Latest news with #Possible
Mint
3 days ago
- Business
- Mint
LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman's advice to Gen Z graduates: 'AI is not a threat, embrace it'
Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn and a prominent Silicon Valley venture capitalist, has a clear message for the Class of 2025 and beyond: embrace artificial intelligence, not fear it. In a video shared on his YouTube channel this week, Hoffman urged recent graduates to leverage their intuitive understanding of AI tools as a core advantage in the evolving job market. 'You are Generation AI—you're AI-native,' Hoffman said. 'Highlighting your comfort with AI in your skillset makes you a compelling candidate in today's job landscape.' Hoffman, also a partner at Greylock Partners, was responding to student-submitted questions about how to navigate the job search in a tech-disrupted world. Many of the queries reflected anxieties around how AI could potentially displace entry-level roles. Acknowledging these concerns, Hoffman noted that while AI is indeed reshaping traditional workflows, particularly at the entry level, it is also creating new opportunities for digitally savvy young professionals to differentiate themselves. 'Yes, it's disrupting entry-level tasks and causing uncertainty among employers,' Hoffman said. 'But it's also a chance to stand out. You can use AI to showcase your creativity, efficiency, and problem-solving abilities—skills that more senior colleagues might still be developing.' Hoffman encouraged graduates to frame their AI fluency not just as technical knowledge, but as a collaborative strength—one that could help modernise teams and enhance productivity in legacy work environments. The comments come amid broader discussions on AI's impact on the global workforce, with many employers still figuring out how to integrate generative AI tools into business processes without diminishing human roles. For digitally fluent Gen Z professionals, this uncertainty may well be a strategic advantage. Earlier, Hoffman cautioned against the growing trend of portraying AI systems as emotional companions, arguing that such framing risks undermining human relationships and emotional well-being, reported Business Insider. During the Possible podcast, Hoffman asserted that no current AI tool possesses the emotional depth required to qualify as a friend, and that suggesting otherwise could be psychologically harmful, added the publication. 'I don't think any AI tool today is capable of being a friend,' he said. 'And I think if it's pretending to be a friend, you're actually harming the person in so doing.'
Business Insider
3 days ago
- Business
- Business Insider
Amazon's CEO told employees to get on board with AI. Career coaches and tech leaders agree: It's the only way forward.
Amazon's CEO told employees to get with the AI program on Tuesday, echoing advice from career experts and other tech leaders about the need to skill up, fast. "As we go through this transformation together, be curious about AI, educate yourself, attend workshops and take trainings, use and experiment with AI whenever you can," Andy Jassy wrote. "Participate in your team's brainstorms to figure out how to invent for our customers more quickly and expansively, and how to get more done with scrappier teams." When reached by Business Insider, an Amazon spokesperson declined to comment further on Jassy's remarks. Business Insider asked career coaches what they made of Jassy's advice — and what it means for workers navigating the AI revolution. Amazon CEO's advice is 'realistic' Career coaches said Jassy's advice isn't just an aspiration — it's realistic. "It's neither doom nor utopia," said Ryan Leak, an executive coach and the author of "How to Work With Complicated People." "The sooner people accept that reality, the sooner they can start adding even more value to their teams and organizations," he added. Leak also likened AI not to a passing wave, but a "tide that's shifting the entire shoreline of work." He said the most valuable workers going forward will not be the ones with the most experience but those who stay curious and learn quickly. "You can either be someone helping your company prepare for the future or someone hoping you still fit into it," he said. "Both paths take effort. Only one gives you agency." Marlo Lyons, a certified executive coach, agrees with Jassy "100%" and recommends that employees talk with their managers about how AI could be applied to their roles. "You have to learn AI at this point, because your job is changing," Lyons told BI. But there are still limits to what AI can do. Kathryn Landis, an executive coach and professor at NYU, said that "judgment, nuance, and institutional context" remain areas where AI often makes mistakes. "Make sure that you're studying something that you really gain those critical thinking skills, because that's what's not being replaced," she said. What tech leaders are saying Jassy isn't the only tech boss calling on employees to step up their AI game. LinkedIn's cofounder, Reid Hoffman, said AI should be baked into every team's day-to-day work, whether at a five-person startup or a giant company. To ensure AI integration happens, Hoffman recommended holding weekly or monthly meetings for everyone to share something new they've learned about using AI, he said on an episode of the podcast "Possible" in April. Shopify's CEO, Tobi Lütke, said in an internal memo in the same month that AI usage is "now a fundamental expectation of everyone at Shopify." "Before asking for more Headcount and resources, teams must demonstrate why they cannot get what they want done using AI," Lütke wrote in the memo, which he posted on X. "What would this area look like if autonomous AI agents were already part of the team? This question can lead to really fun discussions and projects." OpenAI's chief product officer, Kevin Weil, said on an episode of "Lenny's Podcast" published in April that the company's chief people officer "vibe coded" an internal tool. The executive used AI to rebuild a system she missed from a previous job. "If our chief people officer is doing it, we have no excuse," Weil said. Hilary Gridley, the head of core product at the wearables company Whoop, created "30 Days of GPT" to help her team form the habit of using AI, she said on a podcast published on Sunday. "I don't know anyone who has gone through this and not come out the other side feeling a hundred times more confident in their skills," she said on a podcast published on Sunday.
