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In three years, a fellow tech executive recently told me with serene confidence, Everyone will be able to make a full-length movie in AI, totally personalized for them, by just typing up a few prompts. I considered pointing out that this would destroy one of the central functions of art, and one of its greatest pleasures: to connect individuals across time and space through a single act of imagination. But I didnt bother. The furious debate around AI and art mostly consists of opposing sides talking past each other. Tech evangelists offer breezy assertions that generative AI empowers everyone to become an artist, while creators across multiple mediums rage against the technology as a threat to their livelihoodor even to the future of human creativity. Disney and Universals lawsuit against Midjourney will likely intensify this cultural clash. Its painful to hear the hyperbole flying from both directions, especially since I have a foot in both camps. After a lifetime honing my craft, Im proud to have written several New York Times-bestselling novels and every episode of my TV show Panic. In recent years, after researching various technologies for creative projects, Ive also contributed to the development of new AI models. As someone who works in both AI and the arts, let me point out some of the key nuances getting lost in the noise. Generative AI needs artists. Not the other way around Heres a secret that hyperbolic AI execs dont like to acknowledge, but artists should definitely hear: LLMs like ChatGPT have already consumed virtually all the data available online. To meaningfully improve, they now need a continuous influx of new content, including original art. Without it, theyre headed for a recursive loop: generating content that feeds on other AI-generated content, leading to increasingly low-quality or bizarre results. To put it bluntly, generative AI companies need artists and the work they havent made yet. OpenAIs infamous Studio Ghibli meme stunt rightly drew criticism for disrespecting Miyazakis well-known disdain for AI, but it also underscored a key point: theres only so much beloved art in the world at the level of Studio Ghibli, and AI has already devoured it. Artists should recognize the leverage this gives them. They could collectively establish terms AI companies must follow for any content published online, or risk starving the models of fresh creative input. At the same time, artists might reconsider viewing generative AI solely as a threat. That defensive posture underestimates the enduring value of their talent and risks missing out on new avenues of creativity. If anything, the deluge of AI-generated sludge may actually elevate the value of handmade artbooks, paintings, sculpture, live performancemaking these physical forms more precious than ever. Media history supports this. In the early 2000s, with the rise of podcasting, radios demise seemed imminent. Yet today, radio remains twice as popular as podcastsnearly 80 years after TVs debut supposedly heralded its end. Its also clear how much generative AI companies struggle without artists to guide them. Consider the endless parade of AI-generated social media influencerspale imitations of their human counterparts. Why not create an influencer that looks and acts like a dragon or a new alien species? Without someone to infuse the process with joy and imagination, generative AI content fails to engage, inspire, or unite. Or in creative industry terms: its not compelling IP. Artists may not need generative AI, but its a toolset worth exploring. Im excited about what happens when this technology is wielded by real artists. They, not coders, will be the ones to discover new forms of storytelling and visualization that were previously unimaginable. What Art and AI Already Share Im hopeful that well see more collaboration between AI companies and artists. But first, each side must recognize that while they may share a goalcreating something disruptivetheir approaches are radically different. In tech, efficiency is often the end goal of innovation. For artists, inefficiency is the process. The noodling, tweaking, perfecting, and obsessing: these are usually ignored by tech when designing generative AI platforms, but theyre essential to the creation of truly unique art. And, I would argue, essential to the joy of creating at all. Creativity is fundamentally the act of imprinting imagination onto the world; it is visible in the whorls, details, and choices that reflect the makers expressive spirit. My tech executive friend, who believes AI movies can be prompted into existence, overlooks how the inefficiency of the creative process is integral not just to the final product but to the pleasure of making it. It often takes me a full day to write a single page, agonizing over every metaphor and word choice. And the writing is only one phase: I recently sold a novel, The Girl in the Lake, based on my decades-long fascination with past lives and near-death experiences, and their possible scientific underpinnings. Still, I believe the friction between art and tech is partly fueled by an uncomfortable truth: They have more in common than theyd like to admit. Both are highly elitist and gatekeeping industries, often skeptical of anyone outside their preferred colleges, institutions, or circles. Both are ego-driven, with a belief that their work is among the most important contributions to humanity. In their own ways, both technologists and artists are bidding for immortalitywhether by creating a timeless novel or a godlike AI. A little humility from both sides could go a long way toward making future conversations more productive. I first got into developing technology while researching for my novels, and Ive never forgotten that the word technology comes from techneGreek for a system for making art. Heres to an AI-driven future that expands artistic possibility, rather than one locked in outdated, binary debates.
