The vast majority of senior leaders feel obligated to respond to work messages while on vacation, it has been revealed. Tech.co’s latest workplace report shows that a whopping 83% of senior leaders feel “at least somewhat” obligated to respond to work queries while they’re on vacation.

Last year, the so-called “right to disconnect” grew in prominence, with Australia joining the likes of France, Italy, Mexico, and more, in passing legislation to protect their employees’ right to ignore correspondence when out of office.

However, these new findings indicate that even during designated vacations, many of us still feel unable to switch off from the pressures of work. As of yet, a “right to disconnect” movement has failed to get off the ground in the US.

Most of Us Unable to Switch Off While on Vacation

Our latest annual report shows that the overwhelming majority of workers feel pressure to respond to work queries while on vacation. We found that 83% of senior leaders feel “at least somewhat obligated” to engage in work correspondence while out of office.

In recent years, employees have begun to place a greater emphasis on their work-life balance, and there is a growing body of evidence that a “right to disconnect” law would be a big step in the right direction. In fact, 77% of senior leaders support such a law. At the moment, however, the evidence would appear to be falling on deaf ears.

Unsurprisingly, this inability to switch off has a detrimental impact on employee wellbeing, with 53% of senior leaders who feel “extremely obligated” to stay online during vacations also reporting that they feel “extremely burnt out.”

Research Sheds Light on Remote Work Complexities

Elsewhere, our report paints a complicated picture of remote work, with many employees struggling to reconcile work-life balance in light of the greater freedoms heralded by the Covid pandemic and subsequent work-from-home (WFH) mandates.

There’s a shared recognition that flexible working policies are good for morale, with 68% of businesses offering hybrid work to increase employee satisfaction. However, a sizeable number of senior leaders (23%) believes that the main drawback of remote work is the difficulty in separating work and life. This is borne out by the percentage of leaders that feel obligated to respond to correspondence while on vacation.

To explicate things further, 37% of younger workers (25-34) would contact colleagues while on vacation in the event of a critical business issue. This illustrates that not only is this problem widespread, but that it recurs across the business.

“Right to Disconnect” Law Essential, Report Suggests

Ultimately, these findings indicate that the US is in dire need of a “right to disconnect” law. Despite widespread support for the movement, the federal government has yet to enact the required legislation. There have been a few attempts on a state level, most recently in California, but these have proved unsuccessful.

Around the world, the “right to disconnect” has been unanimously beneficial. According to a study conducted in The HR Practice, employees in the countries in question are less anxious, less stressed, and less likely to burn out. The Tech.co report, meanwhile, posits a US business landscape in which many workers do not feel able to switch off, even when they’re on vacation.

In the aftermath of the Covid pandemic, staff wellbeing should be top of mind for employers everywhere. While this is true to an extent, the report suggests that businesses still have a long way to go. And with the rapid pace of technological change, especially AI, there’s no excuse for getting left behind.

February is one of the hardest months for in-office workers. The winds of winter are particularly frigid during the year’s shortest month, and the lack of Christmas decorations and New Year’s resolutions don’t make it any easier.

Remote workers, on the other hand, are basking in the glory of their air conditioning and comfy clothes, taking meetings and accomplishing tasks without the burden of a long commute. Isn’t it time you joined them?

In this guide, we’ll outline some of the remote jobs you can apply for at Google right now, as well as provide some insight into the job security at the tech firm in 2025 and what it’s like to work from home in the modern era.

Fully Remote Jobs at Google for February 2025

While some businesses have been halting their work-from-home policies over the last few years, Google has been fairly consistent when it comes to offering positions that are eligible for remote work. Admittedly, they aren’t hiring for as many remote jobs as Microsoft, but with 91 open positions as of writing, submitting an application is always worth it with this tech giant.

Here is just a small sample of the remote positions currently available at Google. You’ll notice they include the location, which just explains where these jobs are based and do not mean you have to live there, although it probably wouldn’t hurt to be in a similar time zone.

• Field Sales Representative, Public Sector, Google Cloud (British Columbia, Canada)
• Program Manager, Data Center Construction (Tennessee, USA)
• Manufacturing Engineer, Product Lifecycle and Technical Operations (Thailand)
• Field Sales Representative II, Google Public Sector (Florida, USA)\
• Post Quantum Cryptography Analyst, Public Sector (Virginia, USA)
• Cyber Threat Intelligence Consultant, Mandiant Intelligence (Dubai, UAE)
• Security Consultant Architect, Mandiant STS, Google Cloud (Atlanta, GA, USA)
• Strategic CDC/SOC Consultant, Mandiant, Google Cloud (Chicago, IL, USA)
• Project Coordinator, Mandiant Consulting, Google Cloud (Toronto, Canada)
• Artificial Intelligence Sales Specialist III, Retail, Google Cloud (New York, NY, USA)
• Senior Account Manager, Central, Google Public Sector (Alabama, USA)
• Senior Incident Response Consultant, Mandiant, Google Cloud (Los Angeles, CA, USA)

To find more remote positions at the tech firm, head on over the Google Careers page and make sure that the box is checked under the Location tab for Remote eligible.

Job Security at Google in 2025

Working at companies like Google used to be a guarantee of job security for as long as you need it. Unfortunately, in 2025, the tech industry continues to be rife with company layoffs that are making many employees wonder if any job is safe.

That does appear to be the case at Google currently, as the company has been requesting voluntary buyouts, which are quite consistently a pre-cursor to layoffs for employees. None have been announced yet, but as we’ve seen over the last few years, we don’t get a lot of warning before they get announced.

You can, however, take solace in the fact that hiring new employees is quite an expensive investment, and it’s safe to assume that, in most cases, they won’t layoff someone they just hired. Don’t hold us to that, though.

How to Work From Home in 2025

Finding a remote job is only the first step when it comes to working from home. There are quite a few steps to take once you’re finished with this article, and we’re here to help walk you through as many as we can.

For starters, you’re going to need to actually get the job. Catering your resume for remote work can go a long way in setting yourself apart from the pack, and you’ll want to prepare yourself for either a phone or video call interview, as the in-person option is probably not going to be the standard.

Once you have the job, you’ll officially be a remote employee, which means you’ll want to make sure your productivity doesn’t dip, lest you lose access to the popular employee perk. You’ll want to find a good, distraction-free area to conduct your work, and a quiet area of your home to attend video meetings. It’s also important to set clear boundaries between work and life, otherwise you could fall into the trap of being “always on.”

Finding Remote Jobs in 2025

If you can believe it, Google isn’t the only company in 2025 that is hiring employees that are allowed to work from home. In fact, despite all the news about return-to-office mandates, remote work is still very much an available perk at certain companies. You just need to know where to look.

At Tech.co, we regularly cover all the remote positions available at companies like Google, Microsoft, Apple, and many more, so you can find a job that fits your flexible schedule.

Generative AI remains the buzziest tech word in 2025, but not everyone’s buying it.

According to a new report, 27% of Chief Marketing Officers are limiting or completely avoiding the use of generative AI on their teams.

Granted, that’s another way of saying that most of them have done so: The same survey found that 77% of CMOs had adopted genAI for at least some creative development tasks. However, in today’s ChatGPT-saturated environment, it’s interesting to note that more than a quarter of CMOs aren’t diving into the technology that everyone’s talking about.

Survey Says: Most CMOs ‘Face Challenges’ Executing Marketing Campaigns

By any definition, the generative AI boom is now several years old, and well-established. Plenty of companies have latched onto it as an impetus for layoffs, from companies as diverse as TikTok and Duolingo. So why are there so many holdouts?

Gartner is behind the new survey, which covered insights from 418 marketing leaders between July and September 2024.

According to the analysis, the 27% of CMOs who have largely avoided generative AI use are a reflection of the variety of responses to genAI’s cultural rise. Some companies adopted it rapidly, while others avoided the risks of early investment in an unproven resource.

Specifically, the 27% stat refers to those who “report that their marketing organization has limited or no GenAI adoption in marketing campaigns,” so it does still include some AI use. And let’s not lose sight of the fact that most CMOs have invested in the technology, with a largely positive feedback from those who have tried genAI:

“Although CMOs have concerns regarding return on investment, many organizations are experiencing benefits from GenAI adoption: Nearly half (47%) report a large benefit from adopting GenAI for evaluation and reporting in their campaigns.” – the survey

CMOs Aren’t Satisfied With Their Campaigns

AI aside, the survey reveals plenty of other challenges in the CMO expanded universe. For one thing, an impressively high 87% of CMOs report they “experienced campaign performance issues in the last 12 months,” with 45% of CMOs saying they “sometimes, often, or always had occasion to terminate campaigns early in the last year due to poor performance.”

