By Dorothy Atkins ( April 23, 2025, 8:10 PM EDT) — A California federal judge presiding over sprawling social media personal injury multidistrict litigation doubted on Wednesday insurers’ arguments their multimillion-dollar coverage fight with Meta belongs in Delaware state court, questioning how moving the case would preserve judicial resources, while observing that Hartford’s pre-litigation conduct may have been in bad faith…. Law360 is on it, so you are, too. A Law360 subscription puts you at the center of fast-moving legal issues, trends and developments so you can act with speed and confidence. Over 200 articles are published daily across more than 60 topics, industries, practice areas and jurisdictions. A Law360 subscription includes features such as Daily newsletters Expert analysis Mobile app Advanced search Judge information Real-time alerts 450K+ searchable archived articles And more! Experience Law360 today with a free 7-day trial. source

(PeopleImages/Getty Images) How we did this This Pew Research Center analysis focuses on public opinion of free speech, freedom of the press and freedom on the internet in 35 countries across the Asia-Pacific region, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East-North Africa region, North America and sub-Saharan Africa. Views of the importance of these various freedoms are examined in the context of long-term trend data. The report also explores people’s perceptions of how free they are to express themselves and use the internet without restrictions and how free the media are to report the news, as well as people’s concerns about the spread of misinformation in their country.  For non-U.S. data, this report draws on nationally representative surveys of 40,494 adults conducted from Jan. 5 to May 22, 2024. All surveys were conducted over the phone with adults in Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Surveys were conducted face-to-face in Argentina, Bangladesh, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ghana, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Israel, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Turkey. In Australia, we used a mixed-mode probability-based online panel. In the United States, we surveyed 3,600 adults from April 1 to April 7, 2024; 5,123 adults from Feb. 24 to March 2, 2025; and 3,605 adults from March 24 to March 30, 2025. Everyone who took part in this survey is a member of the Center’s American Trends Panel (ATP), a group of people recruited through national, random sampling of residential addresses who have agreed to take surveys regularly. This kind of recruitment gives nearly all U.S. adults a chance of selection. Surveys were conducted either online or by telephone with a live interviewer. The survey is weighted to be representative of the U.S. adult population by gender, race, ethnicity, partisan affiliation, education and other factors. Read more about the ATP’s methodology. To compare educational groups across countries, we standardize education levels based on the UN’s International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED). Prior to 2024, combined totals were based on rounded topline figures. For all reports beginning in 2024, totals are based on unrounded topline figures, so combined totals might be different than in previous years. Refer to the 2024 topline to see our new rounding procedures applied to past years’ data. Here are the questions used for the report, along with responses, and the survey methodology. Amid global debates about press freedom, free speech and freedom on the internet, new surveys of 35 countries show there is a disconnect between how people rate the importance of these freedoms and how free they actually feel to express themselves. Overall, a median of 61% of adults across 35 countries say having freedom of the press in their country is very important, with another 23% saying it is somewhat important. But only 28% say the media are completely free to report the news in their country, with an additional 38% saying the media are somewhat free. What is a freedom gap? We use the term “press freedom gap” to describe the difference between the share of people who say free media without censorship are important to have in their country, and the share who say media in their country are actually free to report the news. Similarly, we use “speech freedom gap” and “internet freedom gap” in reference to questions on those topics. Similarly, a median of 59% globally say having freedom of speech in their country is very important, while 31% say speech is completely free where they live. This so-called “freedom gap” – where the share of people who value free speech is larger than the share who believe they have it – appears in 31 of the 35 countries surveyed. On the subject of freedom on the internet, a median of 55% say the ability to use the internet freely is very important, while 50% say they are completely free to use the internet in their country. Majorities in over half the nations surveyed also say made-up news and information is a very big problem in their country. Concerns about fabricated or manipulated news are pervasive across all regions but generally more intense in countries classified as middle-income. Still, majorities see made-up news and information as a very big