News

QNX report claims robotics market will more than triple by 2030Automation and production are the most common applicationsDespite safety improvements, many report having experienced safety issues

New research from QNX claims over three-quarters (77%) of global tech leaders trust robotics for essential workplace functions, and the future of the workplace could soon be more automated.The report predicts one-fifth of the workforce could be automated via robotics within the next decade, with 71% of organizations already using or planning to adopt robotics soon.As a result, the global robotics market is projected to grow to $163.9 billion by the end of this decade, up from $51 billion in 2024.

Your job might soon involve more robotics

The report added managers note safety and risk mitigation and reliability and performance as key drivers of trust in robotics, with automation emerging as the most common use case (50%), next to production (46%), support (36%) and high-risk tasks (28%).However, QNX highlighted varying levels of comfort for executives working alongside robots.Assembly (77%), material handling (73%) and logistics/delivery (70%) are areas where managers are happy to introduce automation, however fewer are comfortable with robotics in medical procedures (51%), customer service (55%) and maintenance (63%).Additionally, one in three (32%) say that workplaces are not prepared for robotics, with 29% having already experienced a robotics-related safety incident. Three in five (58%) also expressed security concerns."Trust is fragile and can easily be broken if robotics are built and deployed without the necessary foundational software to make them performant, safe, secure and reliable," explained QNX VP of General Embedded Markets Jim Hirsch.However, despite the hesitation, it's clear there's a hunger for more robotics adoption, with 90% noting advancements in technology and 86% adding that improved safety are driving them forward.Looking ahead, and with artificial intelligence already teaching us lessons about mixing new technologies with humans, 92% feel that employees need to be involved in discussions surrounding robotics integration.

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If you’re suffering from Netflix fatigue and are looking to cancel your subscription, the process is relatively simple. In fact, depending on how you initially signed up for the service, you’ll typically be able to end your membership in just a few steps. It’s also worth noting that Netflix allows you to downgrade or upgrade your plan if you want to keep your account but pay less. This guide covers how to cancel Netflix, how to switch your plan and what to know before doing either.

How to cancel your Netflix subscription

Netflix offers a fairly straightforward cancellation process, but the steps to do so vary slightly depending on how you’re subscribed. If you signed up directly through Netflix, you can cancel via the website or mobile app. However, if you subscribed through a third-party service such as Apple, Google or your cable provider, the process may be slightly different.

Cancel Netflix via the web

If you signed up through Netflix.com, these are the steps for canceling your subscription from a desktop or mobile browser:

Go to Netflix.com and sign in.

Tap your profile icon in the top-right corner and select Account from the dropdown menu.

On the Account page, locate the Membership & Billing section.

Click the Cancel Membership button.

You’ll be taken to a confirmation page. Click Finish Cancellation to complete the process.

After cancellation, your account will remain active until the end of your current billing cycle. Netflix will store your viewing history and preferences for 10 months in case you decide to return.

How to cancel Netflix via the app

You can also cancel your membership using the Netflix app on Android or iOS (the steps for both are the same):

Open the Netflix app and tap your profile icon in the top-right corner.

Select Account from the dropdown menu — this will open a browser window.

From there, follow the same steps listed in the section above to cancel via the web.

The mobile app simply redirects to the browser-based account page, so the process remains largely the same.

How to cancel Netflix through a third-party service

If you’re billed through a third party, such as Apple, Google, Amazon or a TV provider, the steps will be different. You’ll need to cancel through that provider’s billing system.

To find out who handles your billing:

Go to your Netflix Account page.

Look under Membership & Billing. If you see a message like “Billed through Apple,” you’ll need to cancel through that service.

Here’s how to cancel through some of the most common third-party providers:

Apple (iPhone/iPad)

Open Settings on your iPhone or iPad.

Tap your name at the top, then tap Subscriptions.

Find Netflix in the list and tap it.

Tap Cancel Subscription.

Google Play

Open the Google Play Store app.

Tap your profile icon in the top-right, then select Payments & subscriptions > Subscriptions.

Choose Netflix, then tap Cancel subscription.