That’s despite an average of 44.5% of the total marketing budget being invested towards campaigns and media plans. Well, perhaps it’s due in part to that fact, since being responsible for half of the marketing budget tends to add a lot of pressure.

In fact, some CMOs pointed the finger at other teams when trying to name the biggest roadblocks to their work:

“Thirty-one percent of marketing leaders say that finance is the function that most impedes successful execution of marketing campaigns, followed by executive leadership (26%) and sales (26%).” – the survey

AI is ultimately just one factor in a tough job, it seems.

What Challenges Does GenAI Pose?

There are several reasons why CMOs might not want to dabble in generative AI when crafting public-facing campaigns, but let’s be honest: The biggest reason is probably the risk of falling on their faces and damaging their company’s reputation.

After all, we’ve seen plenty of cases of AI-related advertisements failing to deliver on their own promises. Most recently, a Super Bowl Google ad contained a factually incorrect statistic, but we’ve also seen a movie trailer that included a made-up critic’s quote that turned out to be fabricated by genAI. Needless to say, no CMO wants to face an entire news cycle about how bad their campaign was.

GenAI’s other PR troubles include my personal problem with the technology, the environmental impact of its energy-sucking models, as well as the copyright violations that even big proponents of the technology claim are inevitable.

One of the most potent criticisms that the rise of artificial intelligence faces is its potentially exploitative nature, with creatives and artists concerned that their work is being used to train models without permission or payment.

While major musicians and actors have tried to fight back themselves, freelance service provider Fiverr is seeking to eschew that narrative, announcing a new platform that it says will establish “a new paradigm where AI amplifies human creativity while preserving its essential value.”

Fiverr Go is set to be the company’s suite of AI-powered tools designed to help freelancers create, train and manage personalized AI models – ultimately leading to the receipt of “proper credit and compensation.”

“Human-Centric Model”

The company announced the new platform as part of its Fiverr Amplify live stream, entitled ‘The Future of Human Talent.’

“I don’t want to live in a world where people aren’t motivated to create,” said Fiverr founder and CEO founder Micha Kaufman, as he set out the essential premise of Fiverr Go that seeks to “keep human talent at the center.”

At the launch event and in the accompanying press release, Fiverr described a Personal AI Creation Mode that allows freelancers using its service to train AI models based exclusively on their own work. Not only will this maintain the control and ownership over their creative processes and rights, Fiverr says, but it will also allow them to set prices to ensure that they are accordingly remunerated.

“As AI increasingly harvests creative work without compensation or recognition, Fiverr Go introduces a sustainable, human-centric model that protects and amplifies creator rights while helping them scale their businesses.” – Fiverr

The second element of the Fiverr Go platform is access to its Personal AI Assistant – a personalized tool that helps freelancers to “enhance communication with potential clients, handle routine tasks, and provide actionable business insights.”

The video gives examples of a freelance illustrator and voiceover artist interacting with the platform, with Fiverr confirming that it will also be available for use by songwriters, graphic designers, copywriters and digital marketers on launch.

It also confirmed however, that only selected Fiverr users “with proven track records of creative excellence” will have access at the outset, in order to “ensure high-quality adoption and results.”

Profit Driverr

“This isn’t just another AI platform—it’s a fundamental reimagining of how AI and human creativity can work together,” said Kaufman. “Instead of letting creators be exploited, Fiverr Go ensures they receive proper credit and compensation while giving them unprecedented tools to scale their work.

“This is about making our freelancers irreplaceable, not obsolete.”

Attempting to lead the conversation in how generative AI models learn from creators, Fiverr’s product launch came just a day before it announced an impressive set of fourth quarter results that showed double-digit revenue growth to $103.7 million.

Like the idea of getting AI to do more for you? Take a look at our roundup of the top free AI training courses you can start right now.

Famously the platform that used to restrict the number of characters users could post in its Twitter days, X was sparing in its wordcount to announce the latest iteration of its generative AI tool yesterday: “wake up babe, new Grok just dropped.”

While company owner Elon Musk expanded on that a bit during an official Grok 3 launch video on the social media platform, one key detail was omitted: the price.

It has now been revealed that X’s highest level subscription tier – X Premium+ – has been increased substantially in price, with US users required to pay $40 each month for its benefits.

Monthly Plans Up 81%

While Grok AI is available to use for free, it’s a seriously limited experience; you can only send up to 10 prompts every two hours, generate up to 10 images every two hours and analyze up to three images per day.

The allowances and available features increase with an X Premium subscription service, with Basic, Premium and Premium+ tiers available.

Although the price of Basic ($3 per month) and Premium ($8 per month) plans has remained unchanged, the Premium+ tier has risen dramatically.

New subscribers will now pay $40 per month or $395 per year for X Premium+, up from $22 and $229 respectively.

That’s an 81% increase on the monthly plan and 72% on annual.

X Premium+ Price List

The level of increase is similar the world over, with the X Premium+ price being hiked in every territory.

You can see the full list of new pricing at the X Help Center, with price comparisons in a selection of countries below:

• United States: $40/month & $395/year (Was $22/month & $229/year)
• Canada: $56/month & $560/year (Was $29/month & $299/year)
• United Kingdom: £31/month & £313/year (Was £17/month & £175/year)
• Australia: $62/month & $621/year (Was $35/month & $360/year)
• New Zealand: $70/month & $691/year (Was $38/month & $400/year)
• Europe (except Belgium): €38/month & €377/year (Was €21/month & €219/year)
• Brazil: R$228/month & R$2,255/year (Was R$115/month & R$1,190/year)
• Japan: ¥6,080/month & ¥60,040/year (Was ¥2,590/month & ¥27,3009/year)
• India: ₹3,470/month & ₹34,340/year (Was ₹1,750/month & ₹18,300/year)
• Indonesia: Rp654,000/month & Rp6,460,000/year (Was Rp355,000/month & Rp3,700,000/year)
• Singapore: $53/month & $530/year (Was $29/month & $305/year)
• South Africa: R738/month & R7,293/year (Was R400/month & R4,190/year)

What You Get With X Premium+

In addition to the divisive blue tick (assuming all eligibility criteria is adjudged to have been met) and extended use of Grok 3, Premium+ subscribers receive an array of extra features for the additional cost, including:

• Higher limits on Grok
• No ads anywhere on X
• Largest reply prioritization
• Radar Search
• Articles

It makes the X timeline largely ad-free — except for the occasional sponsored post — while also ensuring that the visibility of subscribers’ replies are given priority.

In terms of Grok, the limits increase to 100 prompts and 100 images every two hours and the ability to analyze up to 25 images per day.

Facebook has announced a change to its live video storage policy that will see your prized footage disappear from the social media platform after only a month.

Starting today, all new live videos hosted on Facebook will get a 30-day lifespan, after which they will be automatically removed. That’s a major update to the current situation whereby videos have been stored by Meta indefinitely.

But anybody worried that evidence of their great sporting glories or grand product unboxings will be lost forever needn’t panic – we’ll explain what you need to do to save down your Facebook videos.

Facebook’s New Policy

Announced on Meta’s Newsroom blog, its says that “new live broadcasts can be replayed, downloaded or shared from Facebook Pages or profiles for 30 days, after which they will be automatically removed from Facebook”.

In addition to the creation of new broadcasts, existing videos currently stored on the platform will also be affected.

‘Archival videos’ that are older than 30 days will also be removed in due course, with the video owner being notified ahead of deletion. They will receive an email and Facebook notification to say that they have 90 days to “download or transfer you content”.

“The deletion process will take place in waves over the coming months, and we are providing new tools for people to download their old live videos before they are gradually deleted.” – Meta

How to Rescue Your Facebook Videos

Meta says that it is giving users the 90 days notice to allow them time to download to a device, transfer to cloud storage, or convert to a new reel. There will also be the option to postpone the deletion for a further six months.

Below are Meta’s instructions for carrying out each of those solutions:

How to Download a Facebook Live Video

• Go to Profile Settings within the Facebook app.
• Choose Activity Log and then Live Videos. There you’ll find a list of your videos.
• Tap on the three dots next to your chosen video and tap Download.

How to Bulk Download Facebook Live Videos

• Go to your notifications within the Facebook app.
• Tap the notification alerting you to Facebook’s new live video policy.
• Tap Download Live videos.
• Select your desired options and tap Submit request.

How to Transfer Facebook Live Videos

• Go to your notifications within the Facebook app.
• Tap the notification alerting you to Facebook’s new live video policy.
• Tap Transfer Live videos.
• Tap Where: Select a destination.
• Choose your linked cloud storage provider (e.g. Dropbox, Google Drive) and tap Save.

