Business Leaders Discuss Finding Balance Between the Human and the Technological
Three leaders of companies that use—or advocate for using—artificial intelligence spoke in a breakout session at the 2025 TIME100 Summit about how to find the balance between human interaction and technological innovation as American consumers grapple with the rise of AI.
At the event, Glenn Fogel, CEO of Booking Holdings, a travel technology company which is parent to Booking.com—a sponsor of the Summit—looked back at last year's TIME 100 gathering, when he advocated for incorporating AI into companies as long as it was done 'with a human touch.'
This year, Fogel says that the acceleration of AI is both more exciting and more scary than ever before. Though Booking.com does not yet have digital travel agents, Fogel says the company is 'very close' to this kind of AI application.
'I think that's both good and bad,' Fogel said. 'If it's able to do things more efficiently, make things better, make all of your experiences better, that's great. But as it continues to replace human labor, how do we deal with our societal changes?'
The breakout session, titled 'Reimagining Innovation: Leadership in a Changing World,' was moderated by Edward Felsenthal, former editor-in-chief of TIME Magazine. Joining Fogel were Tim Cadogan, CEO of GoFundMe, and Sukhinder Singh Cassidy, CEO of accounting software company Xero.
Cadogan— a 2025 TIME 100 honoree —said that the goal of GoFundMe, a crowdfunding platform where individuals can raise money for various personal or charitable causes, was to begin with the human stories of those asking for help, and to use technology to amplify those narratives. Research shows that it is hard to ask for help, Cadogan says, and he believes that technology can help individuals bridge that difficult gap and advocate for themselves. This includes creating prompts, headlines, and various 'smart suggestions.'
Even with that, Cadogan said, 'authenticity is fundamental…You have to start with the personal story, and then you help through the technologies and bring that story out and articulate it, and then spread it as widely as you can. That's the balancing act; how do you get the right amount of the personal situation and then use the technology to help it become successful?'
Cassidy, who, with Xero, provides accounting software to small businesses, says that AI is a 'net positive' and that it can help level the playing field for small businesses. She says that AI can be incredibly useful in helping small businesses remain competitive 'driver[s] of economies,' She did not, however, downplay the risks of the technology.
'Look, I am a believer that AI, like anything, is an enabler. But you know, you want to use it rather than have it do something to you,' she said. '[AI] does, I believe, let people explore all their potential, and leave the more routine and automated tasks to tools, and gives them back time.'
All the same, Cassidy made sure to emphasize that a small business's brand cannot be faked with AI. When a brand is authentic, she said, 'you won't ever lose the promise of a brand, the promise of community, the promise of connection.'
---
The TIME100 Summit convenes leaders from the global TIME100 community to spotlight solutions and encourage action toward a better world. This year's summit features a variety of speakers across a diverse range of sectors, including business, health and science, AI, culture, and more.
Speakers for the 2025 TIME100 Summit include human rights advocate Yulia Navalnaya; Meghan, Duchess of Sussex; comedian Nikki Glaser; climate justice activist Catherine Colman Flowers; Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos, and many more, plus a performance by Nicole Scherzinger.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Boston Globe
an hour ago
- Boston Globe
US boosts emergency Mideast evacuations and travel warnings after Trump orders strikes in Iran
The notice made no mention of any potential evacuation flights or other assistance for private Americans wanting to leave Lebanon but said those who want to should try to use existing commercial services to depart. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up At the same time, the department issued warnings to U.S. citizens in Saudi Arabia and Turkey to take extra security precautions given the uncertainty. Advertisement 'Given reports of regional hostilities, the U.S. Mission to Saudi Arabia has advised its personnel to exercise increased caution and limit non-essential travel to any military installations in the region,' the department said in its notice for Saudi Arabia. In Turkey, the department said U.S. personnel 'have been cautioned to maintain a low profile and instructed to avoid personal travel to the U.S. Consulate Adana consular district,' which includes the NATO airbase at Incirlik. 'Negative sentiment toward U.S. foreign policy may prompt actions against U.S. or Western interests in Turkey,' the statement said. Advertisement Late Saturday, the department said it was stepping up evacuation flights for American citizens from Israel to Europe and continuing to draw down its staff at diplomatic missions in Iraq. But even before the U.S. airstrikes on Iran were made public by President Donald Trump on Saturday evening in Washington, the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem had announced the start of evacuation flights for private Americans from Israel. Sixty-seven American citizens left Israel on two government flights bound for Athens, Greece on Saturday and four more evacuation flights to Athens were planned for Sunday, according to internal State Department document seen by The Associated Press. A nongovernment charter flight is scheduled to depart Israel for Rome on Monday. In addition to the flights, a cruise ship carrying more than 1,000 American citizens, including several hundred Jewish youngsters who had been visiting Israel on an organized tour, arrived in Cyprus, according to the document. It also said the evacuation of non-essential personnel at the U.S. embassy in Baghdad and consulate in Erbil is continuing. Those staffers had been ordered to leave even before Israel began its military operation in Iran more than a week ago. 