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ESPN will continue to broadcast the NFL Draft as well as obtain new digital rights for its upcoming direct-to-consumer service. The two agreements were announced Wednesday morning, two hours before the Walt Disney Company announced its third-quarter earnings. It also came after the NFL and ESPN announced a nonbinding agreement Tuesday night in which ESPN will acquire the NFL Network and other league media assets while the NFL gets a 10% equity stake in ESPN. ESPN has aired the NFL Draft since 1980, when the league’s annual selection meeting took place at the New York Sheraton Hotel. Back then, the draft was two days (Tuesday and Wednesday) and took 12 rounds. Next year’s draft will be in Pittsburgh and is expected to attract massive crowds over the three days. The first round has had its own night since 2010. ESPN and ABC will each have their own telecasts of the first three rounds on Thursday and Friday. ABC will simulcast ESPN’s coverage of the final four rounds on Saturday. Besides ESPN’s direct-to-consumer service, Disney+ and Hulu will also stream the ESPN, ABC, and ESPN Deportes feeds under the multi-year agreement. The draft will also continue to be aired on NFL Network. Weve been talking about the draft since last year and how we continue to build on that. ESPN has been a partner in that from day one, bringing, the fans closer to that event and building that event into one of the most popular events on the sporting calendar, which is incredible if you think back a few decades, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell told The Associated Press. We know that relationship works, and were proud that ESPN is going to continue to be a partner. ESPN will also produce a daily show leading up to the NFL Draft that will begin the day after the Super Bowl. That program will air most days on ESPN2, as well as being available on the direct-to-consumer service. ESPN has also reached a licensing agreement that allows for additional NFL content and interactive features, including stats, fantasy football team performance and legalized sports betting information and tracking. It also allows ESPN to sell and bundle NFL+ Premium, the league’s direct-to-consumer product that includes out-of-market preseason games and replays of full games. There will also be expanded highlight rights for the ESPN direct-to-consumer service and Disney+. This will make the fan experience much stronger. The goal for ESPN when they launch the services is to create something that doesnt exist on linear (television) because the technology enables it,” Disney CEO Bob Iger said to AP. “Weve talked about personalization and personalized SportsCenter and the ability to essentially invent statistics and to tie betting to some of the programming. Joe Reedy, AP sports writer
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Business leaders have always had to be attentive to small but important shifts within the workplace that may affect employee performancetroubling trends that have increased since the pandemic. Now theres another problematic development for leaders to monitor. In addition to rising burnout, disengagement, and intentional idleness from quiet quitting, researchers have identified a new office condition theyre calling quiet cracking. According to learning management system company TalentLMS, quiet cracking is situated somewhere between burnout, suffered by some ambitious but overloaded workers, and the quiet quitters who are actively slacking their way out of jobs they no longer want. Instead, people quietly cracking gradually become mired in feeling both unappreciated by managers and closed off from career advancement while doing work they otherwise like. The resulting unhappiness and frustration slowly builds until demotivated employees have to force themselves through the workday, causing their attention and productivity to drop. Quiet cracking is the erosion of workplace satisfaction from within, according to a recent TalentLMS survey on the new threat to worker happiness and employer staffing stability and effectiveness. Unlike burnout, it doesnt always manifest in exhaustion. Unlike quiet quitting, it doesnt show up in performance metrics immediately. But it is just as dangerous. The reason, the study said, is that a large portion of the workforce is already experiencing the persistent feeling of workplace unhappiness that leads to disengagement, poor performance, and an increased desire to quit that quiet crackers deal with. TalentLMSs survey of 1,000 U.S. employees found 54% saying theyd experienced one or several aspects of quiet cracking recently, with 20% saying theyd frequently or constantly battled these challenges. Despite its rising prevalence and widespread effects, quiet cracking is tougher for employers to notice, because it develops gradually. Employees generally dont recognize initial dissatisfactions or frustrations as anything more significant than passing gripesuntil theyve become too deep and ingrained to shrug off. At that point, workers generally keep their problems to themselves while they start spinning their wheels doing jobs theyre losing interest in yet stick with, fearing it will be too difficult to find a new one. Though they come to work on time each day and try to complete tasks as best they can, the malaise sufferers feel generally undermines their effectiveness. That creates another form of disengagement that a recent Gallup study said costs global businesses $8.8 trillion annually in lost productivity. Is there any good news as quiet cracking emerges as another challenge to the workplace? TalentLMS says there is, with survey replies from people suffering from it offering ideas on how companies can prevent or remedy it. Respondents typically said they didnt feel bosses appreciate them, dont listen or notice them, and arent providing any paths for advancing in their work and careers. Addressing those complaints is an obvious way to keep them from morphing into quiet cracking. To do that, TalentLMS advises employers double down on learning and development and adopt the view that training is more than a skill-building toolits a confidence booster.Respondents who experienced quiet cracking said theyd received less direction and instruction at work in the prior year. The analysis portion of the survey urges companies to provide workers structured, ongoing learning paths. Businesses can also encourage staff to define some of the themes and content of those programs themselves, and not only have leaders make those programs available but also create time on the job that people can use to pursue them. TalentLMS also urges employers to train managers who tend to shape company culture to regularly seek out feedback from employees. When possible, those consultations should be conducted in one-on-one meetings to allow staff to express their concerns more freelyespecially those contributing to any quiet cracking underway. Finally, the study recommends publicly recognizing employee work and achievements as a low-cost, high-impact method for boosting workplace morale and self-esteem. That appreciation shouldnt be pro forma or forced, but can respond to even relatively routine efforts that nevertheless benefit the companys activities. Those measures to address quiet cracking may seem like even more effort for employers already trying to minimize the instances and effects of burnout, disengagement, and other workplace challenges. But TalentLMS says constructive responses will be worth it in terms of staff satisfaction and productivity.Quiet cracking isnt just a well-being issueits a business issue, the study concludes. When employees quietly crack, they take productivity, creativity, and loyalty with them. Addressing quiet cracking doesnt require overhauling your entire strategybut it does require listening, acting, and investing. By Bruce Crumley This article originally appeared in Fast Companys sister publication, Inc. Inc. is the voice of the American entrepreneur. We inspire, inform, and document the most fascinating people in business: the risk-takers, the innovators, and the ultra-driven go-getters that represent the most dynamic force in the American economy.