Convert Facebook Live Videos to Reels

• From the full-screen video of your published live video, tap Video clipping.
• Clip your video by using the blue timeline bar or trimmer handles to set when it will start and end (15 seconds min; 90 seconds max).
• Tap Next.
• Write a description and choose an audience for your reel.
• Toggle on or off to Enable remixing.
• Tap Share reel.

How to Postpone the Deletion of Facebook Live Videos

• Go to your notifications within the Facebook app.
• Tap the notification alerting you to Facebook’s new live video policy.
• Tap  the Learn more text and then postpone the deletion text.
• Tap Postpone

Industry Standards

The Meta post says that it is updating its rules “because most live video views occur within the first few weeks of broadcasting”.

It also says that: “These changes will align our storage policies with industry standards and help ensure we are providing the most up-to-date live video experiences for everyone on Facebook.”

Meta has recently faced criticism for its decision to shelve fact-checkers. And it was fined the equivalent of more than $15 million in South Korea towards the end of last year for collecting data on gay and transgender Facebook users.

The great return-to-office (RTO) isn’t showing any signs of slowing down – even government workers have been ordered back in following Donald Trump’s return to office.

But a new study suggests that, in terms of yielding the best business results on metrics such as collaboration, innovation and mentorship, it doesn’t really matter whether companies insist on office working compared to remote or hybrid models.

The same report also shows a vast disjoint between how employers and employees view the effectiveness of their companies’ working practices, especially when it comes to skill development.

RTO vs Remote vs Hybrid

The study was carried out by consultancy giant McKinsey & Company, who surveyed more than 8,000 employers and 3,000 executives across 15 industries in the US last October.

Its headline finding was that “the working model doesn’t matter” when it comes to how well organizations support key working practices.

“Changing the working model alone will not resolve or even change the nature of the problem unless organizations address why their employees feel this way.” – McKinsey & Company

That said, the hybrid model saw the most positive feedback on all five core practices that the survey asked about: collaboration, connectivity, innovation, mentorship and skill development.

It was most substantially seen as a positive for connectivity, with 72% of respondents agreeing that the model provided the feeling of community with peers, managers and leaders, as well as alignment with the broader organizational mission.

Does Remote Working Work?

The report confirms the ongoing shift back to RTO – Dell is the most recent big tech company to announce a 5-day-a-week RTO mandate, following in the footsteps of the likes of Amazon and Elon Musk’s interests – with 68% of respondents saying that their company policy now required mostly working from the office; doubled from the year before.

17% said that they mostly worked remotely, with 14% working to a hybrid model.

However, the results also imply that working in person does not have a significantly positive affect on the core practices.

Less than half said that it aids mentorship or skill development. And more said that working remotely was better for collaboration and innovation than doing so in person (although the difference between the two was within 4% of each other); statistics that appear to reinforce previous studies that show RTO mandates aren’t necessarily effective.

A Chasm in Experiences

Further data from McKinsey’s survey demonstrates that workers and managers are far from on the same page when it comes to their lived working experiences.

90% of surveyed leaders view connectivity as a mature and well-functioning practice, for example, compared to just 67% of employees. And there was a similar gap on each of the other four practices in question.

McKinsey explain this disconnect as the gulf between the strategic perspective and autonomy shaping the approach of senior leaders, contrasting to the lack of empowerment and support facing their staff.

“This lived work experience creates a chasm in many organizations, harming the work environment, engagement, and, ultimately, performance.” – McKinsey & Company

It doesn’t look like phishing scams are going to be any less of a problem in 2025, with a study from Tech.co finding that an alarming 98% of senior leaders in the US are unable to correctly identify all indicators of a phishing email.

Personal data seems to be under constant threat when it comes to the online world. Security breaches and ransomware attacks have become empowered by new AI technology, and it seems like a new scam is always right around the corner.

Even worse, business owners don’t seem to be taking the threat seriously, with a shockingly low number able to recognize the most obvious of signals of risk.

Few Senior Leaders Can Recognize Phishing Emails

In our latest research, we found that only 1.6% of senior leaders were able to correctly identify all of the clear indicators of phishing emails, which certainly doesn’t bode well for the future of cybersecurity protections in the business world.

It’s not like phishing scams aren’t a problem for businesses in 2025, either. In fact, our data found that of all the businesses surveyed that had been breached, 40% of them were due to some kind of phishing attack. This was the second most common cause, behind only computer viruses (53%).

The Impact of Technology on the Workplace report from Tech.co is an annual study that gauges growing and waning trends on the business world. We surveyed 1,036 senior executives and workplace managers across a range of industries to get a feel for our things like cybersecurity can affect day-to-day operations. Unfortunately, some of those statistics paint a bleak picture for how well senior leaders are prepared when it comes to data protection.

Senior Leaders Are Falling Behind on Cybersecurity

Bad security continues to cost businesses millions, with breaches leading to everything from lost revenue to tarnished reputations. This means that making security a priority needs to come from the top. Unfortunately, those at the top have demonstrated a severe lack of knowledge based on our latest research.

For example, our survey discovered than nearly one fifth (19%) of senior leaders can’t define what multi-factor authentication is, widely considered one of the most effective security measures to keep data safe.

Suffice to say, senior leaders need to educate themselves on security before they can hope to protect sensitive company information, but they can’t go it alone. Implementing staff education on security measures will be just as integral, particularly with technology advancing at such a high rate.

AI Can be a Huge Security Risk

While you might have assumed that AI would help business bolster security measures to better protect customer and employee data, the reality is that hackers have taken far more advantage of the technology. And with senior leaders continue to lag on adapting to new trends, it’s only going to get worse.

In fact, we found that 35% of businesses have no security policy whatsoever in regard to how employees interact with AI chatbots. Given that they’ve been shown to be serious security risks, that could put many businesses in danger.

If business owners aren’t careful, this negligence could spread to their staff. Considering 33% of businesses don’t offer any kind of AI-related training, it’s safe to assume it’s already begun.

Outlier, an AI company, is looking for expert freelancers to help train AI models, and offers a wide variety of roles, depending on your experience.

As part of its mission to develop the ‘world’s most developed generative AI model’, the platform is opening its virtual doors to experts in coding, content writing, art, math, voice acting, and more making it a flexible way for workers with diverse skills to earn a little extra income.

Freelance work at Outlier AI is fully remote too, allowing workers across the US to pick up some work without commuting to a physical location. If you’re interested, read on to discover some facts about the employer and eight different roles the company is hiring for this February.

What is Outlier AI?

Outlier AI is a Silicon Valley-based company aiming to build the world’s most advanced generative AI by connecting experts in their fields. The platform is currently working on a range of projects, including coding, content creation, and building expertise in specific domains, so the roles it’s hiring for are fairly varied as a result.

The remote work platform hires freelancers for short-term projects and has already paid out over $100 million to 50,000 freelancers across the world according to the company’s website.

If you’re considering applying for a freelance role at Outlier AI, here’s some information you should know off the bat:

• All of Outlier AI’s freelance roles are fully remote, but some opportunities are only available to workers in certain regions
• The amount you’re able to earn with Outlier AI will depend on your area of expertise, with fields like biology and psychology commanding higher rates
• Working with Outlier AI is flexible, so you’re often able to choose how much time to commit to projects
• Freelancers with Outlier AI receive weekly payments for work completed on the platform
• Even if you pass Outlier’s assessments, there’s no guarantee you’ll be selected for projects
• Workloads with Outlier AI can be inconsistent, so we wouldn’t recommend relying on the platform for a consistent income stream

Is Outlier AI a Scam?

Outlier’s abundant job opportunities may seem too good to be true. The company’s recruiters also commonly send messages to potential candidates on LinkedIn, which may raise alarm bells for those looking to avoid LinkedIn scams.

However, if you’re wondering if Outlier is a scam, you can rest assured. Outlier AI is a legitimate company: there’s evidence of work on the platform being assigned and accomplished, and scores of freelancers have reported having been paid on time on forums like Reddit.

It’s worth noting that the company does have some less-than-favorable reviews on Trustpilot, with an overall score of 3.2. Many of the poor reviews talk of no work being provided, training taking too long, and poor communication.  However, this doesn’t mean that the company isn’t legit, and there are many reviews with positive experiences. We would advise though approaching opportunities with Outlier AI with these complaints in mind, and as we’ve mentioned, it shouldn’t be relied on as a fulltime job.

With so many job-seeking scams out there, you’re right to be cautious. For extra security when looking for online work, here are some tips to help you avoid remote work-from-home scams.

8 Fully-Remote Roles Outlier AI Is Hiring For Today

According to the Outlier’s job portal, the company is currently advertising for 66 opportunities in the US. We break down the main roles it’s hiring for, and their salary ranges, next.

