It’s official: there’s a new AI buzzword in town. According to a recent report from Asana, 79% of global companies expect to incur “AI debt” as a result of improper or poor use of autonomous AI tools at work.

The State of AI at Work report surveyed over 9,000 professionals from the US, UK, Australia, Germany, and Japan. It was found that many companies are failing to facilitate productive collaboration between the tools and employees, leading to a huge surge in AI debt.

Reportedly, this debt can have a damaging impact on cybersecurity, data quality, and ultimately, employee morale, with the human workforce left to pick up the pieces when AI goes wrong. It brings home the critical importance of implementing a proper strategy before investing in AI.

‘AI Debt’ Already a Thorn in Companies’ Sides

Businesses around the world are preparing for a massive surge in AI debt, a new study from Asana concludes. According to the 2025 State of AI at Work report, 79% of companies around the world expect to incur the debt as a result of poorly implemented AI practices.

The survey canvassed opinion from over 9,000 employees across the US, UK, Australia, Germany, and Japan. It was found that most companies are not adequately prepared to take advantage of the possibilities of autonomous AI agents, such as Manus, leading to an influx of debt.

Fully autonomous agents differ from standard chatbots, such as ChatGPT, in that they can initiate actions, act independently, and recall previous work that they have created. They are not as widely used as regular chatbots, but Yahoo Finance projects the market size of autonomous agents to exceed $236 billion by 2034.

AI Debt Poses Multiple Issues for Businesses

When these agents are used incorrectly, AI debt can build up, the effects of which can be troublesome for businesses. According to Mark Hoffman, an expert at Asana’s Work Innovation Lab: “Those costs could be money costs. They could also be lost time, which relates to money. It could also be a lot of things that you have to undo, which is costly from a financial standpoint.”

Ultimately, debt can have a domino effect on cybersecurity, quality of work, and employee morale, as the existing workforce bears the brunt of mistakes made by autonomous AI agents. With 90% of software developers now using AI to go about their day-to-day operations at work, this could mean broken platforms and lost revenue, among other things.

According to research from BetterUp Labs and Stanford Social Media Lab, so-called “workslop” — defined as AI-generated content that has no substance — is creating an extra two hours of work per week for individuals who are tasked with undoing it. This could fetch up to $9 million in lost productivity per year.

Businesses Need to Rethink AI Implementation Strategies

What the report makes clear is that businesses around the world are failing to draw up comprehensive AI adoption plans, which is creating a growing volume of debt. This is backed up by our Impact of Technology on the Workplace report, which finds that the majority of surveyed respondents (58%) cited “pressure from competitors” as the leading reason for adopting AI at work.

The evidence is quite concerning. With cybersecurity potentially at stake — and the impacts of data breaches often terminal for businesses — it’s vitally important that senior leaders pause to consider their strategies before investing in AI.

While there are valid concerns about businesses getting left behind, the potential impacts of AI debt could be much worse.

Accenture has laid off more than 11,000 employees in the last three months and warned that staff should expect further layoffs, as part of a massive AI-focused restructuring program. The IT consulting firm revealed the news on Thursday, which is expected to cost around $865 million in severance payments.

Between May and August this year, the company’s headcount fell from around 791,000 to 779,000. The current round of layoffs are expected to last until November, while Accenture plans to train its remaining staff on different AI platforms.

With this news, Accenture becomes the latest company to downsize in favor of automation. Increasingly, businesses are looking to AI as a silver bullet to resolve any economic and workforce woes. However, it’s critical that firms develop a comprehensive strategy before they look to implement the technology.

Accenture Lays Off Thousands of Employees

Accenture, the IT consulting firm that provides services to some of the world’s biggest companies, has laid off more than 11,000 employees in the past three months as it embarks on a wide-ranging restructuring program — with a focus on AI at the center of it.

The company outlined the program, which is expected to cost up to $865 million in severance payments, last week. On a call, Chief Executive Julie Sweet noted: “We are exiting on a compressed timeline, people where reskilling, based on our experience, is not a viable path for the skills we need.”

It is hoped that the cuts will allow Accenture to expand operating profit margins at its “historic” annual rate, according to the Financial Times. Over the last couple of year, the company has observed a decline in the number of companies tapping its services for short-term projects.

Remaining Employees to Be Trained on AI

The layoffs, which have already led to the departure of more than 11,000 people, form part of a wider pivot towards AI. The company warned its existing workforce that more of them would be asked to leave if they can’t adapt to the new technology.

Alongside this, Accenture plans to train staff on AI systems. According to Sweet: “Every new wave of technology has a time where you have to train and retool. Accenture’s core competency is to do that at scale.”

Over the past six months, Accenture has generated $2.6 billion in revenue for its AI consulting work. It is not surprising, then, that the company is looking to embed the technology even further into its practices.

Businesses Not Effectively Introducing AI to Operations

In 2025, firms everywhere are turning to automation to address business shortcomings. As our own research demonstrates, a staggering 58% of surveyed respondents confirmed that “pressure from competitors” was in fact the primary motivator for implementing AI.

This shows that, for many businesses looking to AI, their actions aren’t necessarily the most well-considered. This is not the right approach to take. As a recent study from Google illustrates, the technology has the potential to act as both “mirror and multiplier,” depending on whether or not your business is properly set up to accommodate it.

A good AI implementation strategy comprises upskilling your employees, making cultural and workflow amendments to make room for the technology, and investing in the best talent to make sure that you’re getting the most out of it. It will be fascinating to follow the impact of AI on Accenture’s fortunes over the coming months.

Another major hacking campaign has been uncovered. Google just revealed a hacker group with links to China has been using stealth malware to steal data from US firms, frequently remaining undetected for more than a year.

The targeted companies included those in the SaaS industry, as well as the legal and business outsourcing sectors. Victims suffered from intellectual property theft in addition to unwanted infrastructure access.

The group, called UNC5221, is known for these types of long-term cyberattacks.

How UNC5221’s Malware Got Access

According to the announcement from the Google-owned Mandiant Incident Response team, the threat actors exploited zero-day vulnerabilities to gain intial access in at least one case.

The primary backdoor was BRICKSTORM, a malware that the Mandiant team found “on Linux and BSD-based appliances from multiple manufacturers.”

Since these appliances are “often poorly inventoried, not monitored by security teams, and excluded from centralized security logging solutions,” malware can more easily avoid detection. Once deployed, BRICKSTORM pivoted to VMware systems in multiple cases, an area that UNC5221 tends to target.

The malware, on average, lasted 393 days before detection.

In Danger: SaaS Companies and Outsourcers

Mandiant also noted which types of companies were targeted, a list that includes software suppliers and outsourcing companies.

