Information Week

Having a strong, capable leader is essential for project success. Unfortunately, decisions about candidates are often based on weak or inaccurate information. As a result, many organizations don’t have the correct procedures in place to produce a complete and accurate picture of their leading prospects.  Before selecting an IT team leader, it’s crucial to establish what the role requires beyond just technical expertise, advises Thierry Louis, infrastructure operations director at IT training services provider Yellow Tail Tech. In an email interview, he stresses understanding the importance of clearly outlining expected business needs, leadership capabilities, team dynamics, and performance metrics. “Setting clear expectations upfront ensures you’ll select a leader who fits both the technical and cultural needs of your organization.”  Selection Process  The best way to select a new IT team leader is to follow a structured approach, says Akash Tayal, cloud engineering offering leader with Deloitte Consulting. “The process begins by choosing a candidate with technical expertise in relevant areas, a successful technology delivery track record, and a strong followership,” he explains in an online interview.  Look within the team first, recommends Nikita Sherbina, CEO at digital signage provider AIScreen.io. “Internal candidates often understand the company culture and technical landscape better than external hires,” he explains via email. “Pair this with structured interviews, scenario-based problem-solving tasks, and leadership aptitude tests to gauge their ability to lead under pressure.”  Related:AI’s Next Frontier Is Applications: How to Stay Ahead Essential Attributes  A successful IT team leader should have a proven track record of earning team members’ trust and respect, Tayal says. “Strong followership is built through effective communication, recognizing and valuing team members’ contributions, and providing support and mentorship.”  An effective IT leader must demonstrate technical proficiency, emotional intelligence, and strong communication skills, Sherbina advises. “They should excel at aligning technical decisions with business goals, fostering collaboration, and resolving conflicts,” he says. “I’ve found that adaptability is critical — especially in fast-moving industries.”  The candidate should be a technology thought leader and innovator who challenges the status quo, Tayal says. “Bringing new ideas to the table is critical for growth in a leadership position, and if they’re unable to innovate outside of the usual practice, growth cannot occur.” He adds that a strong leader is agile, hands-on, and capable of getting into the gritty details when needed.  Related:What VC Investments Look Like in 2025 Warning Signs  A leader must integrate well with the existing team culture, values, and working style. “Overlooking this can lead to friction, disengagement, and a lack of trust,” Louis says. Even the most technically-skilled leader will struggle if they clash with the team’s communication style, problem-solving approach, or work ethic. “The best leaders enhance their team’s strengths and bring people together, rather than disrupt the existing synergy.”  Beware of “brilliant jerks,” Sherbina warns. “While technical expertise is important, leaders who lack people skills can harm team morale and productivity,” he says. “Also avoid assuming that the best developer will make the best leader — leadership is a distinct skill set.”  Seeking Input  Identify potential IT team leader candidates early and provide them with opportunities to hone their leadership capabilities, Tayal recommends. “By doing so, these individuals can gain relevant experience and develop the skills necessary to be successful in a leadership role.” He believes that taking this proactive approach ensures that when the need for a new IT team leader arises, there will already be a collection of well-prepared candidates who have been through a succession process and ready to immediately step into the role.  Related:Top IT Insights 2025: Navigating the Future of Tech Before making a formal appointment, Sherbina advises seeking feedback from the team the new leader will manage. “They can provide unique insights into how the candidate interacts with others and handles challenges,” he explains. “Mentorship programs and leadership coaches are also valuable resources for identifying leadership potential.”  Getting It Right  One of the biggest mistakes made when selecting an IT team leader is under-emphasizing technical skills, Tayal says. While leadership and management abilities are crucial, it’s equally important for the IT team leader to have a strong technical background and expertise in relevant areas, he adds. “Deep technical capabilities ensures a leader who can effectively understand and address challenges, provide guidance to their team, earn their respect, and make informed decisions.”  Invest in leadership development early, Sherbina advises. “Providing training and mentorship to potential leaders within your team can create a talent pipeline, reducing the risk of a poor hire when a leadership role opens up.” source

Which should come first, the plan to adopt AI or an assessment of the available resources an enterprise has to support AI? Is it better to develop AI in-house or turn to third parties? What third-party resources should enterprises look to in order to deliver on their AI plans? In the final week of “The Cost of AI” series, the focus shifts to practical ideas to advance plans for AI. Organizations might feel compelled to acquire top-tier AI resources or search for only the most elite AI professionals to enact their strategies for AI, but that might not make efficient use of an enterprises actual resources. It might not even be realistic. How should companies structure their AI strategies in order to deliver positive ROI? How should short- and long-term plans be mapped out? What can companies do to stay on budget when pursuing AI? How can they determine a rational budget for the scope of their plans? What happens if they realize they cannot achieve their goals within that budget? In this episode of DOS Won’t Hunt, Fred Sala, chief scientist at Snorkel AI; Becky Carroll, partner, IBM Consulting Global – AWS strategic partnership lead for data and AI; Charles Xie, CEO and founder of Zilliz; Srujan Akula, CEO of The Modern Data Company; and Deepak Singh, vice president of developer experience at AWS, discussed these and other questions to bring some clarity and efficiency to AI strategies. source