Amazon

Go to Amazon's Memberships & Subscriptions page.

Find Netflix in your list of subscriptions.

Click Manage Subscription, then select Cancel Channel or Cancel Subscription.

Cable or mobile provider

If you added Netflix through your cable package (such as Comcast/Xfinity, Verizon or T-Mobile), you’ll need to cancel via their app, website or customer support. Each provider has its own cancellation process, so check your account or contact their customer service for assistance.

What happens after you cancel

Once you cancel, your Netflix account will remain active until your current billing period ends. You won’t be charged again unless you restart your membership. Netflix retains your profile information, viewing history, My List and settings for 10 months after cancellation. So if you resume your service within that time, you can pick up right where you left off.

If you’re on the Netflix DVD plan (only available in the US), you’ll need to cancel it separately from your streaming subscription. You can do this under the DVD Plan section on your Account page.

How to change your Netflix plan

Instead of canceling completely, you may prefer to switch to a more affordable subscription tier. Netflix offers several plans, each with different features and price points. As of early 2025, the available plans in the US are:

Standard with ads ($7.99/month): 1080p resolution, ad-supported content, watch on two devices at a time

Standard ($17.99/month): 1080p, ad-free, two simultaneous streams, option to add extra members

Premium ($24.99/month): 4K UHD + HDR, four simultaneous streams, supports spatial audio and more download devices

Here’s how to change your plan:

Go to Netflix.com and sign in.

Hover over your profile icon and select Account.

Under Plan Details, click Change Plan.

Select your desired plan and click Continue.

Confirm the change.

Plan changes take effect immediately. If you upgrade, you’ll be charged a prorated amount for the remainder of your billing period. If you downgrade, the change will apply at the start of your next billing cycle.

How to delete your Netflix account entirely

If you're looking for a clean break from Netflix altogether, you can completely delete your account. Doing so will take slightly more time and involves going to your email, so have your inbox open.

1. Go to the Security section of your account and select Delete Account.

2. Complete the security check.

3. Select Permanently Delete from the available options. An email will then be sent to you to confirm your selection.

Additional things to consider

Before canceling or changing your Netflix subscription, keep the following in mind:

Shared accounts: If you’re part of someone else’s Netflix plan as an extra member, you won’t be able to cancel the entire subscription (the account holder would need to be the one to do this) — but you can remove yourself from the shared access.

Download content: Any downloaded content will become inaccessible once your subscription ends.

Account reactivation: You can restart your membership at any time by signing in and clicking Restart Membership from your Account page.

Billing dates: Your account page will show your exact billing date. Cancel before this date to avoid being charged for another month.

FAQs

Can I pause my Netflix subscription?

Yes, Netflix allows you to pause your membership, but only for one month. During this time, you can still watch your favorite content until the end of the current billing period. You will not be charged for the next billing period, and will be unable to access content while the pause is in effect.

At the end of your one-month pause, your membership will automatically resume and you will be charged for the next period. You can choose to “Pause for a month” via the “Cancel Membership” option in your Netflix account settings, and can repeat the process two more times (for a total pause period of three months at a time). However, if you prefer to take a longer break from the service, you may be better off cancelling your membership instead.

Will I get a refund if I cancel early?

No, Netflix does not offer partial refunds. You’ll retain access until the end of your billing cycle instead.

What if I don't see the Cancel button?

If there’s no Cancel Membership button on your account page, you’re likely being billed through a third party. In that case, follow the provider’s cancellation process.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/how-to-cancel-your-netflix-subscription-202230648.html?src=rss

Buffalo Skeleton Hard Disk turns file storage into living, moving artWant to see your data being read in real-time? This drive delivers it visuallyNot just storage, it’s a show - only 50 units available

To mark its 50th anniversary, Buffalo has introduced a special edition external HDD dubbed the Skeleton Hard Disk (HD-SKL). This drive reimagines the company’s 1998 skeleton model and offers a rare peek into a hard drive in action - something even the best SSD options can’t provide.Through its transparent window, users can watch the magnetic head move as it reads and writes data, enhanced by a companion Windows app called "SeekWizard."The software allows the drive to perform demonstration seek patterns - such as sequential and random seeks - transforming the HDD into a visual showcase of mechanical data retrieval.