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E-Commerce
The crash of a Boeing 787 passenger jet in India minutes after takeoff on Thursday is putting the spotlight back on a beleaguered manufacturer though it was not immediately clear why the plane crashed.The Air India 787 went down in the northwestern city of Ahmedabad with more than 240 people aboard shortly after takeoff, authorities said. It was the first fatal crash since the plane, also known as the Dreamliner, went into service in 2009, according to the Aviation Safety Network database. Boeing shares fell more than 4% in afternoon trading.The 787 was the first airliner to make extensive use of lithium ion batteries, which are lighter, recharge faster, and can hold more energy than other types of batteries. In 2013 the 787 fleet was temporarily grounded because of overheating of its lithium-ion batteries, which in some cases sparked fires. 737 Max The Max version of Boeing’s best-selling 737 airplane has been the source of persistent troubles for Boeing after two of the jets crashed. The crashes, one in Indonesia in 2018 and another in Ethiopia in 2019, killed 346.The problem stemmed from a sensor providing faulty readings that pushed the nose down, leaving pilots unable to regain control. After the second crash, Max jets were grounded worldwide until the company redesigned the system.Last month, the Justice Department reached a deal to allow Boeing to avoid criminal prosecution for allegedly misleading U.S. regulators about the Max before the two crashes.Worries about the plane flared up again after a door plug blew off a Max operated by Alaska Airlines, leading regulators to cap Boeing’s production at 38 jets per month. Financial woes Boeing posted a loss of $11.8 billion in 2024, bringing its total losses since 2019 to more than $35 billion.The company’s financial problems were compounded by a strike by machinists who assemble the airplanes plane at its factories in Renton and Everett, Washington, which halted production at those facilities and hampered Boeing’s delivery capability.For the first three months of 2025, Boeing reported a narrower loss of $31 million compared with the previous year. CEO Kelly Ortberg said Boeing made progress on stabilizing operations during the quarter. Orders and deliveries The stepped-up government scrutiny and the workers’ strike resulted in Boeing’s aircraft deliveries sliding last year.Boeing said it supplied 348 jetliners in 2024, which was a third fewer than the 528 that it reported for the previous year.The company delivered less than half the number of commercial aircraft to customers than its main rival Airbus, which reported delivering 766 commercial jets in 2023.Still, Boeing’s troubles haven’t turned off airline customers from buying its jets. Last month the company secured big orders from two Middle Eastern customers. The deals included a $96 billion order for 787 and 777X jets from Qatar, which it said was the biggest order for 787s and wide-body jets in the company’s history. The Associated Press
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E-Commerce
Its easy to forget, but COVID-19 is still commonplace around the world, and the virus is still mutating, unleashing new variants across the globe. The latest variant, nicknamed Nimbus, that health authorities are keeping an eye on is now spreading rapidly in the United States. And it has a painful new symptom you should be aware of. Heres what to know about the COVID-19 Nimbus variant. What is Nimbus? Nimbus is one of the latest variants of COVID-19 that health authorities are keeping an eye on. Its lineage designation is NB.1.8.1 and is a subvariant of Omicron. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Nimbus was first detected in January 2025. But it has since spread and is likely to become the leading variant of COVID-19 that is circulating around the world. Indeed, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that Nimbuss spread is making rapid gains in America. For the two-week period ending May 24, Nimbus accounted for about 15% of all reported COVID-19 cases in the country. But by the two-week period ending June 7, Nimbus accounted for 37% of cases. In the same period, the currently dominant LP.8.1 accounted for 38% of COVID-19 cases in America. Razor blade throat and other symptoms Nimbus has several common symptoms, many of which are shared by other COVID-19 variants. According to Today, these symptoms include: Cough Runny nose or congestion Shortness of breath Fever or chills Headache Body aches Fatigue New loss of sense of smell or taste Yet people infected with Nimbus have also reported another symptoma sore throat. But many who have experienced this symptom say the throat soreness is more intense than what one usually experiences. Some have described the Nimbus sore throat symptom as feeling like you have razor blades in your throat. Because of this, the symptom has been nicknamed razor blade throat. However, Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease specialist at the University of California, San Francisco, told the San Francisco Chronicle that despite the nickname, a sore throat is actually a common symptom of COVID-19. Sore throat is a common symptom of COVID and not novel at all, and not associated with any one variant, including NB.1.8.1, Chin-Hong said. There has been a range of intensity of sore throat with COVID symptoms all along, including very severe pain. Which states have Nimbus spread to? CDC reporting of COVID-19s spread isnt as robust as it once was, and the agency has not reported exactly which states Nimbus has spread to as of this time. However, as noted by Today, data from the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data (GISAID) shows that Nimbus is in at least 14 states. Those states include: Arizona California Colorado New Jersey New York Hawaii Illinois Maryland Massachusetts Ohio Rhode Island Vermont Virginia Washington How can I protect myself against Nimbus? The best way to protect yourself from COVID-19 is by taking a three-pronged approach, according to the CDC. That includes: Staying up to date with your COVID-19 vaccinations Practicing good hygiene Taking steps for cleaner air, including letting fresh air circulate through your house While any new COVID-19 variant no doubt causes anxiety and uncertainty in many, there is good news at the moment: According to the WHO, current data does not indicate that the NB.1.8.1 Nimbus variant leads to more severe illness than other variants currently making the rounds. However, its worth pointing out that COVID-19 can still be deadly. According to WHO data, in the last 28 days, 862 people in the United States have died after contracting the disease. Since the start of the pandemic, 1.2 million people in the United States have died due to COVID-19, and 7.1 million people have succumbed to the disease worldwide.
