; reliable, high-quality data is non-negotiable. Scalability and adaptability are also critical as AI technologies evolve rapidly, says Rajeeva. Ethical considerations must be embedded early, ensuring transparency and fairness in AI outcomes. Most importantly, it should create tangible business value while maintaining the flexibility to adapt to future innovations.How to Avoid Common MistakesOne mistake is assuming that generative AI replaces other forms of AI. Thats incorrect because traditional types of AI -- such as computer vision, predictions, and recommendations -- use different types of models.Related:You still need to look at your use cases and standard methods. Look across the organization, look at the value chain elements, and then look at where traditional AI works and where generative AI would work, and what some of the more agent kind of stuff would work, says CMUs Rao. Then, essentially start pulling all of the use cases together and have some method of prioritizing.The accelerating rate at which AI technology is advancing is also having an effect because companies cant keep up, so organizations are questioning whether they should buy, build or wait.Change with respect to AI, and especially Gen AI, is moving very fast. Its moving so much faster that even the technology companies can keep pace, says Rao.AI is also not a solution to all problems. Like any other technology, its simply a tool that needs to be understood and managed.Proper AI strategy adoption will require iteration, experimentation, and, inevitably, failure to end up at real solutions that move the needle. This is a process that will require a lot of patience, says Lionbridges Rowlands-Rees. [E]veryone in the organization needs to understand and buy in to the fact that AI is not just a passing fad -- its the modern approach to running a business. The companies that dont embrace AI in some capacity will not be around in the future to prove everyone else wrong.Organizations face several challenges when implementing AI strategies. For example, regulatory uncertainty is a significant hurdle and navigating the complex and evolving landscape of AI regulations across different jurisdictions can be daunting.Ensuring data privacy and security is another major challenge, as organizations must protect sensitive data used by AI systems and comply with privacy laws. Mitigating biases in AI models to prevent unfair treatment and ensure compliance with anti-discrimination laws is also critical, says Baringa's OBrien. Additionally, the 'black box' nature of AI systems poses challenges in providing clear explanations of AI decisions to stakeholders and regulators. Allocating sufficient resources, including skilled personnel and financial investment, is necessary to support AI initiatives.In his view, common mistakes in AI strategy implementation include:A lack of clear governance frameworks and accountability structures.Insufficient risk management practices, such as overlooking comprehensive risk assessments and bias mitigation.Poor data management, including neglecting data privacy and security that can lead to potential breaches and regulatory non-compliance.Inadequate transparency in documenting and explaining AI processes results in a lack of trust among stakeholders.Underestimating resource needs, such as not allocating sufficient skilled personnel and financial investment, can hinder AI initiatives.Encountering resistance from employees and stakeholders who hesitate to embrace AI technologies is a common challenge.[P]rioritize governance by establishing clear frameworks and ensuring accountability at all levels. Stay informed about evolving AI regulations and ensure compliance with all relevant standards, says OBrien. Focus on transparency by maintaining thorough documentation of AI processes and decisions to build trust with stakeholders. Invest in regular training for employees on AI policies, risk management, and ethical considerations. Engage key stakeholders in the design and implementation of AI initiatives to ensure alignment and support. Finally, embrace continuous improvement by regularly updating and refining AI models and strategies based on feedback, new data and technological advancements.One of the biggest mistakes Shobhit Varshney, VP and senior partner, Americas AI leader, IBM Consulting has observed organizations selecting AI use cases based on speed of implementation rather than properly articulated business impact.Many organizations adopt AI because they want to stay competitive, but they fail to realize that they aren't focusing on the use cases that will create significant long-term value. It's common to start with simple, easy-to-automate tasks, but this approach can be limiting, says Varshney. Instead, organizations should focus on areas where AI can have the greatest impact and have enough instrumentation to capture metrics and continuously iterate and evolve the solution. The best starting point for AI use cases is unique to each business and its important to identify areas within the organization that could benefit from improvement.He also says an all-too-common mistake is automating an existing process.We need to rethink workflows to truly unlock the power of these exponential technologies. As we evolve to agentic AI, we need to ensure that we rethink the optimal way to delegate specific tasks to agents and play to the strengths of humans and AI, says Varshney.Jim Palmer, chief AI officer at AI-native business and customer communications platform Dialpad, says a common challenge is ensuring AI models have access to accurate, up-to-date data and can seamlessly integrate with existing workflows.Theres a gap between AIs theoretical potential and its practical business application. Companies invest millions in AI initiatives that prioritize speed to market over actual utility, Palmer says.Bhadresh Patel, COO of global professional services firm RGP thinks one of the biggest challenges organizations is the significant gap between ideation and execution.We often see organizations set up an AI function and expect miracles, but this approach simply doesn't work. This is why it's important to prioritize the pockets of use cases where AI can have the biggest impact on the business, says Patel. Another challenge organizations often face is when functional people do not take the time to understand the capabilities and limitations of the tools they have at their disposal. Leaders must understand why theyre making new AI investments and what the overlap is in terms of existing capabilities, training and user knowledge.Acceldatas Rajeeva says organizations often grapple with fragmented or poor-quality data, which undermines AI outcomes.Scaling AI initiatives from proof of concept to enterprise-wide deployment can be daunting, especially without robust operational frameworks. Additionally, balancing innovation with regulatory and ethical standards is challenging. A lack of skilled talent and clear success metrics further complicates these efforts, says Rajeeva. One significant misstep is treating AI as a technology-first initiative, ignoring the importance of data quality and infrastructure. Organizations sometimes over-invest in sophisticated models without aligning them with practical business goals. Another common mistake is failing to plan for scaling AI, leading to operational bottlenecks. Finally, insufficient monitoring often results in biased or unreliable AI systems.And remember, foresight and agility are more valuable than 20-20 hindsight.Start with the end in mind. Define success metrics before you write a single line of code. Build cross-functional teams that can bridge the gap between business and technology, says Appvances Surace. And remember, an AI strategy isnt static -- its a living, evolving framework that should grow with your organization and its goals.