As AI shifts from experimental to essential, tech executives say that more than half of AI deployments will be functioning autonomously in their company in the next two years, according to a new survey by professional services firm Ernst & Young (EY). While generative AI (genAI) technology has captured the attention of business leaders for the past several years, agentic AI, a specific kind of AI system that acts autonomously or semi-autonomously to achieve goals, has largely flown under the radar. That changed in late 2024 when search traffic for agentic AI and AI agents began to surge, according to Google Trends data. Now, half of more than 500 tech executives surveyed by EY in its latest Technology Pulse Poll said AI agents will make up the majority of upcoming AI deployments. The survey revealed that 48% are already adopting or fully deploying AI agents, and half of those leaders say that more than 50% of AI deployments will be autonomous in their company in the next 24 months. The EY survey also showed rising AI investment, with 92% of tech leaders planning to boost AI spending and over half believing they’re ahead of competitors in AI investment. Additionally, 81% of tech executives surveyed said they feel optimistic about AI’s promises related to achieving their organization’s goals over the next 12 months. Tech companies are leading the charge in adopting agentic AI, according to James Brundage, a leader in EY’s Technology Sector group. “Despite economic uncertainty, executives remain confident in AI’s value, ramping up investment and shifting from pilots to full deployment. Still, they’re under pressure to show real ROI through measurable business results,” he said. Among respondents planning to increase their AI budgets, 43% say agentic AI will claim more than half of their total AI budget. Leading reasons for adopting agentic AI include staying competitive (69%), helping customers (59%), and for internal strategy purposes (59%). Tech companies are always early adopters, and many believe they’re ahead of the competition, but that confidence in AI often exceeds the reality, according to Ken Englund, a leader in EY Americas’ Technology Sector Growth. “It is still very early in the AI lifecycle, so it remains to be seen where these companies stand against the competition, and an outside-in view will be a critical measuring stick,” Englund said. Tapping into agentic AI requires structural change Investment in agentic AI is accelerating, reshaping enterprise architecture. While genAI gets most of the spotlight, advances in classical AI and machine learning are also key to enabling agentic AI, according to Englund, who sees the technology as a “flexible framework” for using the right tools to deliver outcomes across platforms. AI agents offer more than a productivity boost; they’re fundamentally reshaping customer interactions and business operations. And while there’s still work to do on trust and accuracy, the world is beginning a new tech era — one that might finally deliver on the promises seen in movies like Minority Report and Iron Man, according to Salesforce CEO Marc Benoiff. Salesforce has embedded AI into its CRM through the Einstein 1 Platform and tools like Agentforce, enabling businesses to deploy autonomous agents across sales, service, marketing, and commerce. Its generative AI tools, Einstein GPT and Einstein Copilot, act as intelligent assistants that draft communications, summarize case histories, auto-fill records, and answer questions using company data. To achieve competitive advantage in this new world, businesses must shift their focus from isolated genAI tools like chatbots to deep integration of advanced AI systems — especially agentic architectures, where autonomous AI agents collaborate to manage and optimize complex workflows, according to a recent report from services firm Accenture. The Accenture report was based on a survey of 2,000 C-suite and data-science executives across multiple countries and industries. Although many companies recognize AI’s potential, the report said, true enterprise reinvention requires structural change, strong leadership, and, crucially, a robust data foundation — an area where many still struggle, particularly with unstructured data. Additionally, outdated IT systems and inadequate employee training hinder progress. However, a small group of “front-runner” companies are succeeding by combining foundational AI investments with “bold, strategic initiatives that embed AI at the core of their operations,” the report said. Only 8% of companies — so-called “front-runners” — are scaling AI at an enterprise level, embedding the technology into core business strategy. But of those front-runners that scaled their AI implementations, many found a solid return on investment. According to Accenture: Front-runners with annual revenue exceeding $10 billion grew their revenue 7% faster than companies still experimenting with AI. Across all sizes, front-runners outperformed the other three company groups, delivering shareholder returns that were 6% higher. After deploying and scaling AI across their enterprise, companies expect to reduce their costs by 11% and increase their productivity by 13%, on average, within 18 months. Most tech leaders are still not AI savvy, CEOs say But earlier this month, Gartner Research issued the results of a study showing that just 44% of CIOs are deemed by their CEOs to be “AI-savvy.” The survey of 456 CEOs and other senior business executives