News/Talent Trends
Handshake lays off 96 employees while launching new AI division
Handshake, the college-to-career platform often called "LinkedIn for students," has laid off nearly 100 employees at its San Francisco headquarters as it pivots toward artificial intelligence. The cuts come as the company launches Handshake AI, a new division designed to connect academic experts with AI labs that need human feedback to train and validate models. Key details: The layoffs affect 96 positions across multiple departments and will be implemented over the next few months. Most departures take effect this week, with some continuing through November and December. The cuts impact software engineers, recruiters, marketers, and senior managers at the company's...
read Oct 16, 2025Saudi firm Unifonic becomes first to earn ISO 42001 AI certification
Unifonic, a Middle East-based customer engagement platform, has become one of the first companies in Saudi Arabia and the MENA region to earn ISO 42001 certification for responsible AI management systems. This achievement positions the company as a pioneer in AI governance while addressing growing concerns about AI regulatory compliance, with research showing that 65% of organizations fail to ensure proper AI compliance and 73% of leaders worry about AI risks. What you should know: ISO 42001 is an internationally recognized standard for Artificial Intelligence Management Systems that was introduced in December 2023. The certification requires organizations to integrate AI...
read Oct 14, 2025MIT engineers create AI tool with 99% accuracy, replacing expensive lab equipment
MIT engineers have developed SpectroGen, an AI-powered "virtual spectrometer" that can generate spectroscopic data across different modalities with 99 percent accuracy. The tool addresses a critical bottleneck in materials quality control by allowing manufacturers to scan materials with a single, inexpensive instrument and then use AI to generate what the results would look like from other, more expensive scanning methods. Why this matters: Quality verification of new materials currently requires multiple specialized and expensive instruments, creating costly delays in manufacturing processes for batteries, electronics, and pharmaceuticals that could be dramatically streamlined. How it works: SpectroGen takes spectral measurements from one...
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Serve Robotics tops Fast Company’s tech list with Gen3 delivery robots
Serve Robotics has secured the top spot in Fast Company's "Next Big Things in Tech" list for the Robotics and Automation category, highlighting its third-generation autonomous sidewalk delivery robot. The recognition validates Serve's position in the expanding last-mile logistics market as the company scales toward its goal of deploying 2,000 robots across major U.S. cities by the end of 2025. What you should know: Serve's third-generation robot represents a significant leap in autonomous delivery capabilities compared to previous models. The Gen3 robot operates nearly twice as fast, travels double the distance, runs six additional hours per day, and carries larger...
read Oct 14, 2025Coco Robotics hires UCLA professor Bolei Zhou to lead new physical AI lab
Coco Robotics has established a new physical AI research lab led by UCLA professor Bolei Zhou, who also joins the startup as chief AI scientist. The move represents the company's strategic pivot from human-operated delivery robots to fully autonomous systems, leveraging five years of real-world data collected from its last-mile delivery fleet. What you should know: Coco Robotics has accumulated millions of miles of operational data from urban delivery routes, positioning the company to accelerate AI automation research. The startup launched in 2020 using teleoperators—remote human controllers—to help robots navigate obstacles during deliveries, but CEO Zach Rash says the company...
read Oct 14, 2025AI drives 25% of major M&A deals worth upwards of 5 billion dollars
Artificial intelligence companies are driving a surge in major M&A activity, accounting for more than a quarter of deals valued at $5 billion or above this year. Latham & Watkins, a global law firm, has emerged as the clear winner in capturing this lucrative legal work, advising on $110.5 billion worth of AI-related transactions—nearly double that of its closest competitor. The big picture: AI's influence on the M&A landscape extends beyond pure-play AI companies to include deals supporting AI infrastructure, security services, and power demands driven by data center expansion. Key details: Of nearly 90 transactions valued at $5 billion...
read Oct 14, 2025Award-winning director to create AI-powered Hanuman film for 2026 release
National Film Award-winning director Rajesh Mapuskar has been hired to direct "Chiranjeevi Hanuman – The Eternal," which is being promoted as one of India's first theatrical films created using generative AI technology. The Hindi-language project about Hindu deity Lord Hanuman will be produced by Abundantia Entertainment and Collective Media Network's Historyverse, with a worldwide theatrical release planned for Hanuman Jayanti in 2026, making it a significant test case for AI's role in feature filmmaking. What you should know: The film represents a major experiment in AI-driven filmmaking backed by substantial technical resources and industry expertise. More than 50 engineers from...
read Oct 13, 2025Johns Hopkins names AI pioneer as first data science institute director
Mark Dredze, a Johns Hopkins University computer science professor and pioneer in AI-powered language analysis for public health applications, has been named the inaugural director of the university's Data Science and AI Institute. His appointment, effective November 1, positions him to lead an interdisciplinary institute that brings together experts across AI, machine learning, and data science to drive research breakthroughs spanning neuroscience, public health, national security, and materials science. What you should know: Dredze's selection follows an extensive international search to find a leader for an institute that's rapidly expanding its faculty and research capabilities. The institute recently welcomed 22...