BBC News
11-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Heathrow Airport expansion 'essential' after busiest May
Heathrow says expansion of the airport is "essential", after experiencing its busiest May on than 7.2 million passengers travelled through its four terminals last month, up 0.4% from a year ago.A Heathrow spokesperson said: "As these record numbers become the norm, it's time to start an honest conversation about the challenges this presents for an already space-constrained yet highly efficient hub."Opponents of the west London airport's expansion say increasing air travel would make it much harder for the UK to meet its climate change commitments. The Mayor of London, Sir Sadiq Khan, opposes a third runway at Heathrow for this reason as well as because of noise and air pollution. Heathrow's spokesperson said: "Heathrow continues to deliver excellent service, but to sustain this performance and meet future demand, expanding capacity will be essential."The airport has previously said it will submit detailed plans for building a third runway to the government in the Rachel Reeves used a speech on growth in January to give her support to the project, which has been repeatedly delayed over several decades because of environmental concerns. Friends of the Earth has previously described the expansion plans as "hugely irresponsible".Alethea Warrington, head of aviation at climate charity Possible, said in January: "This huge increase in emissions won't help our economy, and would just encourage the small group of frequent flyers who take most of the flights."People living in nearby Harmondsworth told the BBC earlier this year that if the expansion plans went ahead, "three-quarters of the village would be demolished" and it would no longer be a "viable community".
India Today
30-05-2025
- Business
- India Today
LinkedIn Cofounder says AI won't be your friend, you will be harmed if you pretend so
LinkedIn cofounder, Reid Hoffman and someone who is an active investor in AI, recently said that AI cannot be your friend. According to a Business Insider report, Hoffman shared his thoughts on the Possible podcast, where he warned people not to think of AI as something it's not. While many companies like Meta are working on AI chatbots that feel more personal, Hoffman said this could be harmful. 'I don't think any AI tool today is capable of being a friend,' he said. 'And I think if it's pretending to be a friend, you're actually harming the person in so doing.' He explained that calling AI your friend is dangerous because it changes how we understand real human said that friendship is not just about someone listening or talking to you. In his words, 'Friendship is a two-directional relationship.' He believes a true friend is someone who supports you, but also expects support in return. It's about growing together and helping each other become better people. He added, 'It's not only, 'Are you there for me?', but I am here for you.' That kind of connection, he said, is not something AI can offer, no matter how smart or advanced it comes at a time when Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is promoting AI companions as a way to help people feel less lonely. He mentioned that many Americans have fewer than three close friends and said that AI could help fill that gap. These AI companions are now being added to platforms like Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook, and even smart glasses. But Hoffman strongly feels that this approach can confuse people about what friendship really means. He said that some AI tools, like the Pi chatbot from Inflection AI, do a better job because they clearly tell users they are just companions and not friends. Hoffman said, 'Helping you go out into your world of friends is, I think, an extremely important thing for a companion to do.'advertisement I think what Hoffman is saying makes sense in many ways. It is kind of true that an AI companion cannot feel emotions or really care about you. It can reply and even sound friendly, but at the end of the day, it's still a machine. People, especially kids, might get too attached and think of the AI as a real friend, which could be harmful. But on the other hand, for people who have no one to talk to, having a chatbot might still be helpful in some situations. It can listen without judging and be available anytime. Basically, while AI can be useful and supportive in some ways, it cannot replace a real friend. Human connection is still something only real people can believes tech companies should be clear and honest about what AI can and cannot do. 'We as a market should demand it, we as an industry, all MPAs, should standardise around it,' he said. 'And if there's confusion around this, I think we as government should say, 'Hey, look, if you're not stepping up to this, we should.''Even OpenAI's CEO Sam Altman agrees. He said in a Senate hearing that while adults might talk to AI for support, children should be protected from forming close personal bonds with it. When asked if he would want his own child to have an AI best friend, he said, 'I do not.'
Business Insider
29-05-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Reid Hoffman says AI can't be your friend — and pretending it can is harmful
Reid Hoffman says AI can't be your friend, and pretending it can is "harming the person." Hoffman warned on a podcast that AI "friendships" erode human connections. "I don't think any AI tool today is capable of being a friend," Hoffman said in a Wednesday episode of the Possible podcast. "And I think if it's pretending to be a friend, you're actually harming the person in so doing." His comments came amid Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg's push to embed AI companions across Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and even Ray-Ban smart glasses. Last month, Zuckerberg told podcaster Dwarkesh Patel he sees AI chatbots as part of the solution to America's so-called loneliness epidemic. He cited statistics suggesting that the average American has "fewer than three friends" but has the capacity for 15. According to a 2021 report from the Survey Center on American Life, 49% of Americans report having three or fewer friends. But Hoffman drew a sharp distinction between companions and friends, saying that blurring that line erodes what it means to be human. "Friendship is a two-directional relationship," he said. "Companionship and many other kinds of interactions are not necessarily two-directional. And I think that's extremely important because it's the kind of subtle erosion of humanity." He said his theory of friendship was "two people agree to help each other become the best versions of themselves," a dynamic that involves not just emotional support, but also accountability — something no chatbot can reciprocate. "It's not only, 'Are you there for me?', but I am here for you." Hoffman praised design choices like Inflection AI's Pi assistant, which explicitly tells users, "I'm your companion," and encourages people to spend time with actual human friends. "Helping you go out into your world of friends is, I think, an extremely important thing for a companion to do," he said. As tech companies race to deploy more emotionally intelligent bots, Hoffman argued for more transparency and regulation. "We as a market should demand it, we as an industry, all MPAs, should standardize around it," he said. "And if there's confusion around this, I think we as government should say, 'Hey, look, if you're not stepping up to this, we should.'" For Hoffman, the stakes are high. "I think that's a degradation of the quality of elevation of human life," he said. "And that should not be what it's doing." Hoffman isn't alone in raising the alarm on AI companions. During a Senate testimony earlier this month, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman voiced similar concerns about AI forming personal bonds with children. When asked whether he'd want his own child to form a best-friend bond with an AI bot, he said, "I do not." He said that while adults might seek emotionally supportive relationships with AI, children require a "much higher level of protection" in how these systems interact with them.