worldwide also revealed that 77% of respondents believe AI is ushering in a new business era, making the lack of AI savviness amongst executive teams all the more meaningful. “We have never seen such a disproportionate gap in CEOs’ impressions about technological disruption,” said David Furlonger, a distinguished VP analyst and Gartner Fellow. “AI is not just an incremental change from digital business. AI is a step change in how business and society work,” he said. “A significant implication is that, if savviness across the C-suite is not rapidly improved, competitiveness will suffer, and corporate survival will be at stake.” CEOs perceived even the CIO, chief information security officer (CISO), and chief data officer (CDO) as lacking AI savviness. Respondents said the top two factors limiting AI’s deployment and use are the inability to hire adequate numbers of skilled people and an inability to calculate value or outcomes. “CEOs have shifted their view of AI from just a tool to a transformative way of working,” said Jennifer Carter, a principal analyst at Gartner. “This change has highlighted the importance of upskilling. As leaders recognize AI’s potential and its impact on their organizations, they understand that success isn’t just about hiring new talent. Instead, it’s about equipping their current employees with the skills needed to seamlessly incorporate AI into everyday tasks.” This focus on upskilling is a strategic response to AI’s evolving role in business, ensuring that the entire organization can adapt and thrive in this new paradigm. Sixty-six percent of CEOs said their business models are not fit for AI purposes, according to Gartner’s survey. Therefore, executives must build and improve AI savviness related to every mission-critical priority. Hiring workers with the right skills is also part of the effort, noted EY’s Englund. “According to our technology pulse poll, 84% of tech leaders say they anticipate hiring in the next six months as a result of AI adoption,” he said. “We continue to see strong overall demand for AI skills and an increase in those skills involved in the deployment of AI production solutions. In particular, we see increased recruiting of AI experienced Product Managers, Data Engineers, MLOps, and Forward Deployed Engineers (FDE’s),” Englund said. In the rush to implement AI, many companies are also turning to outside freelancers with the skills they need. New research from Fiverr, a global freelance worker marketplace, found an 18,000% surge in businesses seeking freelance help to implement agents and a 641% increase for freelancers who specialize in “humanizing AI content.” Last week, Fiverr published its Spring 2025 Business Trends Index, which uses data from tens of millions of searches on its platform over the last six months to provide a snapshot of today’s (and tomorrow’s) economy. [ Related: Freelancers now represent more than one in four US workers ] The demand for freelancers who have the skills to work with AI agents shows that businesses are eager — but often unsure about — how to deploy the “digital colleagues” who can independently manage tasks like reading emails, scheduling meetings, or answering customer questions. “At the same time, a spike in searches for freelancers who can rewrite chatbot scripts, marketing emails, and website copy to sound more natural highlights a clear takeaway: AI might be powerful, but it still needs a human touch,” Fiverr said in its report.

We may earn a commission from links on this page.If you’ve finally purchased your first air fryer, let me start by saying how happy I am for you. I've been cooking and crisping with mine for a few years now, and during this time I've put a lot of things in that basket. Not everything has worked out (it's not an appliance for steaming, friends), but many of my experiments have been so delicious and reliably repeatable that they're now staples in my household. Below are 12 of my favorites things to cook in the air fryer that either save me time, money, or both. (If you're still on the fence about whether to get an air fryer and you're reading this as research, allow me to recommend a few of my favorite air fryer models, and tell you why they might be the perfect fit for your kitchen. )A giant crunchy potato Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann Potatoes do particularly well in the air fryer. In fact, if you bought an air fryer solely for the purpose of reheating restaurant leftovers or to make freezer fries, no one would blame you. That’s smart. But don’t miss out on this, the king of air fried potatoes. It's a simple method of roughing up a russet potato so the starchy surface get golden and crispy in the air fryer. It is the best potato-crusted potato I've ever had. And it makes a great side dish for less than a dollar.Store-bought doughnutsI don't know exactly what I was thinking that day, but I put Entenmann's doughnuts into the air fryer and what came out was nothing short of a miracle. They changed from dusty and dry to crunchy and caramelized. While I prefer this texture off the bat, I think most folks can enjoy this hack as a way to revive their stale doughnuts after the box has been open for a few days.Gnocchi and meatballsYou can make an entire well-rounded meal in one air frying session. Not to mention that there are even dual basket air fryers made exactly for this purpose. (Here's one of my favorite dual-basket air fryers.) One of my go-to examples is air fryer packaged gnocchi and frozen meatballs. They happen to cook at the same rate so you don't have to be fussy about different temperatures and fan modes. Just throw them into a 385℉ air fryer for about 10 minutes, and toss the tasty morsels in some warm tomato sauce for a lovely meal.  