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 MorganWebinarsMore WebinarsReportsMore ReportsNever Miss a Beat: Get a snapshot of the issues affecting the IT industry straight to your inbox.SIGN-UPYou May Also Like

A Frontier passenger started punching the seat in front of him and a window, an FBI affidavit stated.Raul Ramos Tamayo was restrained by crew and other passengers on the flight from Dever to Houston.Police met the flight when it landed and he could face a prison sentence or fine if convicted.A Frontier Airlines passenger could be given a prison sentence after being restrained midflight by other travelers last month.Raul Ramos Tamayo, 31, was on Frontier flight 4856 from Denver to Houston, per an affidavit from an FBI special agent.About 30 minutes after takeoff, he started punching the seat in front of him, witnesses are said to have told the FBI.After crew members approached him, Tamayo is alleged to have started punching a window, resulting in damage.The affidavit stated that the cabin crew then asked for help from any law enforcement officers or able-bodied passengers, several of whom helped restrain Tamayo with flex cuffs around his wrists and ankles.Tamayo was then put back into a seat and surrounded by the passengers who subdued him for the rest of the 2-hour flight, it added.Officers from the Houston Police Department met the flight at the gate at George Bush Intercontinental Airport.Tamayo was charged with destruction of aircraft or aircraft facilities. If convicted, he could face a lengthy prison sentence and a fine of up to $250,000.The FBI affidavit cited an internal airline report that said the damage included a cracked window, broken window shade, and broken outer lining of the window. The total cost of the damage was estimated at $1,546."Based on my experience as a Special Agent, I know that a passenger on an aircraft must not cause damage to the aircraft, especially when the aircraft is in flight," the affidavit read.While cases of unruly passengers remain above pre-pandemic levels, it isn't clear that they always result in prosecutions.Some airlines are taking more legal actions themselves. Ryanair, Europe's biggest airline, said in January it was suing a passenger for about $15,500 because the individual caused a flight to divert."When the public flies, they need to feel confident that they are doing so under safe conditions," said Nicholas J. Ganjei, US Attorney for the Southern District of Texas."Given the fact that greater Houston has two major international airports, with tens of millions of travelers a year, the Southern District of Texas is always ready to prosecute those that endanger the safety of passengers."

Mekela Watt is a 29-year-old in Bermuda Dunes, California, who was laid off in April 2024.For 300 days, she was unemployed, worried about how she would pay for food, rent, and bills.She has just started a new job and shares what she most looks forward to.This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Mekela Watt. It has been edited for length and clarity.I worked as a temp client services associate at a global music company for nearly two years when I got laid off. Since I was a temp, I didn't get any severance or benefits, but in California, temp workers qualify for six months of unemployment.That first month of unemployment was a huge relief. I had hated that job just logging on was triggering. But by the second month, although I was glad not to work a job I hated, I started worrying about how I would pay my bills.I was unemployed for 300 days before finally securing a job in February 2025 as an Administrative Coordinator. I'm looking forward to these things with my new job.Not worrying about billsI have multiple health issues and payments for those issues I've had to ignore over the past 10 months. For example, right before I was laid off, I had an MRI that cost $500, and I haven't been able to pay that bill yet.Rent was another expense we had to worry about. I thought we would be evicted from our house several times, especially when my husband wasn't working. Living with this fear kept me up at night. If we were evicted, we would have no housing options.Not having to rely on GoFundMe to stay afloatIn August 2024, after months of unemployment, I set up a GoFundMe. I started it after we received a notice that our rent was going up, and I wasn't sure how we would manage.It was embarrassing and a little defeating to set it up, but we had to survive. We received a little over $9,000, which significantly helped us from August to November.I've never lived paycheck to paycheck, so taking out most of my savings to pay for bills has been worrying. Our financial padding kept getting thinner and thinner. I knew that we were close to having nothing to fall back on.Not applying to jobsEven though I had done everything people told me to do when applying for jobs, spending hours tailoring my rsum for applications and trying to form a personal connection, I was still getting endless rejection letters.It made me question my worth and ability. I remember thinking if I was any good and asking myself if I was fired because of my quality of work.I can keep my side hustle, and my husband doesn't have to work overtimeFor years prior, I had resold pre-loved clothing. It was a fun little side hustle. When I tried to scale it to full time work while I was off a job, I realized it wasn't sustainable. It was no longer fun. I can keep doing it for fun now that I have a paycheck. I'm also excited that my husband doesn't have to work overtime for weeks on end. When our GoFundMe money ran out, my husband worked constantly to pay our bills and was always exhausted.I'm looking forward to being able to sleep again. For so long, I've fallen asleep, waking through the night worried about money.During my unemployment, I received many well-meaning platitudes from people, such as, "This is God's plan. He'll provide." None of it helped. I would have loved someone to tell me my worth wasn't tied to employment status and that surviving unemployment was proof of my resilience.I cannot wait to be thriving rather than just surviving.

