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While Teslas stock has seen a sharp decline in recent weeks, Elon Musk has quietly been working to expand his influence in a different area of tech: AI supercomputing. Recent reports have revealed that Musks AI startup, xAI, has been quietly building a new data center in Atlanta. The facility will house around 12,000 Nvidia graphics processing units (GPUs), crucial chips that power AI computation. While the Atlanta data center is modest compared to Musk’s supercomputer project in Memphis, nicknamed Colossus, which boasts 100,000 GPUs, its construction is part of a broader trend in the tech world that has been advancing largely under the radar. Last December, Meta announced its plans to build a $10 billion data center in Richland Parish, Louisiana. In February, OpenAI began constructing a facility in Abilene, Texas, while scoping out potential sites in 16 other states, as they seek to invest $500 billion in AI infrastructure over the next four years under the Trump Administrations Stargate project. While megaprojects like Colossus and Stargate have captured national attentionespecially as Musk trumpeted his goal of creating the most powerful AI supercomputer in the worldthis broader wave of data center construction has largely proceeded under the radar, with minimal public oversight, particularly from the communities that will host these centers. This silent expansion underscores an important issue: We cannot allow Big Tech to have unchecked control over the development of AI infrastructure, especially when there is a lack of transparency and limited public scrutiny. The problem with unchecked AI expansion is multifaceted. While tech companies promise their data centers will rejuvenate local economies with jobs and tax revenue, it is not entirely clear that the risks outweigh the rewards. First, the AI industry is an environmental crisis waiting to happen. Data centers typically consume an immense amount of resources, particularly water. Liquid-based cooling systems are essential to prevent overheating in the massive networks of servers that power these centers, and this process requires vast quantities of water. The Colossus project in Memphis alone is estimated to consume one million gallons of water a day, according to public utilities companies in the city. And its not just Memphiswith an estimated 50% of the worlds population projected to live in water-stressed areas by 2025, the growing demand for water in AI data centers presents a real threat to local communities. In Memphis, activists are already sounding the alarm about the impact on local water supplies, especially in a region with a history of arsenic contamination in drinking water. xAI has reached an agreement with the City of Memphis to build a recycled wastewater facility for the data centers cooling needs, aimed at alleviating some pressure on local water sources. However, the company has not been transparent with the local community regarding its plans for the facility, which is expected to reduce the strain on the Memphis Sand aquifer by only 9%even as xAI announced plans to expand its supercomputing operation to one million GPUs more than 10 times its current capacity. The environmental impact extends beyond water usage. The supercomputing industry is highly carbon-intensive. According to a report by Morgan Stanley, data centers worldwide are projected to emit 2.5 billion tons of CO2 by 2030. Many of these data centers are being built in the U.S. South, a region already vulnerable to rising temperatures. The carbon emissions from these projects will only worsen the heat risks in areas that are already hot. The effects of extreme heat are not felt equally. In Atlanta, for instance, where some neighborhoods were redlined in the 20th century, residents in predominantly Black communitieswho ofte lack access to air-conditioning and shaded green spacesare already disproportionately at risk for heat-related illness and death. The continued expansion of data centers and the heat generated by their carbon emissions will only make these inequities worse. While Musks xAI may tout its role in advancing AI innovation, these environmental tolls cannot be ignored. Moreover, its not even clear that we need this kind of computing power. Earlier this year, the launch of DeepSeek, a more resource-efficient AI model developed in China, shocked the tech industry. DeepSeeks breakthrough suggested that the future of AI could be far less resource-hungry than what Musk and others are pushing. Since DeepSeeks success, tech giants like Microsoft have canceled data center leases in the U.S., signaling that perhaps the need for supercomputing power is not as pressing as Musks ambitions would have us believe. This raises the question: Are these massive data centers even necessary, or are they just part of a generative AI hype bubble? And will the communities hosting these data centers be left to foot the bill once the bubble bursts? Of course, many will argue that the global AI race is too important to let these concerns get in the way. But we cannot allow Silicon Valleys “move fast and break things” mentality to dictate how our cities evolve and how resources are allocated. Urban leaders must step up to demand oversight and accountability in the development of these data centers. AI is undeniably vital to the future of human progress, but its too important to be left in the hands of unaccountable tech oligarchs. Atlanta, Memphis, and other cities across the country need to assert control over the expansion of data centers and insist on transparent, responsible development.
