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HP Inc., like many tech companies, is restructuring its workforce as artificial intelligence becomes a larger part of its operations. The company plans to cut 4,000 to 6,000 jobs by the end of fiscal year 2028, according to a company press release. The reductions are part of a broader initiative to increase productivity, improve customer experiences, and drive innovation through AI adoption. HP said the layoffs will primarily affect employees in product development, internal operations, and customer support, according to CNN. The company expects the cuts to save nearly $1 billion by 2028. “Structural cost savings represent gross reductions in costs driven by operational efficiency, digital transformation, and portfolio optimization,” notes the press release. Workforce reductions are just one component of the plan, which also includes program consolidation, platform simplification, and other long-term productivity measures. This is not the first time HP has downsized. The company cut...
PwC, one of the Big Four accountancy firms, is actively seeking hundreds of engineers across its global network, but says it cannot find enough qualified candidates as the firm expands its AI- and technology-driven services, according to the BBC. “We are looking for hundreds and hundreds of engineers,” Mohamed Kande, PwC’s global chairman, told the outlet. “We just cannot find them.” The firm has shifted its hiring focus from entry-level graduates to specialized technology talent. Kande also stated that PwC’s strategy emphasizes helping clients adopt AI and transform operations and workforces to use these tools effectively. PwC has also made adjustments to its workforce in recent years. In 2021, the firm aimed to hire 100,000 people over five years, but Kande said AI has made reaching that target unlikely, according to the BBC. “When we made the plans to hire that many people, the world looked very, very different,” he said. “Now we have artificial intelligence,” he said, per the...
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is increasing its use of artificial intelligence tools following significant staffing reductions earlier this year. According to FOX Business, the agency is preparing to deploy Salesforce-powered AI agents across several divisions. The move is part of a broader effort to update long-standing internal systems after workforce cuts that eliminated roughly 12,000 staff. The technology, developed through Salesforce’s Agentforce program, is designed to help employees manage customer requests. Paul Tatum, executive vice president of global public sector solutions at Salesforce, said the system operates with strict limits and cannot make final decisions or distribute funds. He described the software as a tool that assists with tasks such as locating information, generating summaries, and supporting customer interactions, according to FOX Business. Tatum noted that the program is designed to reduce delays and alleviate workloads in areas where backlogs...
Google is making it easier for anyone with a Gmail account to create polished, AI-powered videos through its Google Vids product. According to a Nov. 17 blog post from the tech company, advanced Gemini features, previously limited to paid users, are now available to all, letting creators add AI-generated voiceovers, trim silences and filler words, and enhance visuals with built-in AI image editing. To help users get started, Google has released a series of instructional videos on YouTube. One introduction video shows how teams can use the platform for training materials, customer-facing content, project updates, recruiting, and marketing communications. Casual users can also create personalized videos, from vacation highlights to birthday greetings, without needing advanced editing skills, as the blog post notes. According to the same video, Google Vids can be accessed through the Google Apps launcher in Gmail, the “New” button in Google Drive, or by visiting vids.google.com. Typing...
Cassava Technologies, the global digital services company founded by Zimbabwean entrepreneur Strive Masiyiwa, has launched Cassava AI Multi-Model Exchange (CAIMEx), a platform designed to give mobile network operators (MNOs) across Africa access to multiple AI systems through a single interface. According to a press release, CAIMEx is the first platform on the continent to aggregate models from providers including OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google. The system allows operators to choose the tools that meet their needs, supports tasks ranging from rapid-response applications to more complex reasoning, and is designed to incorporate new models as they become available. “With its growing AI ecosystem Africa has the potential to be more than a consumer of AI technologies imported to the continent,” Ahmed El Beheiry, CEO of Cassava AI, said in the press release. “Through CAIMEx, Cassava is creating a bridge between global innovation and African ambition, giving every MNO the ability to offer...