On a random Tuesday in February, a conservative provocateur and talk radio host made a bold proclamation about the state of the Democratic Party. Donald Trump had won over young men, and nearly a majority of young voters overall in November, because Democrats, for men, are pussies.There are no masculine men in the Democrat Party right now, Clay Travis, the Trump-supporting sports and politics commentator, said while speaking on a panel hosted at the University of Chicago. Whos the most masculine Democrat right now in America? Mayor Pete?His audience gasped in response. The moderator intervened. And so began a week of debate and commentary about the relationship or lack thereof between the Trump-era Democratic Party and the Gen Z men who abandoned them last year.In hindsight, all the signs were there that the 2024 election would feature a yawning gender gap between Trump-curious men, and more liberal women. What polls predicted came true: a shift of Gen Z voters toward Republicans, driven by young men voting for Trump. Since then, plenty of postmortems have tried to wrestle with just what went wrong with the Democratic pitch. Still, the question remains: Will this dynamic linger? And if so, how worried should Democrats be?A month into the second Trump presidency, the alarm bells are still ringing. While the presidents honeymoon is fading, he remains quite popular with the youngest cohort of men. As Democrats attempt to redefine themselves ahead of next years midterm elections, theyll need to accurately diagnose why young men have jumped ship in large numbers.In reviewing the data and talking to experts, three main explanations emerge.First, theres the structural: the effects and aftermath of the Covid pandemic and economic pressures that explain the shift of young men to the right.Then, there are Trump-specific dynamics, related to his persona, his campaign and media strategy last year, and his ability to define himself independently of the two-party, liberal-conservative spectrum.And finally, there are cultural, education, and gender dynamics that explain the divide which Democrats have driven, and can still fix.But if Democrats are to make any progress, their first step must be rooting out denial: When it comes to young men, the party has a real problem.What the Democrats young male problem looks likeThe Gen Z gender gap isnt easy to map out, so its helpful to look at a few factors vote choice, political ideology, partisan identification, and favorability ratings to try to figure out whats going on.The first, vote choice, is the easiest, but also bluntest, tool to use. Using estimates from AP VoteCast surveys, in 2024, young men backed Trump by a 14-point margin; young women backed Harris by a 17-point margin. Trumps share of the young male vote increased from 41 percent in 2020 to 56 percent in 2024 per AP VoteCast data by CIRCLE at Tufts University. And its young white and Latino men who shifted most dramatically to the right, by 22 points and 38 points respectively.Partisan identification shows some of this change too. Over the last 20 years, its young men who have been more likely to identify as Republicans, according to Gallup polling data. The share of young women, aged 18-29, who identify as or lean toward Democrats has remained steady since about 2003, while the share of young men who identify with Republicans has steadily grown since 2015.Puzzlingly, the change in partisan leaning has not been accompanied by a corresponding self-reported change in young mens political ideology. They have not been calling themselves more conservative over that same timeline. Instead, its young women who have gotten much more liberal over the last two decades, while the share of men who call themselves conservative has remained steady. According to Gallup polling, women 18 to 29 who call themselves liberal are now at the highest level theyve been since 1999, a trend that picked up during the second Obama term and the first Trump presidency. A plurality of young men, meanwhile, have called themselves moderate over the last 20 years, with shares of young conservatives and young liberals also remaining steady.What this all suggests is two opposite shifts: Young women are identifying as more liberal, but not necessarily more Democratic. Young men, meanwhile, are identifying as more Republican, but not more conservative. Its a point that Daniel Cox, the director of the American Enterprise Institutes Survey Center on American Life, was trying to make on the same panel that Travis blew up at the University of Chicago. His argument is that issues, and the positions the political parties are taking, only explain so much.Young women are identifying as more liberal, but not necessarily more Democratic. Young men, meanwhile, are identifying as more Republican, but not more conservative.You have a slow decline. This didnt happen in just one election. Theres been a deterioration of Democratic identity among young men for over 10 years, Cox said. This group looks a lot more liberal on paper. You had six in 10 young men who are moderates vote for Trump, and more than one in five liberal young men vote for TrumpTheres something about Trump that was attractive and then theres something about the Democratic Party, at least in its current manifestation, that was repellent.Explanation No. 1: Its bigger than AmericaThere is no one explanation for these dynamics, but breaking out a few theories can help explain the situation.We can start with structural, post-Covid explanations. The shift of young people to the right in general isnt only happening in the United States, but all over the world. Something about this generations experiences, regardless of gender, is causing a rightward shift.That shift mirrors the anti-establishment, anti-incumbency trend that democracies have been experiencing since the start of the coronavirus pandemic: frustration with the economic prospects; the squeeze of inflation and prices, and distrust in institutions, which in the US were represented by the Democratic Party. This theory would explain the dramatic shift in vote choices and partisan representation of young men over the last decade, and it is boosted by the fact that both young men and young women swung to Republicans last year despite those swings being uneven.Outside of the US, its young voters who drove some of the surges of far-right and right-wing political parties across Europe in 2024. As the Atlantics Derek Thompson put it recently:In France, Germany, Finland, and beyond, young voters are swinging their support toward anti-establishment far-right parties in numbers equal to and even exceeding older voters. In Germany, a 2024 survey of 2,000 people showed that young people have adopted a relatively new gloomy outlook on the future. No surprise, then, that the far-right Alternative fr Deutschland has become the most popular party among Germans under 30. Like most interesting phenomena, this one even has a German name: Rechtsruck, or rightward shift.Thompson points to political science research that has tracked a negative effect on trust in scientific authorities and political leaders as a result of pandemics and epidemics, particularly with those people between the ages of 18 and 25. Declining trust in American institutions such as the Supreme Court, news