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Amazon employees are pushing back against the company’s AI-heavy pivot, accusing leadership of prioritizing AI investments over climate commitments and the human workforce. Thousands have signed an open letter to CEO Andy Jassy and senior leadership. The letter, published last week, has drawn more than 1,000 signatures from Amazon employees — who can sign anonymously while listing their roles — and over 2,000 people outside the company. “We, the undersigned Amazon employees, have serious concerns about this aggressive rollout during the global rise of authoritarianism and our most important years to reverse the climate crisis. We believe that the all-costs-justified, warp-speed approach to AI development will do staggering damage to democracy, to our jobs, and to the earth,” the letter states. “We’re the workers who develop, train, and use AI, so we have a responsibility to intervene.” In the letter, employees accused Amazon of “casting aside its climate goals to build AI,” noting...
U.S. shoppers spent a record $11.8 billion online during Black Friday (Nov. 28), the annual shopping event held the day after Thanksgiving, according to Reuters. Per the outlet, Adobe Analytics reported a 9.1% jump in sales from 2024, driven in part by the rise of AI-powered shopping tools. This year, shoppers increasingly skipped crowded stores and instead used chatbots to compare prices and find discounts. Adobe Analytics, which tracks 1 trillion online retail visits, found that AI-driven traffic to U.S. retail sites surged 805% from last year, which was before tools like Walmart’s Sparky and Amazon’s Rufus had launched. “Consumers are using new tools to get to what they need faster,” said eMarketer analyst Suzy Davidkhanian, per Reuters. “Gift giving can be stressful, and LLMs (large language models) make the discovery process feel quicker and more guided.” LEGO sets, Pokémon cards, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5 consoles, Apple AirPods, and KitchenAid mixers were among the...
Artificial intelligence continues to influence how employees, executives, and organizations operate, and SKIMS founding partner Emma Grede is taking steps to keep pace with the technology. During Axios’ annual BFD dealmaking summit, Grede said she schedules an “AI day” once every six weeks, Fortune reports . She described the sessions as dedicated time to understand new tools, noting that she encourages women within her company to develop similar habits. “We have no choice but to AI-proof our careers,” Grede told Axios senior markets reporter Madison Mills during the event. Grede serves as chief product officer at SKIMS, the apparel and shapewear company she launched in 2019 with Kim Kardashian and Jens Grede. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, SKIMS recently completed a $225 million funding round led by Goldman Sachs Alternatives that brought the company’s valuation to $5 billion. Fortune reports that Grede has an estimated net worth of $405 million and has appeared on Forbes’ list...
Is your Spotify app crashing? The digital music and podcast streaming service experienced technical issues during the early morning hours on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. According to PCMag, reports of app crashes spiked for both Android and iPhone users, with Downdetector picking up complaints around 3 a.m. EST and continuing through the morning. The disruptions primarily affected podcast playback, while many users were still able to listen to music and browse content without issues. Spotify’s status page confirms that the issue is still under investigation, as of the time of this writing. A spokesperson on Spotify’s Community forums advised users still experiencing trouble to restart their apps, reports PCMag. If that doesn’t help, Spotify recommends performing “a clean reinstall, which would also ensure you’re on the latest app version” — essentially deleting and reinstalling the app. Some users also reported difficulties subscribing to Spotify — which the company says has been...
JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon believes AI will eventually shorten the work week and says people should embrace it now, before it transforms every corner of the workforce. Speaking at Fortune’s Most Powerful Women conference at the America Business Forum in Miami, FL, on Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025, Dimon said the future of work may involve fewer hours but greater value — if leaders take the proper steps now. He urged companies to modernize data systems so AI can use them effectively, invest despite power limitations, and create humane transitions for jobs that will disappear. “It’s going to affect every application, every job, every customer interface,” Dimon said, as Fortune reported. “My guess is the developed world will be working three-and-a-half days a week in 20, 30, 40 years, and have wonderful lives,” he continued. As AI takes on more routine work, the same result may require fewer hours — though every transition brings its own challenges. “It will eliminate jobs. People should...