According to Pitchbook News, 35.7% of venture capital investments in 2024 were made in AI and ML startups, which isn’t surprising given Big Tech’s investment in the same space. Meanwhile, EY reported that in Q4 2024, AI startups represented 60% of investments. While AI will continue to be a major focus area, under the Trump administration, there’s a more bullish attitude about crypto, so some VCs are adding those companies to their portfolios while others are investing in space tech and ESG.  “If you increasingly think about agents interacting with one another without necessarily humans in the loop, you need to have a payment layer that is as scalable as millions of agents. [This is] the biggest promise in what’s happening on the crypto front,” says Pascal Unger, managing partner of pre-seed VC firm focal.   He also says software is moving from, or has moved from, a system of engagement to a system of intelligence. That system of intelligence enables AI-powered automation that is accelerating the pace of business.  “One of the ways that we’ve added to our diligence is trying to understand the current AI tech stack that founders are leveraging, what all they’ve tried and how much people lean into constantly getting better and trying experimenting. Understanding why [founders] chose a certain tech stack says a lot about people’s willingness to lean into these things, which will eventually, at least we believe, translate into faster speed.”  Related:Top IT Insights 2025: Navigating the Future of Tech Execution speed is critical, so software abstraction enables founders and their teams to get to market faster with solutions.   “You move from incredibly in the weeds into a manager and orchestrator of different tools, and you spend a lot more time on oversight and thinking and structuring things so that’s changed,” says firms Unger. “I won’t be surprised if we get a useful warm up period for new products where it needs to get to know us, basically, and it gets better over the first three to six months. That will become a normal thing down the road. We [also] believe in the importance of nailing distribution. If you want to build a differentiator product from the start, you now need to nail the distribution even earlier.”  Pascal Unger, focal Pascal Unger, focal That approach results in faster early-stage growth, such as going from zero to more than $10 million in less than a year. Unger says that just three years ago, that sort of company performance would have been an outlier.  Hemant Mohapatra, partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners, expects 2025 to be a lot like 2024, but the target segments will shift. As AI foundational layers stabilize and the winners become more apparent, the next phase will focus more on middleware and application startups.   Related:Tech Company Layoffs: The COVID Tech Bubble Bursts “At Lightspeed we have been very active globally across the AI stack — foundation models, data, middleware, both horizontal and vertical apps, as well as AI enabled services,” says Mohapatra. “Our investment strategy remains the same: Find the most compelling founders with clear right to win in their categories and find and back them no matter which part of the world they come from.”  Mohapatra sees a lot of potential in AI and gaming in terms of creating immersive worlds dynamically, non-player characters with advanced conversational capabilities and personalized gameplay.    “We are also very early in LLMs controlling various software tools to get complex jobs done and we will see a few mind-boggling demos here in 2025,” says Mohapatra. “I also expect consolidation across the middleware layer — LLMs or scaled out AI companies looking to vertically integrate across data, tool orchestration or memory infrastructure.”   Daniel Kang, CEO and co-founder of Y-Combinator backed startup Flowbo and former VC at SoftBank Vision Fund expects the proportion of VC investments in AI to likely increase over time for a few reasons   Related:Winning the War Against Social Media Disinformation “Most of the AI discussion is not just about the technology, but its position as a platform. Foundational model companies like Anthropic and OpenAI have made it easy for anyone to use their technology to build on top of it,” says Kang. “It’s akin to Apple creating a mobile platform powered through the iOS for others to build apps, shifting the platform from desktop to mobile. That’s why many ‘wrapper’ companies will continue to emerge.”  Meanwhile, models are improving by the day, which is creating more opportunities for startups. However, the complexities will likely require greater precision, which is probably why many middle layers already exist between the foundational models and applications.   “On top of that, intense competition among model providers like OpenAI and Anthropic is creating a downward pricing pressure to provide compute at cost,” says Kang. “APIs costs have already been revised several times to be cheaper, while their app products, ChatGPT and Claude, have remained the same.”  He expects general purpose application as “wrappers” to lose their edge as models improve and companies require more specialized solutions for specific tasks or functions. That probably will mean verticalization and the middle layers adapting general models for specific requirements.   “For apps specifically, the primary differentiation will likely be around distribution and brand more than technology, as the models improve and costs fall,” says Kang. “Foundational models and middle layers will probably continue to differentiate through tech. While the timing is unclear, the rise of middle layers seems imminent.”  Where Else Money Is Flowing  Viktor Shpakovsky, general partner at the Beyond Earth Technologies VC firm thinks space tech is a smarter bet than AI or crypto.  “AI and crypto have dominated headlines, but both sectors are showing signs of overinflation and speculative hype. Meanwhile, space tech is emerging as the most promising industrial growth sector, driven by government backing, geopolitical competition and technological breakthroughs,” says Shpakovsky. “With Trump [in] office, defense and space budgets are set to increase dramatically. Elon Musk and SpaceX continue to push commercial space forward at an unprecedented pace. At

Social media has become a double-edged sword. On one side, it has revolutionized communication, enabling people to connect, share ideas, and mobilize for social change at an unprecedented scale. On the other side, social media has become a breeding ground for disinformation where false, misleading or derogatory information is spread deliberately to deceive people or to plant false narratives.  The consequences of disinformation are far-reaching — undermining democratic processes, polarizing societies and eroding trust in institutions.   Motives Behind Social Media Disinformation  There are numerous motivations behind social media disinformation. Some love to push out conspiracy theories, hate speech or divisive narratives. Bipartisan actors want to peddle certain narratives that are more favorable towards their political party.  Foreign adversaries from Russia, China, Iran and North Korea promote narratives for their own geo-political or nationalistic agendas. Threat actors might be looking to deceive, attack or social engineer people by exploiting emotions, biases and trust. Scammers may be seeking financial gain by creating clickbait content and frauds that drive traffic and generate revenue. Competitors and adversaries want to tarnish the reputation of businesses, individuals and brands.   