“Since March 2025, Mandiant Consulting has responded to intrusions across a range of industry verticals, most notably legal services, Software as a Service (SaaS) providers, Business Process Outsourcers (BPOs), and Technology. The value of these targets extends beyond typical espionage missions, potentially providing data to feed development of zero-days and establishing pivot points for broader access to downstream victims.” -Mandiant Incident Response

One common theme was the group’s interest in collecting the emails of “key individuals” at the companies, using Microsoft Entra ID Enterprise Applications in order to gain access to mail across any company inbox.

Staying Safe From Cyberattacks

How can your own company stay safe down the road? Stronger protocols like multi-factor authentication can go a long way towards helping.

Google also recommends adopting a TTP-based hunting approach, the term for a proactive security technique that analyzes analyzes the most common TTP — that’s Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures — that hackers are currently using.

According to Mandiant, this is “not only an ideal practice, but a necessity to detect patterns of attack that are unlikely to be detected by traditional signature-based defenses.”

Without it, your company might one day wind up finding out UNC5221’s malware has been embedded in its systems for months already.

Analytics and AI software platform Databricks just made a $100 million bet on OpenAI. That’s how much it’ll be paying for a multi-year deal that will see OpenAI’s models incorporated into Databrick products.

The goal is to better simplify enterprise AI deployment, by helping companies build their own AI bots and agents.

AI tools are increasingly closely integrated into common software and daily tasks in 2025. This deal is just the latest example of the large-scale wheeling and dealing that AI companies everywhere are rolling out as they further embed themselves across industries.

The Agent Bricks Tool Now Has the GPT-5 Model

The just-announced team-up will see Databricks build multiple models, including OpenAI’s most recent GPT-5 model, into both its data platform and its AI product Agent Bricks.

Enterprise organizations can use Agent Bricks to build custom AI apps and agents with access to their own propretary data. Now, OpenAI’s models can be part of those tools, as well as both in SQL or via API, the company has announced.

In other words, this new deal integrated AI into existing tools with the end goal of making… even more AI tools. It’s AI tools all the way down.

How to Use Databricks Apps? Reasoning, Coding, and More.

How can companies use the technology? Databricks has a few examples:

• Reasoning agents, using “GPT-5’s extended reasoning mode” to scan through long documents or conduct multi-step calculations.
• Productivity agents for “summarization, business writing, knowledge management, and customer support.”
• Coding agents for “debugging large systems, modernizing legacy applications, and generating production-ready code.”

The new GPT-5 model is better than ever at managing new contexts, working across multiple tools, and figuring out requests with more than one step.

One thing it still can’t complete stop, however, is AI hallucinations, with a landmark study from OpenAI just last week confirming that ending AI fabrications are “inevitable” for any base models.

Will AI Hype Continue?

In 2025, AI hype may have slightly deflated.

One study found that AI tools limited users’ neural, linguistic, and behavioral levels (much like lifting weights at the gym with a crane might limit your muscle growth). Another study found most AI pilots didn’t pan out at the companies trying them out.

However, there are still billons of dollars of AI investments sloshing around in the tech world, and money talks. Enterprises will likely be trying to integrate AI agents into workflows for years to come.

With this new deal, they’re now a little more likely to reach for Databricks when they do so.

A new survey has plenty of fresh stats about the state of the private trucking industry, with data on the average age of truckers and their vehicles, as well as a look at driver wages and retention numbers.

One of the most interesting takeaways, however, is the average number of miles driven: The most recent data covers 2024, which saw an average of almost 5,000 fewer miles driven per trucker when compared to the previous year.

That’s the fewest miles ever recorded by this particular study. However, the full picture might not be as dire as it sounds.

Nearly 5,000 Fewer Miles Driven Per Trucker

The National Private Truck Council’s new 2025 Benchmarking Survey found that annual mileage among all respondents had fallen significantly, reaching just 80,400 miles driven on average during the previous year.

How big of a shift is this? Tom Moore, executive vice president of the National Private Truck Council, explained in a recent blog post that it’s “a drop of nearly 5,000 miles over last year and the lowest number we’ve ever achieved in the history of the survey.”

However, it’s not necessarily bad news. According to Moore, the decrease can be partially explained by a higher number of distribution centers and warehouses. As a result, logistics operations are closer to customers, and their fleets are driving less.

On average, the report found, private fleets have 49 distribution locations, up from an average of 44 in 2023.

Other New Stats: Rentention, Compensation, Trade Cycles

Driver retention is a big problem in the industry, so it’s worth taking a look at the new numbers relating to this area of focus. First, the survey found that the average age for all drivers polled had remained at just under 50 years old — 49.4 for 2024, to be exact.

Interestingly, though, driver turnover dropped last year, falling to 18.4% from 20.2% in 2023.

Average driver compensation ticked up just a tad, reaching $91,081 in 2024, up from $89,900 the year prior, a 1.31% increase. (Just for comparison, the inflation rate in 2024 was 2.9%).

Trucks are getting older: Trade cycles for Class 8 trucks averaged 6.6 years overall, up from 6.1.

Looking for More Data on the Logistics Industry in 2025?

Granted, all these stats come from the world of trucking in 2024.

A lot has changed in the months since last year: A new government administration kicked off a trade war back in February, with long-lasting impacts that are still rippling through the logistics industry to this day.

If you’re looking for more recent data, take a look at Tech.co’s own logistics statistics page, which covers insights gleaned from monthly surveys with logistics professionals that we conducted between April and August of 2025.

And stay tuned: We’re putting together an upcoming series of in-depth reports on how logistics companies are managing costs today amid tariffs and other regulatory shifts.

It’s official: LinkedIn will soon start training its AI models on your data.

Starting on November 3rd, 2025, the employment networking platform has confirmed that it will begin to use some member profiles, posts, resumes, and public activity, to train its own AI models. Predictably, this hasn’t gone down well in some quarters.

If you can’t bear the thought of LinkedIn getting its hands on your data, we’ve got some good news: you can opt out!

When Is LinkedIn Going to Start Using My Data to Train Its AI Models?

LinkedIn has announced that it will start using some of its users’ data to train its AI models starting on November 3rd, 2025. Users from the EU, EEA, Switzerland, Canada, and Hong Kong will all be affected. At this stage, US users will not be affected, but this could soon change.

With this decision, LinkedIn will join the likes of Meta, X, Reddit, and more, in harvesting user data for the training of their AI models. Memorably, Meta was instructed to stop this practice following a mandate from the UK Information Commissioner’s Office. It resumed the practice not long after.

LinkedIn has revealed that data belonging to minors will not be used for training.

How Do I Stop LinkedIn From Using My Data to Train Its AI Models?

The good news is: you can stop LinkedIn from using your data, if you so choose. And it’s actually quite easy to do so — you simply opt out of it.

On a support page, the platform noted:

“If you wish to object to our processing of your data or content for training generative AI models that do not generate content or for training other AI or machine learning models, you can submit an objection through LinkedIn Data Processing Objection form.”