Artificial intelligence is increasingly entering the music world, with AI-generated artists gaining attention on charts and in media coverage. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, Telisha “Nikki” Jones, a poet and entrepreneur from Mississippi, has made headlines for her AI creation, Xania Monet. The artist’s debut single, “How Was I Supposed to Know?,” has already secured Jones a multi-million-dollar recording contract with Hallwood Media following a competitive bidding process that reached $3 million. In an interview with “CBS Mornings” co-host Gayle King, Jones discussed her approach to creating Xania Monet. The 31-year-old emphasized that she writes all of the lyrics herself, often drawing from poems she has been composing since she was 24. “There’s real emotions and soul put into those lyrics,” Jones said. She added that “How Was I Supposed to Know?” was inspired by the death of her father when she was 8 years old. After writing the lyrics, Jones uses the AI platform Suno to...
International Business Machines Corp. ( IBM ) announced on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2025, that it will cut thousands of jobs in the fourth quarter as the company pivots toward higher-growth areas such as AI consulting and software. The technology company, which had 270,000 employees at the end of 2024, said the move aligns its workforce with changing market demand, according to The New York Times. “We routinely review our workforce through this lens and at times rebalance accordingly,” a company spokesperson said, per Bloomberg. “In the fourth quarter, we are executing an action that will impact a low single-digit percentage of our global workforce.” For years, IBM has practiced what it calls “workforce rebalancing,” cutting some positions while adding others, The Times reports. The number of workers in the United States is expected to remain steady despite some cuts. Since Arvind Krishna took over as CEO in 2020, IBM has pushed aggressively into high-growth areas such as cloud computing...
International Business Machines Corp. ( IBM ) is facing a lawsuit alleging it discriminated against Black executives when it terminated them to align with the Trump administration’s push to eliminate federal diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. Former IBM executive Zena Washington filed the 15-page lawsuit on Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025. According to the suit, Washington, who spent 26 years with the company before her dismissal in February 2025, held various roles in product management and engineering, most recently serving as director of product management for data and AI . According to the lawsuit, Washington “was viewed as an excellent employee” and consistently received positive performance reviews and bonuses. She was also selected for an IBM program that prepares employees for senior executive roles. “This is further evidence that until her termination, IBM viewed the plaintiff as one of the most highly valuable employees with strong potential to go into a C-Suite...
Netflix’s Board of Directors has approved a 10-for-1 stock split, the company announced in a news release on Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025. Shareholders of record at the close of trading on Monday, Nov. 10, 2025, will receive nine additional shares for each share held, effective after the close on Friday, Nov. 14, 2025. Trading on a split-adjusted basis is expected to begin Monday, Nov. 17, 2025. Netflix said the split aims to “reset the market price of the Company’s common stock to a range that will be more accessible” for employees with stock options . Netflix shares rose by 2% in after-hours trading following the 10-for-1 stock split announcement, Business Insider reports . The stock closed Thursday at $1,089, up 42% over the past year, and is one of only 10 S&P 500 stocks trading above $1,000, reports CNBC. Thursday’s 10-for-1 split marks Netflix’s third split-stock decision, following a 2-for-1 split in 2004 and a 7-for-1 split in 2015, per Yahoo! Finance. What Is A Stock Split?...
The construction of hyperscale AI data centers is booming across the United States, but non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) keep many details hidden from affected communities. According to NBC News, major tech companies require landowners and public officials to sign NDAs to receive limited information and the promise of economic benefits. In March 2025, three men approached Dr. Timothy Grosser and his son Andy with a $10 million offer for their 250-acre Mason County, KY, farm — 35 times what they paid in 1988 and far above local land prices. The buyers refused to reveal their identities, with one man claiming to represent a “Fortune 100 company” but offering no names — only an NDA. Dr. Grosser said the contract would have barred him from discussing the project, offering only limited details about its purpose, timeline, and size in return. “We refused to sign it,” Grosser said, per NBC. “I’m not selling my farm for any amount of money.” Grosser is among 20 residents offered deals to...
