Tag: Business

• Jennifer McGuire spent decades dreaming of a long stay in Europe while raising four sons on her own.
• After they were all grown up, she made it a reality and traveled solo for the first time in her adult life.
• Over the course of six months, she discovered who she was beyond being a mother.

I never used to know what kind of pizza I liked. A small but strangely telling detail about my life.

I was always the adult ordering for me and my four sons — usually an extra-large cheese, maybe pepperoni if I felt wild. Economical crowd-pleasers. Perfect for our family, and for a single mom who didn't have the time to think about her own preferences.

Maybe that's part of why I moved to Europe alone after my youngest left for college. I wanted to figure out what I liked on my pizza.

Of course, it was more than that. I'd romanticized long stretches in Europe for years. I used to dream about Italy and France when I was deep in the trenches of motherhood, when a trip to the grocery store felt like an expedition, and the school parking lot was as far as I ever got.

Europe felt impossibly distant from our small town. At that point in my life, even getting to the airport felt too far.

But when the time came, as afraid as I was to go, I was more afraid of staying put — of waiting for my kids to visit so I could feel like a person again.

Fleeing the nest I'd built

Determined not to let fear stop me, I booked my first flight to Rome with my tax return. I packed my laptop so I could work remotely, a blessing that meant I could rent a place of my own.

First, a tiny studio in the old town of Tivoli, just outside Rome. Then a month in Avignon in the south of France. Then Belfast in Northern Ireland. My choices were based almost entirely on friends' recommendations and the cheapest monthly Airbnbs I could find. I knew so little about the world beyond our house in Canada. I just wanted to go and see.

For the next six months, I learned how to be a person in the world without my "mom" qualifier. I learned how to make friends on my own — not mom friends or work friends, but actual friends.

In Italy, I joined a local hiking group and met a woman who became my closest Italian friend. Every day we walked and translated for each other until my Italian improved. Another shock: learning a new language in middle age.

I felt foolish and more like myself at the same time.

Becoming more expansive and expressive

I walked everywhere. I learned how to be quiet inside — riding trains, gazing out the windows, wandering through museums, and drinking wine.

In the mornings, I took my coffee to the local courtyard to watch kids play soccer, women fill water at the fountain, and men play bocce. I embraced every cliché without a hint of embarrassment.

I missed my kids, enough that I considered flying home at least a dozen times. But missing them somewhere new felt easier than missing them in our small town. Back home, I felt left behind. Leaving for my own adventure made me feel like I was choosing myself again.

When I left Italy for Avignon, something softened. I already spoke a little French, which helped, and the city itself was easy to navigate. Each café and tiny shop felt like a gentle invitation.

I met empty-nester moms everywhere — women who linked arms on their way to lunch and insisted I come along. They were building new lives while keeping their children at the center of their attention. I recognized myself in them.

That's what I learned in those six months: I could build a new life, return to an old version of myself, and still carry my mother-ness with me. I could be all of those people at once. I could still grow.

In Belfast, I wrote. I hiked Cave Hill with new friends and often by myself. I took a bus to the Giant's Causeway and ate fish chowder by the sea.

Each day I chose something new and something familiar — yoga classes in the Cathedral Quarter, music nights at the Sunflower Pub, a book by the fire in White's Tavern on Sunday afternoons.

And I wrote and wrote and wrote — an entire book — because finally I had the time and the quiet to write one. Because I felt like I was stepping into my own life for the first time in a long time.

At the end of my trip, I flew my sons over for a two-week visit. We went back to Rome, and I showed them everything — the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, all the obvious highlights. But more than that, I introduced them to the woman I'd become. A mom, yes, but also a friend, a hiker, a writer.

And a lover of all kinds of pizza.

Do you have a story about taking a gap year that you want to share? Get in touch with the editor: akarplus@businessinsider.com.

• Tesla CEO Elon Musk says the company is now testing its robotaxi without human monitors in Austin.
• An X user posted a video on Sunday that appeared to show a robotaxi driving with no one inside.
• Musk had earlier said Tesla would remove safety monitors by the end of the year.

An X user recorded a Tesla Model Y driving through Austin's streets on Sunday that appears to show no one, not even a safety monitor, inside.