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Just in time for the new school year, Google has introduced a tool called Guided Learning within its Gemini chatbot. Unlike tools that offer instant answers, Guided Learning breaks down complex problems step-by-step to support deeper understanding.The new feature is part of the AI industry’s broader response to growing concerns that chatbots like ChatGPT may undermine education by bypassing the learning process with quick answers. To learn more about Googles ambitions, strategy, and how its new Guided Learning tool works, Fast Company spoke with DeepMind COO Lila Ibrahim and Dave Messer, a Google product executive. [Photo: Google] Google recognizes that while students may sometimes need to look up facts quicklya strength of searchbots and chatbotsthey also benefit from AI that helps them reason through more complex topics. Our vision is really to have an AI tutor for every student and a TA for every teacher, says Dave Messer, a former teacher and now the product manager of Guided Learning. The tool mimics a human tutor by tailoring its approach to each students learning style, Messer says. Similar to OpenAIs new Study mode in ChatGPT (announced last week), Guided Learning guides students through subjects using a conversational method. Instead of delivering answers outright, it leads users to insights through a series of thoughtful questions. These questions are designed to teach students the how and why behind a topic, encouraging learning throughout the exchange.It’s really about building your understanding and having a conversation that is like a thinking partner that can develop that thinking with you, and help make sure that you actually understand it instead of just seeing all the information, Messer says.There are always shortcuts to getting to answersAccording to Google, the learning session flow is backed by years of cognitive science research. For instance, Messer notes that research shows people learn best in bite-size chunks to avoid cognitive overload. The tool is designed to break down information in this way, gradually introducing students to a subjects depth and complexity.Students can ask the AI questions at any point. In response, Guided Learning usually offers contextual or clarifying details that nudge the student toward the answer, often reframing the question rather than solving it directly. If a student veers off-topic, the AI acknowledges their curiosity but gently redirects them to the core subject.[Animation: Google]Guided Learning is the product of two years of work on LearnLM, a family of models developed specifically for education. Ibrahim, DeepMind’s COO, says LearnLM was trained on educational best practices developed by leading experts. That learning was then integrated into Gemini, Googles flagship general-purpose model, which now powers Guided Learning.We spent a year or so making sure that it properly got infused into Gemini. [We] did all the testing to make sure that it was grounded with all the maths and sciences, the humanities that [are] appropriate for students, Ibrahim says, noting that the new tool is a natural evolution of Googles 20-year commitment to applying consumer techin this case, AIto education. I wouldn’t say we’re naive; we know that there are always shortcuts to getting to answers, Ibrahim says. We’re taking an important step with Guided Learning as a new way to bring Gemini to students in a more learning-appropriate environment [but] there’s still a lot of work to do.While most of Guided Learnings output is text-based, some prompts (like Whats the structure of a cell?) generate responses that include verified and licensed illustrations. The tool may also suggest relevant YouTube videos featuring knowledgeable educators explaining the concept in engaging ways.Students can upload class notes or syllabi to Gemini, allowing the tool to tailor interactions based on what is being studied. Messer explains that this helps the tool anticipate likely questions and generate customized quizzes or study guides from the notes.To use the tool Google AI subscribers can choose it from a row of option buttons at the bottom of the Gemini chat window. Guided Learning is rolling out globally on desktop and mobile devices to all Gemini users (with both free and paid accounts).Googles $1 billion AI education initiative for college studentsThe launch of Guided Learning is part of a broader education-focused AI initiative announced by Google on August 6. The company is committing $1 billion over three years to AI education and training efforts in the U.S.College students ages 18 and older in the U.S., Japan, Indonesia, Korea, and Brazil will receive free 12-month access to the Google AI Pro plan. This includes expanded access to the Gemini 2.5 Pro model, Deep Research, NotebookLM, Veo 3 video creation tools, and the Jules coding assistant.The Google AI for Education Accelerator will provide free AI training, Google Career Certificates, and advanced AI tools to college students nationwide. Google says more than 100 universities representing millions of students have already enrolled in the program.
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