media, the presidency, Congress, and big business all make sense under this view.The economics writer Kyla Scanlon argues something similar: that the youngest cohort of Gen Z faces a world of AI-driven disruption and institutional distrust and instability. Theyre surrounded by echo chambers that feed their anxiety, and feel looser social connections. In response, theyre embracing more extreme, polarized identities and approaches to the economy and politics.Many younger Gen Zers came of age watching political gridlock, rising inequality, and a system that seemed increasingly detached from their lived reality. They saw institutions that refused to adapt (and as of recently, have shown a lack of resilience). They were locked inside during their formative years, she argues, and so view reality much differently than even the older range of Gen Z.In the context of the 2024 election, this theory explains why young Democrats in particular were so down on Joe Biden, and eventually distrustful of Harris and the establishment she came to represent. My own conversations with youth Democratic activists during the election cycle and in its aftermath brought forth many of the same takeaways that young Democrats found themselves talking to young people who were distrustful of the status quo, of incumbents, and of an older generation of politicians promising change.But while these explanations do a solid job explaining the overall shift of Gen Z, theyre less strong on explaining the dramatic lurch right by young men specifically.Whether it was the issues Trump talked about, the salience of those issues to young people, or his campaign strategy and appeal to traditional masculinity, these candidate-specific factors are more persuasive in explaining how a group that reads more liberal on paper could be willing to swing so drastically to the right.As Cox of AEI told me, Theyre Trump Republicans, theyre not [traditional] Republicans. They hold much more progressive views on a range of issues, and are much less aligned with the traditional Republican orthodoxy than standard conservatives, but were Trump-curious, or felt less stigma in being open to voting for him.Much of that was due to the media and messaging apparatus Trump and his allies built over the last year, specifically to reach young men. Whether through specific advertising, social media and influencer outreach on YouTube and TikTok, podcast interviews, or other campaign events, Trump saturated the feeds and platforms that young people, especially men, love to consume.It worked. Trump posted his strongest gains with groups of young voters who fall into two buckets: those who prioritized the economy and low-propensity voters. That second category can be further divided into youth who were least interested or engaged with political news and youth who were voting for the first time.These arent hardcore conservative, reactionary, or ideological voters. Theyre just not dug in when it comes to politics, Cox told me. You look at where young women are on gun control and climate change and reproductive health and LGBTQ rights, and they prioritize these things. Young men are less likely to prioritize any of them. They support some amount of gun control, theyre more pro-choice than pro-life, but its not that central to their politics or political identity.In other words, the Trump pitch was persuasive enough to win over a group that might have been destined to break with a Democratic Party that was using the wrong message to try to hold onto their support. But this explanation is unique to Trump and his personal brand and doesnt necessarily apply to the Republican Party in general or to other Republican politicians.Explanation No. 3: Democrats are doing something to turn off young menIf Trump was able to win over young men through his media presence and appeal to masculinity, it suggests Democrats failed to counter that influence or even did something to make it worse. Cox told me that beyond the specific candidates, there has been a general cultural drift of the Democratic Partys identity, or perception, among young men that may be a missing piece. Beyond not being masculine enough or too feminine, there are cultural, class, and educational divides making it harder for the party to hang onto younger men a party moving left faster than young men are.If you look back to George W. Bush and his affect he went to Yale, he was from an elite pedigree, but he leaned into the blue-collar identity, going out and scrubbing brush and clearing land in his Texas ranch, Cox said. This was true then, and its more true now, but in an era where people dont trust slick-talking politicians, the idea of someone using their hands for a living, or pretending to do so, is really resonant. Its not just a gender gap, but an education divide.This education polarization of Democrats becoming more of a party of wealthier and better-educated white voters applies not just to its base, but to its leadership as well. When the messengers, and staffers, running campaigns and formulating the pitches to young voters look less like the people they are trying to reach, you have just fewer people who are immersed in culturally conversant in ways that can help you craft a winning and effective political message, he said.That cultural shift among Democrats, which includes the partys embrace of identity politics and progressive social justice-speak, Cox has found, has led to some serious branding problems with young men on a small but influential set of beliefs, specifically affirmative action, LGBTQ, and DEI policies.For young white men, their attitudes on various policies related to race are far more conservative than for young white women. There was a really significant divide in perceptions, Cox said, about privilege and discrimination. Here, a theory from Vice President JD Vance might actually speak to something that goes beyond ideology or partisanship. Speaking at CPAC last week, Vance argued that our culture sends a message to young men that you should suppress every masculine urge dont allow this broken culture to send you a message that youre a bad person because youre a man, because you like to tell a joke, because you like to have a beer with your friends, or because youre competitive.Young men, especially young white men, over the last 10 years, have grown to feel like underdogs as Democrats and the national culture moved to prioritize marginalized groups or minority communities, the Gen Z writer and strategist Rachel Janfaza explained in the fall. The left has increasingly focused on uplifting marginalized groups especially women. But the unintentional consequence of this focus has left young men feeling like no one is speaking to them and that there is no home for them in the Democratic Party.Stepping into that void are conventional voices like Vances or radical ones, like the podcaster Andrew Tate. Young men are seeing these content creators, podcasters, even politicians, telling them that society is cutting white men out of the picture, or even just all men. And they point to DEI initiatives as this form of wokeness, Cameron Kasky, a former March for Our Lives gun control and progressive activist, told me. They say this is an attack on men and white men, and we gotta fight back by offering alternative models of