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AI Changes Search Game for Marketers

William Attardi on May 12, 2025

 In a matter of months, artificial intelligence has begun to change how people search for things online in ways that alarm some marketers. Consumers who use traditional search engines like Google and Bing are now greeted atop their search results by AI-generated summaries of the topics at hand. OpenAI said last month that ChatGPT will soon roll out a shopping button that redirects users to a merchant’s website, where they can buy the product they were researching. OpenAI says ChatGPT now processes roughly one billion searches a week, but Google handles 5 trillion searches each year, or around 100 times that total, according to its most recent figures.  “This is not big for us yet, but it could be,” Joy Howard said of LLM searches.  Q1i1BlXWfajcTTkzC3B2-WSJNewsPaper-5-12-2025.pdf

Supply Chain Bill Passes the House 

William Attardi on May 2, 2025

On April 28, the House of Representatives passed the Promoting Resilient Supply Chains Act of 2025, sponsored by Rep. John James (R-MI). The bill establishes a Supply Chain Resiliency Program within the Department of Commerce, using AI and quantum computing to anticipate and mitigate supply chain disruptions from natural and man-made disasters. It includes an Early Warning System, fosters public-private collaboration, and incentivizes domestic manufacturing to reduce reliance on adversarial nations like China. Supply Chain Bill Passes the House  – tEDmag

AI Is Enabling an Always-On Economy. Companies Need to Pick Up the Pace by Steven Rosenbush

William Attardi on April 22, 2025

 Intelligent agents make it easier for supply chains, logistics, cybersecurity, market research and more to operate 24 hours a day. Artificial intelligence is transforming businesses in an underappreciated way, extending the productive hours across various functions and industries. Companies need to start adapting for a world in which more markets operate 24 hours a day, much as trading does now.  Those human constraints have often led to delayed decision-making and missed opportunities at all sorts of companies. The shift to an always-on economy isn’t just about using AI to make predictions. It’s about acting on them continuously.AI Is Enabling an Always-On Economy. Companies Need to Pick Up the Pace. – WSJ

91% of Global Executives Are Scaling Up AI Efforts

William Attardi on April 18, 2025

New research reveals global leaders use AI for nearly half of their work and are willing to switch to AI-friendly companies.  Globalization Partners (G-P) unveiled its second annual AI at Work Report, revealing significant acceleration in AI adoption and use among global executives. Nearly all (91%) global executives are actively scaling up their AI initiatives and 74% report AI is critical to their company’s success. Only 1% of executives reported not using AI at all. The AI at Work Report highlights the transformative impact of AI on modern work and business. The findings reveal executives are ready to push beyond basic AI solutions, harnessing the technology’s potential for increased innovation, optimization and to drive success in a digital-first world.  Despite the enthusiasm for AI, executives are cautious of its use for high-stakes decisions, especially in situations with legal or monetary ramifications. More than half (51%) of surveyed executives said they would not trust AI to make financial investment or budgeting decisions—suggesting a hesitance to hand over all mission-critical operations. 91% of Global Executives Are Scaling Up AI Efforts

How AI is Driving the Next Wave of Energy Innovation

William Attardi on April 8, 2025

Over the past two years AI has reigned in the minds of business leaders across the board.  While some industries remain hesitant in embedding AI into their business, leaders from the energy sector have been more open to AI led transformation possibilities in their businesses. Several energy organizations across the world are methodically experimenting with AI to drive digital transformation, with the sector already seeing real business value from AI.  According to the ‘KPMG International’s Global Tech Report: Energy insights’, 67% of energy companies are achieving measurable impact from active AI use cases. A big advantage of the energy sector is that there is a lot of data available, much of which is in digitised form. This availability of structured data complements with the broader structured and unstructured data available from external sources, creating a rich base for action in the energy companies. As a result, AI adoption in the energy sector is moving beyond proof-of-concept. Powering the Future: How AI is Driving the Next Wave of Energy Innovation

Say Hello to Your New Colleague, the AI Agent By Marc Benioff

William Attardi on April 7, 2025

I’ve been part of many waves of technology in my 25 years at Salesforce—from cloud computing to mobile, social and the early stages of AI. But nothing compares to the transformation we’re seeing now. While much of the AI conversation is about large language models, the real revolution is happening in AI-driven digital labor: autonomous, intelligent agents. Because such agents act on their own, collaborate and continuously learn and improve, companies of any size can scale beyond human limits.  Today’s CEOs are the final generation of executives leading exclusively human workforces. Going forward, we’ll need to learn how to manage human workers and digital labor to work together to deliver efficiency and productivity. Integrating AI agents into daily operations will become a leadership skill that separates companies that thrive from those that fall behind. Mr. Benioff is Chair and CEO of Salesforce. iq4POgFJIwS2n9NdKvjD-WSJNewsPaper-4-4-2025.pdf

More Electricity Needed Faster to Further National Energy Security, Says S&P Global Report by Kim Riley

William Attardi on March 14, 2025

The summary of the S. National Power Demand Study— which will be released in its entirety in the coming weeks — highlights the extent of the electricity demand growth facing the United States, and presents some of the tools that can be tapped to meet the moment in furtherance of national energy security. Electricity demand in America will surge by 35 percent to 50 percent between 2024 and 2040, primarily driven by AI data centers, new manufacturing activity, electric vehicles (EVs), space-heating electrification, and broad economic growth, according to the S&P Global study. A key finding is that the demand is growing faster than the supply of new energy solutions that could power it, creating an urgent need for faster policy action on permitting and grid interconnection and an all-of-the-above energy strategy within the sector, according to S&P Global.  More electricity needed faster to further national energy security, says S&P Global report – Daily Energy Insider