Related:Tech Company Layoffs: The COVID Tech Bubble Bursts Why Disinformation Is Growing So Rapidly  Disinformation on social media is not new. Platforms like Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok have algorithms that favor sensational, scandalous and emotionally charged content. According to a study at MIT, fake content on these platforms is 70% more likely to be reposted than true ones, reaching a broader audience in significantly less time.   The arrival of generative AI is another major reason why disinformation is exploding on social media. These tools enable the rapid escalation of highly convincing fake content and impersonations, including deepfake videos, synthetic images and fabricated text, making it difficult for users to sift fact from fiction. Social media platforms are flooded with AI bots that are raking in billions of views.   Crushing the Infodemic Requires Collaboration  Social media disinformation is a pressing challenge. To win this war, societies must adopt a multi-faceted, group dynamic where governments, organizations, social media platforms, nonprofits and individuals make a concerted effort in prioritizing truth.   Responsibility of social media platforms. Social media companies should demonstrate some accountability for those users that might be spreading disinformation. This means having mechanisms (combating AI with AI) where they can identify the accounts that are spreading the misinformation. For example, if a platform has a user posting 700 times a day, that should be flagged immediately. Transparency is also a critical component. Platforms should provide clear information about sources of content, the credibility of accounts, whether they are automated, and reasons why certain posts are promoted or flagged.   Related:Signs Your Organization’s Culture Is Hurting Your Cybersecurity Role of government. Social media platforms cannot be trusted to self-regulate. Governments must establish frameworks that hold platforms accountable for the spread of disinformation. In addition, they must conduct independent research and develop tools for detection and mitigation. Additionally, they must work with the private sector to develop a process for counter messaging. For example, if there’s a false narrative being spread about Israel using a floating US pier off Gaza for hostage rescue missions then the government must proactively squash those claims and provide evidence. Governments must build resilience through community engagement, working with local organizations, hosting town halls, workshops and campaigns to combat disinformation and create a shared understanding of the facts.   Related:Key Attributes to Look for in an IT Team Project Leader Duty of organizations. Organizations have a duty to promote media literacy in their workforce. Through corporate training, they should make employees aware of the dangers of disinformation, promote fact checking and clearly define their roles and accountability in preventing the spread of false information. Using cyber simulation exercises, they must ensure that their cyber preparedness is as high as possible, that users are equipped to respond appropriately when faced with a real-world disinformation crisis. Sharing case studies is also an effective way to educate and train employees as it reinforces lessons and makes the training program more relatable and impactful.  Commitment from people. Individuals should be mindful about combating disinformation. Before sharing content, they must pause and ask themselves: Is this information credible? What is the source? Is there any evidence that supports this claim? They should verify the accuracy of information being shared by leveraging fact-checking websites (Snopes, Politifact, FactCheck.org) cross-referencing sources and seeking expert opinions. By adopting a more critical thinking approach around social media, individuals can help break the cycle of viral falsehoods.  The war against disinformation is a complex, ongoing battle that society can’t afford to lose. To succeed, individuals, institutions, governments and social media platforms must work collectively, leverage technology, and educate the masses. The stakes are high but with collaborative action and resolve, we can try to create a less polarized and resilient society for future generations.  source

Artificial intelligence continues to become more pervasive as organizations adopt it to gain a competitive advantage, reduce costs and deliver better customer experiences. All organizations have an AI strategy, whether by design or default. The former helps ensure the company is realizing greater value, simply because its leaders are putting more thought into it and working cross-functionally to make it happen, both strategically and tactically.  “It’s very much back to the business, so what are the business objectives? And then within that, how can AI best help me achieve those objectives?” says Anand Rao, distinguished service professor, applied data science and artificial intelligence at Carnegie Mellon University. “From there, [it] pretty much breaks down into two things: AI automates tasks so that you can be more efficient, and it helps you make better decisions and with that comes a better customer experience, more revenue, or more consistent quality.”   Elements of a Winning AI Strategy  Kevin Surace, CEO at autonomous testing platform Appvance, says the three elements of an effective AI strategy are clarity, alignment, and agility.   “A winning AI strategy starts with a clear vision of what problems you’re solving and why,” says Surace. “It aligns AI initiatives with business goals, ensuring every project delivers measurable value. And it builds in agility, allowing the organization to adapt as technology and market conditions evolve.”  Related:Winning the War Against Social Media Disinformation Will Rowlands-Rees, chief AI officer, at eLearning, AI services, and translation and localization solution provider Lionbridge agrees.  “It is critical to align your AI strategy and investments with your overall business strategy — they cannot be divorced from each other,” says Rowlands-Rees. “When applied correctly, AI is a powerful tool that can accelerate your organization’s ability to solve customer problems and streamline operations and therefore drive revenue growth. This offensive approach will organically lead to cost optimization as efficiencies emerge from streamlined processes and improved outcomes.”  Brad O’Brien, partner at global consultancy Baringa’s US Financial Services practice, advocates having a clear governance framework including the definition of roles and responsibilities, setting guiding principles, and ensuring accountability at all levels.   “Comprehensive risk management practices are essential to identify, assess, and mitigate AI-related risks, including regular audits, bias assessments and robust data governance,” says O’Brien. “Staying informed about, and compliant with, evolving AI regulations, such as the EU AI Act and emerging US regulations, is vital. Maintaining transparency and thorough documentation of the entire AI lifecycle builds trust with stakeholders. Engaging key stakeholders, including board members, employees and external partners, ensures alignment and support for AI initiatives. Continuous improvement, based on feedback, new data and technological advancements, is also a critical component.”  Related:Signs Your Organization’s Culture Is Hurting Your Cybersecurity Ashwin Rajeeva, co-founder and CTO at enterprise data observability company Acceldata, believes a successful AI strategy blends a clear business vision with technical excellence.   “It starts with a strong data foundation; reliable, high-quality data is non-negotiable. Scalability and adaptability are also critical as AI technologies evolve rapidly,” says Rajeeva. “Ethical considerations must be embedded early, ensuring transparency and fairness in AI outcomes. Most importantly, it should create tangible business value while maintaining the flexibility to adapt to future innovations.”  How to Avoid Common Mistakes  One mistake is assuming that generative AI replaces other forms of AI. That’s incorrect because traditional types of AI — such as computer vision, predictions, and recommendations — use different types of models.   Related:Key Attributes to Look for in an IT Team Project Leader “You still need to look at your use cases and standard methods. Look across the organization, look at the value chain elements, and then look at where traditional AI works and where generative AI would work, and what some of the more agent kind of stuff would work,” says CMU’s Rao. “Then, essentially start pulling all of the use cases together and have some method of prioritizing.”  The accelerating rate at which AI technology is advancing is also having an effect because companies can’t keep up, so organizations are questioning whether they should buy, build or wait.  “Change with respect to AI, and especially Gen AI, is moving very fast. It’s moving so much faster that even the technology companies can keep pace,” says Rao.   AI is also not a solution to all problems. Like any other technology, it’s simply a tool that needs to be understood and managed.  “Proper AI strategy adoption will require iteration, experimentation, and, inevitably, failure to end up at real solutions that move the needle. This is a process that will require a lot of patience,” says Lionbridge’s Rowlands-Rees. “[E]veryone in the organization needs to understand and buy in to the fact that AI is not just a passing fad — it’s the modern approach to running a business. The companies that don’t embrace AI in some capacity will not be around in the future to prove everyone else wrong.”  Organizations face several challenges when implementing AI strategies. For example, regulatory uncertainty is a significant hurdle and navigating the complex and evolving landscape of AI regulations across different jurisdictions can be daunting.   “Ensuring data privacy and security is another major challenge, as organizations must protect sensitive data used by AI systems and comply with privacy laws. Mitigating biases in AI models to prevent unfair treatment and ensure compliance with anti-discrimination laws is also critical,” says Baringa’s O’Brien. “Additionally, the ‘black box’ nature of AI systems poses challenges in providing clear explanations of AI decisions to stakeholders and regulators. Allocating sufficient resources, including skilled personnel and financial investment, is necessary to support AI initiatives.”  In his view, common mistakes in AI strategy implementation include:  A lack of clear governance frameworks and accountability structures.   Insufficient risk management practices, such as overlooking comprehensive risk assessments and bias mitigation.  Poor data management, including neglecting data privacy and security that can lead to potential breaches and regulatory non-compliance.   Inadequate transparency in documenting and explaining AI processes results in a lack of trust among stakeholders.   Underestimating resource needs, such as not allocating sufficient skilled personnel

The era of globalization and digitization  seemingly has facilitated collaboration amongdifferent countries, regions and ethnicities…or did it? While there are significantly fewer barriers between people and more common values to work towards, the increased diversity of cultural backgrounds and experiences poses new challenges for leaders.   However, this positive change opens the door to opportunities for growth and acquiring new skills. Moreover, this change is necessary for any enterprise that plans to scale globally and enter foreign markets. At Trinetix, there has to be a strategy for managing teams in other regions, one that combines the enterprise’s policies and quality standards while acknowledging unique perspectives and respecting cultural nuance.   Having expanded beyond the US to EU and LatAm markets, I can share my insights on leading cross-cultural teams and creating a healthy environment for every team member.   Value of Workplace Diversity  When you are an enterprise leader, your greatest and most important assets are people. The knowledge they possess, the values they share with you, and the goals you pursue together are the factors that define the success of your every endeavor. When you try a new direction for your enterprise, you want to make your first steps with the strongest talents available, and with the highest morale possible.    Related:Winning the War Against Social Media Disinformation How can workplace diversity assist you with it?  Elevating enterprise operations. Companies with ethnically diverse teams outperformed their competitors financially by 27% in 2023 and improved their decision-making by 35%, according to McKinsey & Co. Such great results were achieved through the inclusion of different perspectives that allowed solving problems from new angles, optimizing expenses and accelerating return on investment.   Improving employee retention. The battle for talent is a real thing right now, and employees are more likely to vote with their feet, choosing employers that meet their needs and respect their concerns. For that reason, the following statistic should be taken into account:  69% of younger employees are more likely to stay working in companies with diverse staff and greater representation, according to Queens University. We live in a time of what the US Chamber of Commerce calls a growing workforce shortage and, what Pew Research lists as employee aging. This emphasizes the importance of workplace diversity for healthy business growth.   