1. AI Content Editor
2. AI Writing Evaluator
3. Freelance Writer
4. AI Training for Art
5. AI Math Trainer 
6. AI Fact Checker for different specialisms 
7. Coding Expertise for AI training 
8. Voice Acting for AI Training

1. AI Content Editor

• Pay range: $15 to $35 per hour

AI content editors with Outlier AI are responsible for helping to train the AI model’s written responses. Tasks include reading English text in order to rank a series of responses, writing and rewriting prompts and responses, and assessing the actuality and relevance of text produced by AI.

Due to the nature of the role, candidates need to be fluent in the English language, have experience being a professional writer, have an associate degree or higher in a writing-related discipline, and have exceptional spelling and grammar.

The amount you get paid with this role will depend on which tier you are eligible for, with rates starting at $15 per hour for Tier 1 experts.

Apply for its Tier 1 position here

2. AI Writing Evaluator 

• Pay range: $15 to $35 per hour

The ultimate goal of Outlier’s AI Content Evaluator is to measure and compare the performance of different AI models. Like with the previous two roles, this will be a reading and writing-intensive role, but experts won’t exclusively be working with Outlier’s own AI model.

Content Evaluators will be tasked with reading English text from AI models and ranking the series of responses in order, addressing the actuality and relevance of text produced by different AI models, and writing and rewriting prompts and responses. Experience as a professional writer or editor as required, as well as a degree in a writing-related discipline, and a strong craft of the English language.

The role also operates on a tier system, with more experienced freelancers earning more competitive rates of pay.

Apply for the position here

3. Freelance Writer

• Pay: $25 per hour

If you’re an avid writer and have little or no experience in AI, Outlier’s freelance writer position might be right for you. Successful applicants will be trusted with writing and editing high-quality texts, creatively writing short stories based on given topics, and determining whether submitted texts are factually correct, among a range of other tasks.

To apply, you’ll need to have native proficiency in the written language advertised in the role, and the ability to follow detailed instructions. Experience as a professional translator or writer is a bonus, but this role generally has a low barrier to entry, making it suitable for a larger pool of applicants.

Currently, Outlier is only hiring for US-based Spanish or Flemish writers, but the company posts new job listings regularly if you’re looking for an English-based role.

Apply for its Spanish writer position here, and its Flemish writer position here

4. AI Training for Art

• Pay: Up to $30 per hour

Outlier’s art experts help train AI models to become more accurate, relevant, and safe in the production of AI art. The role will require you to train AI models by crafting and answering questions related to art, including drawing, painting, and photography, evaluate and rank AI-generated responses, and use your domain expertise to assess the faculty and relevance of AI-generated text.

Due to the position’s specialisms, you’ll have to have to have a bachelor’s or higher degree in an art-related subject, and familiarity with the art landscape to apply. You’ll also need to have strong storytelling and narrative skills and be adept at research and fact-checking.

Apply for the position here

5. AI Math Trainer

• Pay range: $30 to $50 per hour

If you’re more of a numbers person, Outlier’s math trainer position might suit you well. The company is calling math experts to help them train AI, by crafting and answering questions related to the discipline, evaluating and ranking domain-specific responses generated by AI, and addressing the actuality and reverence of math-specific text produced by AI.

Desirable candidates will have a Master’s degree or higher in a Math related field, experience working as a Math professional, and the ability to clearly write about Math-related concepts in fluent English.

Due to the specialist skills the role requires, you’ll be able to earn slightly more with this role, with hourly rates reaching $50 per hour.

Apply for the position here

6. AI Fact Checker for different specialisms

• Pay: $30 to $50 per hour

If you’re an expert in your field, chances are Outlier will want to hear from you. The AI company is currently hiring fact-checkers with expertise across 19 different specialisms – from electronics and mechanical engineering to sociology and public health.

The nature of your role will depend on your area of expertise. However, general fact-checking responsibilities include training AI models by creating and answering questions relating to your field, evaluating and ranking AI-generated responses, and leveraging your domain expertise to assess the actuality of AI-generated text.

You’ll need a bachelor’s degree or higher in your field to be in with a chance of landing the role, as well as excellent English verbal and written communication skills. Some roles will also require you to have worked in a related field for five or more years, so it’s worth checking the job description thoroughly before applying.

7. Coding Expertise for AI Training

• Pay: $25 to $50 per hour

If you’re an experienced software engineer who’s looking for a lucrative side hustle, you’re in luck. Outlier is currently on the hunt for coding experts to help them train AI models to write better code.

According to the job listing, projects typically include discrete, highly variable problems that involve engaging with these models as they learn to code. Potential tasks include crafting and answering questions related to computer science, and evaluating and ranking code generated by AI models.

Eligable candidates require a degree or higher in computer science and will need to be proficient at working with one or more of the following languages: Java, Python, JavaScript / TypeScript, C++, Swift, or Verilog

The role is currently open to candidates with different native languages, but you can apply for its English-speaking position here

8. Voice Acting for AI Training

• Pay range: Up to $40 an hour

Calling all thespians! Outlier’s openings aren’t restricted to desk-based professionals, the AI company is also hiring experienced voice actors to help improve the models’ understanding of human speech.

The role requires you to record your voice as part of short conversations expressing different emotions, accents, and audio modulations, as well as reviewing recordings submitted by other users.

While experience with voice-related work, including voiceover acting or audio narration is a bonus, it’s not a dealbreaker. Must-have requirements include native fluence in the specified language, access to a quiet location to record audio, and the ownership of a high-fidelity microphone for recordings.

Apply for the position here

Make 2025 Your Year For Landing a Remote Job

If your skills don’t align with any of the roles we’ve listed above, rest assured. The company is advertising even more openings on its website, so you check out Outlier’s job portal for its full list of opportunities.

Freelance work isn’t everyone’s bag, either. So if you’re looking for a full-time remote position with better security and insurance benefits, we recommend applying to a company that has fully committed to remote work in 2025, or taking a look at fully remote jobs from tech leaders like Microsoft or Apple.

xAI officially unveiled its newest chatbot, Grok 3, on Tuesday. During a demonstration broadcast on his X platform, Elon Musk claimed the chatbot was more powerful than its contemporaries, including ChatGPT and DeepSeek.

Grok 3 was made available to premium X subscribers yesterday evening. It will soon be available as a standalone subscription, giving customers access to both the web and mobile versions of the platform. It was also revealed that xAI would launch a new product, known as “Deep Search.” This functions as a “next generation search engine,” according to Musk.

Last week, Musk called the model “scary smart,” and claimed “this might be the last time that an AI is better than Grok.” With the recent explosion of the China-owned DeepSeek, figures from across the US tech space will hope this marks a new chapter as the global AI race heats up.

xAI Rolls Out Newest Grok Model

Elon Musk’s xAI officially unveiled Grok 3 on Tuesday. The latest iteration of its flagship AI chatbot, Grok 3 is reputed to outperform its rivals based on early testing.

During a stream on X, Musk stated: “We’re very excited to present Grok 3, which is, we think, an order of magnitude more capable than Grok in a very short period of time.” The chatbot was made available to premium X subscribers later that day, with a new subscription-based model to be unveiled soon.

The company also plans to release “Deep Search,” which Musk called the “next generation search engine,” and “voice mode,” which will give Grok a synthesized voice.

Musk Claims New AI Model Better than Rivals

Speaking at the World Government Summit in Dubai last week, the Tesla boss called the new Grok model “scary smart,” and claimed that it would leave its competitors, including ChatGPT and Gemini, in the dust with its advanced reasoning.

Grok differs from its contemporaries in that it is trained on synthetic data, rather than real-world data. This means that the model is able to achieve logical consistency by combing through the data. Supposedly, it also helps the chatbot to better understand human nuances and complexities. Hence, it can offer “unfiltered” and “provocative” responses to human prompts.

While it is allegedly capable of bettering its rivals already, Musk signaled his intention to keep improving Grok: “We should emphasize that this is kind of a beta, meaning that you should expect some imperfections at first, but we will improve it rapidly, almost every day.”

US-China AI Competition Intensifies

With the sudden emergence of DeepSeek, the AI race is at a critical inflexion point. The China-owned startup took the world by storm a few weeks ago, when its R1 model was released in the US and promptly rocketed to the top of the Apple and Google app stores.

Since beginning his second term on January 20, President Donald Trump has sought to establish the US as the world leader in AI. He quickly overturned a Biden-penned executive order that called for greater protections against the potential threat posed by the technology, and recently announced Project Stargate, a new company that aims to be the “largest AI infrastructure project in history.”

With the release of Grok 3, many will hope that the US has landed a decisive blow in the ongoing AI race.

If you believe the headlines about AI, you might be fearful that it’s coming for your job, and while it is true that some companies have used the technology to replace roles, it’s perhaps much more likely that it will help ease pressure and improve work-life balance.

That’s the finding from a majority of business leaders surveyed in Tech.co’s recent annual report, who stated that the advent of AI has actually had a positive impact on their workload.