Since Tesla launched its robotaxi in Austin in June, the driverless cars have always included a human in the passenger seat.

The video generated a fair amount of excitement online from Tesla watchers, some of whom immediately went to their app to order a robotaxi to see whether it would include a safety monitor (they did).

Tesla CEO Elon Musk later said on Sunday that the company is now testing driverless taxis without human safety operators, though it appears not yet on actual paying customers.

"Testing is underway with no occupants in the car," Musk wrote in response to the X user who posted the original video.

Tesla itself responded to the video with "Just saying."

Tesla's AI chief, Ashok Elluswamy, also responded. "And so it begins!" he wrote on X on Sunday.

According to Robotaxi Tracker — run by Austin-based robotaxi watcher Ethan McKenna — there are 31 active vehicles in Austin, up from 29 in November. Speaking on the "All-In" podcast in October, Musk said that Tesla was aiming to increase its robotaxi fleet to 500 cars in Austin by the end of the year.

Musk said in a video call at an xAI "hackathon" event last week that Tesla would remove human safety monitors from its robotaxi cars by the end of the year, according to Teslarati, a news site focused on Musk-run companies.

"There will be Tesla robotaxis operating in Austin with no one in them, not even anyone in the passenger seat, in about three weeks," Musk said, the outlet reported.

When Business Insider tested a robotaxi in Austin in July, it required multiple interventions from the safety monitor in the passenger seat, including at one point when the car went the wrong way on a one-way street.

Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

• Two former ANZ Bank coworkers shared how they took a surf camp trip to Bali after being laid off.
• Both received generous severance packages and used the break to recharge after decades of working.
• Their getaway helped them reset, and they see themselves taking similar trips again.

This as-told-to essay is based on conversations with Heath Kitson and William Lu, who worked at ANZ Bank in the company's Melbourne office. The essay has been edited for length and clarity.

Heath Kitson: I managed a team of data analysts, and I was at ANZ for seven years before I was laid off a couple of months ago.

William Lu: I was at the bank for eleven years, and I reported to Heath.

I've always said to people that it's been one of my dreams to be made redundant and enjoy some time off, but when it actually happens, it hits you hard. Part of me still thought that maybe I should just try to make an effort to find another role here. But then, toward the end of the consultation process, I had this overwhelming feeling, like Heath, that the change of strategy and direction meant that the exciting work we were doing was now over. It felt like a time to reset.

Kitson: We both got generous payouts, and the layoff did not hit us financially, and won't for a while. But it's definitely been a change — ever since I started work 20 years ago, I haven't even been out of work for even two weeks.

Tip: Don't try to job hunt all day

Lu: I haven't dived into looking for other roles yet. I'm fairly confident in the networks I have and the people I know, so I'm sure I'll be able to find somewhere warmer to go.

Kitson: Our outplacement service had a recruiter who had spent his career talking to executives in my position. He said that job hunting is a very deflating experience.

His advice was not to try to job hunt for eight hours a day and really grind yourself down, only to arrive at an interview all flat and disillusioned. He suggested spending only two hours a day looking for work and using the rest of the time to do whatever would make me feel happy and refreshed. He said we should be signaling to future employers: 'I'm the freshest I've ever been, I can't wait to start, I'm back from a trip.'

It reinforced to me that a break was not just part of the long service leave that was given to me, but also something that would help me get my next role. Even when I've changed jobs in the past, the companies have wanted me to start right away.

Lu: My outplacement experience wasn't as profound. My guy started the motions and informed me about the services available to me and the workshops I should attend. I was the one to say: 'Hold on, I'm not ready to think about this yet. Can we reconvene in February?'

The longest break I've had was when I went on my wedding and honeymoon, which lasted three weeks, so this period of paid leave was very welcome.

Doing something active

Kitson: When I started looking into how I wanted to spend my break, I knew I wanted to do something active. So I was thinking skiing, hiking, surfing, or those CrossFit camps. The goal was to find something that energizes me and to come back in better shape than when I left. I did not want to sit around drinking or being hungover for seven days and coming back more tired.