Igniting idea generation. Organizations want to stay competitive, but  delivering consistent quality and maintaining high KPI is half of the battle. To maintain their advantage over rivals, businesses need to make a difference, offering something new to the market. This requires seeing opportunities in the ongoing changes and introducing a service or a solution that addresses the unique needs of a certain niche. Therefore, the more perspectives executives can gather, the more successful they will be in creating a powerful, competitive differentiation that will tip the scales in their favor.  Related:Signs Your Organization’s Culture Is Hurting Your Cybersecurity Nurturing talent. Sometimes, the best experts aren’t hired but taught. In over 12 years of our work as a company, I’ve seen people who were seemingly not leader material become the most efficient team leaders, driving outstanding results. Once they received an opportunity to shine and expand their knowledge, they were more eager to explore their potential and offer their ideas. That enabled greater agility and added more versatility to our innovation adoption strategies. Workforce diversity makes it possible to nurture people with exclusive backgrounds into professionals who, in turn, will lead and mentor new experts, supplying you with great team leaders that become your most important assistants with growth and scaling.  Related:Key Attributes to Look for in an IT Team Project Leader Cross-Cultural Team Management  So, with the benefits of a diverse workforce explored, how can diversity be embedded into organizational workflow? Without a doubt, there are countless best practices and cases to read and try out, but they won’t work without proper leadership.   According to Deloitte, 70% of the success depends on company leaders and management. It’s up to them to make sure that every team member feels included and important while being acknowledged for their contributions and skill background.  Therefore, if leaders want to transition into a cross-cultural model, it’s up to them to start the change by acquiring the following leadership skills and traits:   Cultural flexibility. Multicultural environments are rooted in respect, consideration for diverse backgrounds, and the ability to adapt and learn. Inclusive leaders aim to understand other cultures and explore them through communication, dialogue and collaboration. Leaders are also willing to make sure that every person in the company feels comfortable and research their needs to provide that comfort.  Bias awareness. There will always be blind spots and gaps in judgment; —what’s important is that leaders can recognize that and work towards providing fair and equal policies for all employees. Establishing a culture of mutual respect, and professionalism. They must leave room for honoring the differences that make unique teams and achievements possible,  creating a powerful core for a future-driven organization.   Open-mindedness. New idea generation begins with the readiness to accept new knowledge, embrace suggestions from others, and try out new directions. Such leaders are willing to collect opinions and encourage company events such as hackathons or other programs, to identify interesting projects and one-of-a-kind products.   Independence-oriented mindset. The most challenging issue for conservative-thinking leaders is to enable autonomous teams, entrusting team leaders with making decisions, following through, and accepting responsibility for their decisions. While autonomy isn’t without risk, the long-term value is much greater, especially for enterprises that expand beyond their region. The bigger the business becomes, the harder it is to control everything. So building solid feedback challenges and training leaders who will advocate and integrate company values and culture is a more viable way to secure resilience and growth.   Workplace diversity isn’t just an optional change or a trend. It’s a natural occurrence in globalized societies. Modern leaders who can manage cross-cultural teams and successfully transfer their business to other regions see their journey not as a solitary hero story, but as an endless jigsaw puzzle where each

The tech industry isn’t immune from the White House’s policies, including mass deportations and federal buyout packages. Recently, two top Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials were reassigned as the Trump Administration seeks to accelerate mass deportations.  While the impact on agriculture jobs has been widely reported, less discussed is the potential impact on the tech industry.  Federal buyout packages could also impact tech, depending on who has accepted them. As of February 13, 75,000 workers decided to take the buyout, and a judge cleared the way to make it happen. Organizational leaders should be prepared.  “I believe mass deportations and federal buyouts could significantly impact the tech sector. Tech thrives on using a rich tapestry of global talent, and these policies could strip away all of that,” says Jason Wingate, CEO of international technology and business solutions company Emerald Ocean in an email interview.   The move may lead to a significant loss of skilled professionals who drive innovation and development, Wingate adds.  “This could turn into projects stalling and deadlines being missed. Beyond the immediate, it could also mean the overall pace of technological advancement could slow down.”  The Tech Talent Shortage May Be Exacerbated  Related:Winning the War Against Social Media Disinformation Tech talent shortages could worsen under the Trump Administration’s policies.    The sector already grapples with a limited pool of professionals in cutting-edge fields of AI, machine learning and cybersecurity, and reducing that pool won’t help, says Emerald Ocean’s Wingate.   “It could also raise the salaries of the remaining workforce [because] there would be intense competition among the remaining talent that companies would be vying for,” Wingate says. “Salaries might skyrocket, and smaller companies could struggle to attract and retain the expertise they need. This scarcity could then discourage new startups, which in turn would dampen innovation and economic growth in the long run.”  Paul DeMott, chief technology officer at SEO and marketing agency Helium SEO says the potential problems are especially acute for technology firms that are already having trouble finding engineers who specialize in artificial intelligence, machine learning and software architecture.   “A mass exodus of thousands of trained workforce members will turn into an industry-wide breakdown which is not a temporary issue,” says DeMott in an email interview. “Years of specialized education stand between many roles and the workforce despite American educational systems not generating adequate numbers of qualified candidates.”  Related:Signs Your Organization’s Culture Is Hurting Your Cybersecurity Employee Morale May Degrade Significantly  The impact of mass deportations goes beyond the target individuals, with friends, family and employers also affected.  “Company morale will most likely drop if it’s external policies that are forcing colleague departures. A mandated exit – for example – will only create more uncertainty and fear surrounding job security,” says Emerald Ocean’s Wingate. “In turn, this will impact trust, reduce collaboration and possibly decrease productivity. The remaining talent that stays may then look for a more stable environment – which is going to compound that loss.”  