The use cases for AI in the workplace vary from writing to design tasks to customer support, but one thing is for sure, AI is deemed a net positive in easing work duties.

Leaders Agree AI is Easing Work-Life Burden

In our most recent annual Tech.co report, ‘The Impact of Technology on the Work Place’, we found that for the majority of senior leaders we surveyed, three out of five agreed that the advent of AI tools was having a net positive impact on their work-life balance.

In fact, while 33% of respondents stated that the technology had had no effect on them, only a very small proportion, 5%, reported that it had slightly or significantly worsened their work-life balance. The rest, 61%, stated that AI had slightly or significantly improved their work-life balance.

With AI technology being sold as a timesaver, it’s perhaps no shock that it has the ability to improve working conditions for many, relieving pressure, increasing productivity, and ultimately reducing stress. It also means that day to day tasks can be handled by AI, allowing leaders to focus more on wider-reaching strategy and future planning.

How are Companies Using AI?

When it comes to the ways in which companies are utilizing AI, our survey of over 1,036 business leaders found the following:

• 43% are using AI for writing tasks (emails, reports, presentations etc)
• 37% are using AI for data analysis
• 33% are using AI for customer support/chatbots
• 25% are using AI for design tasks (images, graphics etc)

What’s more, AI usage in these areas has increased across the board compared to our previous year’s annual report. For example, 26% of leaders surveyed in 2023 stated they were using AI for writing tasks, compared to 43% in 2024.

This increase in AI adoption makes sense, as companies adopt the new technology, spurred on by the ability to be more productive, and fear that their competitors may overtake them by utilizing AI more efficiently.  In fact, our survey revealed that the main reason for AI adoption was down to pressure from competitors, with 58% of respondents stating a fear that it they don’t adapt to AI, they will be left behind.

Which AI Tools are Companies Using?

It’s perhaps no surprise that of the companies we surveyed, the most popular tool by far was OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Given the inescapable amount of media attention Sam Altman’s AI chatbot has had over the past couple of years, this shouldn’t be shocking. However, usage has increased since our last report, by 8%, with 73% of companies reporting using it last year, compared to 65% in 2023.

Closing in in second place though, is Microsoft Copilot, which has shot up in popularity from 21% in our 2023 survey, to 59% adoption in 2024. Microsoft has been steadily adding the tech to a number of its products, making Copilot somewhat ubiquitous to anyone who uses Microsoft products.

Google’s Gemini (formerly Google Bard) has slipped since 2023, where 48% of companies reported using it. In 2024, that’s reduced to 36%. It goes to show that even a tech giant like Google can’t guarantee a win in fast-evolving sector like AI.

South Korea has become the latest country to ban the Chinese AI app DeepSeek from its app stores, following similar actions being made by governments in Italy, Australia, and Taiwan.

DeepSeek’s open-source model and cost-effective approach to AI development are revolutionizing the AI industry. Yet, as the app continues to top global app marketplaces, its data collection practices and close ties to the People’s Republic of China are coming under increased scrutiny.

South Korean officials claim the ban won’t be permanent. But with legislators already starting to crack down on the chatbot on home soil, we discuss whether DeepSeek could be next in line for a TikTok-style ban in the US.

South Korea Bans DeepSeek From App Stores Over Data Concerns

The fast-growing Chinese AI chatbot DeepSeek is no longer available in South Korean app stores, as concerns over the app’s data handling practices escalate.

The ban is only temporary, however. According to South Korea’s Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC), the controversial app will be able to be downloaded once “improvements and remedies” are made to ensure it complies with local data protection laws.

The agency added that DeepSeek was fully cooperating with them, and acknowledged that “considerations for domestic privacy laws were somewhat lacking.” The recent block of DeepSeek on South Korea’s version of the App Store follows similar actions made by local app markets on Saturday.

DeepSeek Continues To Disrupt the AI Sector

The temporary app store ban follows DeepSeek’s rapid growth in South Korea, with the chatbot recently topping app store charts and amassing over a million weekly users.

But DeepSeek isn’t only becoming a fan favorite in South Korea. The app experienced significant global growth in 2025 – attracting 278 million mobile and desktop visits in January 2025, compared to 12 million the month previous. This spike in interest is primarily due to DeepSeek’s unique large language model (LLM), which is capable of delivering high-quality AI features at a much lower cost than competitors like ChatGPT.

DeepSeek’s novel approach to artificial development has proved that global competitors such as China can create models that match the US at a fraction of the price, challenging the US’s market dominance, and causing what President Donald Trump described as a “wake-up call” for the tech industry.

DeepSeek’s Close Ties to the Chinese Government Sparks Concerns

While DeepSeek collects similar data to rivals – including names, text prompts, and IP addresses – its close tie with the Chinese government is what’s ringing alarm bells for many.

The Chinese government has the right to access data collected from international DeepSeek users, and is able to leverage whatever information it needs to “cooperate with national intelligence efforts.”

While this doesn’t necessarily mean the data will be used for nefarious purposes, the US government fears that data sensitive data could be exploited for surveillance or espionage purposes. Combine this with the accusations that the app is pushing Chinese propaganda, and it’s no surprise that lawmakers are approaching DeepSeek with caution.

Is DeepSeek Going to Be Banned In the US?

While no nationwide has been announced, several states have taken action to restrict its use on state-owned devices including Texas, New York, and most recently, Virginia. The US government is also keeping a close eye on DeepSeek, with several federal agencies like the US Navy, and NASA rolling out warnings or restrictions on the app’s use.

However, with these restrictions mainly relating to government devices and networks, it’s extremely unlikely DeepSeek will be blocked for consumer use, in a similar way to TikTok’s brief but sweeping US ban.

Interested in using the fast-growing AI app safely? We outline what data not to share with DeepSeek.

In 2025, technology is impacting the way we work more than ever. From the rise and fall of remote work to the explosive evolution of generative AI systems, the business world is unrelenting in its development over time.

The only way to ensure that you are equipped to weather these shifting trends is to stay up-to-date on how they impact your business. After all, understanding how people are using AI, whether employees still value remote work, and what we’re doing about the 4-day work week could be the difference between a happy staff and high turnover.

That’s why Tech.co is releasing our annual Impact of Tech report. We want to provide businesses with all the resources they need to stay in the know when it comes to the trends and topics that impact them. Through hours of in-depth research and strict surveys, we’ve got our finger on the pulse of workers, managers, and decision makers, so you can run your business more efficiently.

Technology and Business Continue to Have a Positive Relationship

We’ll start off pretty simple; technology plus business equals success. In our research, we asked business owners and senior leaders to give us a little insight into how technology was impacting their work from a simple productivity standpoint, and the results were universally positive.

For starters, 88% of senior leaders noted that technology had improved productivity at these businesses over the past year. Obviously, technology has become vital when it comes to streamlining processes for businesses in the modern era, and falling behind can be catastrophic.

How exactly has technology improved productivity at these businesses? Well, respondents stated that operations (27%) had seen the most growth due to new technology, with sales (15%) and product development (14%) having also seen notable improvements over the past year.

Employees and Investors Agree That AI Is Here to Stay

If our research discovered anything it’s that AI is far from a passing fad in the business world. Since tools like ChatGPT became more popular for everyday users, the technology has exploded in usage within companies, and there are no signs of it slowing down.

Business adoption, in particular, has seen a substantial increase over just the last year. Only 15% of businesses state they have not used AI at all, compared to 34% in last year’s report. That means that 85% of businesses are — at least to a limited extent —utilizing AI tools within their organizations to improve productivity.

If you aren’t a business owner, this information is still important to you, as AI skills have become increasingly important within the hiring process. 87% of businesses believe that hiring employees with AI expertise is at least slightly important, compared to only 66% in 2023.

Business Policies Are Lagging Behind on AI

When it comes to AI technology, security and privacy should be a clear and obvious priority for business owners. However, despite the meteoric rise of generative AI technology in the business world, our research found that there is a lack of policy in place to protect sensitive data.

In fact, only 27% of businesses have implemented policies that strictly limit the kind of data that can be shared with AI models. This means that businesses dealing with customer information like Social Security numbers and medical data could be putting them at risk with their AI usage practices.

Even worse, the kinds of policies in place at those businesses aren’t necessarily following best practices for the industry. 32% are simply reviewing and approving AI tools before usage, 21% are just banning certain job roles from using AI, and another 11% are just banning AI usage outright.

Most Businesses Still Value Human Employees

The rise of AI has, understandably, made a lot of employees nervous about their future in the workforce. The technology is admittedly poised to replace a huge percentage of jobs over the next few years, but our research found that the majority of businesses are still interested in hiring actually humans to do the job.

