• AI is changing the way we search — and transforming the practice of search engine optimization.
• Brands want to ensure they're visible in AI searches and that they're accurately represented.
• Experts from Google, Microsoft, and Perplexity shared their top generative engine optimization tips.

Artificial intelligence is transforming online search.

Rather than peruse the list of long links on a search engine results page, users are increasingly being served AI overviews — snippets of content that aim to immediately answer their questions — or consulting chatbots and answer engines like ChatGPT and Perplexity when researching purchases.

About half of US consumers are using AI-powered search to evaluate and discover brands, per a recent McKinsey report.

The shift is upending the world of search engine optimization (SEO), a practice that involves designing web pages and securing links from high-quality sites to help brands rank highly on search engine results pages.

New cottage industries like generative engine optimization (GEO) and answer engine optimization (AEO) are emerging as companies strive to keep their brands visible — and accurately represented — within AI-driven interfaces.

For Business Insider's recent series on the shifting search landscape, we asked experts at some of the biggest AI platforms how brands can best position themselves for this new era of conversational, AI-powered search.

Here are some key GEO tips from Google, Microsoft, and Perplexity

Google:

Danny Sullivan, director at Google Search, said the core principles of SEO generally apply to new forms of AI search.

"Plenty of sites succeed because they don't do SEO, or hire SEOs," Sullivan said. "They don't think about it because they're just focused on making great content."

General website and structured data hygiene are important for ensuring Google's search crawlers can get to the relevant content, Sullivan said, and are also important for AI answers because they still have a lot of traditional search results at their core.

AI formats are also getting better at multi-modal queries, such as when a user asks, "What's in this video?" That's an extra reason for brands to incorporate more images and videos, Sullivan said.

"If you've still been a text-only kind of player, more images and videos may help you. But they would have helped you anyway," Sullivan said.

Sullivan said any GEO tools that advise designing content solely for rank and visibility purposes lose "track of the big picture."

"Are you doing things that are useful for human beings?" he said. "That's what we want to reward."

Microsoft:

Krishna Madhavan, principal product manager for Microsoft Bing, said the fundamentals of SEO are still critical, including structure and freshness signals that make content easier for AI to consume.

This includes using Q&A sections, sitemaps, and schema — a code that helps search engines understand sites — as well as adopting IndexNow, a protocol that tells search engines when a site changes.

Stylistically, Madhavan also suggests lists and tables instead of long walls of text, and advises keeping punctuation simple, including avoiding em dashes and symbols.

"The way to win remains the same: disciplined fundamentals, not shortcuts or hype, then quick innovation," Madhavan said.

What is new, Madhavan said, is that companies must think about optimizing for inclusion in a synthesized answer, rather than simply a list of links on a search results page.

"Think beyond keywords to user intent, question‑answer structure, and machine‑readable cues that make your content easy to parse," Madhavan said.

Perplexity:

"There's going to be a lot of people who benefit from implying that they're very good at GEO," said Jesse Dwyer, head of communications at Perplexity. "And then there's going to be a lot of tech companies, specifically AI companies, who benefit from saying that it's all hogwash. The reality is always somewhere in between."

With the shift from SEO to GEO, "the biggest mistake you can make is to just try and transfer your understanding apples to apples," Dwyer said — and a lot of the companies offering GEO services are doing just that.

Dwyer said he's also been advising marketers that AI search will shift budgets toward old-fashioned brand marketing. AI removes the "friction" of search and lets people buy things just by asking for them. As a result, building a strong brand will become increasingly important, he said.

• This post originally appeared in the Business Insider Today newsletter.
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Are you fed up at work? Sick of it all? Ready to throw in the towel?

You're likely not alone. The job market isn't providing a lot of opportunities for mobility, keeping most people stuck in place, even if they'd otherwise look to move.

But everyone has their limits.

The new year is a great time for a professional reassessment. (I'm not suggesting quitting before bonus season. Do you think I'm an animal?)

If you're thinking of jumping into the great unknown, we've got some advice for you. BI compiled four personal essays from people who quit their jobs and aren't looking back. The series — "Quitting Without Regret" — shows that while quitting isn't easy, it can lead to a more intentional and meaningful career.

Here's some of the advice that came across in the essays.

Have a plan, even if you can't stick to it. Jenny Wood created a detailed spreadsheet to weigh the pros and cons of quitting her job at Google, where she had spent nearly two decades. She also identified the people she wanted to network with before she left. Ultimately, though, she recognized she couldn't plan everything out and had to take action. "Fear adds friction, which slows you down without actually minimizing risk," she said.

You just gotta keep livin', man. Quitting isn't always about being frustrated at work. Sometimes it's because you're hoping there's more out there than maintaining what can feel like the status quo. Jim Kukral left his job as a sales director at 54 years old to start a party boat business. He recognizes it's a risk (and his and his wife's retirement at stake), but "if I don't do it, I feel like I can't break free from this matrix of a world that we've created for ourselves."