problem in the high-income countries of South Korea (73%), Chile (72%), Greece (65%), France (63%), Germany (62%), Spain (61%) and Japan (59%). (We surveyed 17 middle-income countries and 18 high-income countries. Refer to the Appendix for a classification of these nations.) Furthermore, in every country surveyed except Singapore, a majority of adults say that made-up news and information is at least a moderately big problem. These perceptions are tied to people’s overall satisfaction with democracy. In many of the countries surveyed, those who express the most concern over made-up news and information are less likely to say they are satisfied with the state of their nation’s democracy. We mostly observe this pattern in high-income countries like Canada, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Sweden and the United Kingdom – several of which have seen an overall decline in satisfaction with democracy in recent years. Dissatisfaction with democracy during the 2024 year of global elections Voters in more than 60 countries went to the polls in 2024. In many of these countries, incumbents lost or suffered major electoral setbacks. Frustration with the way representative democracy is working played a key role in these elections. For more, read our data essay “Global Elections in 2024: What We Learned in a Year of Political Disruption.” Views of the importance of free speech, free press and internet freedom are also linked with concerns about fabricated news. In many countries, people who say these freedoms are very important are more likely to consider made-up news and information a very big problem where they live. For more, read Chapter 1 of this report. The rest of this overview explores: How important are free press, free speech and freedom on the internet? Generally, people around the

Many organizations, especially federal agencies, are facing unprecedented upheaval as they implement large-scale workforce reductions. For technology leaders (many navigating this process for the first time), layoffs represent a particularly challenging leadership test that cannot be executed without significant trade-offs. Despite optimistic claims about “doing more with less,” the reality is that organizations must initially accept making do with less instead, even redefining the scope of the mission. Layoffs should remain a last resort, implemented only after exhausting all other ultimately find themselves rehiring at increased costs to fill critical gaps. When workforce reductions become unavoidable or uncontrollable (as is the case for many US federal agencies currently), technology leaders must balance strategic necessity with genuine compassion, implementing changes thoughtfully to both safeguard critical capabilities and respect the human impact on their teams. To do this, technology leaders must: Prioritize reversible cost reductions to protect organizational adaptivity. Workforce reductions represent one of the most irreversible budgetary decisions an organization can make. The loss of institutional knowledge and relationships can create repercussions that reverberate for years. In today’s dynamic environment, organizational adaptability depends on retaining talent: people who understand your mission, know the functional dependencies, and possess relevant skill sets. When navigating budgetary pressures, first explore opportunities in other areas — device spending, software licenses, service provider contracts, and telecommunications costs. Only after exhausting these options should workforce reductions be considered. Communicate with clarity and compassion. Coordinate all messaging with agency leadership to prevent rumors and anxiety. Be transparent about the process and timeline, sharing information promptly. Managers new to workforce reductions need detailed guidance and support. Provide comprehensive communication toolkits, including talking points, FAQs, and guidance for difficult conversations. Schedule practice sessions for delivering tough news. Acknowledge the emotional impact on those affected while maintaining boundaries. Keep your management team close with frequent check-ins, creating safe spaces for concerns and guidance. Deliberately rebuild organizational trust. Workforce reductions impact organizational culture, causing survivor’s guilt, workload anxiety, and stability concerns. Acknowledge these feelings openly. Hold town halls to communicate priorities and listen to concerns. Support frontline managers with resources. Clearly document changed expectations and deprioritized projects. Collaborate with stakeholders to reset service agreements and timelines. Celebrate small wins to rebuild momentum. Define your sphere of control and influence. Focus on areas where you can make a difference. Sphere of control refers to the areas where you have direct authority and can make decisions or changes including tasks, projects, and responsibilities that you can manage independently. Sphere of influence encompasses areas where you can affect outcomes indirectly through relationships, persuasion, and collaboration that involves working with others to achieve goals, even if you don’t have direct control over the processes. Understanding each involves recognizing where you can take direct action versus where you need to leverage