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E-Commerce
If youre feeling anxious about AI right now, youre not alone. Its reasonable to wonder whether AI will soon be able to do a lot of what we used to think of as human work. As of now, this technology has already shown some degree of promise for all of the following very human psychological skills: diagnosing diseases, writing code, summarizing and teaching information, predicting markets, brainstorming, product design, project management, coaching, and much more. We probably all know some optimists who think AI will be merely an efficiency tool that gets you 80% there and humans will still be needed for the other 20%. But even in a scenario like that, some current jobs will surely be lost. Im not going to try to predict the future and say what is right. Im just pointing out that there are plenty of reasons why many of us are worried, anxious, or downright afraid of AI taking our jobs at some point. Psychology has something very valuable to offer here. What this is really about is living with uncertainty. One good way to live wellperhaps even happilywith uncertainty is to start by understanding what the worry, anxiety, and fear (WAF) are there for. As University of Michigan Professor Ethan Kross explains, emotions are useful sources of information. When it comes to WAF, very often the information is that there is something coming in the future that you cant fully control and you want the outcome to turn out a certain way. In other words, WAF serves a functionto help us try to control the future. That can be adaptive at times, like when preparing for a major licensing exam. Its a specific goal where you can control the outcome in some important ways. Worrying about whether certain topics will be covered on the exam can help you do some downside planning. Feeling a little anxious on the morning of the exam can help you stay energized and focused. Having some fear about what would happen if you failed to study enough and were embarrassed with the results can motivate you when your motivation lags. All of that helps you try to control the future. Trying to control the future is not so adaptive when its not meaningfully possible, such as when the future is as uncertain as it is with AI. In this context, downside planning can have no end, the anxiety can be chronic because there is no singular eventlike the examcoming up to apply it to, and the fear of failure can feel unending when any job you might have or prepare for might be taken away by AI. But the truth is that no one can know what capabilities and impact AI will have in the future. Theres a place for some guessing and downside (or upside) planning with AI, but thats different from the ongoing and repeated fears many have of AI taking their jobs. WAF in this case often leads to a general sense of doom and hopelessness. It no longer serves an adaptive purpose. Instead it holds you backand its unpleasant. However, the information in the WAF is still useful. The information is often that you seek a greater sense of control over your career success. What can you do to gain some sense of control and reduce WAF when the future is so uncertain? It all comes down to bringing your focus to what you can control. These three steps can be a great way to do so: Honor that goal of having a sense of control, and find a better way to get there. Focus on what you can control, which, in this case, is the present and your use of AI now. Answer this question: What do I want to do with AI now? For example, I need to engage in negotiations from time to time. On occasion, I find I am quite cynical about the chances that the other side will play fair or be open to listening. So one way I want to use AI right now is to get guidance from experts on cynicism. I might not have access to Jamil Zaki, author of Hope for Cynics. But I know that researchers have often found that your beliefs and attitudes make a big difference in how things turn out. So if I wanted to change my cynical attitude about my negotiation, I could ask AI to suggest a few pointers that Zaki would likely recommend to help me to approach a negotiation with hopeful skepticism rather than having already cynically written the other side off. When you focus on what you want to do with AI now, you do two things that should decrease the WAF feelings. One is that you increase your sense of control, which has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety. The other is that, rather than trying to avoid what you fear, you reorient toward approaching what you desire. So its more about desire and less about WAF. Shifting your focus to what you want that is within your control now, as pertains to AI, can help you live well with the uncertainty around how AI will affect your job. Often people try to gain control over a highly uncertain future by dwelling on what the future could hold. But this leads to avoidance and distracting negative WAF feelings. Paradoxically, shifting your focus to the present and to what you want that is within your control now, can be the best way to set your future self up for success. As you get to know the technology you can build a more constructive relationship with it.