Remember: Work isn't life. What if you love your job? That's the case for Victoria Dobbie. She loves her job at TikTok, but the 30-year-old decided she wanted to travel the world for at least six months. With no kids and no partner, she feels now's the best time to do something she's always wanted to do.

Don't let the golden handcuffs scare you. Jay Gengelbach was making $700K working in tech when he quit in mid-2024. He was terrified of walking away from such a big compensation package, but was feeling unfulfilled. He eventually landed at a smaller tech company, where he's enjoying the quicker pace of delivering things at a smaller company.

• Business Insider asked etiquette experts about the mistakes to avoid when attending a work event.
• Showing up dressed inappropriately and not greeting members of leadership are major faux pas.
• Hiding behind your phone instead of socializing can also be seen as rude.

No one wants to be that coworker. You know, the one everyone talks after a work party.

Work gatherings can be a great way to connect with your colleagues and celebrate your professional accomplishments together. However, inappropriate behaviors can harm your professional reputation.

That's why Business Insider asked two etiquette experts to share the mistakes guests should avoid making at work events. Here's what they said.

Showing up dressed inappropriately

Pamela Eyring, owner of The Protocol School of Washington, which teaches business etiquette, told Business Insider that when it comes to work events, a big faux pas is dressing too informally for the business environment.

"Before you go to the work party, think about what you're going to wear," she said. For example, you don't want to dress like you're going to a nightclub.

When in doubt, avoid styles you'd be uncomfortable wearing to work during the day. You can also try checking the event's invitation for a dress code.

In addition to dressing professionally, though, Eyring also emphasized the importance of communicating the dress code to any guests you bring.

Making assumptions about what people celebrate

At seasonal events and parties, it's especially important to steer clear of holiday-specific wishes unless you know exactly what your colleagues celebrate.

When in doubt, Sheree Bryant Sekou, a business-etiquette expert and leadership consultant, said it's best to stick to broad, culturally sensitive greetings like "happy holidays."

Skipping leadership greetings

"A lot of people avoid senior leaders, like the president, CEO, or even their boss's boss" at work events and parties, Eyring said.

But instead of being fearful of saying hello, she told BI that guests should use this opportunity to make their presence known to senior leaders.

If you're unsure of what to say, try referencing something they've shared recently — or simply thank them for hosting the party.

Sitting out on the fun and ignoring planned activities

"If there's a DJ or band, prepare to get up and dance, even if you don't like to or don't think you are good at it," Eyring told BI. "If there are activities, participate."

After all, this is your opportunity to connect with coworkers and show them a lighter side of you that they may not always get to experience in the workplace.

Hiding behind your phone instead of socializing

Eyring told BI that one of the biggest mistakes you can make at a work party is hiding behind your phone.

"There are a lot of people who feel anxious when attending these events, and they don't really know many people," Eyring told BI. "Instead of mixing and mingling because they're introverted or feeling anxious, they sit behind their phone and scroll."

However, by doing this, you're missing out on a valuable chance to network and get to know other people at the company.

Of course, there are valid reasons to have a phone out during the party. But if you're showing colleagues photos on your phone, for example, do it quickly and then put it away, Eyring said.

Taking photos of people without their permission

Eyring said another appropriate use case for phones at a work party includes taking photos with coworkers — but only if permission is obtained first.

"People don't always like having their photo taken when they aren't posed or haven't been asked to be a part of a photo," she told BI.

Likewise, it's a good idea to ask for permission before posting or sharing the photo with others. "Some people also don't want to be seen on someone else's social media page drinking, or holding a glass, either," Eyring said.

Discussing sensitive conversation topics

At work events, it's best to steer clear of any topic that could be seen as delicate or controversial.

"Proceed with caution when mentioning anything that falls into a category where people might have distinct or strong feelings about that topic. That includes politics, romantic relationships, money, and religion," Sekou told BI.

Instead, she said, it's safer to have low-stakes conversations about family, vacations, and hobbies.

Packing up leftovers to bring home without permission

When extra food is left behind, it can be tempting to pack it up to take home. However, this can come across as rude at a party.

"When you attend a work event, the goal is to connect and build relationships. Packing up food and other leftovers could be perceived as uncouth," Sekou said.

She also suggests being mindful when it comes to how much you take to eat in general. If you're not served a pre-portioned plate, avoid taking more food than you plan to eat in the moment.

Overstaying your welcome

Company events can be a great excuse to get to know your coworkers on a deeper level. However, it's important that you don't let an engaging conversation cause you to overstay your welcome.

According to Sekou, it's essential to pick up on social cues and leave at the appropriate time.

"Pay attention to cues around exiting. Sometimes the music may go down, or the lights may come up. You might start to see people putting away dishes," Sekou said. "That's your sign to start winding it down."

• Andrew Yang warned in 2018 that automation could "destabilize society" and spark riots.
• He says that future is here, predicting 40 million job losses and urging a UBI funded by AI giants.
• "We could be doing much more for the millions of Americans who are going to be displaced," he said.