But how do I actually do that? Well, it’s actually pretty easy. Simply follow the instructions below:

1. Navigate to Settings and privacy under the Account drop-down box on your LinkedIn page.
2. Select Data privacy from the left-hand column.
3. Click on Data for Generative AI Improvement.
4. Use my data for training content creation AI models will be filtered on by default. Toggle it off.

And presto! LinkedIn is no longer using your data to train its AI models. I actually just did it myself while writing this article. I’m with you every step of the way!

Can I Stop Other AI Models From Using My Data?

The short answer is: yes, you can. But just how exactly is another matter that varies based on whichever tool you’re talking about. Here’s how to opt out of a few of them.

How do I stop OpenAI from using my data?

People are pretty forthcoming with ChatGPT (just look at those of us ill-advisedly getting therapy from the platform). That means that OpenAI is bound to have all sorts of data on a huge variety of people. But you can avoid joining their ranks by following the below steps:

1. Navigate to Settings on ChatGPT.
2. Select Data Controls.
3. Improve the model for everyone will be checked by default. Uncheck it.
4. Congrats! You have successfully stopped OpenAI from using your data.

How do I stop X from using my data?

To stop Elon Musk and X from using your data, again, you’ll have to opt out of data sharing. If you have an X account and haven’t done that yet, I’m afraid to be the one to tell you — it has been using your data to train its AI. To opt out:

1. Navigate to the Settings and privacy section.
2. Open Privacy and safety.
3. Choose the Grok tab.
4. Deselect the data sharing option.
5. All done!

A staggering 90% of software developers now use AI to carry out their day-to-day tasks, a new report from Google reveals. The State of AI-assisted Software Development surveyed nearly 5,000 technology professionals around the world to better understand how software is built, finding that AI is now ubiquitous among developers.

This figure represents a massive 14% increase from last year, with these employees dedicating a median of two hours per day to working with different AI tools. The most popular task is writing new code, with 71% of respondents confirming that that is what they commonly use AI for.

The report adds to a growing body of evidence that, in recent years, AI has revolutionized the way that we carry out our work. However, it also cautions against blindly pursuing an AI strategy without first making significantly organizational and cultural changes to accommodate the shift.

90% of Software Developers Now Using AI at Work

The overwhelming majority of software developers now use AI as a key part of their everyday operations, according to new research from Google. The 2025 DORA report, titled State of AI-assisted Software Development, finds that no fewer than 90% of developers confirmed that they now use the technology at work.

Nearly 5,000 respondents took part in the report, which takes a yearly look at the “capabilities and conditions that fuel the success” of tech companies around the world, according to the website. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the latest edition focused on how AI was changing the way that technology teams work.

As per the study, most participants (65%) confirmed that they are heavily reliant on AI for software development, with a further 37% reporting a “moderate amount” of reliance.

Impact of AI Largely Positive, But Questions Remain

Other findings shed light on how software developers are leveraging AI in their day-to-day. Most (71%) are using it to write new code, while an additional 66% are modifying existing code with AI. After that, 64% are writing documentation, and 62% are creating test cases and explaining concepts.

No matter the use case, the general consensus is that AI is an unqualified success. For example, over 80% of respondents have indicated that AI has enhanced their productivity, while 59% noted the positive influence of AI on code quality.

Despite this, the Google report also observed that, on an organizational level, the impact of AI is “more complex.” While it is enabling businesses to ship more software and applications, there remains the issue of quality control.

“Think Before You Act”

More broadly, Google researchers observed that AI can act as both a “mirror and a multiplier.” In other words, organizations that are well-established to accommodate the technology will thrive, while fragmented businesses will find their weaknesses reflected back at them.

As our own research here at Tech.co demonstrates, businesses don’t always pause before pulling the trigger on their AI strategies. In fact, 58% of surveyed respondents confirmed that “pressure from competitors” was the single biggest driver for adopting AI. This “act first, ask questions later” approach does not guarantee success.

Setting out a “blueprint for guiding AI in organizations,” Google claimed that it’s essential for technology businesses to focus on seven key areas alongside taking up the technology, including team performance, code quality, and more. If followed, your AI implementation should start to bear fruit.

Nearly half of cybersecurity leaders failed to disclose a “material” cyberattack to their executive leadership or board of directors in the past year, according to new research from VikingCloud. According to the 2025 Cyber Threat Landscape Report: Cyber Risks, Opportunities, & Resilience, 48% of surveyed respondents declined to report such an incident when presented with the opportunity.

The two most commonly cited reasons for this failure were worry over punitive rather than constructive responses from leadership (40%), and fear of financial or reputational harm (44%). Meanwhile, a further 86% of these companies failed to report multiple attacks.

Elsewhere, the report paints a fairly damning picture of the cybersecurity space in the last 12 months. Businesses are woefully underprepared for the evolving threat landscape, which tracks with our own research.

Nearly Half of Security Bosses Failing to Report Serious Breaches

48% of cybersecurity leaders elected to not tell their superiors about a serious data breach in the last year, a new report from VikingCloud reveals. Out of this demographic, a further 86% failed to report multiple breaches.

The 2025 Cyber Threat Landscape Report: Cyber Risks, Opportunities, & Resilience surveyed 200 cybersecurity leaders across the US, UK, and Ireland, to get a better understanding of the “most urgent” risks that organizations are currently facing. Among other findings, 71% of participants indicated that they might not report a data breach.

The main reasons for failing to report a breach were worry over a punitive rather than constructive response from senior leadership (40%), and fear of reputational or financial harm if the news became public (44%). As we’ve covered elsewhere, the consequences of a data breach are often severe.

Other Findings Shed Light on Bosses’ Security Fears

Across the tech sector, there’s widespread fear of nation-sponsored cyberattacks. Nearly 80% of surveyed respondents claimed that they fear being targeted by a nation-state data breach in the next 12 months. To make matters worse, 76% believe that recent or mooted cuts to US federal cybersecurity programs, such as the NSA, could make them more vulnerable to such attacks.

Furthermore, the report observes an astonishing jump in fears over AI-driven phishing scams. In 2024, 22% of respondents indicated that they were wary of this new threat; this year, 51% of leaders cited it among their top concerns.

Compounding this issue, the majority of companies (68%) claimed that they lack “full confidence” when it comes to repelling these AI-driven attacks in real time.

Bad Situation Will Likely Get Worse

The cybersecurity landscape is steadily worsening, with 71% of respondents confirming that cyberattacks are happening more often, and with greater severity (61%). In the words of President and Chief Operating Officer at VikingCloud, Kevin Pierce: “Cyberattacks aren’t just becoming more frequent, but more costly, more advanced, and harder to spot and defend against.”

Added to this, the emergence of AI has opened up new attack vectors and possibilities for cybercriminals, with defenses currently unable to keep pace with illicit activity. Clearly, this is not sustainable. Businesses are under unprecedented pressure to adopt new technology, invest in talent, and upskill their existing employees, in order to turn the tide on cybercriminals.