Employees may also disengage.  “In tech, the development of long-lasting connections remains a fundamental aspect that builds effective collaborations between workers,” says Helium SEO’s DeMott. “Tasks become unattractive when employees feel their job position can be suddenly eliminated.”   There’s also the potential impact on company operations.  “US tech talent includes foreign-born professionals, particularly in engineering, product management and data science. If mass deportations impact this group, we could see enormous consequences,” says Sam Wright, head of operations and partnerships at job search platform Huntr in an email interview.   Related:Key Attributes to Look for in an IT Team Project Leader The negative effects of labor force disruption are not limited to the United States. With international collaboration the backbone of modern tech development, disruption could hinder progress in multinational projects and partnerships, says Emerald Ocean’s Wingate.   “For example, countries more welcoming to global talent may become new hubs for innovation, shifting the balance of tech leadership.,” Wingate says. “On the flipside – domestic job opportunities may increase, but any skill gaps that local talent can’t fill will also grow.”  Helium SEO’s DeMott expects international technology industries to be rearranged on a worldwide scale.  “Foreign nations including Canada and Germany already welcome qualified workers through improved entry procedures so a hostile stance against talent at the US will cause major innovative industries to relocate globally,” says DeMott. “[Startups and enterprises] require diverse talent for maintaining their competitive market positions and if their talent pool reduces then the competitive advantage disappears.”  What Companies Are Doing About It  Preparedness is key. For example, Emerald Ocean engages with policymakers about workforce diversity and inclusion because it creates better policy outcomes. The company is also investing in employee development and support systems.   “Creating clear advancement paths and training programs usually strengthens team stability, for example,” says Emerald Ocean’s Wingate. “For larger organizations, partner with educational institutions. This approach often develops future talent pools while building community relationships. These strategies generally improve both employee retention and organizational resilience during policy changes.”  Helium SEO already operates with a fully decentralized workforce and international talent pool. DeMott says these mechanisms will rise in importance when immigration restrictions grow tougher.   “We will recruit employees whose talent exists in locations where they reside over posting job openings in our office. Policies based on supporting innovation should replace restrictive policies that make it challenging for skilled professionals to contribute,” says DeMott. “Tech leaders should both maintain active awareness of the situation while developing emergency protocols. You should openly share information with staff members who may get affected by the situation while examining available support solutions. Review your hiring strategy to determine whether you can increase remote work possibilities.”  Huntr’s Wright says forward-thinking tech leaders are assessing their workforce composition, cross-training employees, and exploring remote or global hubs to mitigate risk.   “Some are providing legal resources or counseling to affected staff. Others are adapting their hiring strategies to tap into more flexible or fully remote talent pools beyond US borders,” says Wright.   The Bottom Line  Executive orders

One could be forgiven for finding comfort in the numbers. Job openings, hires, quits, layoffs and discharges, and total separations rates showed little or no change in the month of November 2024, according to the latest Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey program of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lull isn’t likely to last this first quarter of 2025. At the end of last year, disruption was already boiling underneath.  AI immediately comes to mind as a major disruptor this year, but it isn’t the only one to rise on the job front. By most accounts, AI is expected to shift some hiring trends and eliminate some jobs altogether. But there are dissenters who think that AI is mostly a convenient scapegoat.  “In developed countries, the vast majority of layoffs blamed on AI this year will be false,” says Kjell Carlsson, head of AI strategy at Domino Data Lab. “They are just a convenient excuse for cost-cutting measures that are meant to allay customer fears and justify their actions to their remaining employees. In prior decades, companies would blame international competition, activist investors, or the current economic climate. In 2025, they will falsely be blamed on AI.”    “While embarking on an AI transformation does require investment, the amounts are relatively modest and plenty of the companies conducting layoffs have more than sufficient access to cash. And, while AI can help all companies become dramatically more efficient, few organizations have sufficient AI capabilities to implement enough AI use cases for the resulting productivity gains to dramatically affect their need for humans,” Carlsson explains.   Related:Key Attributes to Look for in an IT Team Project Leader Indeed, AI is likely driving employment trends upward as companies seek and compete for AI talent to run the AI ship, and AI skilled labor to power it out from the dock and on to profitable seas. Unsurprisingly, researchers are finding this to be the case.  According to a recent O’Reilly Technology Trends for 2025 report, “interest in AI related skills surged dramatically, with the most pronounced usage increases seen in topics like prompt engineering (456% increase), AI principles (386% increase), and generative AI (289% increase). Use of content about GitHub Copilot soared by an impressive 471%, reflecting developers’ enthusiasm for tools that enhance productivity.”  The O’Reilly researchers found some unexpected nuggets in the research data, too. Among top AI topics, there was “a marked decline in interest for GPT, which saw a 13% drop in usage and a similar downward trend in searches, indicating that developers are prioritizing foundational AI knowledge over platform-specific skills to effectively navigate across various AI models such as Claude, Google’s Gemini, and Llama.”  Related:Should CIOs Lead User Education Initiatives? In the short- to mid-terms, most industry watchers expect AI to drive rather than diminish hiring trends.  “There will be new and existing AI roles in high demand this year. AI engineers and equivalent data scientist, ML engineering, developer, product, managerial roles who have the skills to design, develop, operationalize, and govern AI projects will be highly sought after — as well as IT roles involved in implementing and administering AI platforms and infrastructure. Expect to see job descriptions asking for “agentic AI” and “AI agent” experience, but with little detail on what this means. Translation: it means experience in creating and/or operationalizing LLM-driven pipelines,” Carlsson says.  The uptick in hiring AI skills extends to non-AI related jobs as well.  “There will also be a significant uptick in roles related to upskilling organizations on how to use GenAI tools. These roles will be particularly helpful since so many non-tech roles will also be requiring skills and experience using GenAI. Of these, perhaps no role needs AI skills more desperately than recruiters,” Carlsson says.  Related:Cross-Cultural Teams: Managing Amid Diverse Backgrounds Therein lies some of the hottest job opportunities for 2025: those found at the intersections of domain and AI expertise.  “I think that’s one general statement I’d make about technology jobs in 2025. Increasingly, the most in-demand professionals are those who don’t just bring tech expertise but also interdisciplinary knowledge, who understand the specific ways technology is leveraged in various fields like construction or manufacturing and is able to adapt or develop tools and systems from this perspective,” says David Case, president of Advastar Group, a staffing firm focused primarily on construction recruitment.   Where the Hot Jobs Are  Companies are now facing historic headwinds in everything from growing inflation, labor shortages from immigration crackdowns, global uncertainties, and supply chain disruptions from unexpected trade wars sparking around the globe. AI and other technologies are the likely means of mitigating disruptions and risks, thereby increasing the demand for both the tech and the creative, critical thinkers who can use the tech to solve problems on the fly. But that also calls for precision and close alignment of talent and tech with rapid fire changes in business needs.  “The challenge for organizations isn’t just building AI — it’s ensuring AI is aligned with business objectives, driving measurable impact, mitigating data and AI risk, and justifying investments,” says Arjun Pillai, co-founder and CEO of DocketAI, which is billed as “the world’s first AI sales engineer.”  So where are these hot jobs that require a combination of AI and tech skills, domain expertise, and critical thinking skills? Here are a few hot jobs and industries that have job openings now or soon, in the words of the experts who see these developments up close. Most industry watchers say even more hot jobs will emerge over the year, too.  Hot Jobs  1. Chief AI officer   Someone has to be in charge of the AI train before it runs away and derails!   “The role of chief AI officer (CAIO) is becoming more common as enterprises navigate the two key aspects of AI adoption. First, organizations need to leverage AI to improve their own productivity. The second aspect of successful AI adoption is having an AI strategy for their own product, service or offerings. Regardless of industry, a CAIO

When much of human activity moved online during the height of the pandemic, tech companies were thriving. Call it the COVID tech bubble. Now we’ve hit the COVID tech bust. By the second half of 2022, tech companies had initiated significant layoffs — something that had followed an extended period of frenzied tech hiring and attention to employee experience. Standard explanations for the cuts were that companies hired too many during the pandemic and they were looking at the specter of a recession in the months ahead. It sounds a lot like the dot-com boom and bust of yore. Not all companies are impacted equally. It’s the ones that hired at an accelerated rate during the boom that seem to be hitting the brakes right now. At the same time, IT pros with cybersecurity, cloud, and data analytics/machine learning skills have remained in high demand so far. In this space, InformationWeek will document some of the more significant layoffs, updated regularly. Be sure to check back. Here’s a look at the biggest tech layoffs so far: Related:2023 IT Salary Report: Pay Increases Despite Economic Pressures February 2025 Tech Layoffs HP, February 28, 2025 announcement. Layoff of 2,000 people, 23% of workforce. HP is laying off 2,000 employees as part of an ongoing restructuring plan called Future Now the company announced in 2022, according to the Los Angeles Times. HP’s Future Now plan was launched in response to declining sales for personal computers after the COVID-19 pandemic fueled the rise of remote work. According to the report, HP’s latest round of layoffs arrive as the company shifts its focus to cut costs amid economic uncertainty and increase its investments in AI. The company said it planned to lay off 7,000 employees over three years, according to its 2024 annual report. Grubhub, February 28, 2025 announcement. Layoff of 500 people, 23% of workforce. CEO Howard Migdal announced on Friday that Grubhub has laid off 500 employees as it focuses on aligning its business with Wonder after the takeover was completed last month, according to Reuters. The food delivery firm’s restructuring will reduce its workforce by 23%. According to the report, Grubhub was bought last year by food delivery startup Wonder, led by Walmart’s former executive Marc Lore. Autodesk, February 27, 2025 announcement. Layoff of 1,350 people, 9% of workforce. The design software maker said Thursday that it will lay off 1,350 employees, or 9% of its current workforce, according to CNBC. Autodesk is reportedly initiating the cuts to remain competitive in the current economy and protect its leadership in cloud computing and AI. “Our GTM model has evolved significantly from the transition to subscription and multi-year contracts billed annually to self-service enablement, the adoption of direct billing, and more,” Autodesk CEO Andrew Anagnost wrote in a memo to employees. “These changes position us to better meet the evolving needs of our customers and channel partners. To fully benefit from these changes, we are beginning the transformation of our GTM organization to increase customer satisfaction and Autodesk’s productivity.” According to the report, Autodesk will make facility reductions as well, though it will not close any offices. Google, February 27, 2025 announcement. Layoff total TBA. Google told employees in its “People Operations” and cloud organizations this week that it plans to initiate layoffs as part of internal reorganizations, according to CNBC. Google will reportedly offer a voluntary exit program to U.S.