Andrew Yang has warned for several years that automation would upend the American workforce.

In the run-up to his 2020 campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, he predicted that self-driving cars alone could displace a million mostly male truck drivers with limited education — a shift that could "destabilize society" and even trigger "riots in the street," he told The New York Times in 2018.

Seven years later, Yang says the crisis he feared is no longer hypothetical.

"It's aging very, very well, unfortunately," he told CNN's Michael Smerconish of his predictions in a recent interview.

AI job losses are no longer theoretical

Recent analyses indicate that AI and automation are already capable of performing a significant share of US labor tasks and are reshaping employment.

MIT's Iceberg Index, released last week, found that current AI systems can already technically perform skills representing 11.7% of the US labor market — roughly $1.2 trillion in wages across finance, healthcare, and professional services.

The New York Times, citing internal Amazon strategy documents and interviews, reported in October that the company believes automation could allow it to avoid hiring more than 600,000 US workers over the next few years, and that its robotics team has an ultimate goal of automating 75% of its operations.

Salesforce, Walmart, HP, IBM, and Fiverr have all cited AI in recent rounds of layoffs or announced layoffs tied to AI.

"44% of American jobs are either repetitive manual or repetitive cognitive and thus could be subject to AI and automation," Yang said in the interview with CNN. "We're seeing that unfold right now."

Yang's 44% estimate is broadly in line with some major studies on automation.

An IMF analysis from 2024 suggested that around 60% of jobs in advanced economies will be affected by AI, with half benefiting from the technology and the other being negatively impacted by it.

A McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) report released last month found that technologies could theoretically automate more than half of US work hours.

Yang's warning: Up to 40 million jobs could vanish

Yang pushed back against Roman Yampolskiy, a computer science professor at the University of Louisville and an AI safety researcher, who in September predicted 99% unemployment within five years.

"It's going to get bad. I certainly don't think 99% bad," Yang said.

Using his 44% vulnerability benchmark, Yang offered a rough projection: if the US "churns through" even half of those jobs over the next decade, the country could see 30 to 40 million positions eliminated.

"That would be devastating," he said. "That would be catastrophic for many, many communities."

His fix: guaranteed income paid for by the companies winning the AI boom

The rapid pace of AI-driven disruption has revived Yang's signature policy idea: a universal basic income that gives every American adult $1,000 a month, no strings attached.

He said guaranteed cash would help workers survive the shockwaves of automation and maintain basic economic stability.

To fund a nationwide program, Yang said the firms driving AI's explosive growth should bear the cost.

He cited Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, who floated to Axios in May the idea of a "token tax" that the government should levy on AI companies.

With tech giants generating "hundreds of billions" in value — powered in part by data the public never knowingly provided — Yang said an AI tax or "compute tax" could raise "very big numbers very quickly."

Given that the US produced roughly $85,000 in GDP per person in 2024, according to the World Bank, Yang said his $12,000 annual Freedom Dividend "seems pretty modest and reasonable."

A final warning

Yang said that a cash stipend isn't a cure-all — people also need purpose, structure, and a sense of community.

But without financial stability, he said, millions risk being left behind and pushed toward radicalization.

"We could be doing much, much more for the millions of Americans who are going to be displaced," Yang said.

• A shadow market for AI training accounts has emerged as demand for data labeling surges.
• Opportunists are offering to buy and sell "verified" accounts to access remote AI training gigs.
• Business Insider found 100 Facebook groups containing posts promoting this shadow market.

There's a new black market in the world of AI.

Companies like Scale AI, Surge AI, and Mercor are hiring thousands of contractors around the world to help train AI chatbots by evaluating their responses for Big Tech clients — and that's given rise to a shadow economy in which workers' accounts are being illicitly offered for sale.

Business Insider's investigation found 100 groups on Facebook illicitly selling access to real and fake AI training accounts, which contractors require to work for data-labeling companies. After we flagged the phenomenon, Meta removed about 40 groups and pieces of content for violating its policies and is continuing to investigate, a spokesperson said.

The prominent AI training companies ban account reselling and say they have safeguards in place to prevent the practice. But what are purported to be "verified" accounts continue to be up for sale on Facebook, WhatsApp, and Telegram.

Internal documents show Scale AI, which received a $14 billion investment from Meta in June, has been battling fraudulent and duplicate accounts and VPN misuse for years, and the company has barred users from some countries from projects to curb cheating.

These AI training companies have raised billions this year as tech giants race to secure the data needed to train their AI models and hire contractors, who are often referred to as "ghost workers" for their behind-the-scenes role in AI development.

Business Insider's findings show how AI training, also known as data labeling, is attracting scammers and shortcut seekers, similar to the account sharing that happened for food delivery and ride-hailing apps. It raises concerns for account buyers and sellers, who could be scammed and have their private information leaked, and for the clients paying the contracting companies.