'As part of our ongoing effort to streamline operations, additional personnel departed Iraq on June 21 and 22,' the department said. 'These departures represent a continuation of the process started on June 12.' As of Saturday, more than 7,900 Americans had asked for assistance in leaving Israel and more than 1,000 had sought help in leaving Iran, where the U.S. has no diplomatic presence, the document said. There are roughly 700,000 Americans, many of them dual U.S.-Israeli citizens, in Israel and many thousands of Americans, most of them dual in Iran. It was not clear how many Americans had successfully made it out of Iran through overland routes, although the document said more than 200 had entered neighboring Azerbaijan as of Saturday since the conflict began. Advertisement After the U.S. strikes in Iran, security officers at all U.S. embassies and consulates have been instructed to conduct reviews of their post's security posture and report back to the State Department by late Sunday.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Spain agrees with NATO to skip 5% defence spending target
MADRID (Reuters) -Spain agreed with the NATO military alliance to be excluded from spending 5% of its gross domestic product on defence, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Sunday. "A 5% spending would be disproportionate and unnecessary," Sanchez said in an address on national television. "We fully respect the legitimate desire of other countries to increase their defence investment, but we are not going to do it," he said, adding Spain could meet all its commitments to NATO, in terms of staff or equipment, by spending only 2.1% of its GDP. Diplomats had said earlier on Sunday the 32 countries comprising NATO had agreed on a statement for the upcoming summit setting a goal of 5% of GDP for annual defence and security related by 2035 overcoming Spain's objection. In a letter sent on Thursday, Sanchez had told NATO chief Mark Rutte his country wanted to opt out of a new 5% spending target. The letter raised concerns that Spain would derail the whole summit. At an estimated 1.28% of GDP, Spain had the lowest proportion of expenditure on defence in the alliance last year, according to NATO estimates. Sanchez agreed in April to accelerate efforts to meet NATO's current target of 2% this year.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Can You Guess What Single Asset Makes Up 30% Of The Average American's Portfolio? It's Not a 401(k)
When most people imagine the average American's wealth, they picture 401(k)s, mutual funds, maybe a pile of cash stashed in a bank account. But if you dig into the data, it turns out the biggest piece of the pie is something you drive by every day: a house. According to the Federal Reserve's 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances — the most recent data available — primary residences make up 30% of the average American household's total net worth. That's right. The roof over your head often holds more weight in a family's finances than any stock ticker ever could. The report, which surveys thousands of households across income brackets and age groups every three years, gives a unique look into what the typical American portfolio really looks like. Don't Miss: Maker of the $60,000 foldable home has 3 factory buildings, 600+ houses built, and big plans to solve housing — Peter Thiel turned $1,700 into $5 billion—now accredited investors are eyeing this software company with similar breakout potential. Learn how you can Here's how the rest of it breaks down: Retirement accounts like 401(k)s and IRAs come next, accounting for 25% of household wealth. It's the kind of savings most people don't touch until they're older, but for many, it's their biggest long-term bet. Public equities and mutual funds make up 15% of net worth. These are the traditional stock market investments — the kind you'd expect to see topping the list. But for most households, it's just a slice of the pie, not the main course. Private business ownership or equity stakes account for 12%, though this is more common among wealthier households and small business owners. It's a high-risk, high-reward category — one that can heavily tilt net worth upward or downward depending on success. Trending: Maximize saving for your retirement and cut down on taxes: . Other real estate, including rental properties and vacation homes, makes up 10%. Not everyone is in the landlord game, but those who are tend to diversify here. Cash and deposits — the checking, savings, and emergency funds — only make up 5% of household wealth on average. It's enough to pay bills, but hardly the driver of long-term financial growth. And finally, "other" assets like vehicles, collectibles, and miscellaneous valuables total just 3%. While they might feel like assets in the garage or attic, they don't move the needle much on paper. So why does this matter? Because the way wealth is held in America isn't just about the number in your retirement account — it's about where your money lives. And for most households, that's still in real estate. It's a reminder that while investing is important, owning a home is still the biggest building block of wealth for everyday Americans. Read Next: Invest early in CancerVax's breakthrough tech aiming to disrupt a $231B market. Image: Shutterstock Up Next: Transform your trading with Benzinga Edge's one-of-a-kind market trade ideas and tools. Click now to access unique insights that can set you ahead in today's competitive market. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? APPLE (AAPL): Free Stock Analysis Report TESLA (TSLA): Free Stock Analysis Report This article Can You Guess What Single Asset Makes Up 30% Of The Average American's Portfolio? It's Not a 401(k) originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