Lu: Heath and I had never hung out outside work at this point, but we were on a call one day after we were let go, when Heath shared that he wanted to go somewhere but did not have someone to go with. I told him that my wife also suggested taking a trip, and I would be up to go with him. We were just exchanging ideas when a surf camp in Bali came up.

For me, it was about experiencing something new as well. I've been surfing before, but to go seven days straight and have the opportunity to actually develop that skill properly, I think that was probably what got me over the line.

Traveling as ex-coworkers

Kitson: I probably would've come on my own if we couldn't have worked something out together. But part of the appeal of this place was that we were coming to a community where we'd meet other people.

Lu: It didn't take too much to convince me, but the thought did cross my mind if it was a really good idea to travel with my ex-boss. But we've always had a good relationship and a lot in common.

Kitson: We just got back from our first session this morning, and I felt like I was not thinking about things back home and could focus on the waves. I've had a couple of sleepless nights over the past few weeks, but I think I'll sleep well tonight.

Lu: I wasn't thinking about work either. When part of you is just slightly worried about drowning, I don't think you can really think about too much.

The trip has been worth it

Kitson: Our families were pretty happy to have us out of the house, since we'd gone pretty stir crazy. From friends and other coworkers, there was a little bit of friendly jealousy when they heard, and quite a few people wanted to come along. Lots of people asked us when we're doing the next one.

Lu: It's only our first day here, but I definitely could come again. There was quite a bit of work leading up to it, like getting visas and SIM cards. But as soon as we got on the plane, I was completely relaxed.

Kitson: I've thought already that if I get a job offer with a longer runway, I would go and do something similar again. I like that at surf camp, my day-to-day schedule is planned, and I can switch off about where to go and having to cook or go out to eat. It's different from a family beach vacation, which lacks this sense of freedom and rest because you're planning your own schedule and looking after the kids.

Lu: It's the same for me, since it's usually me who does all the planning.

Kitson: I'd suggest that anyone in a similar situation maintain their routines back home, but also try to take a short, refreshing break like this while waiting for things to happen on the job front.

Are you based in Asia-Pacific and have a story to share about dealing with layoffs? Please reach out at sgoel@businessinsider.com

• Critical Role's "The Mighty Nein" animated series is out on Prime Video.
• The eight co-founders of Critical Role spoke with Business Insider about what went into creating the show.
• "The Mighty Nein" is the crew's second animated series project with Amazon.

The eight cofounders of the nerdworld business Critical Role came roaring back to Prime Video with the November debut of "The Mighty Nein."

The business's eight cofounders first started out streaming their home "Dungeons & Dragons" game on Twitch. Then, in 2019, CR raised seed funding of over $11.3 million to create the animated series "The Legend of Vox Machina."

"The Mighty Nein," based on their second Twitch-streamed "D&D" campaign, is their second animated series on Prime Video.

In an interview with Business Insider in November, the cofounders outlined some of the biggest challenges they faced — and the lessons they learned — making the show.

1. Introducing the audience to a sprawling world

"The largest challenge was trying to figure out how we were going to reorganize, and how we introduced the world," Critical Role CEO Travis Willingham said.

Converting a 141-episode campaign into a show for Prime Video meant covering lots of on-stream ground, Willingham said. The team had to make a "massive shift" in how characters and plot points were introduced.

"For us, the livestream campaign was so good at sort of feeding one little nugget at a time, and the world got bigger and bigger and bigger. We thought it was far more effective to just hit you with the larger pieces at play and let those things sort of inform the characters and the storylines as you go along," Willingham added.

Willingham said these hints set the stage for more developments down the road.

"We are going to sort of peel back the layers of that onion as we go along," Willingham said. "But we are certainly taking our time and saving things for season two as well. So we're not in a rush."

Cofounder Sam Riegel told Business Insider that the crew's longtime game master, Matthew Mercer, had created an "incredible continent filled with politics and socioeconomic strife and war, and ruin, and religious exploration."

"To show all of the antagonists, the villains, the political intrigue that's going on around our characters, we needed a whole other plot line to show what was going on in the background," Riegel said.

2. Not giving too much of the backstories away

Riegel added that another key challenge with the "Mighty Nein" was the complexity of some of the main characters' backstories.