Without serious collective action, the situation will only continue to deteriorate. But while the emergence of AI poses serious security risk, it also opens the door to new opportunities. Businesses have a responsibility to explore this new technology and the implications that it will have for the future of cybersecurity.

There has been a significant cyberattack on Jaguar Land Rover that is having a domino effect, with the automotive company’s halted operations causing significant problems for businesses further down the supply chain.

The logistics industry is decidedly sensitive to any unexpected delays in 2025. With demand at an all-time high and businesses having trouble keeping up, even small issues can create big problems.

This cyberattack is anything but a small issue, though, with the weeks-long recovery making it hard for Jaguar Land Rover and its partners to get business done.

Jaguar Land Rover Cyberattack Explained

At the end of August, UK automaker Jaguar Land Rover was hit by a cyberattack. The incident specifically targeted its IT systems, forcing the company to shut down its networks until the issue was resolved.

As a result, Jaguar Land Rover has had to shut down production of its vehicles at factories across the country. Facilities in Solihull, Halewood, and Wolverhampton have gone as far as to send employees home, with no way for them to work on the company’s lifeblood.

Now, a full month later, Jaguar Land Rover is still attempting to fix the problem, announcing this week that the company will not be able to resume production until at least October 1st.

The Wider Impact of the Cyberattack

Obviously, Jaguar Land Rover is having a hard time when it comes to managing the fallout from this cyberattack. Unfortunately, though, the damage doesn’t stop there.

As you can imagine, the company has a far-reaching supply chain that involves workers and auto part manufacturers, and with Jaguar Land Rover in a holding pattern, they aren’t making any money either.

The problem has gotten so bad that even the UK Department for Business and Trade has admitted in a statement that the cyberattack on Jaguar Land Rover is having “a significant impact on Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) and on the wider automotive supply chain.”

The Fragility of the Supply Chain

In 2025, this kind of problem is not uncommon.

The reality is that the supply chain, in the UK and beyond, is quite fragile, with 85% of businesses already operating at or near capacity when it comes to meeting demand, according to data from Tech.co.

Considering cyberattacks are getting more prevalent and more advanced in the modern era, largely due to the evolution of AI over the last few years, shoring up your security could go a long way to prevent any issues. Training your staff, investing in cybersecurity systems, and generally staying informed about the latest logistics scams are no longer suggestions; they’re full-on necessities.

Two AI giants are joining forces, with chipmaker Nvidia reportedly entering a partnership with OpenAI that would see $100 billion invested in the world’s foremost AI company.

The race for AI supremacy has been a hectic one. New companies are popping up every day, and big tech staples like Google and Microsoft have been vying for the top spot for the last few years to the tune of billions of dollars.

This partnership between Nvidia and OpenAI could be the nail in the coffin, though, given each company’s status as mammoths within the industry.

Nvidia and OpenAI Announce Partnership

Announced this week by the two massive AI companies, Nvidia and OpenAI have entered into a significant partnership with some serious implications for the industry as a whole.

The deal sees $100 billion invested by Nvidia into OpenAI, which will help the company expand substantially in a way that could have a serious impact on AI development.

Nvidia is the world’s largest maker of AI chips and OpenAI is the world’s most recognizable AI company thanks to its creation ChatGPT. As a result, this partnership represents a pairing of two of the largest AI companies in the world.

What Does the Partnership Entail?

This is when things get a bit interesting. The deal states that Nvidia will invest $100 billion in OpenAI in exchange for non-voting shares in the company. The capital will then be used to buy AI chips from Nvidia, which will help OpenAI achieve its ambitious goals.

“Everything starts with compute. Compute infrastructure will be the basis for the economy of the future, and we will utilize what we’re building with Nvidia to both create new AI breakthroughs and empower people and businesses with them at scale.” – Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI

Frankly, the deal is unprecedented in the tech space. With no voting power to go along with its massive investment, Nvidia seems to be banking on OpenAI as the end-all-be-all of AI, and that its plans to usher in a new era of the technology are achievable.

AI Boom or Bubble Burst?

$100 billion is a lot of money, particularly when it comes to investing in other companies. Many believe this massive influx of cash could point to a serious boom for AI technology, particularly with it being sent between two of the biggest companies in the world.

Still, it’s worth remembering that this partnership is really just two companies trading resources, with very little capital going elsewhere. This could be the sign of a bubble about to burst, the AI companies doing their best to prop each other up before it’s too late.

Suffice to say, the AI industry has seen some unreal investment recently with very little ROI, but the future of the technology is still shrouded in mystery, given it’s still in the very early stages of development.

A lot more self-driving trucks will be hitting the roads in North America soon, after Gatik announced a substantial expansion to its partnership with Loblaw that will see 50 new vehicles on roadways over the next year.

The influx of autonomous trucks has been slow. While promises of massive changes to the supply chain have been vast, the reality of self-driving technology has been slow to evolve, with many companies still in the testing phase for the majority of their fleet.

However, this expanded partnership will see a massive injection of the technology onto roadways in North America, paving the way for logistics businesses to address the industry’s biggest concern.

Gatik to Add 50 Autonomous Trucks to Fleet

Gatik — an autonomous logistics company — is reportedly expanding its partnership with Loblaw — the largest retailer in Canada — which will see 50 new autonomous vehicles added to its fleet over the next year. Those additional vehicles will make it the largest autonomous fleet in North America.

“This is going to be the largest deployment of autonomous trucks ever seen in North America. We’re no longer talking about just single routes at Gatik. We’re talking about networks.” – Richard Steiner, vice president of government relations and public affairs at Gatik to FreightWaves

More specifically, 20 self-driving trucks will be added by the end of 2025 and 30 more will be added by the end of 2026.

More Autonomous Vehicles Coming to Canada

The partnership between Gatik and Loblaw does not exist in a vacuum. On the contrary, this expansion was made possible by the Autonomous Commercial Motor Vehicle (ACMV) Pilot Program out of Ontario, which seeks to test out the viability of the technology in Canada.

The ten-year program “will allow approved participants to safely test automated commercial motor vehicle (ACMV) technologies on Ontario roads to evaluate their performance and assess opportunities to improve road safety and support the trucking sector.”

This program could have a big impact on how the supply chain operates over the next decade, with the trucker shortage and other logistics disruptions poised to create some serious problems for the industry without a significant change to how things are done.

Trucker Shortages & Autonomous Vehicles

In 2025, the trucker shortage remains one of the biggest problems facing the industry. Our data found that 69% of logistics businesses say that driver shortages have had an impact on their ability to meet freight demand.

Obviously, the use of self-driving trucks is widely considered one of the easiest ways to alleviate this stress, with 17% of professionals stating that autonomous trucks, ships, and drones are going to have the most disruptive impact over the next two to three years.