A special edition to bring back memories

Founded in 1975 by Makoto Maki, Buffalo is celebrating its evolution from an audio-focused firm to a major player in PC peripherals. Its original Skeleton Hard Disk, released in 1998, had a 4.3GB capacity and featured a transparent cover.The 2025 special edition is limited to just 50 units, and while the design nods to nostalgia, the HD-SKL features a high-end aluminum chassis, precisely milled and anodized in matte black, echoing the style of the 3533 yarn drive player Buffalo launched in the late 1970s.Inside, the HD-SKL offers 4TB of storage and connects via USB 3.2 Gen 1, with backward compatibility down to USB 2.0. It also supports the Micro-B port.The drive comes preformatted in exFAT for broad operating system support, though USB-C users will need to supply their own adapter.Weighing around 1.5kg and measuring 126 × 185 × 115 mm, it’s bulkier than today’s sleek portable SSDs - but its appeal is clearly different.The product is scheduled to ship in June 2025 for at 100,000 yen (about $688) following a lottery-based sale ending May 25.

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In about two weeks, Google's annual developer conference will kick off on May 20. The event is probably the most important on the company's calendar, offering a glimpse at everything it has been working on over the past year.

Judging from rumors and information Google has trickled out, I/O 2025 should be one of the more exciting tech keynotes in recent memory. Plus, for the first time, Google has spun out a dedicated Android showcase planned a whole week earlier. If you want to know what to expect from the company later this month, read on.

Android 16

In years past, some of my favorite I/O moments involved watching Dave Burke take to the Shoreline stage to talk about the latest updates for Android. But for the past couple of years, Android hasn't had much of a spotlight at Google's annual developer conference. That's about to change, with the company hosting a dedicated showcase that will air a week before I/O proper. Scheduled for May 13, Google says it has "so many things to share" during the Android Show: I/O Edition.

Get a front row seat to The Android Show: I/O Edition 🍿 May 13, 10 AM PT. Meet our team and learn about new experiences coming to Android. Set a reminder and be the first in the know → https://t.co/z8QLNSYkl6 #TheAndroidShow pic.twitter.com/RTzTOwUtFN— Android (@Android) April 28, 2025

The presentation will feature Android Ecosystem President Sameer Samat, who took over for Burke in 2024. As for what to expect from Samat and company, a preview of Android 16 is an obvious bet. Google has already confirmed the new operating system will arrive sometime before the second half of the year. As such, it may even release a stable build of Android 16 that same day. One feature Google could announce for Android 16 is Live Activities-like "Ongoing notifications". Per Android Authority, Google could also add a more robust photo picker, with support for cloud storage solutions.

We've also seen lots of hints at an upcoming design change to the platform, reportedly called Material 3 Expressive. The most damning (or credible) indication that this is real is the recent self-leak by Google, which was caught by 9to5Google and remains archived and visible on the Wayback Machine. This leaked blog post discusses the research behind Material 3 Expressive and how the visual overhaul led to action elements standing out more and greater responsiveness on the users' part. According to the post, "When participants were asked to “Send the email” in the app, their eyes saw the button 4x faster in the expressive design."

One of the best places to get an idea for what's to come in Android 16 is in its beta version, which has already been available to developers and is currently in its fourth iteration. For example, we learned in March that Android 16 will bring Auracast support, which could make it easier to listen to and switch between multiple Bluetooth devices. This could also enable people to receive Bluetooth audio on hearing aids they have paired with their phones or tablets.

Android XR

Remember Google Glass? No, how about Daydream? Maybe Cardboard? After sending (at least) three XR projects to the graveyard, you would think even Google would say enough is enough. Instead, the company is preparing to release Android XR after previewing the platform at the end of last year. This time around, the company says the power of its Gemini AI models will make things different. We know Google is working with Samsung on a headset codenamed Project Moohan. Last fall, Samsung hinted that the device could arrive sometime this year.