"We don't want to throw all those backstories in the audience's face right at the top, but we do want to tease out that they come with baggage and trauma and issues that they have to work through," Riegel said.

"Luckily, we were afforded hourlong episodes in which to do so, and I think it paints a rich tapestry," Riegel said.

Meanwhile, Mercer wove in information and plot points from the campaign that even Twitch viewers back in the day weren't aware of. That included more information on the series' key antagonists, the wizard Volstruckers, and the mysterious and enigmatic academic, Essek Thelyss, whom Mercer voices.

"We had the opportunity to dig in with the writer's rooms and the rest of the creative team to collaborate on how best to see that now fleshed out and shown and explored with the audience through this animated series," Mercer said. "So there weren't too many changes. A lot of it was mainly just taking what was there or things that were sitting in my head and going, 'Alright, now we get to actually show this. That's really cool and exciting. Let's do it.'"

3. Complex designs, intricate animation

One of the big challenges the team had to overcome was articulating the intricate aspects of an in-game world through animation. And that spanned character costumes and memorable campaign locations.

"When I sent Matt (Mercer) my idea of where Jester grew up and what the Lavish Chateau was, I had this strong visual in my mind," cofounder and cast member Laura Bailey said, referring to her character, the trickster cleric Jester.

"And then to see it in the animated series, it's so strange that they can capture exactly what it was that we've visualized for so long, and now everybody else gets to see these stunning set pieces that have existed only in this little world," Bailey added.

Cofounder Taliesin Jaffe said that he'd been "very, very specific" as well about how the carnival his character, Mollymauk Tealeaf, traveled with — should be animated.

"I'm famous for making very easy-to-animate character designs — I say deeply sarcastically," Jaffe joked.

The Critical Role team also had to look into how each character's magic was represented on-screen. For Liam O'Brien, it was crucial that his wizard, Caleb Widogast, cast magic in a manner that resembled a "learned science," complete with alchemy and specific components.

The crew, O'Brien said, was also just happy to have the "luxury of time" to go back and revisit moments from their old "D&D" campaign.

"I am in love with the complicated world that this show has created — and that Sam and Travis have helmed — as we've all, in an all-hands effort, just created everything with love," O'Brien said.

Iowa 80 is dubbed the Disney World for truckers.

Sitting along I-80, it lies on a crucial corridor for drivers transporting food from the heartland to the coasts. Iowa 80 Truckstop boasts 900 parking spots, a barber shop, and a restaurant that has served over 23 million eggs since opening.

But despite being the world's largest, one family still owns Iowa 80. Mom-and-pop truck stops like this one are becoming rare in America, as big chains turn them into travel centers for cars.

We head to one of Iowa's oldest truck stops and one its biggest to understand why these rest stops are vital for the people who spend their lives behind the wheel.

• Leon Spencer is an Australian dad with an 11-year-old daughter and an 8-year-old son.
• He creates content for social-media platforms and is glad that the new ban will help him keep his kids off them.
• He believes real-world engagement is an essential part of growing up.

The number of times my 11-year-old daughter has asked to join Messenger Kids has jumped noticeably this year.

I've always believed I had good grounds to refuse, but to her, it's just a way to chat with friends. What's the harm? I've tried explaining how one app can lead to others, and how dependence on digital platforms can form quickly at her age.

Now, with Australia's new ban on certain social media platforms for kids under 16, I can point to something more concrete: It's against the law.

It can help parents say no

Here's the thing, though: the Messenger Kids platform isn't actually banned under the new legislation. Not yet anyway, even if its older sibling, Facebook, is. But the social media ban provides parents like me with a new reference point that normalizes our decision to say no.

I'm not a Luddite. As an editorial lead for a media and communications agency in Australia, I work with content designed for social media platforms. Technology is key to what I do, and I understand the value of it, including social media platforms.

But we all know these apps are designed to be addictive and to keep users — including children — scrolling. Research increasingly shows links to declining mental health and even potential effects on brain development.

I was concerned that the peer pressure to allow my children to join social media could make the decision to say no much harder than it ought to be. I'm hoping the ban will make it easier.

I want my kids to hang out with friends in real life

I have two kids, 11 and 8. I don't want them to get into the habit of using social media platforms to interact with friends. I want them meeting friends in person or calling them, not becoming products for advertisers.