Sara Saab, vice president of product at Prolific, a UK-based data-labeling startup, said that the company's research has shown that no single fraud ring is behind the movement, and that the underground industry has reached a level of sophistication seen in bank fraud or concert ticket scalping.

"Technologies that are helping data labeling companies are also helping people with bad intentions, fraudsters and scammers," she said.

When the work dries up, opportunists step in

Before contractors can receive tasks such as labeling images or suggesting alternative chatbot responses, they have to create accounts and complete screening tests on platforms like Scale AI-operated Outlier or Surge AI-operated DataAnnotation.tech. The work is remote, asynchronous, and pay can hit over $100 an hour.

Platforms like Outlier offer task-based projects that can last anywhere from a few hours to several months, often in regions where language translation or data annotation work is needed, or where pay rates are lower. When projects dry up, so does contractors' pay. That's where opportunists step in.

They target would-be trainers by selling "verified" Outlier accounts that belong to people in countries such as the US, where projects are still active, according to two former Outlier contractors in Kenya. Some may be real accounts, and some may be fake — but either way, reselling accounts is barred by the companies.

The two Kenyan contractors, whose identities are known to Business Insider, said they personally know people who had purchased accounts. They added that some also bought accounts if they were unable to pass the screening tests.

Account buyers use tools like a VPN or a "shadow proxy" to mask their true location by routing their internet connection through another person's device in the target country, said the two former contractors in Kenya.

There are plenty of social media profiles that claim they can teach account buyers how to get around data contracting companies' rules. Business Insider reviewed YouTube channels and Telegram groups that sell would-be taskers guides to "bypass geo-restrictions" or answers to Outlier's onboarding tests or specific projects.

Those who "rent" out their accounts to taskers charge an upfront fee, a percentage of future earnings, or both, according to four contractors who have been approached by people looking to buy their accounts.

Business Insider found one paid ad on WhatsApp that was seeking to purchase and resell verified accounts for two of the biggest AI training platforms, Outlier and Mercor.

Playground for scammers

Both sides are wary of scams, two contractors based in the US told Business Insider. Buyers worry that a "seller" may take payment and disappear. Sellers worry that their buyer won't offer them a percentage of future earnings once they hand over account login details.

In several posts seen by Business Insider, Facebook users said they had been scammed. Some said they paid for an AI training account, only for the scammer to block them and disappear with their money. Others said they were given an email address and password that wasn't actually registered with an AI training firm.

The two US contractors said that they often received direct messages on Reddit from people seeking to purchase their accounts after they passed the screening tests. Would-be buyers offered them a "fair payment" plus an unspecified cut of future earnings made via the account, according to a chat seen by Business Insider. One contractor said they ignore the requests because their accounts could be banned if they were caught. Another concern: They would be on the hook for income taxes for any paid work performed under their accounts.

Representatives for the biggest data companies, including Scale AI, Mercor, Prolific, and Surge AI, said buying and selling accounts is banned and that they have a variety of mechanisms, from monitoring Facebook groups to account-level pattern analysis, to detect fraud.

Facebook posts advertising the sale of such accounts also violate Meta's community standards and fraud and scams policy, a spokesperson confirmed.

"We use device, IP, and behavioral safeguards to identify and remove suspicious accounts before they can access any customer work," said a Scale AI spokesperson.

Scale AI confronts 'cheaters'

Internal Scale AI documents reviewed by Business Insider show that the company, founded in 2016, has been dealing with scammers for at least two years. On a project for Google in 2024, thousands of taskers were flagged in a document as "suspected spammers" or "cheaters." In a 2023 spreadsheet titled "Good and Bad Folks" and another called "suspicious non-US taskers," which Scale accidentally left public to anyone with the link, the company collected details of potential fraudsters.

Another spreadsheet from late 2023 shows rampant use of VPNs and multiple accounts belonging to the same person. The document contains a list of 490 contractors that were removed: 48 for using a VPN and a digital payments app that allows users to withdraw money in US dollars; 70 for accounts registered under the same name; and 11 for having two accounts. Another 21 users were removed for being "low quality" taskers.

The documents also show that a project with an unnamed client was plagued with quality issues. In one project progress tracking document, Scale AI managers discussed various strategies to "be ahead of the spammers." They included banning certain accounts from Egypt, Kenya, Pakistan, and other countries from participating in the project for using ChatGPT, and blocking the copying and pasting of content. The Kenya-based contractors Business Insider spoke to said that all AI training project opportunities in the region have sharply declined since late 2024.

The black market for Outlier accounts has spurred another cottage industry: hijacking real ones. Contractors have received fake job promotion emails asking for their login credentials. Scale AI banned one user for harvesting workers' contact info and spamming them in the summer, according to an email seen by Business Insider.

Prolific's Saab described the targeting of AI training platforms as an "accelerating arms race" between them and fraudsters — and said it requires proactive action from companies to stay ahead.

Have a tip? Contact Shubhangi Goel via email at sgoel@businessinsider.com or Signal at shuby.85. Use a personal email address and a nonwork device; here's our guide to sharing information securely.