read Oct 13, 2025Not to flex, but Flexxbotics’ FlexxCORE software nominated for robotics award
Flexxbotics, an American digital manufacturing company, has been nominated as a finalist in the Groundbreaking Technology category of the Humanoid Robotics Industry Awards 2025 for its FlexxCORE software platform. The recognition places the company alongside industry heavyweights including Nvidia, Agibot, and LimX Dynamics, highlighting how software infrastructure is becoming as critical as hardware in enabling humanoid robots to work seamlessly in manufacturing environments. What you should know: FlexxCORE acts as a communication bridge that allows humanoid and industrial robots to connect securely with factory equipment, IT systems, and human operators without complex custom coding. The platform uses specialized connectors called...
read Oct 10, 2025Young Arab filmmakers use AI and smartphones to bypass traditional media gatekeepers
Young Arab filmmakers are revolutionizing storytelling across the Middle East by using smartphones, free editing apps, and AI tools to bypass traditional media gatekeepers. At this year's Sharjah International Film Festival for Children and Youth, creators as young as 14 are producing documentaries and digital campaigns that reach global audiences, fundamentally changing who gets to tell stories in the region. The big picture: Mobile technology and AI have democratized filmmaking in the Arab world, enabling creators to produce professional-quality content without expensive equipment or institutional approval. 14-year-old Fajer Saeed Alyileili from Fujairah creates documentaries about pollution and scoliosis using only...
read Oct 10, 2025Staples High School hosts Connecticut’s first drone programming competition
Staples High School will host its first-ever drone competition on February 21, drawing teams from across Connecticut and beyond to compete in autonomous drone programming challenges. The event marks a significant expansion for the school's RoboWreckers club, which is working to rebuild the competitive robotics program that placed second globally at the FIRST Tech Challenge World Championship in 2009. What you should know: Students will program pre-assembled drones to navigate obstacle courses autonomously, tackling both standardized challenges and yearly mission objectives. Teams must guide drones through set obstacles like flying in figure-eight patterns or navigating through cubes, according to Tech...
read Oct 10, 2025Falling from the tree: Apple searching for replacement for AI chief John Giannandrea
Apple is actively searching for a replacement for its AI chief John Giannandrea, according to a new Bloomberg report. The move comes amid ongoing struggles with Apple's AI initiatives and Siri development, along with recent organizational changes that have stripped away several of Giannandrea's key responsibilities. What you should know: Giannandrea's position has become increasingly precarious following Apple's well-documented AI challenges and staff departures from his team. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports that "The company is searching for a replacement for John Giannandrea, its artificial intelligence chief." Apple executives have been evaluating external candidates, including a senior AI executive from Meta,...
read Oct 10, 2025Campus hires Meta’s former AI VP and acquires his 1.7M-user learning platform
Campus, a college startup backed by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal, has hired Meta's former AI Vice President Jerome Pesenti as its chief technology officer and acquired his AI learning platform Sizzle AI for an undisclosed amount. The acquisition integrates personalized AI-generated educational content already serving 1.7 million users and accelerates Campus's development timeline by two to three years as the company works to disrupt traditional community college education. What you should know: Campus operates as an accredited online college offering associate degrees taught by professors from elite universities like Stanford, Princeton, and NYU. The platform...
read Oct 9, 2025Aqua Security wins AI cybersecurity solution of the year award
Aqua Security's AI protection platform, Aqua Secure AI, has been named "Cybersecurity Solution of the Year for Artificial Intelligence" in the ninth annual CyberSecurity Breakthrough Awards program. The recognition highlights the growing need for specialized security solutions as analysts predict over a billion new AI applications will be deployed by 2028, with most running in containerized environments. What you should know: Aqua Secure AI delivers comprehensive security for AI applications throughout their entire lifecycle within Kubernetes and cloud native environments. The platform embeds AI protection directly at the application layer without requiring code changes or impacting performance. It monitors prompt...
read Oct 9, 2025Crossing ponds: Former UK PM Rishi Sunak joins Microsoft and Anthropic as AI adviser
Former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has secured advisory roles with Microsoft and AI startup Anthropic, marking his latest high-profile positions since leaving office in July 2024. The appointments raise questions about potential conflicts of interest given his previous government dealings with both companies, though regulatory approval came with conditions to prevent unfair advantage. What you should know: Sunak will serve as a senior adviser to both the $3.9 trillion tech giant Microsoft and San Francisco-based Anthropic, an AI company valued at $180 billion. The roles emerged through letters published by Westminster's Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba), a regulatory...
read Oct 7, 2025Former SpaceX engineer raises $25.5M to automate circuit board design with AI
Former SpaceX engineer Sergiy Nesterenko has raised $25.5 million in Series B funding for Quilter, his AI-powered circuit board design startup that aims to automate the traditionally labor-intensive process of creating printed circuit boards. The Los Angeles-based company is now valued at around $200 million and uses physics-based training rather than human designs to teach its AI system, positioning it to address growing demand amid hardware manufacturing shifts and designer shortages. What you should know: Quilter's AI transforms circuit board design from a months-long manual process into an automated system that can generate layouts from rough sketches. Traditional circuit board...