Whether Google and Samsung demo Project Moohan at I/O, I imagine the search giant will have more to say about Android XR and the ecosystem partners it has worked to bring to its side for the initiative.

AI, AI and more AI

If Google felt the need to split off Android into its own showcase, we're likely to get more AI-related announcements at I/O than ever before. The company hasn't provided many hints about what we can expect on that front, but if I had to guess, features like AI Overviews and AI Mode are likely to get substantive updates. I suspect Google will also have something to say about Project Mariner, the web-surfing agent it demoed at I/O 2024. Either way, Google is an AI company now, and every I/O moving forward will reflect that.

Project Astra

Speaking of AI, Project Astra was one of the more impressive demos Google showed off at I/O 2024. The technology made the most of the latest multi-modal capabilities of Google's Gemini models to offer something we hadn't seen before from the company. It's a voice assistant with advanced image recognition features that allows it to converse about the things it sees. Google envisions Project Astra one day providing a truly useful artificial assistant.

However, after seeing an in-person demo of Astra, the Engadget crew felt the tech needed a lot more work. Given the splash Project Astra made last year, there's a good chance we could get an update on it at I/O 2025.

Wear OS

Last year, Wear OS didn't get a mention during the company's main keynote, but Google did preview Wear OS 5 during the developer sessions that followed. The company only began rolling out Wear OS 5.1 to Pixel devices in March. Given that, you might expect Google wouldn't have much new to share, but the official Wear OS X account told fans to watch the Android Show for updates.

NotebookLM

Since 2023, Google has offered NotebookLM on desktop. The note-taking app uses machine learning for features like automated summaries. Based on App Store and Google Play listings, the company is getting ready to release a mobile version of the service on the first day of I/O 2025.

Everything else

Google has a terrible track record when it comes to preventing leaks within its internal ranks, so the likelihood the company could surprise us is low. Still, Google could announce something we don't expect. As always, your best bet is to visit Engadget on May 20 and 21. We'll have all the latest from Google then along with our liveblog and analysis.

Update, May 5 2025, 7:08PM ET: This story has been updated to include details on a leaked blog post discussing "Material 3 Expressive."

Update, May 6 2025, 5:29PM ET: This story has been updated to include details on the Android 16 beta, as well as Auracast support.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-io-2025-what-to-expect-over-the-next-two-weeks-on-android-16-android-xr-and-gemini-203044392.html?src=rss

A jury has ruled that the company behind the infamous Pegasus spyware must pay Meta more than $167 million in damages for spreading malware via WhatsApp. The ruling is a major victory for Meta after a years-long legal battle with NSO Group.

Meta sued the NSO Group in 2019 over its Pegasus spyware. Meta said at the time that more than 1,400 people in 20 countries had been targeted, including journalists and human rights activists. The company said that the “highly sophisticated cyber attack” spread malware via video calls even when the calls went unanswered. Last year, a judge sided with Meta and found the Israeli company had violated the US Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. Tuesday’s verdict followed a week-long jury trial to determine just how much NSO should pay in damages to Meta.

The jury ultimately awarded Meta $444,719 in compensatory damages and $167,254,00 in punitive damages. In a statement, WhatsApp’s VP of Global Communications Carl Woog called the verdict “a critical deterrent to this malicious industry against their illegal acts aimed at American companies and the privacy and security of the people we serve.”

NSO Group, which describes itself as a “cyber intelligence" firm, has said that it’s not possible to use Pegasus on US phone numbers. In court, lawyers for the firm argued that WhatsApp wasn’t harmed in any way by Pegasus, according to Courthouse News Service.

In a statement, NSO’s Gil Lainer said the verdict was “another step in a lengthy judicial process” and said it would pursue “further proceedings” or an appeal. “We firmly believe that our technology plays a critical role in preventing serious crime and terrorism and is deployed responsibly by authorized government agencies,” Lainer said. “This perspective, validated by extensive real-world evidence and numerous security operations that have saved many lives, including American lives, was excluded from the jury's consideration in this case.”