• Michael Burry is back, and he's turning his fire on Tesla.
• The "Big Short" investor called Elon Musk's automaker "ridiculously overvalued" in a Substack post.
• Burry has disclosed big bets against Nvidia and Palantir and used his blog to criticize the AI boom.

Michael Burry is taking on a who's who of the world's biggest tech giants — and now he's picking a fight with Elon Musk.

The investor of "The Big Short" fame called Tesla "ridiculously overvalued" in a post on his Substack released late Sunday evening, after previously disclosing bets against Nvidia and Palantir.

"Tesla's market capitalization is ridiculously overvalued today and has been for a good long time," Burry wrote, adding that he expects Musk's $1 trillion dollar pay package to continue to dilute the company's shares.

"As an aside, the Elon cult was all-in on electric cars until competition showed up, then all-in on autonomous driving until competition showed up, and now is all-in on robots — until competition shows up," the legendary investor said.

It's not the first time Burry has taken aim at Tesla. The investor placed a bet against $530 million worth of Tesla shares in 2021 but exited the position a few months later, with Burry telling CNBC the move was "just a trade."

Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment about Burry's post.

Musk's EV maker is the latest tech giant to draw the investor's fire.

Burry, whose bet against the housing market in 2008 was famously depicted in "The Big Short" movie, has been outspoken in his belief that the current AI boom is a bubble.

Last month, he disclosed bets against Nvidia and Palantir and engaged in a war of words with both companies.

In a pivot, he deregistered his hedge fund in November and set up his Substack last week.

Burry is not the first to call Tesla overvalued. The company's shares trade at over 250 times its earnings, far higher than other carmakers, and fellow famed short-seller Jim Chanos also said in 2023 that Tesla was overvalued.

Musk hits back at short sellers

Despite a DOGE-related wobble at the start of the year, Tesla's shares are up 11% in 2025 as investors have cheered the company's robotaxi rollout.

Musk has hit out against Tesla's critics and short sellers, predicting that the EV maker will become the most valuable company on the planet.

The billionaire's $1 trillion pay package, which was approved by Tesla shareholders last month, is contingent on the company's market cap rising over the next decade to $8.5 trillion, nearly double the valuation of Nvidia.

The Cybertruck maker continues to dominate the EV market in the US, with around 41% market share as of August — but that number has fallen in recent years as competitors have rolled out more electric models.

Musk has said that Tesla's robotaxi and Optimus robot are the future of the company. But Tesla faces fierce competition there too, from companies like Google-backed Waymo and Chinese robotics startup Unitree.

• I took a 43-hour Amtrak train ride to avoid chaos at airports ahead of Thanksgiving.
• The Southwest Chief from Los Angeles to Chicago had scenic views and a community vibe.
• It costs more and takes longer than flying, but I want to do more long-haul Amtrak rides.

If the plagues of our modern age are screen addiction, anti-social behavior, and a desire for immediate gratification, all driven by the supercomputers constantly affixed to our hands, then Amtrak may be the antidote.

On a 43-hour, 2,265-mile cross-country journey from Los Angeles to Chicago on Amtrak's Southwest Chief, I stared out the window at deep red mesas and Midwest farmland. I shared meals with strangers. I played chess with my husband while others watched before playing a game of their own.

We decided to take the train for two reasons. First, to avoid the airport chaos that often accompanies Thanksgiving, typically the busiest time of year for air travel (especially because there was a possibility the government shutdown would still be ongoing). Second, for the adventure of it.

We paid $1,963 for a two people in a large sleeper car room. While it was a lot more expensive and took much longer than flying, it delivered on the promise of an adventure across the American West. And, after my ride, it's no surprise to me that Amtrak has reached record ridership and revenue, with 34.5 million customer trips in the fiscal year that ended in September.

Whereas plane rides have increasingly become an impersonal, stress-inducing experience that often feels like a glorified commuter bus, the Amtrak feels a bit stuck in time, but in a good way — slower, more communal, less rigid.

We had a large, cozy room with plenty of space for 2

We left from Los Angeles's Union Station the Monday before Thanksgiving shortly after 5 p.m. local time. From there, the Southwest Chief would take us through Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, a bit of Iowa, and Illinois. Along the way, there'd be historic train stations, ghost towns, and gorgeous terrain.

We booked a "Family Room," which sleeps up to 2 adults and 2 children. It spanned the width of the train, with a bench that expanded into a bed slightly wider than a twin. There were a couple benches facing each other that also expanded into a kid's bed, as well as two upper bunks that could be folded down from the ceiling.

The room was spacious for two people, allowing each of us to sprawl out during the day and work on our laptops. There were windows on both sides of the room and fold-down tables we could work from.

We had access to several bathrooms and a shower shared by others in our sleeper car. The bathrooms were clean and well-maintained, and a bit larger than an airplane bathroom, while the shower was surprisingly spacious with solid water pressure.