-based, full-time employees in People Operations, Google’s human relations division, starting in early March, according to a memo issued Tuesday by HR chief Fiona Cicconi obtained by CNBC. Separately, Google trimmed the headcount of several teams within its cloud unit, mostly affecting operations support staff, according to sources and separate internal memos. In addition, some of those moves include relocating roles to other countries. Google’s latest restructuring arrives after finance chief Anat Ashkenazi reportedly said one of her top priorities would be to drive more cost-cutting as the company expands its spending on AI infrastructure in 2025. “Our teams have continued to make changes to operate more efficiently, remove layers, and ensure they are set up for long term success,” Google spokesperson Brandon Asberry said in a statement. “This work is ongoing as we continue to invest in our company’s biggest priorities and the significant opportunities ahead.” Google’s cloud layoffs affected the unit’s sales operations, customer experience, internal deal and go-to-market teams, according to anonymous sources who spoke with CNBC. While the company confirmed the cuts, the total number of impacted employees remains unclear. Stay tuned. eBay, February 26, 2025 announcement. Layoff of 20 people, 10% of workforce. The e-commerce shopping giant will lay off a few dozen employees in Israel, with the exact number to be finalized after the upcoming hearings, according to Calcalist. According to the report, this is eBay’s fourth round of cuts in Israel and is expected to be the smallest, affecting around 20 employees out of its 250-person workforce. The company previously made layoffs in Israel in February 2023, December 2023, and June 2024. eBay has yet to comment on the matter. Stay tuned. Commercetools, February 26, 2025 announcement. Layoff of 10% of workforce. The software company that provides APIs to companies building online storefronts has laid off dozens of employees over the last few weeks, including around 10% of staff earlier Wednesday, according to TechCrunch. Commercetools’ restructuring move is reportedly a result of failing to meet its sales growth targets. In addition to the cuts, the company is initiating several executive changes, including dismissing its chief revenue officer and CFO, and reassigning the roles previously held by its chief information security and compliance officer. Commercetools is undergoing a significant restructuring that will impact marketing, sales, and internal operations such as HR and finance, according to a memo to staff shared by CEO Andrew Burton. According to the report, select staff in customer and product development will also be cut “after reviewing performance and impact.” While Burton declined to comment on the exact number of affected employees, an anonymous source who spoke to TechCrunch, said

The Trump administration on Tuesday pulled the trigger on promised tariffs targeting goods and services from China, Mexico, and Canada, escalating new conflicts with America’s top three trade partners. Goods and services from Mexico and Canada will face tariffs of 25%, while Chinese goods will face an additional 10% (on top of the 10% announced a month ago). Those tariffs will be paid by importers, who will likely pass price increases onto consumers. Those countries have all announced retaliatory tariffs on American goods and services and other actions. Trump said the tariffs were enacted to stop the flow of fentanyl and chemicals used in the drug’s production from entering the US. He has also stated the tariffs will spur domestic manufacturing. China announced immediate retaliatory tariffs of 10% to 15% on select US imports and new export restrictions for designated US entities. The country also said it filed complaints about the new tariffs with the World Trade Organization. Canada struck back with a 25% tariff on $20.7 billion worth of US imports, promising to add another $83.7 billion worth of goods and services in 21 days. Mexico was expected to announce its response on Tuesday. Gary Shapiro, CEO and vice chair of the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), says the tariffs will spur increased technology pricing across the board. “Tariffs will spur inflation, and not just on groceries,” Shapiro said in a statement. “CTA research shows tariffs make the tech products Americans love and rely on more expensive.” Related:How Mass Deportations and Federal Buyout Packages Impact Tech IT leaders will feel the pinch as well. Budgets, already stretched thin to accommodate increased spending on artificial intelligence, will now face pricing pressure for components and materials mostly produced abroad. Jason Miller, a professor of supply chain management at Michigan State University, tells InformationWeek that even enacted for a short period, the tariffs will have long-lasting consequences. “I think we’ll have to start seeing negative consequences to the point that the decision is made to end the current tariff regime,” he says in a phone interview. “The challenge with that is that the President will have to have the optics that he’s coming out a winner, so it’s difficult to see how that gets resolved soon. [Trump] seems to have a chronic inability to ever admit to having made a mistake.” Tariffs on Materials The Trump Administration’s announcement of a blanket 25% tariff on aluminum and steel imports would also increase costs for the technology sector through direct and indirect economic pressure, experts warn. Related:How to Create a Winning AI Strategy Amid a flurry of President Donald Trump’s executive actions in the first weeks of holding office, the administration has also announced a plan to charge a 25% tariff on aluminum and steel imports. Trump says steel and aluminum tariffs will encourage US companies to produce more domestically. But industries, including the tech sector, are dependent on steel and aluminum for building and machinery. The tech sector uses steel and aluminum for server racks, data center infrastructure, electronic components housing, and more. Miller said its not yet clear now the aluminum and steel tariffs will be applied along with the tariffs on all Canadian, Mexican, and Chinese goods. “Will it be on top of those tariffs? There’s no clarity there yet,” he says. How IT Leaders Should Respond An IBM report spending outside of traditional IT operations could surge 52% this year as enterprise ramps up AI-driven transformation. Those costs could increase substantially as new tariffs are factored in. MSU’s Miller says companies that were on the fence about capital outlays should act now. “If you’re on the fence about bringing something in now, versus a couple of months, I would get it now,” he says, adding Trump may respond to retaliation efforts with even more tariffs. “I wouldn’t be surprised if we’re not looking at 40%-50% before all is said and done at the rate we’re going.” Related:Tech Company Layoffs: The COVID Tech Bubble Bursts Whatever the case, the cost of the tariff action will likely be felt for years, Miller says. “There will be lasting impact from this,” he says. “So, you need to have those conversations with customers, and say, ‘Hey, we’ve got to pass some percentage of this cost increase on because we have to stay profitable.’ It’s about being transparent about what tariffs are doing to cost structures.” source