Ninja SL401 DoubleStack XL 2-Basket Air Fryer, DoubleStack Technology Cooks 4 Foods at Once, Compact Design, 10 QT, 6-in-1, Smart Finish & Match Cook, Air Fry, Broil, Bake, Easy Meals, Easy Clean,Grey $249.95 at Amazon Shop Now Shop Now $249.95 at Amazon Pork tenderloinA weeknight roast usually has “long cook time” written all over it, but the air fryer can make short work out of a bulky cut of meat in no time. Pork tenderloin is one of my favorite roasts to make because it’s an affordable cut, is relatively small (compared to a ham or a chicken), and it takes no time to whip up in that countertop convection oven. Simply marinate it a few hours prior to cooking, drop it into a 350℉ air fryer and roast it for about 20 minutes. A juicy and impressive pork roast is ready in the time it takes you to change from “work clothes” to “chill clothes.”PeppersI adore roasted red peppers. They’re great in dips, tossed in salads, or blended into soups. Sadly, roasting them in the oven for 40 minutes, or blistering them over the flame of my gas stove was all a complete chore. Luckily, the air fryer cooks up tender roasted peppers in a fraction of the time. Throw an entire pepper or two into your air fryer basket, no need to add oil or anything, and air fry it for five to seven minutes. You’ll have perfectly blistered peppers ready to use. Egg rolled leftovers Lasagna egg rolls. Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann One of my favorite ways to make leftovers fun again is to roll them up in egg roll wrappers. Almost any type of leftover dish is a delicious egg roll filling and you can get a deep-fried crunch with the air fryer. Just fill and roll the egg rolls and swipe a thin layer of oil onto the outside of the shell. Air fry them at 375℉ for 12 to 15 minutes.Kielbasa and other sausagesI can’t say that hot dogs, kielbasa, and other sausages are difficult to make. The hard part is done for you, so you could boil them or even microwave them, but there's something to be said about air frying them. My partner and I have air fried both fridge-cold and near-frozen hot dogs, and they take about the same amount of time to warm up—roughly three minutes. Three. When making thicker sausages like air fryer kielbasa, I suggest making diagonal slices all around the sides and letting it get really brown and crispy in the air fryer for a solid 10 minutes.Most of the freezer aisleThis is no revelation, but air frying freezer snacks is the biggest time saver when I need it the most. The freezer aisle of any grocery store is packed with premade meal pockets, frozen veggies, breakfasts, and desserts. Many of which are perfectly sized to cook well in a standard oven. Well an air fryer is like a miniature oven on steroids. All those delicious midnight snacks cooks faster in the air fryer—but now I don't have to wait 40 minutes. I can have my air fried fish sticks, mini pizzas, tater tots, jalepeño poppers, mozzarella sticks (honestly, any frozen TGIFridays item), garlic bread, or tiny White Castle burgers promptly at the stroke of 12. Canned mushroomsMy favorite air fryer snack lately is the mushroom chip. They’re full of umami and as crispy as a pork rind. You can make a bowl of this crunchy, salty snack with a simple can of mushrooms. Just drain them and toss with a light coating of oil. Air fry them for a few minutes at 390℉ until crisp and brown. Seafood Credit: Claire Lower Seafood cooks well in the air fryer too, and I don’t just mean breaded shrimp (but of course, breaded shrimp). I can air fry frozen shrimp to tender, seasoned perfection in just a handful of minutes. Air fry a lobster tail in under 10 minutes for a weeknight treat. My Instant Vortex air fryer is a beast when it comes to cooking these sea creatures. It happens so quickly they don’t have time to dry out. But be sure to set the timer and check on them early, because they’ll be finished before you know it. If you're looking for a great, reasonably priced, medium-sized air fryer, the Instant Vortex is one of my favorites. Read my full review here. Instant Vortex 5.7-Quart 4-in-1 Air Fryer (Black) $119.99 at Amazon $139.99 Save $20.00 Shop Now Shop Now $119.99 at Amazon $139.99 Save $20.00 Soggy fried chickenTechnically, yes, soggy fried chicken can fit in the “leftover food” category, but it can also be a special case. If you’ve ever gotten takeaway or delivery from Popeye’s then you know some soggy fried chicken isn’t leftover or cold. It’s simply humid. Luckily the air fryer allows me to revive this nearly defeated chicken. Unwrap any disappointingly soft fried chicken (this includes sandwiches, just take the chicken out of the bun first) and drop it into the air fryer for five to ten minutes at 400℉. Your fried chicken will be better than ever. MeatloafAnother low-cost, satisfying, comfort food main course is a meatloaf, and (surprise!) the air fryer has this on my plate in record time. I make sure to shape the meatloaf into a size that fits within the confines of my basket or oven-style air fryer. Set the air fryer to 375℉ and roast for about 10 minutes (flipping halfway), or until the internal temperature matches the doneness for the meat mixture you used. Say hello to dinner for four, in record time.