read Oct 7, 2025NYC’s Advertising Week draws record 20K attendees as AI reshapes marketing talent
Advertising Week New York drew record attendance as marketers grappled with AI-driven disruption across talent acquisition, creative production, and brand authenticity. The 20,000 attendees confronted mounting pressures from broken measurement systems, widening AI-created skill gaps, and evolving definitions of authentic brand engagement in an increasingly synthetic content landscape. The big picture: Generative AI is fundamentally reshaping advertising talent requirements, forcing agencies to prioritize creative intuition over technical training. Entry-level roles that rely on automated mechanisms are being redefined as AI tools eliminate traditional production barriers. One anonymous CMO now seeks candidates with successful TikTok portfolios rather than traditional ad school...
read Oct 7, 2025San Francisco reigns supreme, adding 11K tech jobs while other cities stagnate
San Francisco has reasserted its dominance in tech hiring with unprecedented force, adding nearly 11,000 net new positions over the past 12 months—nearly double New York's growth and dwarfing other metropolitan areas by massive margins. This hiring surge, driven primarily by artificial intelligence expansion, signals that geography remains a critical factor for tech career advancement despite years of remote work predictions. The data reveals a stark reality: while many proclaimed the death of Silicon Valley during the pandemic, San Francisco has not only recovered but accelerated past its competitors. For professionals seeking to break into tech or advance their careers,...
read Oct 6, 2025Talent agency WME blocks all clients from OpenAI’s new Sora video features
WME has opted all of its clients out of OpenAI's latest Sora update, which adds sound effects, dialogue, and a "cameos" feature that allows users to insert human likenesses into AI-generated videos. The decision reflects deepening anxiety in Hollywood over AI's potential to exploit talent without proper compensation or consent, as the industry grapples with technology that could reshape entertainment production. What you should know: WME's head of digital strategy sent a company-wide notice on October 1st declaring that all clients would be excluded from Sora's newest capabilities. The agency's position is that "artists should have a choice in how...
read Oct 6, 2025Jargon-heavy AI ads blanket San Francisco, leaving non-techies scratching their heads
San Francisco Chronicle columnist Carl Nolte observes how artificial intelligence advertising has dramatically transformed the city's visual landscape, with AI company ads now dominating public transportation and subway stations. The ubiquitous presence of these cryptic, tech-focused advertisements signals San Francisco's latest reinvention as it emerges from recent challenges with a new identity centered around AI innovation. What you should know: AI advertising has become inescapable across San Francisco's public transportation system, featuring messages that would have been incomprehensible just a year ago. Muni buses display ads for AI code review tools like "Code Rabbit," while entire subway stations are covered...
read Oct 6, 2025Consulting firm Emergn appoints first Chief AI Officer to accelerate enterprise solutions
Emergn, a global consulting firm that has been developing AI and machine learning solutions since 2015, has appointed Aldis Erglis as its first Chief AI Officer. This executive appointment signals the company's commitment to accelerating AI-driven product development and positioning artificial intelligence as a core growth engine alongside its established consulting services. What you should know: Erglis brings over two decades of technological innovation experience and will lead Emergn's comprehensive AI strategy across all operations. He previously served as Emergn's Vice President of Technology Strategy, where he supported clients in digital transformation and AI initiatives while leading the Machine Learning...
read Oct 3, 2025Accenture cuts 11,000 jobs in $865M bet on AI-agreeable workforce
Accenture CEO Julie Sweet announced the company is laying off employees who refuse to develop AI skills, as part of an 11,000-person workforce reduction costing $865 million. The IT consulting giant is betting that businesses will prioritize hiring AI-trained workers, despite widespread evidence that many companies are struggling to successfully integrate AI into their operations. What you should know: Accenture, a multinational IT consulting firm, is implementing a brutal six-month restructuring plan that prioritizes workers with AI expertise over existing employees.• The company has laid off 11,000 employees in recent months, with CEO Julie Sweet calling it "upskilling its reinventors"...
read Oct 3, 2025Hollywood’s new New Girl is rejected by SAG-AFTRA as unauthorized digital performer
The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), the union representing actors in film and television, has issued a sharp rebuke against "Tilly Norwood," an AI-generated actress unveiled last week. The union declared that the digital performer is "not an actor" but rather "a character generated by a computer program that was trained on the work of countless professional performers — without permission or compensation." The controversy highlights the growing tension between artificial intelligence development and creative industries, as performers across entertainment sectors push back against unauthorized use of their work to train AI systems. What they're...
read Oct 3, 2025Texas private school flaunts morning classes with AI learning, teachers with large salaries
Alpha School in Austin, Texas, has created an AI-driven educational model where fourth and fifth graders spend just two hours each morning on traditional academics through personalized software, with the rest of their day focused on life skills projects. The $40,000-per-year private school represents a radical departure from conventional education, using artificial intelligence to customize learning while human "guides" focus on motivation rather than instruction. How the model works: Students progress through science, math, and reading at their own pace using AI-driven software that adapts to individual learning speeds. Adults in classrooms are called "guides" rather than teachers and earn...
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