WhatsApp’s Woog said Meta knows it has “a long road ahead” to collect damages from NSO. “Ultimately, we would like to make a donation to digital rights organizations that are working to defend people against such attacks around the world,” he said. He added that Meta plans to pursue a court order to prevent NSO from targeting WhatsApp in the future.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/meta-wins-more-than-167-million-in-damages-from-spyware-maker-that-targeted-whatsapp-215459438.html?src=rss

Google’s Gemini can now edit both AI-generated and personal images using text promptsThe editing tools allow for precision changes using AIGemini also now supports uploading up to 10 images or files at once

Google's Gemini AI is taking out a canvas and palette for your AI-fueled image creation in a couple of major upgrades. Gemini can now edit images directly within its chat interface, and you can send a bunch of images (or other files) for it to examine at the same time.The new editor can work AI magic on any image you upload or that Gemini produces. You simply ask Gemini to make the changes you want. You can change the backdrop of your vacation photo to put your sad Airbnb kitchen on a Santorini cliff, get rid of that mustard stain on your jacket, and even put a funny hat on your dog despite her refusal of all headwear in real life.You can apply multiple edits through your conversation with Gemini, stacking changes as you go. And each modification keeps earlier changes, so you don't have to start from scratch when you decide the last couple of edits made things worse.

Under the hood, Gemini’s editor is running a combination of tools that work together so you don't end up with a visual Frankenstein's monster stitching together conflicting textures, lighting, angles, and other aspects of the image. Gemini promises to keep things grounded in reality even when your imagination goes off the rails.Google claims the editor will have many positive uses for a range of professions. Teachers could quickly build illustrated storyboards, designers could make a portfolio of product photos, and architects might visualize tweaks to building designs mid-meeting.The editor pairs nicely with Google's move to blow up the single-file upload limit for Gemini. Now you can upload up to ten images, PDFs, or other files all at once and ask Gemini to make sense of the mess.

AI image imagination

You may be wondering how Gemini's editor will prevent people from leveraging its abilities to make deepfakes of real people or events for less than benign reasons. Google is keen to show that the company has thought of that. That's why every AI-edited image gets not one but two watermarks. One is visible, and one uses Google’s SynthID, which can only be detected with software. There are also filters powered by human feedback that block ethically dicey requests.The editor and expanded upload option are not breaking new ground, but they add depth to Gemini. It’s not just about what Gemini can tell you, it’s about what it can help you make. Google is investing a lot of effort in building Gemini into the kind of well-rounded, versatile toolkit that people are comfortable relying on.Instead of thinking of Gemini as a mere digital notetaker or search engine with a sense of humor, Google wants people to view Gemini as a partner in creative and productive tasks. We’re still a ways off from a world where you ask Gemini to “design a birthday card and bake the cake,” but it's closer than you might think. Until then, being able to throw ten files at Gemini and have it respond with something coherent while also placing a hat on your dog is a pretty good start.

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Bungie laid out its plans for the next year of Destiny 2 content, and the back half of 2025 could be particularly exciting for Star Wars fans. The studio teased an expansion titled Renegades that draws inspiration from the sci-fi universe. Destiny has always featured classic space opera themes about battles between the light and the darkness, so maybe it was inevitable that the game would one day pay homage to Star Wars.

If you fear that there will suddenly be Skywalkers and Fetts running around your game a la Fortnite or Call of Duty, that does seem like a possibility. The teaser video features a guardian wielding an iconic green light saber, and there are some recognizable nods to the Imperial alarm sounds and uniforms in a few close-up shots. And if you really want to embrace the dark side, the most expensive pre-order option for this year's content includes armor ornaments that can turn your guardian into Darth Vader, Kylo Ren or General Grievous.