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E-Commerce
Theres a Kraft Heinz commercial running in Canada right now that is a perfect embodiment of the geopolitical moment between the U.S. and its northern neighbor. In it, the brand is celebrating its Canadian workers, and highlighting all the Canadian ingredients in its products like peanut butter, cheese, and Kraft Dinner. For context, in case you dont read the news: Since the election, President Trump has not only threatened and implemented trade tariffs on Canadian goods, but has added insult to injury by suggesting America’s longtime ally become its 51st state. This has not gone over well in Canada for obvious reasons. Thats why an American conglomerate like Kraft Heinz feels the need to clarify a few things. Sure, the cream cheese might be called Philadelphia, but ITS MADE IN MONTREAL with CANADIAN DAIRY, WE SWEAR. As a Canadian, it feels to me like the brand equivalent of my American friends turning to me during every commercial break of a hockey game to assure me they dont actually want to annex my country. Canadian to the core Of course, its not only American companies creating ads to hype how deep their Canadian connections are. This moment has given Canadian brands a chance to really fly their maple leaf flags to make sure we all know whos really from here. Thats important because Canadians buy more American-made goods than the U.K., France, Japan, and China combined. Yet a recent KPMG study found that 70% of Canadians would boycott U.S. products if President Trump implemented his 25% tariffs, while 80% are actively seeking non-U.S. alternatives when Canadian options arent available. The threats and tensions aren’t just theoretical: The Globe & Mail reported this week that cross-border travel is falling sharply: Statistics Canada reported that Canadians made 1.2 million fewer round-trip visits to the U.S. last month, which is 23% less than February 2024. Meanwhile, hotels in Maine are reporting a major drop in summer bookings, some as much as 90%. Peter Chapman, founder of consulting firm SKUFood and a former executive with Canadian grocery giant Loblaw, told The Canadian Press, Its by far the most dramatic and swiftest shift Ive seen in consumer behavior. Ian Westworth, Grey Canadas head of planning and effectiveness, wrote in Campaign recently that this shift in consumer behavior presents a significant opportunity for Canadian brands to align with this cultural moment and tap into a groundswell of national pride. This is an opportunity to build not just short-term momentum but also enduring consumer relationships, said Westworth. Halifax-based Moosehead Breweries is facing tariff impacts across its packaging supply chain, but managed to keep its sense of humor, creating a Presidential Pack of 1,461 beersone beer for every day of the next four years. It’s sold at least 10 of the $3,400 packs so far, and now has a waiting list. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Moosehead Breweries (@moosehead) Everyone up here, from the Prime Minister to Mike Myers, has been using the Elbows up mantra (it’s a hockey thing). And now brands from both countries have been forced to reconcile what that actually means for them. Flying the flag This isnt the first time a brand has aimed at the under-tapped resource that is Canadian national pride. Back in 2000, Molson Canadian created a spot called The Rant that featured a guy named Joe proudly dispelling what amounts to American stereotypes of Canada. Cheesy, sure, but it struck a very strong nerve. As loathe as we are to admit it, a sizable proportion of the Canadian identity is tied to all the various ways we arent American. Were often a nation stuck between the influences of a colonial past (Britain and France), and a pop culture present (America). Part of our contemporary identity is finding ways to move beyond this binary. Marvel star, and Toronto native, Simu Liu leaned into our unique brand of multiculturalism when he hosted the 2022 Juno awards (Canadas Grammys) and re-created his own rant: I grew up on ketchup chips, roti, and Jamaican beef patties . . . Thats about as Toronto as you can get. Like any emphasis on buying local, or touting Made in the USA stateside, brands have long used their connection to Canada as a marketing device here. But this time its different. It feels like all at once, every marketer in Canada is a maple-syrup-swigging, hockey-loving hoser. Some are doing it by adding phrases like Proudly Canadian or Canadian Made to their labels. Others are creating full ad campaigns. Maple Leaf Foods recently launched a partnership with other Canadian brands urging people to look for the leaf on grocery products. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Maple Leaf Foods (@mapleleaffoods) Grocery giant Loblaws has created a black T label to highlight products impacted by the new American tariffs. Retailer Canadian Tire dropped a spot to reiterate its roots, while using harsh winds as a nod to the current political and economic climate. The Canadian Forces even has a spot that could weirdly double as a tourism ad, encouraging Canadians to be maple-leaf buying, local adventuring in their spending habits. Graham Candy, chief strategy officer at Toronto-based ad agency Angry Butterfly, is expecting to see more marketers join the chorus. “We feel like this is just the beginning of what we are going to see out there from a political and marketing comms perspective,” says Candy. “We expect to see bolder messages, more pride, potentially more anger and stronger ‘Us versus Them’ messaging.” Personally, I’m just waiting for Nestlé to finally announce a brand partnership with Shoresy for its Canadian-made Drumsticks ice cream treat. Same rules apply For some marketers, wrapping their brands in the flag may work perfectly well. For others, its a mistake. In so many ways, the current situation between Canada and the U.S. is unprecedented. But the solution for marketers is actually still rooted in the best practices of a modern brand: know what your core values are and use that as the lens through which you communicate with your audience. Plenty of brands in Canada will jump on this patriotic bandwagon, but the ones who find success will be those who have built their Canuck credentials over time. Just as brands that decide to aim attention at a particular cultural nichewhether anime fans, surfers, or Swiftiestheir actions need to be true to who they are or else the brand will be called out and, ultimately, unsuccessful in reaching that audience. American and international companies that have built the strongest brand connections to their Canadian consumers will ultimately weather the tariff storm, and it wont be because of some haphazard flag-waving. That said, Diageo should probably start re-airing its 2023 Crown Royal Super Bowl ad immediately.