My children sometimes use my WhatsApp account for video calls with friends and family. Occasionally, they'll watch an Instagram reel with Mum on her phone. But I think it's important for most of their peer group interaction to occur at playdates, at school, or around the local neighborhood.

I live on the Sunshine Coast, in Queensland, a part of Australia that lends itself to a rich outdoor lifestyle, year-round. It's easy for me to let my kids walk down the street to the park or visit friends nearby without constant adult supervision.

Among the other parents I speak with, the ban is a welcome shift in our relationship with social media platforms.

Taking social media out of the equation completely also means less overall screen time. I'm good with this. Less screen time means less passive consumption and more active play. Yes, my kids get bored. But wait a little while, and they always find interesting things to do.

Recently, after complaining for the better part of an hour about having to turn off the TV, my kids took themselves off and created a play. They wrote a script, rehearsed the lines, dressed in costumes, and performed.

It wouldn't have happened if the screen had stayed on.

• The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
• Ticket prices have soared past estimates pitched by the hosts in their original bid.
• FIFA is using variable pricing to set ticket prices based on demand.

It's been over 30 years since Americans have had the chance to watch their national soccer team play on their home turf.

They'll get another chance next year, but it'll cost them.

Fans could pay over $2,700 for a ticket to watch the USA's first match in the 2026 FIFA World Cup against Paraguay, which is scheduled to take place in June at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.

That far exceeds the estimated ticket prices included in the original joint bid submitted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico to host the World Cup.

FIFA, which sets ticket prices, says it is using variable pricing to determine ticket costs, and "may adjust ticket prices throughout the sales phases based on a review of demand and availability for each match."

The organization said it isn't using dynamic pricing — when ticket prices change in real time based on demand and other factors — for the 2026 World Cup. In addition to third-party sites like StubHub, which sell tickets, FIFA offers a resale and exchange marketplace for fans.

FIFA launched its third phase of ticketing last week. Soon after the portal opened, fans took to social media, expressing shock over what they described as steep prices.

World Cup tickets are divided into four categories, with Category 1 selling the most expensive tickets and Category 4 the cheapest options.

As of Saturday, there are no available Category 4 tickets for the USA's opening match against Paraguay on June 12. Instead, the cheapest ticket is selling for $1,120 under Category 3. The most expensive ticket costs $2,735, followed by $1,940.

The most expensive ticket for Mexico's opening match against South Africa costs $2,355, and Canada's opening match costs $2,170. Neither of those matches is offering Category 4 tickets.

As the tournament continues, ticket prices drop but are typically still far above original estimates.

When the USA faces off against Australia on June 19, the most affordable ticket is $265, while the most expensive is selling for $700. When the USA plays on June 25, fans will have to pay between $910 and $340.

Those prices are a far cry from what the United States, Canada, and Mexico estimated in their bid to host the tournament. The countries submitted a combined bid — dubbed the "United bid" — and were selected in 2018.

In their pitch, the countries estimated that a Category 1 ticket for an opening match would cost $774, followed by $614 for Category 2, $320 for Category 3, and $60 for Category 4.

Tickets for the final match were estimated to cost between $1,550 and $128. Under FIFA, the current final match prices — held at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey — start at $4,185. The most costly ticket is $8,680.

Despite the hefty price, fans eager to snag tickets in this phase can purchase them now until January 13.

The 23rd edition of the tournament will take place this summer in 16 cities across North America. The first game kicks off on June 11, and teams will play until the final match on July 19.

• As our kids have gotten older, we have adapted traditions like celebrating Christmas Tweve.
• We use far fewer decorations and love the way our kids have made new traditions.
• One amusing tradition is for the kids to decorate our holiday village with superhero toys and Lego.

Cookie baking, decorating, stuffing stockings, building a holiday village scene with Iron Man and Thor action figures — just like a huggable snowman discovered, everyone has traditions for that time of year.

We're a blended family with kids ranging in age from 17 to mid-30s. As our kids have moved from being wide awake at 5:30 am to testing Santa to creating their own holiday magic as adults, our traditions have grown and changed with them. As a result, it's all less stressful.