How do you put the expedition into a game like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33? For writer Jennifer Svedberg-Yen, it meant rethinking classic RPG party types like they were the cast of Armageddon — a dynamic she understood on an unexpectedly personal level. “This sounds so random, but I did a brief NASA simulation where I was an analog astronaut,” Svedberg-Yen tells Polygon. “I was simulating a mission to an asteroid at NASA’s compound in Houston. And as part of that, I got to experience being part of a small [crew]. And so I did base some of my thinking around what kind of people you would send on an expedition where it’s not necessarily all military. Our expedition wasn’t going to be all soldiers. There had to be people who had jobs and were transferring those skills into an expedition where it’s not just about killing things, but about understanding and figuring out who the Paintress is.” Even in a story-rich fantasy game where player investment is everything, mechanics drive character. There were some obvious starting places: Svedberg-Yen says from the beginning she and game director Guillaume Broche “really wanted someone with some sort of elemental magic, someone who would have more swords and guns and things like that.” Which is good, because we all also wanted that. At the nexus of turn-based combat mechanics, fantasy world-building, and NASA space mission staffing, Svedberg-Yen found her cast. She needed an engineer, so Gustave was born. Sciel, a farmer, could take care of the meals. To check that elemental-magic box, Svedberg-Yen invented Lune, whose powers made her a natural research scholar. Even as the characters, story, and mechanics evolved, remnants of those early ideas stuck around.  “Sciel was initially supposed to be an archer,” Svedberg-Yen says, “so I wrote dialogue for her where she takes philosophies about archery but makes it a little bit broader — that’s actually still in the game. When she’s talking about ‘seeing.’ And then Guillaume later took that and changed that into Foretells, he changed the mechanic. So there was a bit of back and forth with how things evolved.” Expedition 33’s unique structure — and the major twists after Act 1 — allowed Svedberg-Yen and Broche to further upend the expectations of a traditional RPG cast. Mainly, there’s no main character with a supporting crew in orbit around them.  “In Act 1, the main character presumably is Gustave. In Act 2, it’s Verso. Presumably, in Act 3 it’s Maelle. I’ve always described it as Maelle is the hidden main character, Gustave is the decoy main character, and Verso is the main character, but not really the main character. What’s great is I think they all share the spotlight and depending on who you identify with, that person’s story is the main character to you. I think it leaves something up for the players to interpret.” Svedberg-Yen can’t say if there’s a future for these characters or even sequel potential for Expedition 33 (maybe for the “Clair Obscur” name, but even that’s way off as the Sandfall Interactive team focuses on squashing bugs and optimizing the game they just published). But her pursuit of creating fresh, interesting characters feels like a success.  “Our story has a beginning, a middle and end. And I think it all ties together nicely. So it works as a standalone story.” But if we asked really nicely for more time with Maelle? “[Laughs] I think we’re all creative, so we can come up with solutions.”

Ignore the science!   This week we shared the opinion of an anonymous poster that computer science degrees should be ignored. The writer argued not that pursuing a computer science degree is a misguided effort; rather that it may not be necessary for the problems most companies need to solve.  It was a smash hit with the readers of CIO.com, causing much debate, some strong feelings, and posing difficult questions. And that is where Smart Answers comes in.   One question asked by many of our readers regarded the relative merits of earning a degree vs on the job training and certification. Smart Answers – channeling decades of human reporting and insights – is of the opinion that employers are increasingly valuing proven skills and experience alongside, or sometimes instead of, formal degrees for IT positions. That although executive roles may still require a degree, this is changing.   It’s a more nuanced argument than that, of course. And Smart Answers offers all sides.    Find out: Are industry certifications more valued than degrees for IT jobs?  Back from the cloud  The rapid rise of AI is forcing organizations to reconsider their infrastructure. Its need for specialized compute, from GPUs to high-bandwidth networking and massive storage, has challenged the economics that justified mass migration to the cloud. Whisper it (or write about it as we did this week): some organizations are quietly moving off the  cloud.  It’s a trend, then, but is it significant? InfoWorld readers hit Smart Anwers to find out. Our Chatbot parses human reporting and insights and says that multiple surveys indicate a significant percentage of companies plan to repatriate cloud resources. Indeed, IDC’s June 2024 survey found that approximately 80% of IT decision-makers anticipated some level of repatriation of compute and storage resources within the next year. That feels significant.  Find out: What percentage of companies expect to repatriate cloud resources?  Python vs Rust Template strings, deferred annotations, better error messages, and a new debugger interface are among the goodies in Python 3.14. Now in beta. This week we outlined for the readers of InfoWorld all of the best new features and fixes in Python 3.14.   Detailed and expert articles like this one always attract a huge audience on InfoWorld, largely due to the popularity of Python. But why is that the case? Why is Python so popular? Readers asked Smart Answers to compare Python to Rust and other compiler languages.   The answer? Python may not be the fastest, but it is the easiest to use and that goes a long way.  Find out: How does Python’s performance compare to compiled languages like Rust?  About Smart Answers  Smart Answers is an AI-based chatbot tool designed to help you discover content, answer questions, and go deep on the topics that matter to you. Each week we send you the three most popular questions asked by our readers, and the answers Smart Answers provides.   Developed in partnership with Miso.ai, Smart Answers draws only on editorial content from our network of trusted media brands—CIO, Computerworld, CSO, InfoWorld, and Network World—and was trained on questions that a savvy enterprise IT audience would ask. The result is a fast, efficient way for you to get more value from our content. 