The attendant for our sleeper car brewed a fresh pot of coffee for all of us every morning, and had a sign-up sheet so we could flag when we were ready for our bed to be made up or folded away each morning and evening.

Community spaces are an essential part of taking the train

When it was time to eat, we ascended to the dining car, as our tickets came with breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Amtrak offers a traditional dining service, also known as shared dining. That means, unless you're in a group of four, you're going to be sat next to strangers. While communal dining in general is a divisive trend, it was a key part of the charm of taking the Amtrak.

For our first dinner, we sat with a couple who take six weeks of vacation every year and were taking two trains from California to catch a cruise in Florida. Another meal we sat with a man from upstate New York who took the train to Las Vegas because he was worried about government shutdown flight delays and wanted to see the Southwest. An older woman we sat with said her dad worked for the railroad, and she'd been taking trains her whole life.

The food itself was also better than I expected. It wasn't something you'd get at a nice restaurant in Los Angeles or Chicago, but rather standard banquet food: steak, chicken, pasta, and so on. I had mac n cheese (from the kids' menu) and a salmon dish that were both solid. The breakfast quesadilla was genuinely very good. The best surprise was the chocolate spoon cake, which was delicious.

There's no WiFi, but cell service was reliable, and lots of passengers talked or played games

Past the dining car was the observation car, a community space lined with windows for optimal viewing of the surrounding environment. During the day, I posted up at a table here and worked on my laptop, often forcibly peeling my eyes away from the views passing by.

One surprising thing that made the train feel like a remnant of a bygone past? No WiFi. Amtrak has added WiFi to some of its trains and stations, but not on this one. That left me to rely on my phone's hotspot.

Cell service was mostly reliable, though there were times when it would disappear or weaken, but often that would last for minutes. There was only one time, somewhere in New Mexico, where I would've liked internet but went without it for about half an hour, give or take.

The observation car was also full of people talking, playing games, and yes, watching content on their phones, though there were far fewer people glued to their screens than you might expect.

In the evenings after dinner, we'd grab drinks from the café cart ($9 for a whisky) and sit in the observation cart playing games. During a particularly close game of chess, a couple of people who didn't know each other asked if they could watch, and then started playing each other on their phones.

Take the train for the views and the vibes

There's a feeling of lawlessness on the Amtrak, which adds to the sense that you've stepped back in time. No one checked our IDs when we boarded. There are routines, but mostly you're free to wander the train as you please. There's a lot of time killing.

There are also designated "fresh air stops" or "smoke breaks," where passengers can get off to smoke a cigarette, as the staff will frequently remind over the loudspeaker — one of the only instances in this day and age where it feels like smokers are actively accommodated.

We finally pulled into Chicago's Union Station at around 4:20 p.m. local time on Wednesday, about an hour and a half behind schedule due to a couple of holdups along the route. But what's a 90-minute delay after almost two days on the train?

It's not the cheapest or the fastest way to travel. I'm not going to choose Amtrak over flying most of the time. However, I've already added several routes to my bucket list, which I'll take when I have enough time to slow down and enjoy getting to where I'm going.

• When I started eating more protein, I realized I stopped getting as much fiber as I used to.
• I started eating more fiber again to help reduce my colon cancer risk.
• I squeeze in more fiber where I can and lean more on plant-based protein sources.

When I first discovered how much stronger I felt following a higher-protein diet, fiber took a backseat.

I sidelined my berry oatmeal for cottage cheese eggs. My weekly plant-based meals, like tempeh stir-fries or lentil curries, were replaced by a thick wedge of salmon. As I started running longer distances, I also favored more carbs over fiber, which are more energizing and easier on the stomach during training runs.

At first, I felt stronger and faster than when I followed a more plant-based diet. Then, I developed colon cancer-like symptoms and got a pricey colonoscopy — all to learn that I had hemorrhoids, which could be caused by a lower-fiber diet.

As I later learned, most Americans don't eat enough fiber, which is crucial for a healthy gut and, in turn, reduces the risk of colon cancer.

To aim for my recommended 25 grams of fiber a day (without sacrificing the 53 recommended grams of protein a day), I'd have to get creative.

I stick to a fiber-filled breakfast, even if it's boring

My husband, who's always been a fiber fan, makes us the same breakfast every weekday: oatmeal with frozen berries, peanut butter, and chia seeds.

After years of this, it got boring for me. I started enticing us with local pastries or the aforementioned cottage cheese eggs. Or, when I'd go to the office, I'd skip the at-home breakfast for — deep breath — one of those fun-sized bowls of Frosted Flakes in the communal kitchen.

However, oatmeal with fibrous toppings is nutritionally tough to beat. That breakfast got me to about 10.5 grams of protein and 17 grams of fiber — already half my recommended amount. On strength training days, when I need a little more protein, I'll add some protein powder and high-protein milk to my coffee.

Is my high-protein, high-fiber breakfast as exciting as a lox bagel or breakfast tacos? No. But it helps me start off on a great note — and makes me stressed about getting all my nutrients in for the rest of the day.