your influence to drive change. Not only will it give you grounding on what to focus on, it can give clarity to the teams you manage. If necessary, scope down the mission. If the cuts that you are experiencing are vast, you might not be navigating the dilemma of determining how to do the same with less. You’ll likely need to revisit your mission, redefining the business and IT capabilities that you must support. Collaborate with proactive team members who are ready to tackle challenges, and work closely with team members who are willing to roll up their sleeves. You need leaders who will step in and step up rather than dwell on the instability and upheaval, but note that execution will still require skills and resources. For further guidance on navigating these challenging times, please reach out to your account team to schedule a guidance session. source

By Linda Chiem ( April 24, 2025, 7:07 PM EDT) — The U.S. Department of Transportation on Thursday updated its policy for developing autonomous vehicles, pledging to ease regulatory hurdles for domestically produced vehicles in order to accelerate U.S. competitiveness in the self-driving car space…. Law360 is on it, so you are, too. A Law360 subscription puts you at the center of fast-moving legal issues, trends and developments so you can act with speed and confidence. Over 200 articles are published daily across more than 60 topics, industries, practice areas and jurisdictions. A Law360 subscription includes features such as Daily newsletters Expert analysis Mobile app Advanced search Judge information Real-time alerts 450K+ searchable archived articles And more! Experience Law360 today with a free 7-day trial. source

Join our daily and weekly newsletters for the latest updates and exclusive content on industry-leading AI coverage. Learn More Researchers from Stanford University and Google DeepMind have unveiled Step-Wise Reinforcement Learning (SWiRL), a technique designed to enhance the ability of large language models (LLMs) to tackle complex tasks requiring multi-step reasoning and tool use.  As the interest in AI agents and LLM tool use continues to increase, this technique could offer substantial benefits for enterprises looking to integrate reasoning models into their applications and workflows. The challenge of multi-step problems Real-world enterprise applications often involve multi-step processes. For example, planning a complex marketing campaign may involve market research, internal data analysis, budget calculation and reviewing customer support tickets. This requires online searches, access to internal databases and running code. Traditional reinforcement learning (RL) methods used to fine-tune LLMs, such as Reinforcement Learning from Human Feedback (RLHF) or RL from AI Feedback (RLAIF), typically focus on optimizing models for single-step reasoning tasks.  The lead authors of the SWiRL paper, Anna Goldie, research scientist at Google DeepMind, and Azalia Mirhosseini, assistant professor of computer science at Stanford University, believe that current LLM training methods are not suited for the multi-step reasoning tasks that real-world applications require. “LLMs trained via traditional methods typically struggle with multi-step planning and tool integration, meaning that they have difficulty performing tasks that require retrieving and synthesizing documents from multiple sources (e.g., writing a business report) or multiple steps of reasoning and arithmetic calculation (e.g., preparing a financial summary),” they told VentureBeat. Step-Wise Reinforcement Learning (SWiRL) SWiRL tackles this multi-step challenge through a combination of synthetic data generation and a specialized RL approach that trains models on entire sequences of actions.  As the researchers state in their paper, “Our goal is to teach the model how to decompose complex problems into a sequence of more manageable subtasks, when to call the tool, how to formulate a call to the tool, when to use the results of these queries to answer the question, and how to effectively synthesize its findings.” SWiRL employs a two-stage methodology. First, it generates and filters large amounts of multi-step reasoning and tool-use data. Second, it uses a step-wise RL algorithm to optimize a base LLM using these generated trajectories.  “This approach has the key practical advantage that we can quickly generate large volumes of multi-step training data via parallel calls to avoid throttling the training process with slow tool use execution,” the paper notes. “In addition, this offline process enables greater reproducibility due to having a fixed dataset.” Generating training data SWiRL data generation process Credit: arXiv The first stage involves creating the synthetic data SWiRL learns from. An LLM is given access to a relevant tool, like a search engine or a calculator. The model is then prompted iteratively to generate a “trajectory,” a sequence of steps to solve a given problem. At each step, the model can generate internal reasoning (its “chain of thought“), call a tool, or produce the final answer. If it calls a tool, the query is extracted, executed (e.g., a search is performed), and the result is fed back into the model’s context for the next step. This continues until the model provides a final answer. Each