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Silicon Valleys giants crowd the list of the worlds most valuable companies, but drugmaker Eli Lilly is hot on their heels. The company topped a market capitalization of one trillion dollars on Friday, becoming the first business in the health industry to hit that milestone. Lillys achievement comes during a tense week for stock watchers. AI chipmaker Nvidia, which itself became the first $5 trillion company less than a month ago, beat expectations with its latest quarterly earnings. But with AI overrepresented among the worlds top businesses and massive AI investments making headlines every day, investors remain skittish that excitement over the tech might be overblown. While Lilly still sits just outside the global top ten most valuable companies, its rise demonstrates that non-tech businesses can still chart a path to the stock markets upper echelons. In Lillys case, that rise was powered by spiking interest in weight loss drugs a trend that has nothing to do with the white hot world of AI. Rise of GLP-1s The Indianapolis-based drugmaker enjoyed a massive 35% boost in its stock price this year, tapping into the rise of weight loss drugs with its own offering, tirzepatide. Lillys star drugs, Mounjaro and Zepbound, both package tirzepatide, with the former approved to treat Type 2 diabetes and the latter prescribed for weight loss or sleep apnea. Tirzepatide works by simulating two naturally-occurring gut hormones that influence digestion, appetite and help the body regulate blood sugar. Lillys two hot weight loss drugs earned the company more than $10 billion in the third quarter of the year, accounting for more than half of its $17.6 billion in sales during the same period. By the end of October, Mounjaro and Zepbound had already made the company $25 billion more than the drugmakers total revenue in 2020. Keeping its growth going after such a landmark year poses a challenge, but Lilly is already deep into the development of a new weight loss drug in pill form that offers a convenient alternative to regular injections. That drug, orforglipron, is a candidate for early FDA approval, a process that could put it on the market very quickly. Eli Lilly bests the competition As Lilly races to release its weight loss pill, rival drugmaker Novo Nordisk is doing the same. Novo Nordisk is also currently awaiting FDA approval for its own oral weight loss drug under the agencys new expedited process. Both drugmakers are also slashing the price of their injectable weight loss drugs after the Trump administration called on them to lower prices. Im thrilled to announce that the two worlds largest pharmaceutical manufacturers, Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk, have agreed to offer their most popular GLP-1 weight-loss drugI call it the fat drug, rememberat drastic discounts, Trump said. While Eli Lilly is riding high on the weight loss craze this year, Novo Nordisk isnt enjoying the same confidence from investors. Novo Nordisks value more than quintupled heading into last year, but the companys shares fell sharply in 2025 as its first-mover advantage in the weight loss market dissolved and compounding pharmacies took a bite out of its business. Eli Lilly wasnt first to market, but it made up ground quickly, securing FDA approval for diabetes drug Mounjaro and its weight-management counterpart Zepbound. Eli Lilly shares have soared since those drugs started hitting the market, showing no sign of flagging. Weve spent 150 years going after some of the hardest-to-treat disease stateslike [developing] lifesaving insulin [for diabetes], eradicating polio, revolutionizing depression with Prozacand were still laser-focused on innovation, Eli Lillys Global Chief Customer Officer Jennifer Oleksiw told Fast Company recently. But the game has changed. Its not delivering medicine; its taking that medicine and adding the right solutions, services and content, and making it personalized, accessible and scalable.