I load up on veggie sides and grains

Instead of experimenting with fancy, decadent dinners, I simplified my meal-prep: I make virtually the same sheet-pan dinner every week.

Salmon is rich in protein and heart-healthy fat, while seasonal vegetables and grains like farro or quinoa add fiber in addition to carbs and extra protein.

The above meal would clock in at about 31 grams of protein and 9 grams of fiber.

Leaning more on plant-based protein

It's definitely easier for me to hit my protein goals with animal-based products — a piece of salmon gets me to at least one-third of the way.

However, plant-based protein sources like beans or lentils all have more fiber. So if I'm eating salmon for lunch, I'll usually opt for a vegetarian meal for dinner, like a salad or stew.

A recent salad I made included multiple protein sources: tempeh, quinoa, chickpeas, walnuts, and roasted butternut squash seeds. Combined with the fiber-packed veggies (arugula, beets, and butternut squash), meals like this help me feel full while also assuring I eat a diverse range of foods, which is important for good gut health.

I don't hit every nutrient target perfectly every day. If I go out to dinner, I'm probably getting the cheesiest pasta on the menu. But striking the right fiber-protein balance with the meals I make at home makes it that much easier to unwind the rest of the time.

• The Society for Human Resource Management was sued in 2022 by a former employee for alleged racial discrimination.
• The case is set to go to trial, with jury selection scheduled to begin on Monday.
• SHRM, which has been embroiled in controversy, tried to exclude evidence that it is a leader in HR.

The world's largest human resources trade group argued that the plaintiff shouldn't be allowed to portray it as an expert in HR during a trial that begins with jury selection Monday. A judge disagreed.

The Society for Human Resource Management, known as SHRM, was sued in 2022 by former employee Rehab Mohamed, who alleges that she faced racial discrimination and retaliation while working there as an instructional designer.

In September, SHRM took the unconventional move of filing a motion requesting that the federal court bar Mohamed from introducing evidence or argument that the organization is a specialist in HR best practices.

Doing so "would improperly hold SHRM to a higher standard than any other employer facing similar claims, confuse the issues, and mislead the jury," the organization argued in the motion.

In October, US District Judge Gordon P. Gallagher denied SHRM's request, saying its "asserted expertise in human resources is integral to the circumstances of this case and cannot reasonably be excluded."

The decision could be "very damaging" for SHRM because it means the plaintiff can effectively tell the jury that the trade group should, in fact, be held to a higher standard than other employers, said Betsy Bulat, an equity partner with labor and employment firm Martenson, Hasbrouck, and Simon.

"It makes them look more culpable," she said.

The judge also ruled that the Colorado jury could consider awarding punitive damages. This is significant as it means that if the jury sides with the plaintiff, "there could be a huge award," said Stacey Lee, an attorney and law professor at Johns Hopkins University's Carey Business School.

SHRM has consistently denied Mohamed's claims. The trade group does not comment on litigation, spokesperson Eddie Burke wrote in an email to Business Insider. "The case is going to trial because SHRM has a longstanding practice of not settling employment cases that have been fully and thoroughly investigated and determined to be meritless," he said.

Lawyers for Mohamed declined to comment.

The trial is set to begin while SHRM is embroiled in various controversies, as Business Insider recently reported. These include a new attendance policy that penalizes workers who arrive even a minute after 9 a.m.; a memo about a "conservative" dress code that bans sequins; and a companywide meeting in which Taylor said some staffers were "entitled," "complacent," and "sloppy."

During pre-trial discovery, SHRM revealed the existence of two other discrimination complaints from employees. One case, filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in 2018, was settled. The other, filed with a California regulator in 2021, is pending.

SHRM, which claims to have nearly 340,000 members, offers educational materials and credentialing programs to help HR professionals advance in their careers. Mohamed's suit alleges that SHRM doesn't follow some of the guidance it doles out to others.

Last year, the judge called the Mohamed case "messy" and said the evidence showed that the same HR person tasked with investigating her complaints was also ghostwriting emails for Mohamed's boss and drafting Mohamed's termination paperwork around the same time.

SHRM's industry guide on "How to Conduct a Workplace Investigation," dated about two weeks after that decision, said investigators "should focus on being impartial to gather and consider relevant facts and should not push the investigation in any particular direction."

Additional reporting by Jack Newsham.

• Driverless cars are set to expand to more US cities next year.
• Waymo, Tesla, Uber, Lyft, and others are all trying to get in on the action.
• I hailed a ride in a Waymo car in San Francisco to see what it's like.

Robotaxis are coming to more US cities. San Francisco offers a glimpse of what the future might look like as their use expands.

On a recent trip to downtown San Francisco, self-driving cars, particularly those operated by robotaxi company Waymo, seemed to be on most of the streets. As a visitor to the city, it was odd to see so many cars ferrying people around without any driver behind the wheel.

But in San Francisco, that site is nothing new.