We’ve ported DOOM onto calculators, pregnancy tests, printers, and fridges because if it has a processor, it can run DOOM. But until now, there hasn’t been a way to embed that same chaotic devotion into the hardware we use to launch those ports. That’s where Drop’s new collab with DOOM: The Dark Ages hits just right – this time, we’re not modding to play DOOM. We’re equipping our keyboards for Hell. What you’re looking at are sculpted artifacts, shaped by NZ Caps to feel like they belong in a blood-soaked inventory screen. The craftsmanship lands somewhere between toyetic and sacred, pulling influence straight from the franchise’s newest armor-clad chapter. It’s a collector’s flex and a gamer’s dream – functional resin sculptures that turn your keeb into a demon-slaying altar. Whether you’re an old-school WAD wizard or riding the hype for Dark Ages’ launch, this drop demands attention. Designer: Drop + DOOM Start with the 1u Slayer’s Helmet. It’s as if the iconic visor and plated crown were miniaturized by a Cyberdemon with a shrinking ray. The detailing is absurd for something that takes up the real estate of a single key – each contour, vent, and battle scratch captured in resin like a relic excavated from your motherboard. The shape follows an SA R1 profile, which means it slots in beautifully on any top-row key, but let’s be honest – it’s going straight on Escape, where the Slayer belongs. Despite the size, the helmet has presence. It’s got that “last thing a Hell Priest sees” energy, amplified by the way its angular silhouette disrupts the smooth terrain of your board. It’s a visual focal point without being overbearing. Tap it once and you’ll feel that slight resistance unique to resin-cast artisans – solid, reassuring, like your keystroke just unlocked a secret corridor. This isn’t a gimmick. It’s usable, sculpted intimidation. And somehow, it doesn’t feel fragile. NZ Caps nailed the density so it holds up under regular use, assuming you don’t rage-slam your board mid-campaign. The 2.25u Flail and Shield cap, though, is a whole different beast. Bigger, bolder, and louder in both shape and metaphor, this one’s molded for the Enter key – a decision that feels poetic. It’s the cap you hit when you mean business. The flail is frozen mid-arc, sculpted with such tension that it almost hums with kinetic energy, while the shield acts as both a visual counterbalance and a protective charm. The SA Enter profile keeps the piece grounded despite its drama, with enough ergonomic curve to make daily use viable, though you might hesitate to press it just to preserve its beauty. What really sells it is how the form exaggerates intent. The flail’s spikes have depth, casting sharp shadows that change throughout the day like a sundial for violence. The shield feels ancient and brutalist, with edges that look forged by flame rather than 3D modeling. Together, they feel like a pair of miniature props from a game that prides itself on overkill. Both caps are handmade, with resin finishes that catch light in subtle ways and elevate them beyond simple fan merch. The 1u fits standard layouts perfectly, and the 2.25u finds a home on most TKL and full-size keyboards. Installation’s as easy as swapping in any MX-compatible key, and they’re priced at $59 a piece – steep, but absolutely in line with boutique artisan work. For fans who see their keyboard as more than just a tool, this set is a full-blown character build. The post These DOOM keycaps are the most metal thing your keyboard can wear first appeared on Yanko Design.

In November last year, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) unveiled a radical rebranding exercise. The iconic British car brand, known for its sleek designs, racing heritage and unmistakable growler emblem featuring its big cat mascot, made a dramatic pivot that both alienated its existing customer base and failed to resonate with new audiences. Spearheaded by agency Accenture Song, the new identity introduced a minimalist 'J' logo, replacing the iconic 'growler' logo, along with advertisements that conspicuously lacked cars. Instead, the campaign featured an array of abstract visuals and diverse models with slogans like 'Live Vivid' and 'Delete Ordinary'. It was all part of a strategic shift to position Jaguar as an all-electric luxury brand by 2026. But the public response was swift and devastating. And the backlash wasn't limited to social media outrage: it translated directly to Jaguar's bottom line. Global sales plummeted from 61,661 vehicles in 2022 to just 33,320 in 2024, marking a nearly 50% decline. Now, the company is actively seeking a new advertising agency, effectively acknowledging that the rebrand has failed to achieve its objectives. So what went wrong, and what lessons can other brands learn from this costly misstep? What went wrong? Sue Benson, founder and CEO of The Behaviours Agency, lists some of the reasons she feels the new approach failed. "There are few, if any, cars in the ads, which leaves audiences unsure what the brand even stands for. Heuristics like the leaping cat logo have been discarded, weakening mental shortcuts consumers rely on. Emotion has suffered, too; rather than stirring pride or aspiration, the new identity feels cold and aloof. And in terms of consistency, the shift has been jarring, with little cohesion between legacy and future." In short, the brand destroyed more equity than it built. By abandoning recognisable elements that consumers had emotional connections with, Jaguar created a vacuum that its abstract new positioning couldn't fill. "In a market where EV brands are multiplying, distinctiveness matters more than ever," Sue reasons. "Jaguar already had strong emotional and cultural heritage, so it's worth questioning whether stripping that away in favour of minimalism was the right move." Sign