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I think back to freshman year, when my friends and I would cram onto a lumpy dorm-issue twin bed and huddle around one phone, collectively cringing as we swiped through Hinge. That was my first foray into dating apps. It took me a weekand a handful of dead-end chatsbefore I deleted it. As it turns out, Im far from alone. According to mobile app analytics company AppsFlyer, 65% of dating apps downloaded in 2024 were deleted within a month. This year, that number has climbed to 69%, AppsFlyer told Fast Company. During the pandemic, dating apps were a lifeline. Gen Z spent much of their formative yearshigh school and early collegeon Zoom, and online dating was a natural extension of a life in lockdown. Now, many young people want their love lives off-screen again. Wendy Walsh, the in-house dating and relationship expert for DatingAdvice.com and a psychology professor at California State University Channel Islands, explains that this generation lost at least two years of social learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Theyre often terrified of talking on the phone or meeting in person, and dating appsdesigned to connect strangersessentially translate to their worst fear. Yet younger adults continue to lead the way in online dating. According to Pew Research data from 2023, 53% of those younger than 30 have used a dating site or app, compared with 37% of adults ages 30 to 49, 20% of those 50 to 64, and 13% of adults 65 and older. Digital natives are swiping left on dating apps Last week, I conducted an informal poll of six Syracuse University students in their 20s who requested anonymitylargely because, as I noticed, they seemed embarrassed to be on dating apps in the first place. When I asked them about their experiences more broadly, disappointment came through. One pointed out that conversations on the apps rarely progressed beyond the texting stage. Another said they preferred meeting people in person and mostly used the apps for casual flings. Dating coach Grace Lee explained that college students often feel self-conscious about these platforms. If you have any kind of social life, youre not supposed to need one,” she says, adding that college life comes with high expectations to be out and about, which dilates the feeling that theres something wrong with you if you rely on a dating app. Most students I talked to seemed reluctant to discuss how often they engaged with the apps, while those who admitted to regular use did so with visible mortification. This frustration is far from isolated. A 2024 Forbes Health survey found that 79% of Gen Z users experience some degree of fatigue with dating apps like Hinge, Tinder, and Bumbletheyre investing tons of time without finding genuine connections. Walsh says the burnout comes from the paradox of choice. Having too many options leads the brain to value each one less. People swipe endlessly, believing something better is always one swipe away, which leaves them stuck in an algorithmic loophole. And the numbers back it up: A nationwide Kinsey Institute and DatingAdvice.com survey found that most Gen Zers would rather meet someone offline, with 90.24% of respondents saying they prefer social gatherings, bookstores, classes, and clubs. With a focus on self-care and authenticity, this generation feels that apps just dont deliver the kind of natural, low-effort spark theyre looking for. Its a flop era for online dating Dating app burnout isnt just a Gen Z thingthe “swiping fatigue” is hitting the whole online dating scene. Match Groups recent financial results underline the shift. The parent company of Tinder, Hinge, Match.com, OkCupid, and Plenty of Fish posted a fourth-quarter revenue forecast below expectations, signaling trouble converting casual users into paid subscribers. The company’s latest quarterly numbers show revenue at $914.3 million, up 2% compared with the same period last year, while “payers” declined by 5%. Match Group stock (Nasdaq: MTCH) has struggled this year. As of Friday, it’s down roughly 1.11% year to date, compared with the Nasdaq composite index’s growth of more than 15% during the same period. Tinder, once the company’s crown jewel, is wobbling: Revenue slid 3% year over year, and the number of paying users dropped by 7%, to 9.3 million. Half of Tinders monthly active users are Gen Zers, but with subscribers declining, the company is scrambling to find new ways to keep younger users engaged. Students I spoke with had similar thoughts on Tinder: “[Its more for] hookup culturefine for freshman year, but now Im looking for something more serious.” Match Group’s competitor Bumble isnt faring any better, reporting a 10% revenue decline and laying off 30% of its staff earlier this year. And yet, against all odds, Hinge is holding on tight. Gen Z accounts for 56% of its user base, and the app reported a 17% increase in paying users. Strong prompts and a focus on intentional dating seem to be working. As Match Group COO Spencer Rascoff