We've expanded the days of the holiday

Right around Thanksgiving, I am reminded that it's not just wonderful, it's also a wacky and wearisome time of the year.

I grew up in blended families. By middle school, both of my parents had remarried, doubling the number of families to see during the festive season. By the fifth stop on a whirlwind Christmas Day in high school, my brother and I were stuffed with cookies and even burned out on opening presents.

For most of our 20-year marriage, I've felt like I'm reliving those teenage years all over again as we try to squeeze in his family, my multiple families, and the kids' other family commitments into two overstuffed days of festive cheer.

As the kids got older and added commitments to their significant others and time for their own families, we realized Christmas is too short. Two days were just not enough time to cram in all the festivities and have at least a little time left for our family.

So, some years, we celebrate what we call "Christmas Tweve," the day before Christmas Eve. We spend most of the day hanging out, having a festive feast, and then opening gifts. Sometimes we have a houseful overnight, and everyone stays up late watching Christmas movies and eating my feeble attempts at pancake art for breakfast.

We have scaled back the decorations

We are down to two kids living at home, and the number of holiday decorations has reduced.

One year, we had multiple trees, each decorated in a different theme — a candy-themed 5-foot tree, a mini tree in the kids' rooms, and a fancy ornament 7-foot tree.

There were two Christmas villages, one in the kitchen. The kitchen and living room looked like Christmas exploded in them. Every room had a few decorations — a tree, figurines, holiday towels, and a wreath on the door.

There was a time when seven of us were decorating. Now it's down to four, and we're focusing more on the nostalgic and sentimental decorations. Our tree is covered in ornaments from places we've traveled and the kids created.

I used to frame the sliding door in our kitchen with the kids' artwork – cotton-ball snowmen, sparkly handprint reindeer, and a painted winter scene.

A few years ago, my youngest and I had a holiday moment of tension when I displayed elementary school artwork with their previous name. They're nonbinary, and it bothered them seeing that name plastered all over the kitchen.

I got creative and modified my favorites — erasing letters, trimming corners, and folding back edges. Now I display favorites onl,y and it's down to one wall shared with our Advent calendar.

Our Advent calendar changes along with our family

When the kids were younger, we had multiple Advent calendars — one with treats and one with toys. One year, it was Disney Tsum Tsums, there was "Star Wars" Lego, and then socks. A few years ago, no one was really interested, and we got one for the dog.

Now, our Advent calendar is a meaningful tradition. It's the same one each year, and this year, my youngest helped shop for the candy, hopefully marking the start of a new tradition.

Our kids have started their own traditions

When she was in college, my stepdaughter started making an annual ornament with a silly picture of herself. The perfect gift on a tight budget — inexpensive and very meaningful.

Now she's a mom, married, and decorating her own place. Every year, my husband, the two youngest kids, and I put all 11 ornaments she's created on the tree — her with Chipotle burritos, in a snow globe, and with her son.

A few years ago, our oldest came to stay when his spouse was out of town. I put him and his two younger siblings in charge of the holiday village.

When I heard my youngest rummaging through their toys, I knew the holiday village was going to have a different vibe than it had in past years. Lego minifigs, Power Rangers, and assorted superheroes perched on festive rooftops and hid in the snow.

Every stage of our kids' lives means something new. Sometimes it's capped with a major milestone, such as a driver's license, wedding, or graduation, as a reminder to stop and savor this time.

With the holidays, there wasn't a big event to mentally prepare for the change. Gradually, things were different — gone were the days of classroom holiday party crafts and a big group decorating the tree. Now it's crafts from doggy day care, Christmas Tweve, and Spider-Man in the village. And I love it.

• OpenAI's head of Codex says human typing speed is limiting progress toward AGI.
• Alexander Embiricos said that's because humans rely on writing prompts to review AI's work.
• He said progress will be made when AI agents can review work instead of humans.

Just. Type. Faster.

If you needed a sign for how determined AI-land is to achieve AGI quickly, it's that one of its leaders sees the speed of human typing as one of its biggest roadblocks.

Alexander Embiricos, who leads product development for Codex, OpenAI's coding agent, said on "Lenny's Podcast" on Sunday that the "current underappreciated limiting factor" to AGI is "human typing speed" or "human multi-tasking speed on writing prompts."