Bungie

More information about the Renegades expansion will be announced on September 9 ahead of the update's arrival this December.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/destiny-2-will-get-a-star-wars-expansion-this-december-220446525.html?src=rss

Gigabyte AI TOP 100 Z890 PC blends elite gaming hardware with AI-focused design and softwareAI TOP Utility supports LLMs with 405B parameters and real-time model monitoring toolsEight SATA ports and two NVMe drives make storage scaling effortless for creators and devs

Gigabyte has revealed a new desktop PC designed for users working with artificial intelligence in professional creative tasks and high-end gaming.The company says its the system is equipped with Nvidia’s flagship GeForce RTX 5090 GPU and Intel’s top-tier Core Ultra 9 285K CPU, and introduces the new Z890 AI TOP platform.The GeForce RTX 5090 WINDFORCE GPU includes support for DLSS 4.0 and Multi Frame Generation, making it suitable for machine learning workloads.

Advanced memory and cooling design

The Gigabyte AI TOP 100 Z890 business PC comes with 128GB of DDR5 memory, supported by D5 Bionic Corsa technology, which enhances stability during intensive AI and gaming sessions.A unique feature is the inclusion of a 320GB AI TOP 100E cache SSD alongside a 2TB AORUS Gen4 7300 SSD. The latter is built to endure heavy data writes, boasting a lifespan up to 150 times greater TBW than standard SSDs.The system also supports up to eight additional SATA drives, making it a viable option for users needing scalable storage without sacrificing speed.To cool all this hardware, Gigabyte installed its AORUS WATERFORCE II 360 liquid cooling system, which keeps thermal output in check even under prolonged workloads.While not a portable machine, the system maintains a standard ATX form factor, measuring 594 x 336 x 584 mm, and supports both Windows 11 Pro and Linux.For connectivity, the workstation offers a solid I/O setup, including front-mounted USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, USB 3.0, and audio jacks, as well as a rear panel with two Thunderbolt 5 ports, six USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports, HDMI, DisplayPort In, dual 10GbE RJ-45, Wi-Fi 7, and Bluetooth 5.3.Gigabyte’s AI TOP Utility suite simplifies AI workflow management, supporting memory offloading and fine-tuning for models up to 405 billion parameters. It also includes tools for dataset creation, real-time training dashboards, and model validation. Cluster computing is enabled via Thunderbolt and Ethernet links, allowing scaling across multiple systems.According to Gigabyte, “users can access AI computing with a standard power setup and plug-and-play convenience.” This new system targets a wide range of users - from researchers and developers to content creators and gamers.At the time of writing, there is no official word on pricing or availability, but it’s not expected to be cheap.

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Minecraft is no longer (officially) available on virtual and mixed reality platforms. The change was confirmed in today's patch notes for the game's Bedrock edition following an announcement from developer Mojang in October. Those fall patch notes suggested that the platforms would be removed in March, so players who favored VR wound up getting a few extra weeks to fully immerse themselves in their blocky worlds.

Removing entire platforms isn't a choice game devs make lightly. Especially when Minecraft's player base still numbers in the hundreds of millions at any given time, it seems unlikely that Mojang would take away virtual and mixed reality unless it wouldn't cause a serious disruption for its many fans. There are still plenty of critically received games that make VR ownership worthwhile (Beat Saber, anyone?), but a title as major as Minecraft abandoning the hardware isn't a great look.

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OpenAI’s latest AI models, GPT o3 and o4-mini, hallucinate significantly more often than their predecessorsThe increased complexity of the models may be leading to more confident inaccuraciesThe high error rates raise concerns about AI reliability in real-world applications

Brilliant but untrustworthy people are a staple of fiction (and history). The same correlation may apply to AI as well, based on an investigation by OpenAI and shared by The New York Times. Hallucinations, imaginary facts, and straight-up lies have been part of AI chatbots since they were created. Improvements to the models theoretically should reduce the frequency with which they appear.OpenAI’s latest flagship models, GPT o3 and o4-mini, are meant to mimic human logic. Unlike their predecessors, which mainly focused on fluent text generation, OpenAI built GPT o3 and o4-mini to think things through step-by-step. OpenAI has boasted that o1 could match or exceed the performance of PhD students in chemistry, biology, and math. But OpenAI's report highlights some harrowing results for anyone who takes ChatGPT responses at face value.OpenAI found that the GPT o3 model incorporated hallucinations in a third of a benchmark test involving public figures. That’s double the error rate of the earlier o1 model from last year. The more compact o4-mini model performed even worse, hallucinating on 48% of similar tasks.When tested on more general knowledge questions for the SimpleQA benchmark, hallucinations mushroomed to 51% of the responses for o3 and 79% for o4-mini. That’s not just a little noise in the system; that’s a full-blown identity crisis. You’d think something marketed as a reasoning system would at least double-check its own logic before fabricating an answer, but it's simply not the case.One theory making the rounds in the AI research community is that the more reasoning a model tries to do, the more chances it has to go off the rails. Unlike simpler models that stick to high-confidence predictions, reasoning models venture into territory where they must evaluate multiple possible paths, connect disparate facts, and essentially improvise. And improvising around facts is also known as making things up.