Mass tech layoffs have been a sign that AI job cuts could already be here, but we found that 78% of businesses that reduced their workforce due to automation plan to rehire to some degree, leaving only 22% insistent that their new lean workforce will be all right without filling those roles.

The number of companies that are making roles redundant because of AI is on the rise, though. In 2024, 14% of business owners state that AI has extensively removed the need for certain job roles. In last year’s report, that number was only 8%.

Remote Work Is a Matter of Employee Satisfaction

Return-to-office mandates have been quite popular in the last couple of years, with businesses like Dell and Amazon announcing strict rules to do away with the pandemic-era policy. Still, while it might seem like remote work is on the way out, our research found that there are still a lot of businesses leaving flexible work on the menu, with many even increasing the number of work-from-home days allowed.

In our research, 44% of US businesses were found to have not changed their remote work policy in the past year. Even better, 10% of US businesses have actually increased the number of remote work days that employees are allowed, a big win for work-life balance.

As for why the perk is considered so valuable, 35% of respondents noted that it allows for a more flexible schedule. Another 20% stated that remote work enhances productivity, with another 13% pointing out that it allows workers to choose where they work.

Continued Momentum for the 4-Day Work Week

Just a few short years ago, the idea of a 4-day work week was nothing more than a pipedream for many workers around the world. However, in recent memory, countries and companies have gotten on board, giving the new way to work a fair shake, and the results have been quite positive.

As a result, more and more businesses are starting to wonder if five days a week at work is just too many. Our research found that 38% of US businesses would consider implementing a 4-day work week.

Suffice to say, this is a big change of opinion, even over the course of the last year. In last year’s report, only 23% of US businesses were considering a 4-day work week, with 25% stating that there were absolutely no intention of exploring the possibility.

Senior Leaders Are Contradictory on the Right to Disconnect

In some countries — like France, Belgium, and Portugal — the Right to Disconnect is protected by law, making it illegal to penalize employees for ignoring work-related communication outside of regular working hours. No such law currently exists in the US, but could it?

It’s definitely not out of the question, with our research finding that 77% of senior leaders at US businesses support some kind of Right to Disconnect law. This would be a nice reprieve for many workers, as only 17% of employees stated that they feel no obligation at all to respond to work-related messages while on vacation.

Still, while managers say they support it, their actions speak for themselves. 87% of senior leaders state that it is appropriate to contact colleagues while they are on vacation, for reasons ranging from an emergency or crisis that requires immediate action to non-critical operations that are somewhat time-sensitive.

The Impact of Tech 2025 Report: How We Did It

In order to get a feel for the current state of tech on the workplace, we surveyed 1,036 senior executives and workplace managers of businesses with 10+ employees. These businesses represented a wide range of industries, to ensure a good representative spread.

61% of the businesses we surveyed had 100 or more employees, with 7% having between 10 to 24. Gender-wise, our research was pretty much an even split, with 49% of respondents being female, and 51% being male.

To ensure impartiality, the data was gathered via a survey with participants selected via a third-party panel in September 2024.

Tech.co: Who We Are

Tech.co has been around since before the iPhone, first blossoming into life in 2006 as a networking platform for tech companies in the Chicago area to interact with each other and share ideas and inspiration.

Today, we’re a wide-reaching media company with readers all over the world, helping businesses find the best tech solutions, from CRM to Project Management, POS to Website Builders, and everything in-between. We also make sure to keep our readers up to speed on the ever-evolving world of tech, writing daily about what’s going on with AI, remote work, major corporations, and more.

At Tech.co, we carry out hundreds of hours of independent research across dozens of products and services, to help businesses make the right purchasing decisions, no matter their budget.

If you want to stay informed about tech, and what we’re building here at Tech.co, sign up for our weekly newsletter, or read more about us.

Winter is winding down and hibernation season is drawing to a close. Open the curtains, stash your big coat away, and put your sunglasses on – spring is round the corner and it’s shaping up to be a good one.

They say spring is a time of new beginnings and change. Here at Tech.co, we can’t think of a better way to honor that tradition than with a new job – and maybe you favor a role that gives you the flexibility to work from wherever you please.

That’s why we’ve put together a guide on fully remote vacancies at one of the biggest brands in the world, Apple. The company currently has 87 such roles listed on its site – and you’ll find some of our top picks below.

Remote Jobs at Apple for February 2025

In the last five years, most of us have become well-acquainted with the practice of remote work. The freedom to carry out our jobs from wherever we please has been found to benefit individuals and businesses in a variety of ways. People with flexible working arrangements are less likely to be burnt out than their in-office counterparts, for instance, while companies with remote working policies report higher revenue growth.

Nonetheless, senior figures from across the tech sector continue to crack down on the policy, with several leading companies announcing full-blown return-to-office (RTO) mandates in recent months. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has made his feelings on remote work known in no uncertain terms, recently issuing government staff an ultimatum – come back to the office or find employment elsewhere.

But for the time being, there are still businesses with remote-friendly roles on offer, and Apple is one of the most high-profile examples. Below, you’ll find a list of some of our top picks, but be sure to check out the careers hub for the full list. Please note – I’ve also included the location of where these roles are based, some of which may require a degree of time spent in the office. For that reason, the below roles are based exclusively in the US, but Apple also has remote roles based around the world listed on its website.

• Battery System Quality Engineer (Cupertino, CA, remote)
• ER Business Partner (Austin, TX, remote)
• Facilities Manager (Houston, TX, remote)
• Education Government Engagement & Sales Lead (Washington, DC, remote)
• K-12 Education Regional Manager (Austin, TX, remote)
• Industry Development Executive, Retail (San Francisco, CA, remote)
• US Channel Sales Manager (Chicago, IL, remote)
• AIML – Research Scientist/Engineer (Santa Clara, CA, remote)
• Enterprise US Field Engineering Direct Leader – United States (Manor, TX, remote)
• Distributed Build Systems Engineer – Software Assembly & Packaging (Santa Clara, CA, remote)

Benefits of Working at Apple

As one of the biggest and most recognizable brands in the world, Apple will be familiar to most. What may not be so widely-known is the experience of working at Apple. At the time of writing, the tech giant has a very good 4.1/5 on Glassdoor, based off of almost 40,000 reviews. On Indeed, meanwhile, the company boasts another 4.1/5, an average of 13,525 reviews.

Those high scores can be attributed to a variety of different factors. To begin with, Apple pays well. Average compensation ranges from $39,509 for a Support Advisor to $813,743 for an Executive, based on figures from Glassdoor. To sweeten the deal, the iPhone retailer also offers course reimbursements of up to $5,320 per employee, meaning you can learn some great new skills to boost your employability.

Besides that, Apple workers get a wellness reimbursement of up to $30 per month, which can go towards gym membership, yoga classes, and more, as well as dental, health, and vision insurance. In fact, the company’s health insurance coverage scored an excellent 4.6/5 on Glassdoor, with plans including well-child exams, childhood immunizations, and even fertility treatments.

To its immense credit, Apple goes against the grain of a lot of Big Tech companies. Layoffs are “relatively rare,” according to HR Grapevine, which sets it apart from the likes of Microsoft and Meta, which have announced numerous rounds of redundancies in recent years. This is partly due to Apple’s success within its respective field, but also a testament to its sensible approach to hiring.

Are There Any Other Companies Advertising Remote Roles?

While the remote work clampdown is underway, don’t be disheartened – you can still find companies with remote-friendly jobs on offer. One of the biggest stalwarts of the remote work game, tech giant Microsoft currently has an astounding 313 such roles listed on its website.

Elsewhere, the likes of DoorDash, HubSpot, and Twilio are advertising flexible roles on their respective websites. For the full list, check out our guide to fully remote roles you can apply for in February.

So, why not spend this weekend updating that CV and sending off some applications? Spring is round the corner and the good times are on the horizon.

TikTok is back on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store – less than one month after it was removed.

On Thursday evening, the platform appeared back on both the Apple and Google app stores. It was previously removed on January 18, shortly before a nationwide ban came info effect, which would’ve landed harsh penalties for Apple, Google, Oracle, and other internet service providers. Following a recent executive order, its parent company, ByteDance, now has until April 5 to find a new buyer, or else it will be forced to once again divest its ownership.

The news will no doubt be warmly received by TikTok’s more than 170 million US users. However, this saga is far from over. With President Trump determined to find a solution for the platform and potential new buyers circling, the coming weeks promise plenty more twists and turns.

TikTok Back on Apple and Google App Stores

TikTok has returned to major app stores in the US, including Apple and Google. The social media platform, which counted over 170 million US users at its height, made its reappearance on Thursday evening, less than a month after it was removed.

On January 18, TikTok leaders pulled the platform from major app stores ahead of a total US ban after failing to find new buyers. Shortly after taking office, President Trump signed an executive order that granted the platform an additional 75 days in which to find a solution to its ownership problems.