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E-Commerce
In summer 2020, former Evernote CEO Phil Libin launched Mmhmm, a software tool designed to make video presentations look polished, even if the presenter was calling in from a COVID-era makeshift home office. It was one of many products and startups launched during that time, aimed at making the sudden wave of remote meetings more productiveor at least more bearable. While many of those ideas faded as businesses reopenedyou probably haven’t joined a meeting as a cartoon avatar or signed on to a Zoom happy hour latelyLibin’s startup is still going strong. The company, rebranded as Airtime in April, has raised more than $140 million from investors including Sequoia Capital and the SoftBank Vision Fund. It recently announced a second product called Airtime Camera, which gives users a more professional appearance on video calls. More ideas are also in development to enhance the still-ubiquitous videoconferencing experience. “We want to make the essential tools for people who spend a lot of time on video at work,” Libin says. As he points out, that includes just about all knowledge-based workers these days, whether they’re calling in from home, the office, or a bit of both. While the catchy but hard-to-spell name Mmhmm “outlived its usefulness,” as Libin puts it, video communication tools themselves haven’t. The original product, now called Airtime Creator, still lets users record or participate live in video presentations that wouldn’t look out of place on TV or YouTube. Presenters can appear on screen alongside slides, graphs, and images. Some users, including teachers and salespeople, even use the tool to switch between prerecorded video and live Q&A sessions. It’s not unusual for presenters to match their wardrobe to what they wore in the recorded segment, Libin says. [Photo: Airtime] “If anyone asks questions,” Libin says, “they can seamlessly jump into the middle of it, live-answer questions, and then hit play again.” Airtime Camera allows users to set up predefined looks, such as adding a custom background, an overall tint, or displaying an onscreen logo along with their name and job title. The software functions as a virtual camera compatible with Zoom, Teams, and Google Meet. Look templates can be shared across a company, ensuring all representatives maintain the same logo and aestheticmuch like standardized email signatures. Users can also choose custom reactions that go beyond the sometimes cringeworthy thumbs-ups built into conferencing platforms. Airtime Camera ensures a consistently polished and professional look, whether users are at home, in the office, or traveling, according to Libin. “The idea is I can have a consistent, branded, elegant look regardless of where I am,” he says. Additional tools are in development to improve other aspects of video-based work, with at least a couple more expected to launch this summer. [Photo: Airtime] “We were looking for experiences that are ubiquitous and crappy,” Libin says. “And then we just want to make tools to make them less crappy.” Potential additions include software that addresses screen-sharing frustrations or simplifies the scheduling and rescheduling of video calls. Other ideas focus on how people consume video, helping them catch up on missed discussions without relying on generic AI-generated bullet points or watching full-length recordings. “I’d rather chew my arm off than watch a recording of a Zoom call,” Libin says. Airtime Creator is currently available through a $10-per-month subscription, which also includes access to Airtime Camera, after a free two-week trial. For now, Airtime Camera can also be used for free on its own until August 1, when it will be offered as a one-time stand-alone purchase for $20. Libin says the company plans to continue launching simple, stable, and intuitive software tools. “We’re going to ship the tools as we get them to the stage where we find them indispensable and useful,” he says.