Fictional functioning

Correlation is not causation, and OpenAI told the Times that the increase in hallucinations might not be because reasoning models are inherently worse. Instead, they could simply be more verbose and adventurous in their answers. Because the new models aren't just repeating predictable facts but speculating about possibilities, the line between theory and fabricated fact can get blurry for the AI. Unfortunately, some of those possibilities happen to be entirely unmoored from reality.Still, more hallucinations are the opposite of what OpenAI or its rivals like Google and Anthropic want from their most advanced models. Calling AI chatbots assistants and copilots implies they’ll be helpful, not hazardous. Lawyers have already gotten in trouble for using ChatGPT and not noticing imaginary court citations; who knows how many such errors have caused problems in less high-stakes circumstances?The opportunities for a hallucination to cause a problem for a user are rapidly expanding as AI systems start rolling out in classrooms, offices, hospitals, and government agencies. Sophisticated AI might help draft job applications, resolve billing issues, or analyze spreadsheets, but the paradox is that the more useful AI becomes, the less room there is for error.You can’t claim to save people time and effort if they have to spend just as long double-checking everything you say. Not that these models aren’t impressive. GPT o3 has demonstrated some amazing feats of coding and logic. It can even outperform many humans in some ways. The problem is that the moment it decides that Abraham Lincoln hosted a podcast or that water boils at 80°F, the illusion of reliability shatters.Until those issues are resolved, you should take any response from an AI model with a heaping spoonful of salt. Sometimes, ChatGPT is a bit like that annoying guy in far too many meetings we've all attended; brimming with confidence in utter nonsense.

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Agentic AI adoption will rise by 327% by 2027, boosting productivity by 30%Workers will need to share their roles with AI agents soon, Salesforce claimsMany workers could be reassigned roles, report says

AI agents are here to stay, with new Salesforce research claiming agentic AI adoption is projected to grow by 327% by 2027, with the company calling the trend a revolution of "digital labor."Chief Human Resource Officers (CHROs) are expecting to keep 61% of their existing workforces in their current roles, however employees are set to be working alongside AI.Most CHROs (88%) surveyed added the redeployment of human resources alongside tech can be more cost-effective than external hiring, suggesting workers' jobs could be more secure than they think, but that the change they're subjected to could also be greater.

Combining workers with AI

In line with the projected growth of AI agents, Salesforce believes an increase in productivity of 30% could be realized. The figures also forecast a 19% reduction in labor costs.With AI literacy identified as the top skill needed in the modern workplace, four in five (81%) CHROs are reskilling or planning to reskill employees for future roles, including reassigning many to technical roles like data scientists and technical architects.Among the teams expected to see the biggest growth are IT, research & development, and sales. Customer service, operations and finance are expected to shrink.Fortunately, workers seem to have plenty of time to get their affairs in order and to embark on their training journeys, because 85% of organizations have not yet implemented agentic AI.Unprepared workers don't have unlimited time, though, because 86% of CHROs believe integrating AI will be a critical part of their role within the next five years, with four in five believing that AI agents and humans will coexist in this timeframe."Every industry must redesign jobs, reskill and redeploy talent – and every employee will need to learn new human, agent and business skills to thrive in the digital labor revolution," explained Salesforce Chief People Officer Nathalie Scardino.

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