Suffice to say, this partnership from Gatik could just be a small stepping stone to the autonomous future expected throughout the logistics industry. That is, of course, if safety remains a priority over rapid expansion.

Well, it seems TikTok is here to stay. An agreement was reached last week between Trump and China to keep the highly popular app on US phones, and the deal outlined is now said to greatly benefit America and allow them to control the app’s US algorithm and data.

Since January, the Trump administration has been searching for a US company to buy TikTok, originally owned by Chinese company Bytedance. This was due to security risks identified by US officials, about Bytedance potentially sharing the information of US citizens with the Chinese government.

For businesses, TikTok has proven to be a valuable marketing tool. However, will US businesses see changes as a result of the new ownership, particularly as the app’s US algorithm could change?

TikTok Deal ‘Puts America First’, Says White House Press Secretary

Karoline Leavitt, the US White House press secretary, has revealed that the new TikTok deal will see Americans take majority control of the app’s US operations, including its algorithm and data. The deal was reached last week.

“This deal means that TikTok will be majority-owned by Americans in the United States. There will be seven seats on the board that controls the app in the United States, and six of those seats will be Americans,” Leavitt told Fox News.

The Trump administration has been hunting for control of the app’s US operations since the beginning of the year. US officials have expressed security concerns about TikTok’s parent company, Chinese-owned Bytedance, sharing information on US citizens with the Chinese government.

What’s Happened with TikTok So Far?

TikTok was momentarily banned back in January, because of a bipartisan law passed the year before and signed by then-president Joe Biden. The law would see TikTok banned unless it was sold to a US company.

Shortly after, Trump took office, and funnily enough, saving TikTok was part of his campaign. He later said he wouldn’t enforce the penalties in the law signed by Biden if TikTok continued to operate in the US. Since then, Trump has been searching for a US buyer, and has used executive orders several times to help the app escape bans.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced last week that a deal had been reached between the US and China for ownership of TikTok’s US operations. The new deal sees the data and privacy aspects of the platform handed to software and cloud computing company Oracle, owned by Larry Ellison.

What Does the Deal Mean for US Businesses?

With the deal still freshly done, it’s difficult to say concretely how US businesses will be affected, but we can speculate based on the information the White House has released so far.

An ‘Asia-based investor of Bytedance’ has told The Financial Times that the new version of TikTok would “use at least part of the Chinese algorithm but train it in the US on American user data”. That being said, businesses could still see some changes to TikTok’s algorithm that affects their visibility on the app, potentially making it harder to be recognized in certain markets.

On the other hand, the move could also benefit US based-businesses, as they may be favored more highly within a US-built algorithm compared to a Chinese-built one. What’s most important is that it seems TikTok is here to stay, and for what this will mean specifically for US businesses, we’ll have to wait and see.

Big Tech companies Microsoft, Amazon, and Alphabet are among those warning employees that hold a H-1B visa to avoid travelling and stay in the US, as new program rules come into effect. This will see an $100,000 annual fee added to applications.

The rule has created a level of uncertainty for employees and employers, with many companies warning that leaving the country could be detrimental to H-1B holders’ positions in the US.

As one of the most frequent users of the H-1B visa program, the tech industry could suffer from these changes in the long run, as they fail to grab the best talent due to fees and employees look for roles elsewhere in the world.

Tech Companies Advise H-1B Employees To Avoid Travel Amidst New Visa Fee

Tech companies including Microsoft, Alphabet, and Amazon have advised employees on the H-1B visa to avoid travelling outside of the US, due to new regulations from the Trump administration that introduces an $100,000 annual fee for the program.

Companies sent messages to affected employees that advised them to return to the US, if they were travelling, by Saturday, in time for the new rules to go into effect on Sunday.

The H-1B visa program is an immigration initiative that seeks to address specific workplace shortages. The visas are mostly used by the tech industry to hire international professionals of science, math, and computing.

‘Creating Uncertainty’ for Employees, Says Microsoft

In its message to employees, Microsoft admitted that the announcement will be “creating anxiety and uncertainty” amongst its staff. Not only for those already living in the US, but for incoming employees. One individual, talking to Bloomberg, said that he’d already sold his car and put his house up for rent to start a new job in the US, but was now being told to stay put.

As well as warning H-1B visa holders, companies such as Ernst & Young and Amazon have also warned those on H-4 dependent vias to stay put. These are used for spouses and dependents of those who are on the H-1B program.

Tech companies have historically relied heavily on the program to bring skilled workers into the US. According to US government data, the companies with the greatest number of employees on H-1B visas are Amazon, Tata Consultancy Services, Microsoft, Meta, and Apple.

Move Threatens Employment-Based Immigration System

The new application fee could greatly harm the ability of the US tech industry to bring in foreign talent. It certainly has the potential to reduce the number of international hires a company is able to make, as well as the number of jobseekers applying for US positions.

The Trump administration have said the new rules are in place to bolster legitimate visa applications, and claimed that the abuse of the program has caused US workers to be displaced in the past.

Although the White House have since confirmed the fee will only affect new visas, the move will certainly still impact how tech companies are hiring in the future. Especially since companies such as Anthropic seem set on hiring internationally for the best talent. Failure to secure this talent within the US could see progress in the tech sector slow, as specialists stay in their respective countries.

They say that fall is a time of transition. Kids go back to classes, leaves fall off trees, and the nights start to draw in.

Fall is also the perfect time to pause and think about your next career move. Maybe you’ve been pondering a new challenge, or maybe you’re keen to add some new strings to your bow. Whatever the case may be, a free AI training course could be the perfect way to get ahead in your career.

With AI this year cementing its reputation as a fixture in the modern workplace, there’s never been a better time to upskill yourself and stay one step ahead of the curve. It’s time to skill up, so why not take a few minutes to browse our list of the best free AI courses for September.

A Gentle Introduction to Generative AI

⌛Length: 44 minutes

Clocking in at under an hour, this entry-level overview is the perfect way to dip your toe in the pool of AI. It comes courtesy of Udemy, which actually has several other free AI courses on offer. A Gentle Introduction will get you up to speed on the fundamentals, exploring the evolution of Gen AI, how systems can be customized, and beginning to look at some practical real-world applications.

With free Udemy courses, you won’t be entitled to a completion certificate, an instructor Q&A, nor direct communication with the course leader. But if you’re happy simply absorbing the content, the learning platform has hundreds of free courses that you can sink your teeth into.

And with an average rating of 4.4/5 from 1,416 reviews (and counting), you could do a lot worse than kicking off your AI journey with A Gentle Introduction.

For more information, and to enroll, head to the course page.

AI Fundamentals for UX

⌛Length: 3 hours

Uxcel heads up this beginner-friendly course on how to take your UX game to the next level by harnessing the power of AI. Per the description, the course will allow you to:

“Explore AI concepts, principles, and practices essential for creating human-centered, trustworthy AI-powered experiences.”