masculinity that put economic and educational opportunities first. On that front, part of the Democratic issue in 2024 might have been that it did not offer an effective alternative masculinity, a pro-social, community-focused pitch shared by a credible messenger, instead of mocking young bros as mediocre or denying that young men feel more isolated.Multiple things can be true at once, Gen Z Democratic strategist Annie Wu Henry told me about this relationship between progressive Democrats and young men last year. We can acknowledge that white men have historically been the ones given the most privilege and power in society, while also not creating an environment where they feel completely alienated and then turn to spaces like the manosphere online where they feel seen and accepted but we also know lead to radicalization and validation of harmful viewpoints of other groups of people.Democrats did not offer an effective alternative masculinity, a pro-social, community-focused pitch shared by a credible messenger, instead of mocking young bros as mediocre.To do that, Kasky says, Democrats need to figure out how to get some swagger back, and move beyond Ivy League, fancy communications.Even something as small as making a tonal shift will be important. Trumps favorability among young men, though still higher than with young women, is beginning to trend down, suggesting that last years rightward shift might be moderating already.None of this has to be permanentThe fundamental point these theories all make is that none of these attitudes, shifts, or realignments are ironclad some were specific to the post-pandemic moment, some to the peculiarities of specific candidates, and some to cultural shifts that seem to have stalled. And while voters attitudes and perceptions of political parties tend to get ironed out in their youth, this moment of ideological and identitarian tumult might be different.Importantly for electoral politics and next years midterms, the 2024 results suggest that Trump benefited from a youth coalition that isnt firmly Republican or consistently engaged in politics. The crossover support he received from young moderates and liberals, for example, might not come out to vote in a midterm election, or a non-Trump candidate. And many of their underlying beliefs are still liberal, or progressive on the issues.These are not your traditional GOP voters, so whether they come up for a GOP governor or a Senate candidate is very much an open question, Cox said. The idea that these voters are not winnable in 2026 and 2028 is crazy. They absolutely are, and I dont see JD Vance being particularly appealing to them. So the Democratic Party should really think hard about those kinds of voters and the voters that they lost to Trump in 2024.But that Democratic soul-searching will likely create some tensions with other parts of their base and coalitions. Particularly because the most progressive or activist-minded members of the party feel ideologically committed to continue prioritizing minority groups, party leaders may be wary of catering to straight white men. But caring for this demographic will be necessary if they want to reverse Trumps 2024 gains and win future elections.See More:

A blowup at the White House on Friday proved a rude awakening for some of the USs closest partners in Europe, and left them scrambling to contemplate a world in which they can no longer be sure that the US is a reliable ally in Russias war on Ukraine.In the wake of President Donald Trump and his team accosting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a heated, televised exchange in the Oval Office, European leaders met to devise a plan for protecting Ukraine from Russian aggression absent any security guarantees from the US.And though multiple leaders, from UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to NATO leader Mark Rutte, insisted that they still view the US as an important partner, the meeting nevertheless seemed like it might mark the abrupt beginning of a new Western world order one in which Europe stands alone.The UK and France have led efforts in recent weeks to advance Ukraines cause and to convince Trump to keep Ukraines (and Europes) best interests in mind as he attempts to craft a ceasefire or peace deal in Russias years-long war on Ukraine.Sunday, Starmer presided over a summit of more than a dozen mostly European leaders and announced that the attendees would form a coalition of the willing to defend Ukraine and strengthen Europes military capabilities.Not every nation will feel able to contribute but that cant mean that we sit back, Starmer said. Instead, those willing will intensify planning now with real urgency. That coalition could lead to UK troops on the ground in Ukraine as part of a peacekeeping force, should a ceasefire or peace deal come about, Starmer said. France and the UK reportedly have a ceasefire framework that Zelenskyy said hes been briefed on.Starmer did emphasize, however, that many in the group, including the UK, believe lasting peace will not be possible without US support. And while Starmer said he had a productive conversation with Trump about Ukraine this weekend, its not clear that US support will materialize. Thats in part because the Trump administration and its allies reiterated throughout the weekend that they believe their current approach to peace that is, holding talks with Russia sans Ukraine and blaming Ukraine for the war is the right one. Trump adviser Elon Musk suggested on X that the US contemplate leaving the NATO security alliance. The Trump team also redoubled their attacks on Zelenskyy on Sunday, with some going so far as to suggest the Ukrainian president ought to be replaced.The sooner everyone grows up around here and figures out that this is a bad war thats heading in a bad direction...the more progress were going to be able to make, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on ABC Sunday. But the president is crystal clear...he is going to be a president that tries to achieve peace.Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also announced Sunday that the Pentagon will cease offensive cyber operations against Russia a tactic that could be seen as an olive branch to Russian President Vladimir Putin, meant to ease peace negotiations. European leaders who have faced covert Russian attacks on their soil in recent months warned against the move, arguing Putin cannot be trusted. All of this tumult comes as Trump attempts to fulfill a campaign promise to end the war between Russia and Ukraine. But it also seems to be a case of Trump getting something hes long demanded: that Europe increase its defense contributions while the US takes a step back from the conflict.Europe appears to be doing just that now.The UK announced over the weekend that it will send $2 billion in air defense missiles to Ukraine and will increase military spending by 2.5 percent of gross domestic product by 2027.Other countries may make similar commitments. But it may not be enough for Europe to stand alone against Russia in the short term after decades of underinvestment in defense.Still, Europe seems willing to try. And under Trumps radical new foreign policy, European countries may have no other choice but to do so.See More:

The year 2025 is shaping up to be a corker, isnt it? Its all happening: bird flu is back, were getting tariffs on everything, Russia has twinned with the US, and it seems there are more Nazis around than there were last month. People are even turning on Ryan Reynolds, for crying out loud.But its going to be OK. Because Amazon now has creative control over James Bond.People are clutching their pearls pretty tightly over this: they fear that Amazon will take one of the greatest film properties ever and ruin it. Well get watered-down televisual tribulations with the most tenuous of connections to Bond. Prequels of prequels of prequels, spin-offs with villains getting their own movies and no doubt at some point a 22-part series featuring Bond as a baby.Now pay attention, 007. If you pull this Velcro strap the nappy will explode!But I will gladly swim through that cesspool of dross daily like Sisyphus pushing his boulder if it means that we may get a successor to GoldenEye 007 on the N64. Come on! Why not? Amazon makes games. Maybe Jeff Bezos will finally decide he wants to do some good for the world and give us a sequel to the greatest multiplayer game of the 90s. It was even better than Bomberman.I try to explain to my son how groundbreaking it was.It put four-player, first-person shooter action on the same screen in 1997, son. In 1997! Before Halo!That frame rate is janky as all hell, though.Janky? This was 1997 30 frames a second wasnt a thing. Everything was essentially stop-motion.Those graphics look wonky.THOSE GRAPHICS ARE ART!Its not as good as Call of Duty.You wouldnt even have Call of Duty if it wasnt for GoldenEye.Oh hang on, Dad, is that Sean Bean from Game of Thrones in it?I try to explain that this was not only the first game to ever feature a realistic-looking Bean, but also the first where you had a working telescopic sniper rifle, the first I can remember that not only featured headshot kills, but goons that reacted properly to being shot. The game was so forward thinking it tore a hole in the very fabric of time. Maybe thats what the Nazis used as a portal to invade 2025.Can you shoot hats off people in Halo, son? I scream, not realising he had gone back to college, which is a pity, because I hadnt even told him there was a multiplayer mode where you could run around slapping each other. It also had a cheat code that made the heads huge. We need a mod of these options that replaces everyones mug with that of Elon Musk, so that you can run around slapping his big face.skip past newsletter promotionSign up to Pushing ButtonsFree weekly newsletterKeza MacDonald's weekly look at the world of gamingPrivacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.after newsletter promotionN64s GoldenEye was elegant. It had style. It had wit. Not content with giving us big head mode, it also had paintball mode, which people exclusively used to draw penises on the walls, because this was the 90s. NOTHING is more 90s than a daubed knob.Its one of those games that no matter where you are in the world, if it comes up in conversation, peoples faces break out in the widest grin.The golden gun!The complex level with the proximity mines!Shooting guards when they are having a poo!The game always made you smile. It made you feel anything was possible with gaming, with entertainment, and with weekends. GoldenEye was responsible for some of my most ludicrously enjoyable Friday night multiplayer game sessions of the decade, and also my worst. Once, one of my friends turned up with a big bag of poppers, claiming it would make the game absolutely mental. All I knew about poppers back then was that they were something to do with the Suede song Animal Nitrate. But pop we did! It was awful. You know those camera moves you get in trendy arthouse movies where it zooms in really fast but only a part of the screen stays in focus? That was what it was like playing GoldenEye on poppers. For 60 seconds. That was how long the hit lasted. Then you got the most horrific headache. Stupid behaviour. If we get a GoldenEye sequel, I will be playing it mostly under the influence of antidepressants and thyroid medication.But this is 2025. And we cant have nice things. We wont get a GoldenEye sequel because the big game publishers keep closing all their studios and firing their staff after forcing them to work on ill-advised Fortnite or Overwatch knockoffs for years. So I expect we will just get a nightmare roster of Bond mobile games instead.Bond casino games. Rubbish Bondesque spins on Candy Crush. Infinite running James Bond games. All manner of deck-building tat and maybe a tower defence game featuring the MI5 building.Actually that last one could be quite cool hold my martini, Im off to call Bezos.

Monster Hunter Wilds is hitting huge numbers on PC, and while there are major performance issues, some fans have seemingly spotted a surprising fix here's all we knowTech11:16, 03 Mar 2025PC performance is the real Monster, at least for now(Image: Capcom)Monster Hunter Wilds is out, with Capcom's latest action title setting franchise records on PC despite major performance woes on the platform.Even users with pretty capable PCs are having issues playing the game with a consistent frame-rate, while some textures look almost unfinished.Despite that, the game has been racking up more than a million hunters, and now one player among them has seemingly sussed out what could be causing the issues and, to the surprise of many, it could be down to a typo in the game's files.Here's what we know, and how it could fix your Monster Hunter Wilds experience.PC players have been left disappointed by Wilds so far(Image: Capcom)Over on Steam, one user spotted that there's a config file that had the word 'Resolution' misspelled as 'Resoltuion', and fixing it could lead to performance improvements.The user, known as BeepBoop, said "Fixing the misspelling gave me a performance boost from what I can tell," while also acknowledging that one line can be deleted.It could be a sort of 'Placebo effect', but BeepBoop says they saw a jump in frame rate while others have mentioned increases in FPS ranging from 10% to staggering jumps of 30 to 40 FPS.Some sadly reported that the tweak did nothing for their performance, and are likely hoping for a performance-related patch to roll out in the coming days.Once the issues are fixed, Wilds is a fantastic game(Image: Capcom)A typo may seem like a minor thing, but it's not the first time this has happened. Aliens: Colonial Marines, one of the biggest cautionary tales in gaming, launched with enemy AI completely broken until a modder spotted a typo years later, essentially fixing the Alien's AI behaviour with a spellcheck.Here's hoping Monster Hunter Wilds is fixed soon, because as we explained in our review, Wilds is a "fitting sequel to World that expands upon it in every way"."Monster Hunter Wilds is everything I couldve asked for in a sequel to Monster Hunter World. Ive finished the campaign, put dozens of hours into the post-game, and I still feel like theres so much more to see.""I cant wait to see what the community thinks, but I feel this could well be regarded as one of the best games of the year whether youre a Monster Hunter fan or a newcomer."Article continues belowIt's worth noting we reviewed it on a PS5 Pro.For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.