of desperation Of course, many of us like radical change, and many people in the design industry were pretty excited when the rebrand was first launched. But sometimes, 'radical' can go too far and end up throwing out the proverbial baby with the bathwater. "The scale of the transformation was hard to ignore," says Gabor Schreier, chief creative officer at Saffron Brand Consultants. "If Rolls-Royce were to abandon the Spirit of Ecstasy, the reaction would be immediate. Jaguar's move belonged in the same category. Abandoning that legacy and sacrificing vital brand assets might be seen as either a bold, forward-looking strategy or a sign of desperation disguised as a provocation. A leap so detached from its heritage, they might as well have changed the name entirely." Typically, a successful rebrand will maintain a sufficient connection to a brand's core identity so that consumers can follow the evolution. Jaguar, however, created a chasm so wide that the rebrand appeared to be a complete reinvention rather than an evolution, leaving consumers confused about what Jaguar now stood for. A broader identity crisis Of course, none of this happened in a vacuum. Lewis Jones, managing partner at Coley Porter Bell, frames Jaguar's struggles within the broader context of the auto industry's shift to electric. He suggests that the problem goes beyond the rebrand itself to a more existential question about what makes cars desirable in the electric age. "The traditional thrills of internal combustion such as sound, speed and mechanical drama are fast becoming irrelevant," Lewis notes. "As EVs lean into minimalism, efficiency and tech-led rationality, the emotional connection to the car risks being left behind." In this light, a car brand needs to not only maintain its own identity but also solve the broader problem of creating emotional connections in a category increasingly defined by sameness. Instead, though, Jaguar leaned into the very minimalism that risks making electric vehicles feel interchangeable. "Design is where this battle will be won or lost," believes Lewis. "It is no coincidence that one of the most talked-about EVs of 2024 is the Renault 5, a masterclass in retro-modern design. It is not the specs or software that excited people. It is the character, the charm, the identity. It feels like something. In an era of indistinguishable EV silhouettes, design becomes the new sound of the engine. It is the thing that stirs emotion." Despite the failure of Jaguar's rebrand, though, Lewis acknowledges one potential positive: it has "elevated design into a cultural conversation." More specifically, the unveiling of the Type 00 concept car at Miami Art Week in December 2024, which showcased the brand's future electric design direction, did generate significant attention, albeit with the same polarised reception as the rebrand itself. In short, while Jaguar's execution may have been flawed, its instinct to differentiate through bold design wasn't entirely misguided. The failure was in how that design connected—or failed to connect—to the brand's heritage and values. Lessons for brands So, what have we learned from all this? Here are five big lessons for other brands contemplating significant repositioning. 1. Evolution, not revolution Gabor's comment that "right now, it feels as if a Jaguar might no longer be a Jaguar" encapsulates perhaps the most critical lesson. Overly radical rebrands risk destroying more equity than they create. Successful rebrands, in contrast, maintain sufficient connections to a brand's heritage while moving it forward. 2. Maintain distinctive assets Sue highlights the importance of maintaining recognisable elements that create mental shortcuts for consumers. Jaguar's abandonment of the growler logo eliminated a powerful visual cue that had built recognition over decades. The simple lesson is that brands should carefully audit their distinctive assets before discarding them. 3. Solve emotional connection challenges Lewis's about the EV category point to the challenge of creating emotional connections in categories undergoing technological transformation. Brands need to find new ways to create emotional resonance when traditional sources of differentiation disappear. 4. Test with core audiences Jaguar's rebrand appears to have been developed with an idealised future customer in mind, without sufficient consideration for existing loyal customers. Brands should test significant changes with core audiences before full implementation. 5. Ensure clarity of purpose Perhaps most fundamentally, Jaguar's rebrand created confusion about what the brand now stands for; as Sue notes, there was a marked absence of actual cars in the ads. A successful rebrand should clarify rather than confuse a brand's purpose. The road ahead As Jaguar looks to appoint a new ad agency, it faces the challenge of deciding whether to double down on its controversial new direction or course-correct back toward its heritage. Gabor notes, "As someone once said, to err is human; to rectify, wise. Even the most daring strategies leave room for course correction." No brand should be so committed to something that it cannot adjust when the market provides clear feedback. What's clear is that Jaguar's next agency will need to help the brand reconnect with consumers on an emotional level while distinguishing itself in the increasingly crowded electric vehicle market. As Lewis states, "The agency it chooses will need to build on this momentum, not just to sell cars but to help people reconnect emotionally with the act of driving." Whether that means embracing the controversial new direction with better execution, or finding a middle ground that honours Jaguar's heritage while looking to the future, remains to be seen. Either way, the stakes couldn't be higher for this storied British brand.