And all without spending a dime!

Led by ex-Google UX Researcher, Dr Slava Polonski, the course will arm you with the knowhow to design effectively in the age of AI, including how to distinguish between human and AI interfaces, developing AI literacy, and creating responsible AI experiences.

Made up of 12 lessons across 4 levels, AI Fundamentals is an absolute must for any budding UX designer with an appetite for AI. Follow this link to find out more and enroll.

Machine Learning Crash Course

⌛Length: self-paced

Google’s Machine Learning Crash Course comprises over 25 lessons and 30 interactive exercises. It’s self-paced, so there’s no need to rush through, and it was originally designed for internal use among Google employees, before being made publicly available. It’s now of the most widely used machine learning (ML) resources in the world.

Covered topics include loss functions, overfitting, neural networks, and more, and the course will suit users with a basic grasp of Python and high school-level math. Complete novices might want to look elsewhere, while advanced coders will likely find the content a little too elementary.

The other thing to note is that the course involves real-world exercises using TensorFlow APIs, which is one of the world’s leading ML and deep learning platforms.

If that sounds of interest to you, why not head to the website to find out more and sign up for yourself?

ChatGPT Prompt Engineering for Developers

⌛Length: 1.5 hours

Led by world-renowned AI authority, Andrew Ng, this free course is a tantalizing prospect for entry-level developers interested in learning from one of the best.

Across nine lessons and seven code examples, you’ll get hands-on practice writing and iterating prompts through the OpenAI API, as well as learning prompt engineering best practices and even building your own custom chatbot.

Knowing the right ChatGPT prompts is the difference between getting the answer you need and an unsatisfactory one. In this course, Andrew Ng will give you all the tools you need to take your AI usage further.

If you’re keen to find out more, head to the website and enroll.

Generative AI for Educators With Gemini

⌛Length: self-paced

Another brilliant opportunity from Google, this course is specifically aimed at educators. The emergence of AI has completely turned the education sector on its head, with teachers everywhere struggling to keep pace with the rapid development of the technology and its implications for learning and assessment.

That’s why Generative AI for Educators is here to provide hands-on, practical experience for teachers across all disciplines. Among other things, you’ll learn how to use AI to save time on mundane everyday tasks, how to personalize instructions for different learning styles and abilities, and how to make your lessons more engaging.

The results speak for themselves: according to the website, 83% of participants expect to save more than two hours per week by using AI tools. At the same time, a further 74% confirmed that they felt confident in their ability to use AI in the classroom.

Find out more and get started by clicking this link.

Staying On Top of AI

There’s no point denying it: in next to no time, AI has completely revolutionized the business world. Everywhere you look, there are stories of companies letting go of employees in order to make room for automation; tech leaders doubling their efforts to make AI a business priority; and the scale of the threat facing white-collar workers across the country.

But rather than getting swallowed up by the turning tide, there are things you can do to put yourself in prime position for the AI upheaval. To begin with, check out our list of courses above to upskill yourself, no matter your level of seniority.

And if you’re keen to take things further, check out our guide to the best AI productivity tools to help you stay one step of the competition.

There’s been an alarming surge in API-based cyberattacks during the first half of 2025, with researchers from Thales observing more than 40,000 such incidents across 4,000 monitored environments since the start of the year.

APIs are becoming the preferred attack vector of cybercriminals because they can be fully automated, meaning that attackers can execute millions of malicious requests with ease. The attacks in question are often highly sophisticated in nature, and thus, harder to detect and deter.

Security experts face an unprecedented challenge. In 2025, the threat landscape is constantly shifting, with bad actors deploying new and increasingly complex methods to dupe unsuspecting businesses and individuals. And with most institutions woefully underprepared for this worsening situation, things could get a lot worse before they start getting better.

More Than 40,000 API-Based Attacks Have Been Detected

New research from Thales finds that over 40,000 API-based cyberattacks have been detected since the start of the year, heralding a massive spike in attacks of this kind. Examining over 4,000 different environments during the first half of 2025, the API Threat Landscape Report concludes that APIs are the new attack vector of choice for many cybercriminals.

APIs, or application programming interfaces, enable two different pieces of software to communicate with one another. They’re the bedrock of modern technology organizations — and thus particularly valuable targets for illicit actors.

What’s more, targeting APIs doesn’t require the same degree of human interaction, so attackers can launch fully automated campaigns to execute a high volume of malicious requests with minimal involvement.

Findings Indicate That Attack Vectors Are Shifting

Among the other findings, the Thales report concludes that data is still king, with cybercriminals seeking data access in 37% of cases. The next most popular targets are checkout and payment (32%) and authentication (16%).

The report also finds that attackers are harnessing bot activity to carry out an extraordinarily high portion of their campaigns. According to the data, 44% of “advanced bot activity” now targets APIs — despite API-based attacks comprising just 14% of all attacks. This disproportionate focus suggests that they recognize that APIs represent a potential goldmine — and points to a future in which they double down on their efforts.

What’s more, Thales researchers observed situations in which individual campaigns were able to generate application-layer distributed denial-of-service attacks that reached 15 million requests per second. In other words, today’s bad actors are exhibiting a high level of ambition and coordination in their campaigns.

Cybersecurity Landscape Going From Bad to Worse

It’s a tough time to be a cybersecurity employee. Week after week, the evidence grows that attacks are becoming more frequent and harder to detect. It was recently reported that attempted breaches of educational facilities were on the rise, while at the same time, scammers are impersonating cybercrime agents themselves.

To make matters worse, the business world is unable to cope with this surge in illicit activity. Insufficient cybersecurity budgets, coupled with a yawning talent gap, have stranded many companies with a problem that is becoming harder and harder to cope with.

A good place to start is upskilling your existing workforce. As our own research indicates, there’s a shocking lack of cybersecurity acumen across the tech landscape, with 98% of senior leaders unable to identify all the signs of a phishing scam. One thing is certain: the current situation is unsustainable, and without drastic action, the results could be catastrophic.

Another day, another artificial intelligence feature that can help businesses sell online: Amazon is announcing an agentic AI update to its Seller Assistant platform.

AI continues to evolve at break-neck speeds, with every business under the sun making an effort to roll out the innovative technology on their platforms. From generative tools for developing copy to chatbots that can guide you through setup, you can find them pretty much everywhere in 2025.

Amazon is, of course, among those making a big push to make the technology part of its platform, and a big change just came to one of its more valuable assets.

Amazon Adds Agentic AI to Seller Assistant

Announced in a company blog post, Amazon is adding some seriously helpful functionality to an AI offering called Seller Assistant. If you’re unfamiliar, Seller Assistant is a generative AI tool announced by Amazon last year that provided users with quick answers to questions, directing users to helpful resources to solve their problems.

With this recent announcement, though, Seller Assistant is getting a big upgrade. The agentic AI improvement will give the platform a lot more power, allowing it “to reason, plan, and help take action with a seller’s permission.”