Stacey Abrams wears many hats. The first Black woman nominated for governor in U.S. history, she is a national leader, voting rights advocate, romance and thriller novelist, and serial entrepreneur with her own media and podcast ventures. At AFROTECH™ Conference 2025 in Houston, Abrams joined Dr. Rachel Gillum, vice president of ethical and humane use of technology at Salesforce, for a session titled “Democracy in the World of AI,” highlighting AI’s rapid spread, its impact on every sector from health care to the economy, and its connection to democracy. Abrams explained that her commitment to democracy is driven by her experience with poverty, which she called immoral, economically inefficient, and solvable — a reality she is determined never to return to. “Democracy is how we have always advanced the cause of more voices being involved in the answer,” Abrams shared from the stage. “I create companies because I was poor, and I don’t like it, and don’t ever want to do it again. My...
United Parcel Service (UPS) began the year with nearly half a million employees but has since cut about 48,000 jobs in a major cost-cutting push to boost profits, remain competitive, and regain investor confidence. In its third-quarter earnings report released Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025, the Atlanta -based logistics giant said it had reduced its operational workforce by roughly 34,000 positions through its Network Reconfiguration and Efficiency Reimagined program. The company eliminated another 14,000 roles, primarily in management, under its Fit to Serve initiative, which began last year to “right-size” operations and build a more efficient, market-responsive business model. “I want to extend my gratitude to all UPSers for their dedication and steadfast commitment to serving our customers,” CEO Carol Tomé said in a statement. “We are executing the most significant strategic shift in our company’s history, and the changes we are implementing are designed to deliver long-term value for...
The California-based robotics company 1X is now taking pre‑orders for its humanoid home robot, NEO, according to Engadget. The robot is priced at $20,000 or $499 per month through a subscription, with a $200 deposit, and shipping is expected in 2026. The outlet notes that NEO can perform household tasks, including opening doors, fetching items, and turning lights on and off. For more complex chores, human teleoperators can remotely control the robot through its cameras to train it for additional functions. 1X CEO Bernt Børnich told The Wall Street Journal that teleoperation is temporary while the AI learns. “It’s not for everyone,” he said. “If we don’t have your data, we can’t make the product better,” he added. In the same article, Børnich acknowledged that quality may lag initially, describing minor imperfections as “robotics slop,” but said the AI will “improve drastically” as more data is collected. Privacy and security measures are built into NEO, as Engadget notes. Owners can...
Howard University is introducing a new artificial intelligence certificate program as part of its broader effort to integrate AI education and research across campus. The announcement was made during the university’s AI Initiative Town Hall, held on Oct. 16, according to a press release, where administrators shared updates on new academic programs, research opportunities, and partnerships with major tech companies. The forthcoming AI certificate program, expected to launch in fall 2026, will be available to undergraduate, graduate, and professional students. It’s one of several projects under the university’s AI Initiative, launched in 2024 to prepare students and faculty for the expanding influence of AI in education, business, and society. Dr. Anthony Wutoh, Howard University’s provost and chief academic officer, co-chairs the AI Advisory Council and said the initiative aims to keep the institution at the forefront of AI innovation and implementation. “I want to make sure we’re...
An AI security system at Kenwood High School in Baltimore, MD , mistakenly flagged a student’s bag of chips as a gun, leading to a police confrontation, WBAL-TV 11 News reports . Taki Allen was eating chips with friends after football practice on Monday, Oct. 20, 2025, when officers reportedly approached him with guns drawn. “It was like eight cop cars that came pulling up for us. At first, I didn’t know where they were going until they started walking toward me with guns, talking about, ‘Get on the ground,’ and I was like, ‘What?’” Allen told WBAL. He said officers ordered him to get on his knees and put his hands behind his back so they could handcuff him. After confirming he was unarmed, they found a bag of chips on the ground where he’d been previously standing. Police told Allen an AI detector had mistaken the crumpled chip bag for a weapon when he was holding it. They also showed him the photo from the camera that activated the alert. “I was just holding a Doritos bag — it was...