Remember the Switch's launch? Ahead of the Nintendo Switch 2 launch, we're looking back at the hilarity of reviews on the release of one of the most beloved games on the systemTech11:11, 03 Mar 2025Breath of the Wild was one of the best games of all time - and it launched alongside the Switch(Image: Nintendo)The Nintendo Switch 2 reveal is just a few weeks away, with a special Nintendo Direct on April 2. Expect to hear about the system's price and when we can play it, and maybe news about its launch game lineup.When the first console debuted, however, Nintendo was in a very different place. Coming off of the disappointment of the Wii U, the company doubling down on a 'hybrid' console was seen as a big risk, and fans were torn on the initial reveal.The console has gone on to sell by the bucketload, however, but it's fun to look back on March 3, now the 8th anniversary of the Switch today, to check some hilarious Metacritic user reviews handed to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.Content cannot be displayed without consentAs shared by prominent gaming news account Ryan T Brown on X (formerly Twitter), Breath of the Wild was hit with a series of 'review bombs' at launch, owing to accusations press reviewers had been paid off, or that the game didn't appear as visually impressive as PS4 and Xbox One titles at the time.The game, which has a staggering 97 from critic reviews on the aggregator, as well as a 'Generally Favorable' 8.9 on the user score, was once hit by a host of negative reviews.Among the most hilarious comments is one from a user saying "I'm from a Sony fanboy site" scoring the game a zero out of ten "since I can't give minus score", and one that says "I want this game to fail, because I want Nintendo to fail".The Switch has been a huge success for Nintendo(Image: Future via Getty Images)It's all quite silly, frankly, but it's a reminder of the uphill climb Nintendo had ahead of the Switch after such a disappointing generation beforehand.The company certainly had the last laugh, too. Despite also launching on the Wii U, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is considered one of the greatest games of all time, and earned a spot in our rundown of the best games we bought a console to play.Article continues belowThat's got excitement for the Switch 2 at an all-time high, and the console is expected to keep to what made the original console successful.Sadly, 'review bombing' is still a practice all too familiar in gaming. Whether it's complaints about a game's stance on politics or an issue with console exclusivity, it doesn't look likely to go away any time soon.For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.

Furfrou makes a comeback in Pokmon Legends Z-A (Nintendo)The next Pokmon game looks set to fill in the blanks in the Nintendo Switch Pokdex, but a certain elemental trio are still missing.Pokmon Legends Z-A received a brand new trailer during last weeks Pokmon Presents showcase, where we got a first look at the revamped real-time battles and the return of mega evolutions.Beyond the mechanics, the trailer also revealed some Pokmon we can expect to see in the Pokmon Legends: Arceus sequel, including Flaaffy, Talonflame, Onix, and Absol. We also got confirmation of the games starters: Totodile and Chikorita from Pokmon Gold and Silver, and Tepig from Pokmon Black and White.However, the trailer also confirmed the return of some monsters which arent available in any other Pokmon game on the Nintendo Switch, specifically Furfrou and Patrat.Both of these Pokmon were part of a shrinking list of monsters which cannot be caught in any Pokmon game on Nintendo Switch. You can still access them all by transferring them from other Pokmon games into cloud service Pokmon Home, but that can be a pain for newcomers who dont want to dig into the old games.The inclusion of Furfrou and Patrat (and by extension, Patrats evolution Watchog) in the trailer, means there are only three monsters left which arent available on Switch: the three elemental monkeys Pansage, Panpour, and Pansear, and their evolutions.More TrendingThese monkeys were first introduced in Pokmon Black and White and can evolve into Simisage, Simipour, and Simisear using the correct elemental stone. Theyre not exactly the most beloved critters in the series but they are now the only ones you cant easily get. Pansage, Panpour, and Pansear arent many peoples favourites (The Pokmon Company)The addition of Patrat and Furfrou has sparked hope the monkeys will make a return in Pokmon Legends Z-A. It makes sense too considering Pokmon Legends Z-A is set in the Kalos region from Pokmon X and Y, where the monkeys can be caught, so theres a high chance they will make a return if Z-A follows the same Kalos pokdex.As for what else we can expect in Pokmon Legends Z-A, the game will be entirely centred around Lumiose City, a riff on Paris, from Pokmon X and Y, which is populated with Wild Zones to catch monsters on the streets and rooftops.The game is set to be released in late 2025 on the Nintendo Switch, with Game Freak so far implying that there are no plans for a separate Switch 2 version.Every missing Pokmon on the Nintendo SwitchPanpourSimipourPansageSimisagePansearSimisearPatratWatchogFurfrouEmailgamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below,follow us on Twitter, andsign-up to our newsletter.To submit Inbox letters and Readers Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use ourSubmit Stuff page here.For more stories like this,check our Gaming page.GameCentralSign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content.This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