complete trajectory, from the initial prompt to the final answer, is then broken down into multiple overlapping sub-trajectories. Each sub-trajectory represents the process up to a specific action, providing a granular view of the model’s step-by-step reasoning. Using this method, the team compiled large datasets based on questions from multi-hop question-answering (HotPotQA) and math problem-solving (GSM8K) benchmarks, generating tens of thousands of trajectories. The researchers explored four different data filtering strategies: no filtering, filtering based solely on the correctness of the final answer (outcome filtering), filtering based on the judged reasonableness of each individual step (process filtering) and filtering based on both process and outcome. Many standard approaches, such as Supervised Fine-Tuning (SFT), rely heavily on “golden labels” (perfect, predefined correct answers) and often discard data that does not lead to the correct final answer. Recent popular RL approaches, such as the one used in DeepSeek-R1, also use outcome-based rewards to train the model. In contrast, SWiRL achieved its best results using process-filtered data. This means the data included trajectories where each reasoning step or tool call was deemed logical given the previous context, even if the final answer turned out to be wrong.  The researchers found that SWiRL can “learn even from trajectories that end in incorrect final answers. In fact, we achieve our best results by including process-filtered data, regardless of the correctness of the outcome.”  Training LLMs with SWiRL SWiRL training process Credit:arXiv In the second stage, SWiRL uses reinforcement learning to train a base LLM on the generated synthetic trajectories. At every step within a trajectory, the model is optimized to predict the next appropriate action (an intermediate reasoning step, a tool call, or the final answer) based on the preceding context. The LLM receives feedback at each step by a separate generative reward model, which assesses the model’s generated action given the context up to that point.  “Our granular, step-by-step finetuning paradigm enables the model to learn both local decision-making (next-step prediction) and global trajectory optimization (final response generation) while being guided by immediate feedback on the soundness of each prediction,” the researchers write. SWiRL during inference Credit: arXiv At inference time, a SWiRL-trained model works in the same iterative fashion. It receives a prompt and generates text in response. If it outputs a tool call (such as a search query or a mathematical expression), the system parses it, executes the tool, and feeds the result back into the model’s context window. The model then continues generating, potentially making more tool calls, until it outputs a final answer or reaches a pre-set limit on the number of steps. “By training the model to take reasonable steps at each moment in time (and to do so in a coherent and potentially more explainable way), we address

Marketing, customer experience (CX), and digital leaders in consumer-facing businesses are navigating new ways that the world now works — but you can’t let the shifting winds and heavy currents push your business off course. In Forrester’s new report, Consumer Marketing, CX, And Digital Leaders: How To Thrive Through Volatility (US) (client-only access), we outline strategies and tactics to navigate rapidly evolving economic and market conditions. The following are highlights of Forrester’s advice to consumer brand leaders in CX, marketing, and digital business. Your Customer Is Your Pivot Point For Planning, Action, And Communication Customer obsession is the surest way to business success in any operating environment — not being customer-obsessed will tangibly cost your organization because customer obsession is vital to making good decisions about your strategy, product, service, and ways of operating to grow the business amid any type of turbulence. Among other strategies and tactics: Reaffirm your customers, their needs, and how you operate to fulfill them. Build segmentation and good personas and ensure that they’re connected to business goals. Find your value sweet spot — the blend of the four value dimensions (functional, experiential, symbolic, and economic) — that delivers on your target customers’ value needs, matches what your organization excels at, and provides a competitive advantage. Create an authentic, actionable CX vision — and land quick, inexpensive wins. Tight budgets, shifting priorities, and small teams? You’ve got this. If you’re a Forrester client, use The Forrester CX Vision Development Template to speed your CX vision review. Focus on filling common gaps in the fundamentals. Use journey mapping to ensure that experiences fulfill the CX vision: Map key journeys, keep it low-fidelity, and focus on critical pain points. Adopt guerilla CX tactics to make the most of resources such as available (even micro-) data and rapid-fire experimentation and learning — and much more. Prioritize the types of insights you need for your adaptive marketing strategy. Our data tells us that using customer insights to drive decision-making is among global marketing leaders’ top challenges for 2025. Think long — not just short! — term: For example, will those acquisition tactics and dollars result in customers whom you’re best suited to serve over the long term? Flex Adaptivity, Creativity, Communication, Leadership, And Risk Management Muscles CX, digital, and marketing leaders should lead their teams to collaboratively: Create an “always on” planning structure. Work with senior leadership to develop and operationalize a continuous planning loop. Create dynamic roadmaps that embrace approaches such as agile development and design thinking; enable fast and flexible adjustments, including automation technologies; and promote exploration, iteration, and effective measurement. Unleash internal creativity. Use the “we’ll try anything” mentality and the fast-changing nature of business to start iterating, testing, and measuring new ideas. Think means to access new markets and customers, new educational materials, or new tools to help your customers navigate through uncertainty. Tap generative AI (genAI) for task improvement and effectiveness. With genAI, teams can become more efficient with tasks — and find new ways to tackle challenges. As agentic AI improves and expands, genAI’s role in productivity and creativity will only grow, especially in the hands of people who learn to use the tools well today. Lead and communicate. Be a visible change leader and steadying force, keeping employees regularly apprised. Listen to employees closest to your customers and solicit ideas for potential company actions. Ratchet up managing the risks in their control. Know the three E’s of risk management: enterprise, ecosystem, and external forces/systemic risks. The rule now: To evaluate risk trade-offs, you must become ultra-disciplined about risk management via a continuous approach to enterprise risk. Want to discuss your organization’s next steps? If you’re a Forrester client, please schedule a guidance session or inquiry with us. Not a Forrester client? Explore our complimentary resources on navigating volatility. source

CIOs can drive change Even though it’s difficult to calculate an organization’s carbon footprint, CIOs and IT purchasing leaders trying to reduce their environmental impact can influence data center operators, experts say. “Customers have a very large voice,” Seagate’s Feist says. “Don’t underestimate how powerful that CIO feedback loop is. The large cloud accounts are customer-obsessed organizations, so they listen, and they react.” While DataBank began using renewable energy years ago, customer demand can push more data center operators to follow suit, Gerson says. “For sure, if there is a requirement to purchase renewable power, we are going to purchase renewable power,” she adds. source

As tech pros, the question isn’t just whether AI will disrupt our industries — it’s how we can leverage its power in a responsible, sustainable way.  At SXSW 2025, I had the privilege of serving on the “Innovation Unbridled: Balancing the Promise and Peril of AI” panel. The session provided a thought-provoking exploration of AI’s transformative potential, and the challenges tech leaders face when integrating AI into their operations. What made this panel particularly engaging was the diverse audience — attendees from all walks of life, asking tough questions that forced us to consider AI from ethical, practical, and social perspectives.  Here are six key takeaways to guide your AI journey:  1. AI should solve problems, not create them  AI must address real business challenges, not introduce new ones. Too often, organizations rush to adopt the latest tools and technologies without fully understanding their impact on existing processes. The result? More complexity, confusion, and inefficiency.  It’s crucial to ensure that any AI implementation directly addresses specific pain points within your organization. Whether it’s automating tasks, improving customer personalization, or enhancing decision-making, AI should add measurable value. When deploying AI, start by asking: How will this improve our business outcomes? What specific problem does it solve?  Related:Surgical Center CIO Builds an IT Department Actionable insight: Prioritize AI tools that seamlessly integrate with existing systems and processes. Use AI as a strategic asset to enhance productivity and deliver tangible results.  2. AI should upskill people, not replace them  It’s no secret that many fear AI will lead to widespread job displacement. While this concern is valid, the reality is that AI is designed to augment human abilities, not replace them. It can handle repetitive tasks, analyze vast amounts of data, and provide real-time insights, allowing employees to focus on higher-value activities that require creativity, empathy, and complex problem-solving.  The key is understanding that AI’s real value lies in enabling your team to work smarter, not harder. AI can help streamline operations and improve efficiency, but it should never be seen as a substitute for human ingenuity.  Actionable insight: Invest in upskilling and reskilling your workforce to ensure employees are ready for a future where AI complements their work. Offer training programs or collaborate with educational institutions for continuous learning opportunities.  