echoed at the Goldman Sachs conference: Theres this misconception that Gen Z doesnt use dating apps. They do. Just look at Hinge. Is betting on AI the right move? New nonautomated modes, like Tinder’s Double Date and College Mode, are resonatingespecially with younger users. Double Date has taken off: 92% of its users are under 30, and women who pair up are three times more likely to send a “like” and four times more likely to match than when swiping solo, while College Mode is now used by 1 in 4 eligible student users. Dating companies are now betting that AI features will lure Gen Z backbut theres a catch: Gen Z is actually mor uncomfortable with AI than older generations. Several students I spoke with expressed discomfort with AI, noting that when its imposed in platforms, it feels unnatural and undermines the sense of authenticity. Social psychologist Justin Lehmiller, senior research fellow at the Kinsey Institute, told Fast Company that his research shows most single adults dont want AI anywhere near their intimate lives. Thats the potential pitfall for some apps,” Lehmiller says. “[If] they’re incorporating more of this technology that a lot of people don’t really trust, is that going to draw more folks in, or is it just going to keep pushing them away? A Bloomberg survey mirrors this sentiment, revealing that Gen Z is hesitant about AI-generated bios or messages and favors authenticity. How the big players are trying to win over Gen Z Tinder appears to recognize the tension surrounding high-tech features. In a statement to Fast Company, the company said its shifting toward low-pressure, authentic experiences, and moving away from transactional connections. The app uses AI for security, photo selection, and safety promptswithout turning conversations into my bot texting your bot, as Match Group leaders emphasize. Similarly, Bumble CTO Vivek Sagi stated, We want to harness the power of AI. Our goal is not to replace love or dating with technology; its to make human connection better and more compatible. Hinge is also leaning into AI, focusing on tools that help users without impersonating them. This includes features like prompt feedback, a built-in AI tool called “Top Photo,” and the Are You Sure? message filter. And the subtlety seems to be working. The students I spoke with didnt even realize AI was involved in their daily swiping, and when I pointed it out, one gasped: I didnt put two and two together! Hinge CEO Justin McLeod recently explained that generative AI is meant to supportnot replacepeople. Authenticity deeply matters, he said. And Gen Z seems to agree.
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E-Commerce
This weekend, “Remove the Regime” protests in the capital are demanding an end to the Trump administration’s deployment of National Guard troops in Washington, D.C., as well as President Donald Trump’s impeachment, calling the deployment an overreach of presidential powers and politically motivated. A federal judge ruled Thursday that the troops’ deployment in D.C. is “unlawful.” This follows a similar ruling from a Tennessee state judge. Trump has also deployed National Guard troops to a number of other American cities, including: Portland, Oregon; Los Angeles; Memphis, Tennessee; Washington, D.C.; and Chicagoall cities run by Democrats, under the pretense of crime reduction. Here’s what to know about the protests. What, where and when is the ‘Remove the Regime’ protest? On Saturday, November 22, organizers will hold a peaceful protest in Washington, D.C. calling for an end to this administration, including Trump’s impeachment and removal from office. The main rally and march takes place starts at the Lincoln Memorial at noon with speakers, and a musical performance from The Dropkick Murphys. A ticketed fundraiser “One Cause, Four Bands at 7:00 p.m. will wrap up the event with a concert from musicians Earth to Eve, Gwen Levey & the Breakdown, Allstrike & Freedom Futures Collective. The day before, on Friday, November 21, the group is also holding a Veterans Rally at 2:00 p.m. and a Comedy Church standup-comedy fundraiser at 7:30 p.m. “We will have fun, but this is not for fun,” the “Remove the Regime” website says. “We intend to change the trajectory in this country and the conversation around the world.” Saturday’s protest, follows the last No Kings protests, which drew an estimated 7 million people in all 50 states, as well as a number of other nationwide protests this year, including Hands Off” and May Day gatherings in which Americans across red and blue states gathered to voice their concerns with the current state of U.S. democracy. Unlike those previous protests, “Remove the Regime” is only taking place in Washington, D.C. and focuses on what’s happening in Trump’s own backyard. Who are the organizers behind the ‘Remove the Regime’ protest? The Removal Coalition is made up of nearly two dozen organizations, including: Indivisible, 50501, Citizen’s Impeachment, Gaslit Nation, Flare, Remember Your Oath, and Fourteenth Now.