The City as Interface: How Legible Cities Rethink Wayfinding Using UX DesignPresented by:Save this picture!Agora Maximus, Tactical Urbanism Project / LAAB Collective + Signature Design Communication. Image Raphal ThibodeauDesign disciplines, like user experience (UX) design, have evolved to excel at devising experiences that make digital interfaces navigable. They accomplish this through a deep understanding of user needs and by mapping user journeys with meticulous attention to detail. The city represents a physical interface experienced by multiple users - residents, tourists, people of various ages and genders each experiencing it uniquely. In a time where digital interfaces are crafted for frictionless user experiences, why do many cities remain challenging to navigate?Kevin Lynch, American urban planner and author, first coined the term "urban legibility" to formalize the study of how easily people can comprehend and navigate a city's layout. Much like apps and websites, urban environments require intuitive designs, achieved through clear pathways, distinctive landmarks, well-defined districts, and easily identifiable nodes or gathering places. This clarity brings a sense of security, encourages exploration, and enhances the overall quality of life for residents and visitors.Save this picture!Structured wayfinding initiatives such as Bristol Legible City and Southampton Legible City demonstrate how cities actively enhance their legibility. Bristol Legible City's integrated program of transport, information, and identity projects makes the city more welcoming and "readable." The program considers user needs throughout their entire journey, encompassing directional signs, visitor welcome panels, city and area maps, interpretation points providing local information, an integrated transport information network, an arts program, telephone kiosks, information booths, markets at transport interchanges, and neighborhood gateways. Related Article Human-Centered Design: What Architects Can Learn from UX Designers These projects focus on implementing consistent signage, clear mapping systems, and user-friendly information to guide people effectively through the urban landscape. Strategic spatial design, inspired by UX design principles, offers several approaches to creating a legible city:Hierarchy & Information ArchitectureSave this picture!Just as websites employ clear headings, menus, and navigation flows, a legible city employs information hierarchy in its wayfinding systems. Such navigation tools prioritize essential information such as street names and key landmarks, presenting it in a logical and digestible format. Street signs, maps, and digital kiosks offer layers of information, enabling users to quickly locate where they are and what they need.Save this picture!The Southampton Legible City initiative recognizes that people require different information depending on their circumstances and user journeys. The city's wayfinding system was developed to categorize these needs into three levels: Direct (providing the most efficient route from point A to point B), Guide (helping people maximize their time in the city), and Show (facilitating exploration and discovery of the city's hidden treasures).Branding Identity DesignA visual or brand identity proves essential for both digital and physical environments. Consistent application of fonts, colors, and symbols across city maps, signage, and public transport creates a recognizable brand that reinforces the city's identity and enhances intuitive navigation.Save this picture!Bristol Legible City strives toward creating a "showcase city" prioritizing user needs. The project leverages public art to enhance the city's character and encourage exploration. Art installations are scattered throughout the urban landscape to make the city more comprehensible, memorabe, and engaging.User Feedback LoopsSave this picture!Save this picture!In the digital realm, user feedback drives iterative design improvements. In the urban context, this translates to real-time digital updates like traffic information, public transport schedules, interactive kiosks offering personalized directions, and mobile-friendly navigation tools allowing users to report issues or suggest enhancements.The evolution from static signage to digital wayfinding solutions further improves urban navigation. Smart maps, augmented reality (AR) applications, and AI-powered navigation tools now provide users with personalized guidance. Cities are incorporating real-time transport dataincluding bus arrival times, traffic conditions, and pedestrian analyticsinto their wayfinding systems. This enables dynamic adjustments to signage and navigation recommendations while ensuring users access the most current information.Drawing from extensive research and testing, user-centered products and services in Southampton deliver coordinated improvements to the city's streetscape and provide relevant information throughout the journey. During development, typefaces and maps underwent testing and verification by the Department of Typography and Graphic Communication at the University of Reading and the Royal National Institute for the Blind.Save this picture!Intuitive wayfinding has multiple benefits towards the pedestrian experience and city life. Clear, consistent signage and mapping improve accessibility for tourists, new residents, and individuals with disabilities, thereby empowering them to navigate with greater confidence. Legible cities encourage urban exploration on foot, increasing foot traffic in shops, restaurants, and local businesses to support the local economy and activate the public realm.Legible cities also promote public health by encouraging other active transportation options like walking and cycling by communicating clear walk times, safe routes, and connections to public transport. The Southampton Legible City project highlights the health and fitness benefits of walking by providing information on calories burned and CO2 emissions saved, further motivating people to embrace more active lifestyles.A city's image and built environment quality are fundamental to its local economy. Therefore, cities ought to function as interactive systems where wayfinding feels as intuitive and approachable. By adopting a user-first approach to city navigation, urban planners, designers, and policymakers can create more accessible, walkable, and enjoyable urban environments.Save this picture!This article is part of the ArchDaily Topics: Atmosphere in Architecture and Perception of Space, proudly presented by Vitrocsa, the original minimalist windows since 1992.Vitrocsa created the original minimalist window systems, offering frameless solutions with the narrowest sightline barriers in the world. For over 30 years, we have pursued innovation and Swiss-made excellence to transform ambitious architectural visions into reality, enhancing atmospheres through light, transparency, and designEvery month we explore a topic in-depth through articles, interviews, news, and architecture projects. We invite you to learn more about our ArchDaily Topics. And, as always, at ArchDaily we welcome the contributions of our readers; if you want to submit an article or project, contact us.Image gallerySee allShow lessAbout this authorAnkitha GattupalliAuthorCite: Ankitha Gattupalli. "The City as Interface: How Legible Cities Rethink Wayfinding Using UX Design" 03 Mar 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1027546/the-city-as-interface-how-legible-cities-rethink-wayfinding-using-ux-design&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