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E-Commerce
Want more housing market stories from Lance Lamberts ResiClub in your inbox? Subscribe to the ResiClub newsletter. Speaking to investors last week, Lennar co-CEO Jon Jaffe said that the spring 2025 selling season for Americas second-largest homebuilder is off to a slower-than-normal start. We do not see the seasonal pickup typically associated with the beginning of the spring selling season,” Jaffe said. “So we continue to lean into our machine focusing on converting leads and appointments and adjusting incentives as needed to maintain sales pace. These adjustments came in the form of mortgage rate buydowns, price reductions, and closing cost assistance. Last quarter, Lennar spent the equivalent of 13% of home sales on buyer incentivesup from 1.5% in Q2 2022 at the height of the pandemic housing boom. A 13% incentive on a $400,000 home translates to $52,000 worth of incentives. This weaker housing demand environment is causing unsold inventory to tick up. Indeed, since the pandemic housing boom fizzled out, the number of unsold completed new single-family homes in the U.S. has been rising: February 2018: 63,000 February 2019: 75,000 February 2020: 77,000 February 2021: 39,000 February 2022: 31,000 February 2023: 70,000 February 2024: 88,000 February 2025: 119,000 The February figure (119,000 unsold completed new homes) published this week is the highest level since July 2009 (126,000). Lets take a closer look at the data to better understand what this could mean. To put the number of unsold completed new single-family homes into historic context, we created a new index: ResiClubs Finished Homes Supply Index. The index is one simple calculation: The number of unsold completed new single-family homes in the U.S. divided by the annualized rate of U.S. single-family housing starts in the U.S. A higher index score indicates a softer national new construction market with greater supply slack, while a lower index score signifies a tighter new construction market with less supply slack. If you look at unsold completed single-family new builds as a share of single-family housing starts (see chart below), it still shows we’ve gained slack; however, it puts us closer to pre-pandemic 2019 levels than the 2008 housing bust. While the U.S. Census Bureau doesn’t give us a greater market-by-market breakdown on these unsold new builds, we have a good idea where they are based on total active inventory homes for sale (including existing homes) that spiked above pre-pandemic 2019 levels. Most of those areas are in the Sun Belt around the Gulf. Some builders are facing pricing pressureespecially in key Florida and Texas markets, where resale supply is also well above pre-COVID norms, Dillan Krieg, an analyst at John Burns Research and Consulting, recently wrote on LinkedIn. !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r
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E-Commerce
It can be difficult to assert yourself during a negotiation. You may feel emotional about the process, especially if you are countering a lower offer than you expected or are nervous about being up against a seasoned negotiator. Or perhaps you’re uncomfortable with the idea of selling yourself to a potential employer or partner. Whatever the case may be, your approach to negotiations could be working against you. The best way to make sure you don’t botch a negotiation is to prepare for it in advance, writes Lydia Fenet, a leading charity auctioneer and expert in selling and negotiations. That can involve using friends and family to practice how a negotiation may unfold. “To win a negotiation you need to play out as many different scenarios as possible before you sit down, so you are prepared for any angle,” she adds. When you are preparing for a tricky conversationwhether you’re hammering out a job offer or discussing a potential partnershiphere are a few negotiation tips you should keep in mind: What not to say There are a few phrases that Fenet says you should steer clear of during any negotiation, to avoid unintentionally weakening your position. “If you begin a negotiation by asking, ‘Is it okay if I ask for . . . ?’ you have made me the authority, which gives me the upper hand,” she writes. Framing the question this wayor even explicitly asking if the salary figure you have proposed is too highcan indicate a lack of confidence, making it more difficult to negotiate effectively. It’s also important to set a number ahead of time that you won’t go below, so that you’re willing to walk away if the negotiation does not land where you were hoping. “By thinking this through before the negotiation, you should feel confident you wont give away more than you want or accept less than you should in the heat of negotiation,” Fenet says. Since employers will expect you to drive a hard bargain, you should put a number forward without second-guessing yourself or questioning whether it’s too high. Don’t keep talking Sometimes, less is more when you are navigating a negotiation. You might struggle to sit in silence after sharing your salary requirements if, say, an employer does not immediately respond to your proposal. If youre highly agreeable, you like to keep things moving forward, says leadership coach René Rodriguez. You may not trip over little details, and you may agree to a lower price. Someone who isnt as agreeable may stop the negotiation right away and demand a higher pay. But silence can be a powerful tactic during a negotiationparticularly if you’re the kind of person who tends to overexplain or feels the need to justify your demands. In fact, it’s a strategy that employers may use to gain the upper hand during a negotiation. By holding your ground, however, you can force the person you’re negotiating with to speak first. How to follow up What you do after a successful negotiation is also a key part of getting the outcome you want. After all, as Fenet writes, a negotiation is “not done until the contract is signed.” It’s crucial to close the loop so you make sure that what you discussed is finalized. That said, there are times when you know a negotiation is unlikely to pan out. Maybe there isn’t room in the budget or the partnership just isn’t a good match. Even so, it can be worthwhile to create rapport with the person across the table. “Remember, life is long,” Fenet writes. “People change jobs, and budgets come and go; but if people walk out of a negotiation feeling like they made a connection, they will still be your first call.”
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E-Commerce
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