Seller Assistant is available at no cost to all sellers in the US right now, but it isn’t available outside the country just yet. Amazon does promise that it “will be rolled out to other countries in the coming months.”

What Can Seller Assistant Do Now?

The initial release of Seller Assistant last year wasn’t too exciting, with simple generative tools that can be found pretty much anywhere. Now, though, Seller Assistant is getting an upgrade that will provide some serious firepower for businesses looking to sell online.

Here are some of the things that Seller Assistant can now do?

• Actively monitor inventory levels
• Deliver a analysis of issues requiring immediate attention
• Automate compliance navigation
• Develop professional ads through conversational prompts
• Suggest promising new product categories
• Recommend advertising and marketing strategies
• Develop comprehensive growth plans

Will Seller Assistant Actually Help?

Selling online can be pretty hard in 2025.

With the tariff situation causing undue strife and the economy forcing many to tighten their purse strings, sellers need every tool they can find to make a difference. Luckily, it sounds like the improvements to Seller Assistant could do a lot to actually improve your revenue.

“I’ve been using Seller Assistant almost every day now, and it has become my own personal business consultant. From FBA to sales reports, it knows how to support my business in Amazon’s store and provides me with the answers and actions that I need immediately, rather than me needing to dig around and spend time finding what I need. I had no idea it could do all of this; it even understands sales velocity.” – Alfred Mai, founder and CEO of ASM Games in the Amazon press release

Let’s be honest, AI hasn’t fully proven its value to businesses just yet. Many are reporting that the technology provides almost no return-on-investment so far, leading some companies to dial back AI adoption.

Still, if Seller Assistant can actually deliver this kind of assistance to businesses trying to stay afloat in 2025, it could be poised for a comeback for those trying to sell online.

Texas is planning to take its enforcement of English language proficiency for truckers to the max, with the governor announcing that the zero-tolerance policy will be enforced across the state.

The trucker shortage has become a big issue across the logistics industry. A lack of labor options has many businesses struggling to keep up with demand, leading to delays that impact businesses as well as consumers.

That doesn’t seem to bother the governor of Texas, though, who plans to take even more truckers off the road with strict enforcement of English language proficiency rules that could negatively impact the workforce.

Texas Governor Announces Strict Enforcement for English Proficiency Requirements

Announced in a statement from the governor’s office, Greg Abbott has stated that the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) plans “to strictly enforce the English language proficiency requirements” on Texas roadways moving forward.

“Truckers play an instrumental role in Texas’ robust economy and in keeping our highways safe. Every commercial driver license operator on Texas roadways must be able to communicate clearly in English to ensure compliance with traffic laws, follow safety directions, and prevent accidents.” – Texas Governor Greg Abbotts

It is unclear what exactly these strict enforcements will look like, but the statement from the Governor noted that troopers “will conduct English Language Proficiency reviews for all commercial license operators on Texas roadways,” which could mean that roadside stops of potential non-English speakers are on the table.

Why Is Texas Cracking Down on Non-English Speakers?

There are understandably some safety concerns about non-English speakers hauling freight on US roadways, but the problem seems to have gotten a lot of attention lately, and you can probably guess why.

That’s right, President Trump has used the issue to further his anti-immigrant agenda, signing an executive order on June 25th that puts strict English language proficiency requirements on truckers across the country.

The executive order has been enforced in Texas quite a bit, with “approximately 445 commercial vehicle drivers in Texas” being sidelined on the road for English proficiency violations.

The Impact of English Proficiency Requirements on the Logistics Industry

As you can imagine, these English language proficiency requirements are putting a bit of a strain on the logistics industry. In fact, our Pulse data found that more and more professionals see “adapting to regulations” as a primary concern for their businesses.

On top of that, the national trucker shortage is just as prevalent in Texas, which means that these truckers coming off the road will likely contribute to the worsening workforce numbers.

Suffice to say, Texas may run into some serious logistical problems moving forward if they can’t figure out a way to add drivers to the state, rather than removing them because they can’t speak English.

Layoffs are expected over at Fiverr, with 250 workers expected to lose their jobs as the company bids to go “AI First.”

Fiverr is not the first company to align itself more substantially with artificial intelligence, with Duolingo doing the same after it announced it would be laying off contract workers in the process.

However, it may be the case that companies are going AI-centric too soon, especially as there are still a lot of questions about whether the technology is equipped to take on and replace human workers, without harming operations or overall profit.

250 Workers to Lose Jobs As Fiverr Looks Towards AI

Online marketplace Fiverr has announced it will be laying off 250 workers, in a shift that will allow it to focus more on AI.

As of December of last year, the company had 762 employees, so the layoffs will account for around 30% of its workforce. The company hopes it will be able to reinvest part of the savings from the layoffs into the business.

In a letter to employees that CEO Micha Kaufman shared on LinkedIn, he stated: “We are launching a transformation for Fiverr, to turn Fiverr into an AI-first company that’s leaner, faster, with a modern AI-focused tech infrastructure, a smaller team, each with substantially greater productivity, and far fewer management layers.”

‘AI First’ Is the Modern Company Epithet

Fiverr is not the first company to boldly proclaim itself to be “AI First,” a structure that sees businesses place AI at the core of its operations. Not long ago, Duolingo CEO Luis von Ahn came under fire after he claimed the language-learning platform would be replacing some of its contract workers with AI, in a quest to also go AI First.

Although, von Ahn would later restyle his original statement, to claim that the company doesn’t plan to replace full-time employees with AI.

Other companies have made similar pledges. Shopify operates an ‘AI First’ hiring rule, that has managers prove that AI can’t do a job before they are allowed to hire for it. This is further evidence that companies are not only using AI tools to improve productivity, but are wanting to see these tools at the center of their operations.

Too Much AI Too Soon?

Other than in cases where businesses have implemented AI or replaced workers with it, and then hastily changed their minds, there is still some mystery around how an AI First company will operate. In a report earlier this year, Microsoft predicted that future businesses that want to survive the AI revolution should look to become a “Frontier Firm,” which sees humans managing teams of AI agents.

However, while Microsoft urged businesses to act quickly, is this too quick? Especially since there are still mixed studies around AI productivity, and plenty of examples where AI has been deployed only to generate unpredictable results.

Similarly, there is the possibility that companies are simply jumping on the bandwagon of AI adoption, rather than finding out how it can help their business specifically. Studies have shown that peer pressure is playing a role in AI spending. This could be further prove that yes, the technology is moving impressively fast, but is it too fast to end up being worthwhile?

Zoom CEO Eric Yuan has joined Bill Gates and Jensen Huang in suggesting AI deployment in companies could lead to a three or four-day workweek, because of the potential time it could free up for employees.

Yuan has also predicted that while some jobs will end up disappearing, new jobs will appear in their place as the technology develops.