The President has also suggested that the 75-day reprieve could be extended if necessary, but that he doesn’t expect it will be. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, he remarked: “Well, I have 90 days from about two weeks ago, and I’m sure it can be extended. But let’s see. I don’t think you’ll need to.”

TikTok Future Still Up in the Air

Despite Trump’s optimism, there remains a great deal of uncertainty over the future of TikTok. The President has previously expressed an interest in a “joint venture” style of ownership. On January 19, he wrote on Truth Social: “I would like the United States to have a 50% ownership position in a joint venture.”

In recent weeks, a few different individuals and groups have expressed an interest in buying the platform. Content creator MrBeast launched a bid in January, while Shark Tank host Kevin O’Leary joined a consortium of entrepreneurs pushing for a purchase. Elsewhere, Elon Musk’s name has been floated, as has Oracle boss Larry Ellison.

TikTok now has until April 5 to find a permanent solution, unless Trump extends the deadline. Previously, the Chinese-owned ByteDance has been resolute in its determination not to sell off its prized asset. The company launched an appeal to the Supreme Court, which was upheld on January 17.

Tech Sector Delights in Trump Second Term

At the time, the platform argued that a nationwide ban violated its users’ free speech protections. The argument was unanimously rejected, leaving TikTok’s future in Trump’s hands.

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew attended the President’s inauguration on January 20, signaling a willingness to curry favor. Seemingly, the move paid off.

Joining Chew were numerous CEOs from across the tech sector, including Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, Tim Cook, Sundar Pichai, and more. Since his election on November 5, the industry has been vociferous in its support for the Republican. Big players no doubt hope that the President’s light-touch approach to regulation, coupled with his escalating trade war, will pave the way for a prosperous future.

As chatbot competitors like DeepSeek continue to drive forward AI innovation, Elon Musk has revealed that the latest iteration of Grok AI is “scary smart”, and is able to outperform other leading AI chatbots.

Musk claims Grok 3’s synthetic training data method will be the key to its success. However, with the chatbot’s use still limited to X users, it’s uncertain whether its enhanced capacities will have any real impact on its market share.

The Tesla boss disclosed the news via a video conference at the World Government Summit in Dubai, in between taking jabs at his former colleague and AI sparring buddy, Sam Altman, and unveiling some major cost-cutting measures he was taking at DOGE.

Threat from DeepSeek AI

The Chinese AI chatbot maker DeepSeek has been dominating the headlines in recent months, largely due to its open-source large language model (LLM) which has the potential to democratize access to advanced AI technologies.

In what has been described as a “wake-up call” for the US tech industry by President Donald Trump, the development has left many chatbot makers and tech bros shaking in their boots.

However, not one to be threatened by emerging developments in the field, xAI founder Elon Musk claims his upcoming chatbot, Grok 3, will be able to outsmart competitors like ChatGPT and DeepSeek, due to its superior reasoning capabilities.

In a session titled ‘Boring Cities, AI, and DOGE’ Musk revealed that Grok 3 is due to be released in a couple of weeks and that it’s “scary smart”.

“Grok 3 has very powerful reasoning capabilities, so in the tests that we’ve done thus far, Grok 3 is outperforming anything that’s been released, that we’re aware of, so that’s a good sign,” – Elon Musk at the World Governments Summit in Dubai

But what makes Grok’s latest model so smart? In the video conference, Musk claimed that Grok 3 was trained on synthetic data, and is capable of reflecting on mistakes by combing through the data to achieve logical consistency.

In contrast, leading US chatbots like Gemini and ChatGPT are trained predominantly on real-world data. This training method is understood to help the chatbots grasp human nuances and complexities better, but can open chatbot developers up to accusations of data theft, and could also compromise chatbot performance by limiting the amount of data a company has access to.

Elon Musk’s and Sam Altman’s Sparring Match Continues

Not one to miss up on an opportunity, Musk also seized the spotlight to take a stab at his AI adversary, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. The billionaire criticized Altman’s management of OpenAI, comparing the Silicon Valley company to a nonprofit aimed at saving the Amazon rainforest becoming a “lumber company that chops down the trees”.

Musk has been openly critical of OpenAI’s decision to transition from a nonprofit to a for-profit model to support the high costs of developing AI and artificial general intelligence (AGI). A lawsuit the Tesla and X owner filed against the company may even be going to trial, according to a recent statement from a US federal judge.

How Will Grok 3 Compare to the Global Chatbot Competition?

As it stands, Grok AI is still a small player in the AI game. It’s significantly less popular than rivals like ChatGPT, which accounted for 62.5% of the market share for AI tools as of November 2024.

Grok does possess a number of attributes that separate itself from the competition, however. Its native X integration gives that chatbot access to real-time information from the social media platform, and its unique programming enables it to answer provocative prompts in a rebellious and cheeky tone.

Due to these USPs, Musk’s AI chatbot is popular among X users, and those who may find the responses from larger AI models a bit generic and trite.

However, the chatbot has frequently been embroiled in controversy, from responding to prompts with political disinformation to promoting biased content due to its access to X data. Rivals like ChatGPT and Gemini boast far more parameters also, making their responses generally much more accurate.

All in all, even with the use of synthetic training data, it’s unlikely that the soon-to-be-released Grok 3 will be able to hold a candle to bigger competitors. However, as foreign chatbot makers like DeepSeek continue to disrupt the global stage, committing to constant innovation is the only way that US AI developers will be able to sustain a competitive edge.

Google dodged a serious bullet this week, with cybersecurity researchers pointing out and a security flaw in the YouTube that left all accounts vulnerable.

There’s no telling what kind of damage the security breach could have caused, given the millions of creators that rely on anonymity to produce videos and develop personalities on the popular service.

Luckily, the vulnerability was swiftly patched to prevent any issues from arising, but it could’ve been a lot worse.

How the Security Flaw Worked

According to BleepingComputer, who broke the news initially, security researchers Brutecat and Nathan were the first to discover the issue, which made it possible for bad actors to potentially view the email address of any YouTube account on the platform.

So, how does that even happen? Well, researcher discovered that blocking an account on YouTube unique internal identifier that works for throughout Google services, dubbed a Gaia ID.

Then, by simply click on the three dot menu of an live chat profile, you could gain access to that Gaia ID for different users. Researchers then surmised a way to get the email address from the Gaia ID, and voila! A methodology for getting access to the email address for any public YouTube account.

Google Confirms YouTube Security Flaw

Google has confirmed that the security flaw was, indeed, in place for a number of months, from September 2024 to February 2025. Fortunately, as Google confirmed to BleepingComputer, it doesn’t appear that any serious damage control is necessary.

“No signs that any attacker actively exploited the flaws.” – Google spokesperson, to BleepingComputer

While no actions were taken, the reality is that this breach had the potential to be catastrophic, not just for YouTube and its parent company Google, but also for users of the video sharing platform.

Why This Vulnerability Could Have Been So Bad

Obviously, any vulnerability online needs to be treated as a priority. After all, leaked personal information like email address can be used for a number of nefarious purposes, the least of which could end up costing individuals and businesses a lot of money.

Still, this breach from Google could have had much larger implications, given the types of content posted on the platform. With activist and whistleblowers consistently using it to call out injustice, a simple leak of their anonymous details could lead to far worse than online consequeces.

Suffice to say, it’s a good thing Google was able to patch this problem before any damage was done, even if it did take a few months.

If you turned up late to the TikTok party and want to know what all the fuss is about, you’ll be disappointed to discover that the social media app is not available to download in the normal way in the US.

Despite Donald Trump giving TikTok a 75-day reprieve, the app does not currently appear for Apple or Android mobile users in the App Store or Play Store.

But there’s good news if you have an Android smartphone or tablet – TikTok has found a backdoor through which you can still obtain the video sharing platform.

TikTok’s Suspended Sentence

The clock started ticking on a ban for the Chinese-owned TikTok when a bill was passed last year to introduce the ‘Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act.’

The effect would be to ban TikTok altogether in the US from Sunday January 19th 2025. And, amid a scramble from its owner Bytedance and interested parties to find ways to save TikTok, the platform did indeed go down on that day… albeit briefly.

Returning president Donald Trump’s inauguration followed the day after and one of his flurry of executive orders was to temporarily halt the ban in order to “negotiate a resolution to avoid an abrupt shutdown of the TikTok platform.”

Since then, Microsoft, Elon Musk and MrBeast have all been rumored to be in the picture to buy the US arm of the platform from Bytedance. If no solution is found, the ban is currently set to crystallize on Saturday April 5th.

Notwithstanding the stay of execution, TikTok has vanished from the App Store and Play Store.