SoftBank has sold its entire $5.83 billion stake in U.S. chipmaker Nvidia to focus on its OpenAI investment. The Japanese investment firm announced on Nov. 11, 2025, that it sold 32.1 million Nvidia shares in October, along with a portion of its T-Mobile stake, which sold for $9.17 billion, CNBC reports . Chief Financial Officer Yoshimitsu Goto said the sales were part of the company’s “asset monetization” strategy. “We want to provide a lot of investment opportunities for investors, while we can still maintain financial strength,” Goto said during an investor presentation, per CNBC. The CFO also announced a four-for-one stock split . “So through those options and tools, we make sure that we are ready for funding in a very safe manner,” he added. A source reportedly told CNBC that SoftBank’s share sales of Nvidia and T-Mobile, along with a margin loan on its Arm holdings, are “sources of cash” for its $22.5 billion investment in OpenAI and for other projects, such as the acquisition...
After 32 years at Black Entertainment Television (BET), former CEO Debra Lee continues shaping culture and business. Today, she sits on the boards of Warner Bros. Discovery, Marriott International, and Procter & Gamble — but her legacy at BET remains untouched. At AFROTECH™ Conference 2025, Lee reflected on how her leadership from 2005 to 2018 helped define generations of Black entertainment, from shaping beloved programming to setting new standards for representation. Lee began at BET as the company’s first in-house counsel, building the legal department from the ground up. She later — and unexpectedly — became president and chief operating officer, succeeding founder Bob Johnson. “When people started writing articles, ‘Debra Lee is the heir apparent,’ it really shocked me,” Lee recalled. “I thought I was just going to continue to do the work, and Bob would get all the credit. That’s the way it went. No big deal. And it wasn’t until Bob left and I became CEO that people started...
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy addressed the company’s recent layoffs during its quarterly earnings call on Oct. 30, saying the decision to cut 14,000 corporate positions was based on cultural factors rather than financial or AI-related reasons, Fortune reports. “The announcement that we made a few days ago was not really financially driven, and it’s not even really AI-driven, not right now at least,” he said during the call. “It’s culture.” The Amazon layoffs, which largely affected middle management, followed a June 2025 memo, according to a previous Fortune report. In it, Jassy said that advancements in AI have increased efficiency across the company. In a separate internal communication, Beth Galetti, Amazon’s senior vice president of people experience and technology, described the restructuring as an effort to adjust to the “transformative technology” of AI. Amazon’s workforce has grown significantly in recent years. The company currently employs about 1.55 million people worldwide,...
AI-generated and AI-assisted music has appeared on Billboard charts across various genres, including gospel, rock, and country. In recent months, according to Billboard, at least six AI or AI-assisted artists have debuted on these rankings, though the total number of songs or artists using AI is not yet clear. Some artists disclose their involvement with AI on streaming platforms, while Billboard reports using detection tools, such as Deezer’s identification system, to verify AI-generated or AI-assisted content. Billboard Entries And Commercial Performance Xania Monet, an AI-powered artist created by Mississippi-based songwriter Telisha “Nikki” Jones, has charted on multiple Billboard listings. Jones produces Xania Monet’s music by blending her own lyrics with live recordings and the AI platform Suno, as AFROTECH™ previously reported. According to Billboard, Xania Monet’s “Let Go, Let Go” reached No. 3 on Hot Gospel Songs, and “How Was I Supposed to Know?” peaked at No. 20 on Hot...
50 Cent is joining a growing number of musicians experimenting with artificial intelligence to reimagine their music. According to Complex, the rap veteran recently transformed two of his hits, “21 Questions” and “God Gave Me Style,” into old-school R&B tracks. He explained that AI allows his older songs to reach listeners who may have missed the original releases. “Look, if it will reach someone that I missed, someone who couldn’t hear what I was trying to say to them in the writing, they can hear it now in that format,” he told Jordan Rose for Complex in an interview. By converting his classics into new styles, 50 Cent is exploring how technology can broaden his audience while keeping the original songwriting intact. The rapper also highlighted the quality of AI-generated voices, noting that they rival the singers of the original era. “I don’t know where the AI got these voices from, but these are some good voices,” he said. “Like, if these guys came out in that time period, they...