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New research has found that AI-powered content moderation systems from Google, OpenAI, Anthropic, and DeepSeek dont always come to the same conclusions about bad language on the internet.
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President Donald Trump is considering pressuring states to stop regulating artificial intelligence in a draft executive order obtained Thursday by The Associated Press, as some in Congress also consider whether to temporarily block states from regulating AI. Trump and some Republicans argue that the limited regulations already enacted by states, and others that might follow, will dampen innovation and growth for the technology. Critics from both political partiesas well as civil liberties and consumer rights groupsworry that banning state regulation would amount to a favor for big AI companies that enjoy little to no oversight. While the draft executive order could change, heres what to know about states’ AI regulations and what Trump is proposing. What state-level regulations exist and why Four statesCalifornia, Colorado, Texas, and Utahhave passed laws that set some rules for AI across the private sector, according to the International Association of Privacy Professionals. Those laws include limiting the collection of certain personal information and requiring more transparency from companies. The laws are in response to AI that already pervades everyday life. The technology helps make consequential decisions for Americans, including who gets a job interview, an apartment lease, a home loan, and even certain medical care. But research has shown that it can make mistakes in those decisions, including by prioritizing a particular gender or race. Its not a matter of AI makes mistakes and humans never do, said Calli Schroeder, director of the AI & Human Rights Program at the public interest group EPIC. With a human, I can say, Hey, explain, how did you come to that conclusion? What factors did you consider? she continued. With an AI, I cant ask any of that, and I cant find that out. And frankly, half the time the programmers of the AI couldnt answer that question.” States’ more ambitious AI regulation proposals require private companies to provide transparency and assess the possible risks of discrimination from their AI programs. Beyond those more sweeping rules, many states have regulated parts of AI: barring the use of deepfakes in elections and to create nonconsensual porn, for example, or putting rules in place around the government’s own use of AI. What Trump and some Republicans want to do The draft executive order would direct federal agencies to identify burdensome state AI regulations and pressure states to not enact them, including by withholding federal funding or challenging the state laws in court. It would also begin a process to develop a lighter-touch regulatory framework for the whole country that would override state AI laws. Trump’s argument is that the patchwork of regulations across 50 states impedes AI companies’ growth, and allows China to catch up to the U.S. in the AI race. The president has also said state regulations are producing Woke AI. The draft executive order that was leaked could change and should not be taken as final, said a senior Trump administration official who requested anonymity to describe internal White House discussions. The official said the tentative plan is for Trump to sign the order Friday. Separately, House Republican leadership is already discussing a proposal to temporarily block states from regulating AI, the chamber’s majority leader, Steve Scalise, told Punchbowl News this week. It’s yet unclear what that proposal would look like, or which AI regulations it would override. TechNet, which advocates for tech companies including Google and Amazon, has previously argued that pausing state regulations would benefit smaller AI companies still getting on their feet and allow time for lawmakers to develop a country-wide regulatory framework that balances innovation with accountability. Why attempts at federal regulation have failed Some Republicans in Congress have previously tried and failed to ban states from regulating AI. Part of the challenge is that opposition is coming from their party’s own ranks. Florida’s Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, said a federal law barring state regulation of AI was Not acceptable in a post on X this week. DeSantis argued that the move would be a subsidy to Big Tech and would stop states from protecting against a list of things, including predatory applications that target children and online censorship of political speech. A federal ban on states regulating AI is also unpopular, said Cody Venzke, senior policy counsel at the ACLUs National Political Advocacy Department. The American people do not want AI to be discriminatory, to be unsafe, to be hallucinatory, Venzke said. So I dont think anyone is interested in winning the AI race if it means AI that is not trustworthy. By Jesse Bedayn, Associated Press
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