How to Get TikTok on Android

In theory, the removal from Apple’s and Google’s app catalogs means that new users can’t download the app and existing users can’t update theirs.

However, using the X handle @TikTokPolicy, the platform has informed Android users that it is “enhancing ways for our community to continue using TikTok” by using an Android Package Kit – better known as an APK.

You can do this from your mobile or web browser in three straightforward steps:

• Go to www.tiktok.com/download
• Tap Download if you’re on mobile or scan the QR code on your web browser
• Follow the prescribed steps to install the app on your device

We’re enhancing ways for our community to continue using TikTok by making Android Package Kits available at https://t.co/JoNVqKpnrS so that our U.S. Android users can download our app and create, discover, and connect on TikTok.

More information at our Help Center:…

— TikTok Policy (@TikTokPolicy) February 8, 2025

TikTok’s online instructions say that it has put “robust protocols” in place for its APK to ensure the security of its users.

It also a strikes a note of optimism that the app will soon be available again through the Play Store:

“Keep in mind that you’ll be downloading the latest version of the app. Any future updates will be available from www.tiktok.com/download or Google Play once service is restored.” – TikTok

As APKs are not available for iOS users, there remains no official way that you can currently download TikTok to iPhones and iPads. For the time being, we can only suggest that you take a look at the best TikTok alternatives instead.

The US and UK have snubbed a declaration on making AI “safe for all” as the leaders from around the world gather at a summit in Paris.

Both countries have yet to comment on their reasons, but JD Vance gave a fiery speech about excessive regulation of technology and also took the opportunity to make a side swipe at the Chinese contingent.

The US approach will come as no surprise as President Trump has gleefully reversed the AI Safety law set out by his predecessor and, with Project Stargate and his huddle of tech bros, is pursuing progress with no protections.

What’s in the Declaration?

The Guardian had eyes on a draft version of the declaration, which had 60 signatories today including France, Canada, India, Japan, Australia and, importantly, China.

It includes the statement that “the rapid development of AI technologies is driving a major paradigm shift with various implications for our citizens and societies.” This will require, it says, “an inclusive, open and multi-stakeholder approach” to create “ethical, safe, secure, trustworthy and human rights-based AI.”

The statement also referenced AI in relation to human rights, linguistic diversity and gender equality, and it emphasized the importance of equality in access to this relatively nascent technology.

In addition, the signatories have agreed to “address the risks that AI could pose to the integrity of information and strengthen AI transparency.”

What Did JD Vance Say?

The US vice-president didn’t hold back when he took to the stage in Paris, and took the opportunity to shake his fists at everyone from EU regulators to the Chinese Government.

Echoing the words of his boss, he argued that “excessive regulation of the AI sector could kill a transformative industry.” He continued: “We need international regulatory regimes that foster the creation of AI technology rather than strangle it, and we need our European friends, in particular, to look to this new frontier with optimism rather than trepidation.”

He took aim at the Digital Services Act arguing that measures put in place to protect children online are being used to prevent adults from accessing information that their “government thinks is misinformation.”

He ended with a blatant jibe at the Chinese government, talking about how partnering with “authoritarian” regimes “never pays off in the long term.”

The UK remains tight-lipped about its decision and Prime Minister Keir Starmer wasn’t in attendance.

What Will Happen Now?

The summit has several hours to go and there can sometimes be signatures added after an event has closed. However, the decision not to sign by two major powers has already been met with dismay.

Dario Amodei, head of AI wunderkind, Anthropic, told Agence France Presse, that the summit had been a “missed opportunity.”

Anthropic, which has huge financial backing from Amazon, has been open in its support of AI safety measures, including a bill which the Governor of California, Gavin Newsom, blocked as too sweeping.

Amodei urged that the next international summit be more ambitious and should look to ensure democratic nations control AI, that it should prepare for the potential safety threats that the technology could pose, and that delegates also need to pre-empt its social and economic disruption, according to Barrons.

However, there is no doubt that the agreement lacks some clout, with both the UK and US refusing to sign. The tech giants pushing AI development seem to have the president’s ear and are telling him that legislation will hurt innovation.

A study carried out by researchers from Microsoft and Carnegie Mellon University is claiming that AI usage could have a negative impact on your critical thinking abilities.

This isn’t the first research project that serves as a big warning about our over dependence on AI. Only last month, a study said bluntly that AI tools allow “cognitive offloading” – namely we delegate the technology tasks that we should be doing ourselves.

This paper has been published just as clashes continue over so many aspects of AI usage from the need for legal guardrails to copyright wrangles.

Wide Array of AI Uses

This latest research project brought together 319 “knowledge workers” and they reported 936 examples of using generative AI for their job.

Those involved included a teacher using DALL-E to create images for a presentation used at school and a nurse who “verified a ChatGPT-generated educational pamphlet for newly diagnosed diabetic patients.”

Participants also took part in a survey to delve into how they use generative AI; their confidence in both the tools and their output; and finally how confident they are to complete the same tasks but without any AI help.

Deterioration of Cognitive Faculties

What the researchers discovered is that the more confidence participants had in their AI tools, the less they used their own critical thinking abilities.

“A key irony of automation is that by mechanizing routine tasks and leaving exception-handling to the human user, you deprive the user of the routine opportunities to practice their judgement and strengthen their cognitive musculature, leaving them atrophied and unprepared when the exceptions do arise.”

They also noted that the participants who were most confident in their own abilities to evaluate and, if necessary, improve their AI responses, also used their own critical thinking more.

“The data shows a shift in cognitive effort as knowledge workers increasingly move from task execution to oversight when using GenAI,” the researchers wrote. “Surprisingly, while AI can improve efficiency, it may also reduce critical engagement, particularly in routine or lower-stakes tasks in which users simply rely on AI, raising concerns about long-term reliance and diminished independent problem-solving.”

History of Offloading

Before we all panic that AI is going to change us forever, the researchers talk about how humans have always striven to find tools that we can offload tasks to. We also always look for easier ways of doing things.

“Generative AI tools […] are the latest in a long line of technologies that raise questions about their impact on the quality of human thought, a line that includes writing (objected to by Socrates), printing (objected to by Trithemius), calculators (objected to by teachers of arithmetic), and the Internet.”

Their solution – the proper use of technology so that our cognitive faculties are “preserved.” The researchers also suggest that AI tools could be designed to encourage critical thinking in humans rather than replace it.

However, AI development is pricey. And anything that adds to the bill is possibly not going to be considered as tech companies wrangle to make a buck and gain market domination.

Google has announced that the fully featured tier of its AI research assistant will be made available to all subscribers to its Google One AI Premium plan.

Google calls NotebookLM “a new kind of notebook designed to help people learn faster,” which uses generative artificial intelligence to summarize multiple documents and assemble digestible insights. But it dropped jaws when its functionality to produce entire podcasts was showcased last October.

Previously only available for business and educational organizations or via Google Cloud, NotebookLM Plus is now available as part of Google’s wider productivity plans with a discount available for students.

5x More AI-Generated Podcasts

Google made the announcement via a post on its The Keyword blog from Google One AI Premium Product Lead, Vikas Kansal, with the change effective immediately.

It confirmed that the NotebookLM Plus tier will be added to the features already included with the Google One AI Premium Plan, including access to Google’s Gemini Advanced generative AI chatbot, AI integration across the suite of Google apps, priority access to future tools, and 2TB of storage.

NotebookLM Plus gives users the ability to customize the style and tone of their notebooks and create shared documents to use in collaboration with friends and colleagues.

But the standout feature to many is the promise of “5x more Audio Overviews, notebooks, queries, and sources.” That means a greater capacity to create podcasts generated from your documents, complete with multiple hosts, interruptions, and vocal tics.

That’s in addition to the basic features already provided with the entry-level NotebookLM tier – available with a free Google One account – to create a limited number of one-click summaries, FAQs, timelines, briefing documents, and podcasts.

Pod of All Things

Google One AI Premium costs $18.99 per month, although you can try it for free for the first month.

However, US students aged 18 and older are eligible to get their first year of the plan for nearly half price – it’s priced at $9.99 for each of the first 12 months.

This student discount, Kansal says, “can help them work with more course materials, create custom study experts using Gemini Advanced, save time crafting emails and more”.

AI-Grade Students

Kansal says that NotebookLM can “help you ace a career certification, generate ideas, or synthesize data for a project,” but much of the hype surrounding it has been focused on what he calls its tool for creating a “podcast-style audio discussion.”

Unsurprisingly, the viral furor that greeted the feature immediately spawned similar tools from competing tech companies in the artificial intelligence space, with Meta launching the similar NotebookLlama shortly afterwards.

While music streamer Spotify used Google’s version to power the personalized podcasts that appeared alongside users’ Wrapped rundowns at the end of last year.