NFL running back Saquon Barkley has invested in AI data center startup Crusoe, joining other investors in the company’s $1.4 billion funding round, which values the startup at more than $10 billion, per Business Insider. According to the outlet, Crusoe, which calls itself “the AI Factory Company,” develops clean-energy-powered data centers for artificial intelligence. The company integrates energy sourcing, AI-optimized construction, and proprietary cloud services. Its Crusoe Cloud platform is used by AI startups, including Together AI and Fireworks, to provide computational resources for AI model training and data processing. Investors in the funding round also include Nvidia, Valor Equity Partners, Mubadala Capital, and Founders Fund. Details about Barkley’s individual investment were not disclosed, per Business Insider. The funds will support the expansion of Crusoe’s renewable-energy-powered data centers for large-scale AI operations. Barkley, who plays for the Philadelphia...
The Nigerian government, in partnership with Google and Apolitical, has launched the AI Government Campus to train civil servants in artificial intelligence (AI), Techpoint Africa reports. According to the outlet, the program offers structured online courses covering AI fundamentals, ethical frameworks, and practical applications for government operations, with assessments to track participants’ progress. At the launch event in Abuja, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy Bosun Tijani emphasized the government’s commitment to integrating AI into civil service processes. “We see artificial intelligence as a major driver of productivity across our key sectors,” he said. “We are putting resources into ensuring AI becomes native to our civil service — to accelerate the time we spend on processes and deliver better outcomes for citizens,” he continued. Adewolu Adene, Google’s government affairs and public policy manager for West Africa, highlighted the company’s role in...
Perplexity AI has released its artificial intelligence-powered browser, Comet, worldwide. The browser is now being offered for free after initially being available only to paid subscribers, CNBC reports. According to the outlet, Comet was first introduced in July. At that time, access was limited to Perplexity Max subscribers at a monthly cost of $200. The company stated that a waitlist of millions had formed before the broader rollout was announced. The browser is designed to serve as a personal digital assistant. Users are able to search the web, organize tabs, draft emails, and shop directly within the browser. According to CNBC, these functions are powered by AI technology intended to simplify everyday online activities. The decision to release Comet for free comes amid growing competition in AI-powered browsers in 2025. Google added Gemini to Chrome in September, Anthropic introduced a browser-based AI agent in August, and OpenAI unveiled Operator in January. CNBC notes that...
Robotic in vitro fertilization (IVF) systems are being used to fertilize eggs in clinical trials, producing at least 20 children so far, according to The Washington Post. In June 2025, Alin Quintana walked into a fertility clinic in Mexico City carrying years of medical complications, including a lost pregnancy and emergency surgery after a burst fallopian tube. That day, she joined an experimental trial where a robot would help create her baby. Infertility affects about 1 in 6 adults worldwide, yet access to treatment is limited, according to the World Health Organization. In many countries, patients pay out of pocket, often facing financial hardship. In the poorest nations, fertility care can push families into medical poverty traps. Since the late 1970s, IVF — fertilizing an egg outside the body — has produced 10 million to 13 million babies, per Fertility and Sterility. The process traditionally requires skilled embryologists to select sperm, retrieve eggs, and perform...
Lufthansa Airlines is adopting AI and technology to improve efficiency. Lufthansa Group has announced plans to cut 4,000 jobs by 2030 as part of a strategy to enhance efficiency through artificial intelligence (AI) and automation. According to a press release from Monday, Sept. 29, the airline plans to streamline operations and reduce costs by digitalizing and consolidating processes across its member carriers, including Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, and ITA Airways. The reductions will mainly affect administrative staff in Germany, with operational roles largely unaffected. Lufthansa said it is reviewing activities that may no longer be necessary, including duplicate work, as part of its efficiency measures. Lufansa is among a slew of other companies that have cited AI in restructuring. Klarna CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski told CNBC in May 2025 that AI helped reduce the company’s headcount by 40%, from 5,000 to nearly 3,000 employees. Additionally, the...