While the four-day workweek hasn’t been entirely ruled out by senior leaders, it has been overshadowed by frequent return-to-office mandates. However, automation and AI could be the push the initiative needs to become more widely accepted.

Zoom CEO Predicts Three or Four-Day Workweek Thanks to AI

The CEO of Zoom, Eric Yuan, has predicted that AI chatbots and agents could enable companies to introduce a three or four-day workweek. Yuan believes that if AI is able to make our lives easier, then there’s a big chance that workers will be able to clock in for fewer days a week.

He told The New York Times in a recent interview that, “Every company will support three days, four days a week. I think this ultimately frees up everyone’s time.”

While the four-day workweek has been trialled in some European countries, such as Iceland and Belgium, it’s yet to become a mainstream reality for US businesses. However, developments in AI could be what the initiative needs to charge forward.

Experts Agree AI Will Enable Fewer Working Days

Yuan is not the only tech leader who has expressed ideas about a shorter working week as a result of AI. In an interview on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Bill Gates said that he didn’t think we’d need humans for “most things” in the next ten years, freeing up humans to work less than five days.

Even Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase, a company within an industry that likes to put its workers through long working hours, has expressed interest in the idea. He told Bloomberg TV in 2023 that AI will lead to people working “3 and a half days a week”.

However, it may not be all positive news for workers. In fact, Yuan explained that some job opportunities will be gone, especially for entry-level candidates, as AI continues to develop. But he also expressed some hopes that new jobs will pop up in their place. Engineers, for instance, could get jobs managing AI code or AI agents.

Could AI Push The Four-Day Workweek Into Fruition?

Tech.co’s 2025 Impact of Technology on the Workplace report found that the idea of a four-day working week has picked up, with 38% of senior leaders being open-minded about implementing the initiative, compared to 23% last year. With AI now making its way into workflows, this could be the fuel the initiative needs to become more mainstream.

Of course, this will depend on how much AI develops over the next few years. It’s still not entirely certain how productive AI can be. Some studies have found that AI can increase productivity, whereas others have questioned whether it only makes users feel they are being more productive.

Not only will AI have to prove itself, but business leaders will have to learn to put more trust into the technology, particularly if it’s going to take on a significant amount of tasks, or even supplement a full day of work for an employee. While things certainly seem to be moving at a fast pace, it may be a while before we see a level of AI use within companies to the extent where employees can be spared for a day or two.

FedEx will raise the cost of shipping packages in January 2026, the delivery and transportion service has announced.

The exact rate increases will vary, but the standard list rates for US package shipping will go up by 5.9%, in addition to a handful of other surcharges.

Shipping costs have been earning headlines across 2025, due in large part to the US import tariff increases that have been issued, paused, and re-issued since February. However, these prices are identical to past annual increases from FedEx: They’re not tariff related.

The FedEx Price Increases

The 5.9% increase for standard rates will impact US exports and imports alike.

Additional surcharge increases are on the way in January 2026, too. Here’s the breakdown for those, via Supply Chain Dive:

• Additional handling for US package services is now $43.50 (up from $46.00)
• Delivery area US package services (Residential) is now $6.20 (up from $6.60)
• Delivery area US package services (Commercial) is now $4.20 (up from $4.45)
• Oversize (Zones 3-4) FedEx Home Delivery is now $260 (up from $275)
• Residential delivery US package services is now $6.55 (up from $6.95)
• US inbound processing Fedex International Ground $2.50 is now (up from $2.65)

FedEx has the documentation for its official 2026 standard list rates available online.

Additional rates for other services including Ground Economy and Ground Multiweight are also going up, although FedEx has not yet specified what those increases will be.

It’s Not Impacted by Tariffs

FedEx increased standard rates by 5.9% in 2024 and in 2025. In other words, this is the third year in a row in which the company has steadily increased costs by the exact same amount.

Tariffs may impact shipping costs down the road, but this particular increase is just a cost of going business. In fact, delivery competitor UPS also boosted its rates by 5.9% last year.

FedEx’s International Processing Fee Rose Recently

That’s not to say that the many regulatory shakeups from the current government administration haven’t impacted FedEx at all: Last month, the company did increase its international processing fee in a response to the federal government’s removal of the de minimis exemption, which had previously exempted imported packages under $800 from any duties.

To be specific, the company boosted its international processing fee from $1.50 to $2.50 on August 18th.

That fee hike applies to all packages shipped through International First, International Priority Express, International Priority, International Economy, International Express Freight, and International Ground services.

The global shipping giant previously laid off more than 600 employees in Memphis.

ChatGPT launched in late 2022. By the middle of 2025, the platform was fielding 18 billion messages per week from 700 million users. Needless to say, that’s a big change.

Now, a new study has dug into the data on exactly how that generative AI chatbot is being used. Most conversations with ChatGPT are for personal reasons, not work-related ones, it turns out.

Another insight from the study — which analyzed over 1.5 million chats — revealed that one out of every four conversations centered around information gathering. Here’s what else to know.

More and More Personal Reasons to Use ChatGPT

The giant new 62-page research paper, done in collaboration with Duke and Harvard universities and which is available online, found that 73% of all conversations during June 2025 were for non-work reasons, in contrast to just 27% being for work reasons during that time period.

That’s a shift towards personal use when compared to how people were using ChatGPT exactly one year earlier: In June 2024, 53% of uses were non-work-related, while 47% were for work reasons.

Perhaps better work performance was the reason why many users first checked out ChatGPT, with its benefits later slipping into their personal lives as well.

That’s just one interpretation of the data, however.

10% of Adults Globally Are Using ChatGPT

It’s also possible that the last year saw a demographic shift in the types of people who began using ChatGPT. After all, the tool has a big pool of users: About 10% of the total global adult population is interacting with ChatGPT, the study found.

The last few years have seen a gendered shift in use, too: In early 2023, about 80% of users had “typically masculine” first names, but in June 2025, 52% of users had feminine names. That’s a gender split that much more closely maps to the actual population of the planet.

It’s clear that personal use of AI is higher than ever, and that more people than ever are trying it out.

What Are People Using ChatGPT for?

The three most common uses of ChatGPT were, in order: “Practical guidance,” “Writing,” and “Seeking information.”

“Practical guidance” was the number one use case, representing 28.3% of all chats. That’s a category that’s wide enough to encompass a huge range of how-to advice, from schoolwork aid to workout tips.

However, not that many people are turning to the bot for relationship advice, even if AI girlfriends are making headlines: Just 1.9% of the conversations are about relationships, feelings, and “discussing personal reflections.”

What’s the ultimate impact of this widespread ChatGPT consultation? We’ll no doubt see many more studies on the subject in the years come, although we already have a few to consider, from a recent MIT study that found AI tools are reducing “engagement in deep, reflective thinking,” to a research paper from Microsoft and Carnegie Mellon University that raised “concerns about long-term reliance.”