Posted on : May 19, 2025 By Tech World Times General  Rate this post In the world of YouTube family channels, few names were as recognizable as Ruby Franke. As the face of the now-controversial “8 Passengers” channel, Ruby built an online empire around her family’s daily life. With millions of views and hundreds of thousands of subscribers, the Franks were seen as a model of wholesome family living. But the release of the Ruby Franke Documentary has flipped that image on its head, exposing deeper issues about the ethics and consequences of family vlogging. The Rise of “8 Passengers” Before the controversy, Ruby Franke was a successful family vlogger, creating content centered on parenting, home-schooling, and family routines. The “8 Passengers” channel showcased Ruby, her husband Kevin, and their six children. At its peak, the channel attracted over 2.5 million subscribers and millions of views per video. The formula was simple: share intimate family moments, from morning routines to discipline methods. Ruby was praised by some viewers for her strict parenting style and transparency. However, as the channel gained popularity, so did criticism—particularly over what many perceived as invasive and harsh treatment of the children. The Breaking Point: Public Scrutiny and Legal Fallout As the channel grew, so did the backlash. Numerous clips began to circulate on social media showing moments of Ruby disciplining her children in ways that many viewers considered inappropriate. Examples included food deprivation, emotional punishment, and on-camera humiliation. Critics argued that these instances crossed a line, raising questions about children’s rights, consent, and psychological harm. The Ruby Franke Documentary delves deep into these moments, featuring interviews with child psychologists, social media analysts, and even former fans. The documentary chronicles how online criticism grew into widespread concern and ultimately led to intervention by child welfare authorities. In 2023, Ruby was arrested on charges related to child abuse, and her case drew international attention. The documentary not only unpacks the events leading to her legal troubles but also examines how platforms like YouTube can incentivize extreme behavior when attention equals income. The Ethics of Family Vlogging One of the central themes of the Ruby Franke Documentary is the ethical dilemma posed by family vlogging. While countless parents vlog their family lives with good intentions, the genre often blurs the line between entertainment and exploitation. Children, lacking the ability to consent meaningfully, become content—every tantrum, every mistake, and every punishment is broadcast for views. Ruby Franke’s case is not the first to spark these concerns, but it is perhaps the most high-profile example of how far things can go. The documentary raises critical questions: Should children be allowed to be featured prominently in monetized online content? Where should society draw the line between parenting and performance? What responsibility do platforms have in moderating family content? Public Reaction and Fallout Public opinion on Ruby Franke shifted drastically following the release of the documentary and the revelations about her parenting methods. Once a beloved momfluencer, Ruby became a symbol of the darker underbelly of online fame. Her arrest, and the subsequent legal proceedings, were widely covered by both mainstream media and social platforms. Many former fans expressed betrayal and guilt for having supported the channel for years. Others noted that the warning signs had been present for some time but were ignored due to Ruby’s persuasive, polished presentation. The Ruby Franke Documentary includes interviews with viewers, mental health experts, and advocacy groups who now call for stricter regulations on child content online. The Aftermath and Industry Impact The fallout from the Ruby Franke scandal has had ripple effects across the family vlogging industry. Some family influencers have chosen to scale back their content, blur their children’s faces, or even step away from YouTube entirely. Discussions around child labor laws in the digital space have also intensified. Several states in the U.S., inspired in part by cases like Franke’s, are considering legislation that would protect minors featured in monetized online content—potentially requiring permits, earnings disclosures, and limits on what content can be shared. As the Ruby Franke Documentary continues to gain attention, it has sparked a broader movement for ethical family vlogging. It challenges both creators and viewers to consider the consequences of consuming and monetizing a child’s private life. FAQs: Q1: What is the Ruby Franke Documentary about? The documentary explores Ruby Franke’s rise and fall as a popular family vlogger, focusing on ethical concerns, public backlash, and her eventual legal troubles.Q2: Why did Ruby Franke face legal issues? Ruby Franke was arrested in 2023 on charges related to alleged child abuse, which came after years of public scrutiny over her parenting practices shown on YouTube.Q3: What are the main takeaways from the Ruby Franke Documentary? The documentary highlights the ethical issues of family vlogging, including children’s rights, online exploitation, and the influence of monetized digital content on parenting behavior.Q4: How has the family vlogging community reacted? Many vloggers have become more cautious, with some quitting altogether. There is growing support for legal protections for children featured in monetized content.Q5: Can I still watch the 8 Passengers YouTube channel? As of now, the channel’s content has been largely removed or made private, and the family is no longer actively vlogging.Tech World TimesTech World Times (TWT), a global collective focusing on the latest tech news and trends in blockchain, Fintech, Development & Testing, AI and Startups. If you are looking for the guest post then contact at techworldtimes@gmail.com

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As I look back on my first year as global inclusion lead at Unity, I’m proud of the progress we, as a company, have made. I am a firm believer that inclusion and diversity are not “nice to have” programs for companies, or something to put on the backburner during challenging times. Rather, it’s during challenging times that businesses should double down on inclusion and diversity initiatives, because these are key enablers of continued success.I shared a little bit about myself on our company blog when I first joined Unity. I was attracted to Unity’s approach to inclusion, which grounds everything in empathy. Empathy is an important starting point for everyone as they advance on their inclusion and diversity journeys. Rooting my professional life and work in inclusion is personal for me, and I’m committed to ensuring that as many people as possible are given equitable opportunities to succeed.Though I have only been around for the last year, Unity has been on its inclusion journey for quite some time. Along the way, the company has made mistakes, but there have also been some wins, like the implementation of the Empathy, Respect, and Opportunity (ERO) inclusion framework and the creation of Employee Resource Groups (ERGs).2022 was a year focused on understanding our current state, where we have gaps, and putting strong foundations in place from which to build and drive long-term, meaningful change. So, what are we working toward?Our “north star” is to embed inclusion and diversity into every aspect of our business – from how we recruit, treat, and empower our employees to the ways we design and share tools for the creators and communities we serve.To achieve that vision, we’re focused on four key pillars: workplace (culture), workforce, customers, and community. A diverse, inclusive, and equitable workforce and workplace are the foundations for effective marketplace inclusion and strong business outcomes.In my first year, we:Pinpointed our largest demographic gaps and pain points across levels and designed targeted interventions and programs to address those gaps.Invested heavily in our ERGs as drivers of inclusion by adding new groups (we now have nine), assigning executive sponsors to each group, creating charters, and sharing data to inform strategies, all of which included designing a continued investment plan.Implemented a robust methodology for setting inclusion and diversity goals and created inclusion data dashboards for more consistent tracking and advancement of those goals, while also assessing areas to strengthen data collection.Created opportunities to drive employee awareness of and engagement in inclusion efforts by hosting an internal Inclusion Summit and launching company-wide inclusion training modules.

