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Welcome to our Signs of the Tech Revolution newsletter. This week, you’ll learn:

• Why everyone pretends to know more about AI than they actually do;
• Why do the public and AI experts see the future of AI so differently;
• How Shopify is forcing managers to justify hiring humans over AI;
• Why giants like Walmart and Microsoft are prioritizing skills, not just degrees;
• And more on the latest trends in AI, cloud computing, and the tech industry.

Let’s dive in.

News #1: Public Fears vs. Expert Views On AI

It often feels like the AI discussion happens on separate tracks, doesn’t it?��

Pew Research confirms this divide: AI experts largely see sunshine ahead (56% predict a positive impact, 76% see personal benefits), while the public is far more cautious (only 17% positive on impact, 43% fear personal harm).��

Job impacts? Experts are mostly optimistic (73% positive), but the public isn’t convinced (only 23%).��

Yet, common ground exists: both groups desire more personal control over AI and worry that government regulation won’t keep pace.

News #2: Prove AI Can’t Do Your Job First

Think AI is just a tool? At Shopify, it’s becoming the benchmark for resources.��

CEO Tobi Lütke’s new directive is clear: before asking for more headcount, managers must demonstrate why AI can’t handle the task. It reflects a fundamental expectation for staff to leverage AI daily, tackling even "implausible tasks" and achieving massive productivity gains.��

This "AI-first" approach to justifying resources, tied to performance reviews amid flat headcount, signals a huge operational shift. It certainly makes you think how many companies will follow Shopify’s decision.

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News #3: Skills Over Degrees

Major players like Walmart, Microsoft, and Blackstone seem to think the four-year degree is losing its value, backing a shift toward skills-based hiring. They’re collaborating on a "Skills-First" initiative to define specific, verifiable skills needed for key roles – think of it as creating a common currency for talent.��

They’re mapping out competencies, proficiency levels, and even wage premiums for skills like Python or UX design. It’s a practical response to finding talent and offering clearer career paths, especially when job requirements (like AI skills) change quickly.��

It’s a shift in how companies value capability and opens the door for many people who couldn’t afford higher education.

News #4: Agentic AI Across Clouds

Feeling lost in the flood of AI agents? Google Cloud gets it.��

At their Cloud Next event, they announced plans to simplify things, launching an "Agent2Agent" protocol so different AI agents can actually work together across platforms.��

Big partners like Accenture, Deloitte, and KPMG are all-in, creating ready-to-use agents (Deloitte alone has over 100) for specific industries – think healthcare, finance, and HR. It’s a push to move AI from interesting experiments to real-world tools that automate tasks and deliver tangible ROI.��

Making the complex manageable is always a smart business move.

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Other News

• About one in eight (80% in the US, 77% in the UK) of employees admit to pretending to know more about AI than they actually do. C-suite executives admit to exaggerating even more – 91% of them exaggerate -
• Key insights from Stanford’s 2025 AI Index, including graphs on performance, investment and public opinion -
• Latest reports show AI model performance improvements show no sign of slowing -
• EU’s push in the global AI race, the new strategy focuses on infrastructure and streamlined regulation -
• White House orders federal agencies to appoint chief AI officers and strategize AI expansion -
• Google is challenging rivals with new AI chips and agent ecosystem developments -
• Google affirms massive $75 billion AI infrastructure bet amidst competitor cutbacks -
• Report highlights increasing cyberattack risk for bots and digital agents -
• IBM targets AI workloads with new z17 mainframe hardware rollout -

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Trusted by leading finance institutions, logistics providers, innovative engineering companies, and other organizations across many industries, we make the technology drive our partners’ business goals.

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