3. Balancing open-sourcing AI with ethics  Related:Knowledge Gaps Influence CEO IT Decisions While open-sourcing AI has the potential to democratize access and drive innovation, it also raises important ethical concerns. How can we ensure that AI tools are used responsibly and safely? What measures need to be put in place to prevent misuse or unintended harm?  It’s vital to ensure that any AI system deployed in your organization follows strict ethical guidelines. Whether you’re using open-source models or proprietary tools, transparency, accountability, and safety should always be top priorities.  Actionable insight: Establish a robust AI governance framework within your organization, including security protocols, ethical guidelines, and regular audits. Collaborate with legal and compliance teams to create policies that protect both your business and customers.  4. AI’s role in reshaping industries  AI is transforming industries, from precision healthcare to environmental sustainability, by driving value, personalization, and innovation. To fully leverage AI’s potential, businesses must adapt their operating models and become more agile.  The challenge lies not only in adopting AI but also in fostering an environment where innovation thrives. This requires rethinking organizational structures, embracing cross-functional collaboration, and cultivating a culture of continuous improvement.  Related:The Kraft Group CIO Talks Gillette Stadium Updates and FIFA World Cup Prep Actionable insight: Build an agile organization that adapts quickly to AI advancements. Encourage cross-functional collaboration, experimentation, and view AI as an enabler of ongoing business transformation, not a one-off project.  5. Fostering a culture of support and growth  Workforce burnout is an increasing concern as businesses push employees to adopt new technologies and work longer hours to stay competitive. While AI can alleviate some repetitive tasks, leaders must prioritize creating an environment that nurtures employee growth and well-being.  Actionable insight: As you implement AI to boost efficiency, foster a culture of support and growth. Encourage flexibility, invest in employee development, and set realistic productivity expectations. Innovation should empower your team, driving both business and personal growth without compromising employee satisfaction.  6. AI regulation — balancing innovation with responsibility  AI is evolving rapidly, and the need for regulation is becoming more pressing. Strong guardrails are essential to ensure AI is developed responsibly and ethically. As tech pros, it’s our responsibility to stay ahead of the regulatory curve, ensuring that your AI initiatives align with emerging ethical standards. While regulation may evolve over time, embedding ethical considerations into your AI strategy now will help future-proof your business.  Actionable insight: Stay informed about AI regulation and collaborate with industry bodies to help shape the future of AI governance. This proactive approach will protect your organization from legal challenges and demonstrate your commitment to responsible innovation.  Closing Thoughts  AI must be used thoughtfully, serving both business goals and societal well-being. As tech pros, it is our responsibility to harness AI in ways that solve real problems, empower employees, and drive ethical innovation. By embracing these takeaways, you can position your organization to thrive in the AI era while staying true to your values and responsibilities.  source

The year of 2025 is expected to a massively disruptive year from ‘Core to Cloud to AI to Gen AI’ as the futuristic CIO expects tech OEMs and ecosystem partners to declutter tech complexity, demystify hyped technologies to help navigate their career graph and accelerate their company’s business. The tech buying process unlike in the past has not stirred across CIOs and their teams in recent years, but it has completely got shaken. And if you thought AI will perhaps make technology buying process less complex than the ‘already complex’ tech architecture for organizations, you may have erred a bit. Around 66% of ITDMs in APAC agree that the purchase process for technology products and services is becoming increasingly complex as per Role and Influence of the Technology Decision-Maker Study 2024 by Foundry and CIO. Why is it more complex? More people are involved as business and IT leaders present and explore new technologies to efficiently run their companies (31 is the average number of influencers in APAC buying team, and almost 50% are LOBs). source

By Adam Lidgett ( April 18, 2025, 4:13 PM EDT) — Google wants a New York federal court to sanction a location tracking patent owner in litigation accusing the search engine giant of infringement, saying he either destroyed or failed to properly preserve key evidence…. Law360 is on it, so you are, too. A Law360 subscription puts you at the center of fast-moving legal issues, trends and developments so you can act with speed and confidence. Over 200 articles are published daily across more than 60 topics, industries, practice areas and jurisdictions. A Law360 subscription includes features such as Daily newsletters Expert analysis Mobile app Advanced search Judge information Real-time alerts 450K+ searchable archived articles And more! Experience Law360 today with a free 7-day trial. source