AI’s Growing Waste Problem—and How to Solve It by Samsurin Welch, Khaled Soufani and Eva Morales

William Attardi on March 4, 2025

Harvard Business Review: While AI has come under scrutiny for energy use, a less discussed but equally concerning trend is the growth in resource use and electronic waste from computing and data center infrastructure. Circular economy principles can help mitigate negativeenvironmental and social impact from the AI boom. Companies need to think about how they can use equipment and materials longer, use differently, use again, and use less. The circular economy offers a path forward. By rethinking resource use, extending the lifespan of AI hardware, and developing robust recycling systems, businesses can not only reduce their environmental footprint but also drive innovation and competitiveness. Drawing on our previous developed 4-Use framework offers several insights on how circularity can improve the sustainability of AI operations. AI’s Growing Waste Problem—and How to Solve It

AI Is Coming for Your Job…Posting by Aaron Szymanski

William Attardi on March 3, 2025

The construction industry is struggling to keep up with the rate of change occurring in society today. To truly embrace innovation, the industry must recognize that AI isn’t working against you. It’s an agent that works with you and for you — completing monotonous tasks that humans aren’t generally good at, such as calculation and data storage. Electrical contractors have a unique opportunity to lead the way in AI adoption, and the tools available today only scratch the surface of AI’s potential. By embracing this transformative technology, electrical contractors can improve their efficiency and productivity and inspire other trades to follow suit. The future of construction isn’t about choosing between human expertise and artificial intelligence; it’s about combining both to build better, faster, and more sustainably than ever before. AI Isn’t Taking Your Electrical Job | EC&M

Artificial Intelligence Can Be America’s Strategic Advantage by Manisha Singh

William Attardi on February 28, 2025

The world is shifting from great power competition to global strategic advantage, and artificial intelligence can be America’s great strategic advantage. Like every other significant innovation in the last century, AI was created in the U.S. Both allies and adversaries are racing to surpass our economic and security capabilities. America must accelerate in the race to mobilize AI for great strategic advantage. President Trump has made the point about American dominance in AI emphatically. Among the flurry of initial executive orders is an EO focused specifically on “Removing Barriers to American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence.” It directs the development of an AI Action Plan to “act decisively to retain global leadership in artificial intelligence.” The unwritten part being that thThe AI face off is between the land of the free and the Chinese communist party. America cannot afford to lose.e most sinister challenge emanates from the People’s Republic of China (PRC).  Artificial Intelligence Can Be America’s Strategic Advantage

It’s Back to School – How Some of Our Most Acknowledged Universities Got Their Name – Who were the true visionaries who would donate half of their estate to sculpting the minds of the future. These stories are monuments to history and culture. Let’s take a stroll through academia’s memory lane and uncover the origins of these storied university names!

  1. Ah, Harvard! The Ivy League giant was once a small college in the Massachusetts Bay Colony settlement called New Towne. But where did “Harvard” come from? Enter John Harvard, a clergyman who, in 1638, decided to bequeath half his estate and his library (a whopping 400 books!) to the fledgling college. Grateful for this generous gift, they promptly named the institution after him.
  2. A gem of New Haven, Connecticut, Yale is another Ivy League powerhouse known for its prestigious law and drama schools. It owes its name to Elihu Yale, a wealthy merchant who, in 1718, donated a modest shipment of goods (including portraits, books, and textiles) to a struggling collegiate school. Those goods were auctioned off, raising a much-needed £562 –a small fortune at the time.
  3. Dartmouth is renowned for its beautiful rural setting, nestled in the picturesque town of Hanover, New Hampshire. It was named after the Earl of Dartmouth, William Legge, a British nobleman who supported the college’s founding –despite never actually setting foot in America!
  4. Brown, this Rhode Island Ivy University, known for its open curriculum and emphasis on student choice, was founded with a mouthful of a name – the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. It was renamed in 1704 for Nicholas Brown, Jr., a prominent merchant whose family donated generously to the school.
  5. Perched atop a hill overlooking Ithaca, New York, Cornell is celebrated for its diverse academic programs and its stunning natural surroundings. Founded by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, this university was unique for its commitment to practical education, allowing students the freedom to choose their own course of study. It was a revolutionary notion at the time, which would guide a curricular reform across the country.
  6. Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, Stanford is renowned for its entrepreneurial spirit and its close ties to the tech industry. But this California powerhouse has a touching origin story. Leland Stanford, Jr., the founder’s son, tragically died young from typhoid fever. His father Leland Sr., railroad magnate and former state governor, and his mother Jane, founded the university in his memory, ensuring his legacy lived on through the pursuit of knowledge.
  7. This North Carolina research giant, known for its strong medical and law schools, underwent a bit of a name change in its history. Originally called Trinity College, it was renamed Duke University in 1924 after James Buchanan Duke, a tobacco and electric power industrialist who founded the American Tobacco Company. He established The Duke Endowment, to which he donated throughout his life and left half his estate after his death.
  8. Nestled in Nashville, Tennessee, Vanderbilt is a renowned research university with a vibrant campus life. It owes its name to “The Commodore,” Cornelius Vanderbilt, a shipping and railroad magnate, who provided the initial gift to establish the university.
  9. Texas businessman William Marsh Rice provided the initial funding for this Houston university, but did not live to see its opening. He was murdered by his valet as he slept, in a plot to forge the man’s will. Despite the unfortunate circumstances, Rice University flourished through the years, becoming an institution known for its strong engineering and science programs.
  10. Who was Harvard named after? Origin of university names