Waymo has had driverless cars operating in the city center since 2022, and hailing one of them has been an option for anyone who can download the company's app since last year.

And robotaxis are set to expand in the US.

In November, Waymo added Houston, San Antonio, and Orlando to the list of cities where it will start using its cars, though the company said that riders need to wait until next year to hail a robotaxi in those places. Waymo is also preparing to offer driverless rides in several other cities, including Washington, D.C., and Las Vegas.

In Atlanta and Austin, companies like Uber and Lyft started offering rides in driverless cars earlier this year, but some riders have told me they've had to go out of their way to hail one.

And Tesla, which already offers its robotaxis in Austin, has plans to launch the service in several more US cities.

In October, I decided to hail a Waymo car in San Francisco and see what it's like to ride one in a city where they've become so ubiquitous. Here's what I found.

I used Waymo while getting around San Francisco for business.

I wanted to get from my hotel near Union Square to a meeting about 12 minutes away, so I checked a few different ride-hailing options on my phone.

A 12-minute ride was about $16 on Waymo.

I was traveling close to 9:30 a.m., so I expected to hit rush-hour traffic and see higher prices than if I had waited until later in the day.

It was a little more expensive than the same trip on Uber or Lyft.

Despite not having a human driver to pay, Waymo charged me more than Uber or Lyft would have for the same trip.

After booking with Waymo, I pulled up the two other ride-hailing services to compare prices. An UberX ride would have cost around $13, while Lyft, which was running a discount when I checked, would have charged about $10.

With a 20% tip, the Uber ride would have cost about the same as Waymo, but the Lyft ride would've been a few dollars cheaper.

A Waymo spokesperson said that the company looks at multiple factors when pricing rides, such as the trip's duration and distance. "During busier times, such as morning rush hour and weekends, prices may be higher," the spokesperson said.

As I waited, I saw several other Waymo vehicles drive by.

During the six-minute wait for my ride, I noticed at least a half-dozen other Waymo vehicles drive by, including two right next to each other.

Going around town over the previous couple of days, I found out how hard it was to walk around a city block without seeing at least one or two self-driving cars.

My car arrived, but I had to look twice to find it.

At first, I missed the notification that my car had arrived. As I looked around my pickup location, though, I couldn't see a Waymo stopped near me.

After checking the map, I realized that it had stopped down the block and up another street. While it took less than a minute to walk there, I wondered why the car had not navigated to my designated pick-up point.

Waymo uses several factors, such as zoning, traffic, and walking distance, to determine where its vehicles pick up and drop off passengers, with the goal of "balancing safety and convenience," the Waymo spokesperson said.

After going down the block, I found this Waymo vehicle waiting for me.

I verified that this was my car by checking the license plate number against the one on-screen in the Waymo app. My initials were also visible on the console that was on the roof.

Three other Waymo-run cars were stopped behind it.

The street where my car stopped wasn't as busy as the one I waited on, which might explain why it was there.

I found it funny that there were three other Waymo cars stopped behind it.

I threw my bags in the trunk, got in the car, and started my trip.

I had to slide this button forward in the Waymo app to indicate I was ready to leave.

A safety video played as the car pulled away.

Sitting in the back of the electric Jaguar I-Pace, I noticed a screen on the console between the two front seats.

As the car began to move, a safety video started playing. It reminded me to buckle my seatbelt and said that I shouldn't touch the steering wheel or the pedals. It almost felt like boarding a plane.

Being in a car without a human driver wasn't as creepy as I expected.

Some people I know swear that they'll never get in one of these cars because no one is behind the wheel. I didn't find it that strange, in part because I was traveling along city streets at low speeds.

Still, I couldn't help but take a video of the empty driver's seat, especially as the car made a turn and the wheel rotated without anyone present.

The screens in the Waymo showed some of the process behind the company's self-driving tech.

At one point, the car came to a stop in the middle of an intersection.

As I tried to look ahead and see what was happening, I noticed that the screen in the front of the car laid out the situation for me: Someone was crossing the street one vehicle ahead, and the car I was in had noticed and stopped.

I could adjust the music, air conditioning, and other aspects of the ride through this screen.

The screen between the front seats also allowed me to call support if there was an issue.

I arrived at my destination on time.

Fortunately, my destination was on a less-busy street than the one where I hailed the car, so it was able to pull up directly in front of my destination.

I grabbed my bags from the back and headed to my meeting.

As I got out, the Waymo app prompted me to leave a review and offered walking directions to my destination (which I didn't need, in this case).

Overall, I'd take a ride with Waymo again, but I'll be comparing prices with Uber and Lyft.

I felt safe riding in Waymo's vehicle, and with the company's expansion to other cities, I would consider trying it again.

But I probably won't pay a premium to ride in a Waymo again. If Uber and Lyft are cheaper, I'd likely take a ride with one of those services.

Do you have a story to share about self-driving cars, the gig economy, or a related topic? Contact this reporter at abitter@businessinsider.com.