AGI, or artificial general intelligence, is a still theoretical version of AI that reasons as well or better than humans. It's the thing all the big AI companies are competing to be the first to realize.

"You can have an agent watch all the work you're doing, but if you don't have the agent also validating its work, then you're still bottlenecked on, like, can you go review all that code?" Embiricos said.

Embiricos' view is that we need to unburden humans from having to write prompts and validate AI's work, since we aren't fast enough.

"If we can rebuild systems to let the agent be default useful, we'll start unlocking hockey sticks," he said.

"Hockey stick growth" is a term used to describe a growth curve that starts out flat and suddenly spikes, mirroring the shape of a hockey stick.

Embiricos said there's no simple path to a fully automated workflow — each use case will require its own approach — but he expects to see progress toward this level of growth soon.

"Starting next year, we're going to see early adopters starting to hockey stick their productivity, and then over the years that follow, we're going to see larger and larger companies hockey stick that productivity," he said.

Somewhere in between the time early adopters start to see gains in productivity and when tech giants manage to fully automate processes with AI agents is when we'll see AGI, Embiricos said.

"That hockey-sticking will be flowing back into the AI labs, and that's when we'll basically be at the AGI," he said.

• Using a Pinterest board to save gift ideas ensures thoughtful, personalized presents.
• Digitizing gift lists streamlines holiday shopping and helps avoid last-minute stress.
• This gift-giving hack supports buying unique items and shows loved ones they are valued.

I had an ex-boyfriend who wasn't the best gift-giver, but he really wanted to be.

So he started writing down ideas for gifts throughout the year, and by Christmas, I couldn't believe he had remembered something I mentioned months ago.

He shared his trick with me, and I was impressed. I've used it ever since, even with my husband and son.

Instead of handwriting ideas, I started using Pinterest

I started out writing down ideas, but now I have a Pinterest board divided into sections for my husband, my son, and other close family and friends. Digitizing this gift-giving hack has made it easy for me to refer to my folders when it's time to buy a gift.

Since I always have a handful of things saved that I know my gift recipient will like, I can then narrow them down to one or two things they'll like the most. I can also easily compare prices and factor that into my decision. In this way, I feel like I'm optimizing my gift-giving system.

My system especially simplifies shopping around the holidays

Many of my saved ideas are linked directly to the website that sells that item. That makes it easy to place an order quickly, once I've made my final decisions. This simplifies the online shopping process for me, especially around the holidays when I have a lot of gifts to buy at once.

Many unique, one-of-a-kind items are made-to-order and shipped by individuals and small businesses. These things take time to arrive and require some forethought. This gift-giving hack helps me avoid arrival delays or completely miss out on those options.

To avoid this, I review my boards right after Thanksgiving and start placing orders. Additionally, completing my shopping and being able to simply enjoy the holiday season is a huge bonus.

I used to approach gift-giving as an errand

The first time I realized my ex had saved up gift ideas for me, it made me feel really special. I felt important enough to him that he wanted to make sure he got me gifts I'd really like. While I had always given thought to my gift-giving, I often shopped at the last minute.

I would make a list of the people I needed to buy gifts for and come up with some ideas before going shopping. I still bought things I knew people would like, but I didn't plan. The objective was to make sure I had presents for people, rather than making sure I had the perfect presents for them.

As I grew older and became a parent, it became increasingly important to me to show the people I love just how much I care for them. Getting them truly thoughtful gifts is an easy way for me to do that.

Now I care more about giving the right gift

I, too, get a lot out of this gift-giving hack. I enjoy thinking of my family and friends throughout the year, saving ideas for them regularly. I feel so happy just thinking about giving them those gifts and looking forward to those special occasions. It proves to me that giving is often the most rewarding part of gift-giving.

I can tell that my loved ones know I put thought into their gifts, even if they don't know about my Pinterest hack. I don't just try to get them an item they like. I want it to be something they've mentioned, maybe offhandedly, when they didn't even think anyone was listening. Or even better, it's something even they didn't realize they'd love.

It's about making someone feel thought of. That's the part that I think really makes someone feel special.