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E-Commerce
Hello and welcome to Modern CEO! Im Stephanie Mehta, CEO and chief content officer of Mansueto Ventures. Each week this newsletter explores inclusive approaches to leadership drawn from conversations with executives and entrepreneurs, and from the pages of Inc. and Fast Company. If you received this newsletter from a friend, you can sign up to get it yourself every Monday morning. A few weeks ago, I published part of my summer reading list. I asked readers and CEOs to respond with their own picks, and they delivered. Here are a few that stand out, in their own words: Jay Chandan, chairman and CEO, Gorilla Technology Group Peak Performance Trading and Investing by Bruce Bower This is a powerful read that strips away the noise and gets to the essence of how elite thinking drives consistent outperformance. Bower distills decades of experience into pragmatic frameworks that are just as relevant in the boardroom as on the trading floor. His insights go well beyond markets; they offer clarity under pressure and sharpen decision-making across any high-stakes environment. Kathy Crosby, president and CEO, Truth Initiative Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver As someone whos spent years advocating for children in foster care and adoption, this book is both heartbreaking and affirming. Barbara Kingsolver gives voice to the kids too often left out of the national conversationresilient, overlooked, and deserving of so much more. This story haunts you because its not just fictionits the truth for too many. Mary Ellen Iskenderian, president and CEO, Womens World Banking Fintech Feminists: Increasing Inclusion, Redefining Innovation, and Changing the Future for Women Around the World by Nicole Casperson Through compelling storytelling and rigorous insight, Nicole Casperson shines a powerful light on the women transforming fintech and, in doing so, reshaping the global economy. This is essential reading for anyone committed to building a more equitable and resilient financial system for women everywhere. Richard Kopelman, CEO, Aprio Advisory Group The Curiosity Muscle by Diana Kander and Andy Fromm This book is a powerful reminder of how curiosity fuels progress. Kander and Fromm offer a clear, practical framework that helps teams adapt in fast-changing environments and unlocks their full potential. Their insights have inspired me to think bigger about how curiosity drives growth, avoids stagnation, and keeps us evolving. Its a timely and energizing read for anyone committed to building a culture of forward momentum and continuous learning. Philip Krim, cofounder and CEO, Montauk Climate The World for Sale: Money, Power, and the Traders Who Barter the Earths Resources by Javier Blas and Jack Farchy This book exposes the history behind the behemoths that dominate today’s markets around commodities, power, precious metals, and others. Studying how we got here helps inform me on where we are heading. Andrew McMahon, chair and CEO, Guardian Life Insurance Company of America Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI by Ethan Mollick I found Co-Intelligence invaluable for its practical insights on how we can all collaborate with AI. The book reinforces Guardians vision of using AI to enhance how we serve customers and policyholders, make decisions, and scale our impact. Anthony Scaramucci, founder and managing partner, SkyBridge Capital Frank Sinatra Has a Cold and Other Essays by Gay Talese Gay Talese released a fantastic new book, A Town Without Time, in late 2024, that is absolutely worth reading, but I recommend you start with some of his older material, Frank Sinatra Has a Cold and Other Essays. Talese is credited by Tom Wolfe with the creation of a new form of rich nonfiction writing called “New Journalism. As long-form journalism recedes in the face of soundbite-driven social media, I encourage readers to dig into work from the greatest storyteller of a generation. Mike Tiedemann, CEO, AlTi Tiedemann Global Lords of Finance: The Bankers Who Broke the World by Liaquat Ahamed This Pulitzer Prize winner offers a rare perspective on the history of the 1920s and the four central bankers that drove the decisions that, while well intended, ultimately led to the Great Depression. There are lessons in this book that rhyme with the world we are living in today, (e.g., currencies, inflation, trade tensions, and crypto). I found it an incredible perspective to gain about a critical time in history. Hepsen Uzcan, Americas CEO, DWS Group Right Kind of Wrong: The Science of Failing Well by Amy Edmondson In my view, this book captures the challenges between managing innovation, regulatory, and market complexities while navigating through the organizational cultural implications, highlighting the importance of psychological safety we need to foster where failures will be embraced. Fail fast to recover faster. Austin C. Willis, CEO, Willis Lease Finance Mind Hacking Happiness, Volumes 1 and 2, by Sean Webb The first volume was a validation of something that Ive known for a while . . . if you dont let too many things attach to your “self” map, you are less apt to get upset or frustrated when those things are attacked or criticized (i.e., Dont let your identity become intertwined with a sports team. That way, when one loses or is criticized, you dont find yourself getting angry.) The second volume took the concepts to a new level and discussed how mindfulness, science, and religion all interact: Specifically, how the pursuit of enlightenment is foundational to nearly all religions, although enlightenment goes by many names, and how different types of science interact with religion. Keep building the list Whether its summer or any other time of year, Im always interested in your favorite readsthe books youre choosing to keep learning, or simply for entertainment. Feel free to share them with me by sending an email to stephaniemehta@mansueto.com. Read more: must-read books for leaders Modern CEOs 2025 summer reading list 100 books every CEO and founder should read 4 best ways leaders can boost their reading
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E-Commerce
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