Kelly Benthall often finds traveling terrifying, but she does it anyway. Kelly Benthall 2025-05-19T02:10:50Z Save Saved Read in app This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now. Have an account? Last year, Kelly Benthall, now 54, and her husband quit their jobs and retired early to travel the world. She found the idea of starting over again in new places terrifying. Learning how to manage fear made it doable. Last year, at 53, my husband and I quit our jobs in oil and gas and retired early to travel the world. Many friends assumed we were fearless — that anyone who leaves behind home, routines, and everything familiar must be chasing adventureThe truth? I'm not fearless. I'm a total scaredy-cat.I didn't grow up traveling. We didn't hop on planes or dream about faraway places. Our family vacations were road trips to Ohio to visit relatives — reliable, predictable, safe. Most of my family still doesn't have a passport.If you'd asked me in my 20s whether I'd ever sell everything and move from country to country, I would've shaken my head no, probably while breaking out in a cold sweat. It sounded terrifying.Turns out, it is terrifying sometimes. And I do it anyway.Managing retirement riskFor years, I built my life around managing risk. Raising kids, climbing the corporate ladder, and running my own consulting business all required careful planning and staying one step ahead.But nothing prepared me for the emotional risk of walking away from that life.The moment my husband, Nigel, and I got serious about early retirement, the what-ifs flooded in: What if we ran out of money? What if something happened to our kids or grandkids while we're gone? What if we hated it?I've spent my life tuned in to everyone else: clients, kids, even my husband. Somewhere along the way, my empathy turned into a constant state of alert. I was always scanning for what might go wrong.The idea of giving up control, dropping into unfamiliar places, and starting over again felt like a nightmare wrapped in an Instagram filter.Learning that I didn't have to be fearless and just needed a plan for the fear changed everything.Putting the tool to workI discovered fear-setting in 2022, and it's the single most useful tool I've carried into this chapter of life. Instead of setting goals, you define the nightmare. Then you ask three questions:How could I prevent it?What would I do if it happened?What's the cost of doing nothing?That last one stopped me cold: What would it cost us to stay stuck, too scared to try?It turns out I'd been using versions of fear-setting long before I even knew what to call them. I used them to calm my son after watching Hurricane Katrina coverage, walking him through every worst-case scenario. Later, I relied on them to manage my own spirals over work deadlines, breaking fear into manageable pieces.Fear-setting works at any age — and for almost anything. The author and her husband retired last year and have been traveling around the world. Kelly Benthall It's simpler than it sounds. You don't need a course or a coach. You just need a pen, a few quiet minutes, and the willingness to name what's scaring you out loud.I start by writing the absolute worst-case scenario at the top of the page, even if it feels dramatic. Then, I answer the three questions honestly. I learned that getting honest about the worst case doesn't make it more likely, it makes it less terrifying.Even now, after a year of traveling, every time we step off a plane into a new place, I still get anxious: Will I find my way back? Will I belong here?It's rarely the big things. It's the tiny moments of unfamiliarity. It's the ones no amount of planning or money can solve. Where's the grocery store? Did we pick the wrong Airbnb? Will I meet anyone here, or will I feel completely alone? Never feeling readyI'm not fearless. I'm not naturally adventurous. I'm just someone who finally got tired of letting fear drive every decision.Fear-setting gave me a way to name the scary stuff, stare it down, and ask: Is this really going to stop me?If there's one thing I wish people understood, it's this: You're not supposed to feel ready. You don't need to wait until the fear goes away.You just need to know that fear is part of the deal — and that you're capable of walking through it.It has been through managing fear — instead of waiting for it to disappear — that I've changed everything.And that's the real adventure. Recommended video