Cleveland Clinic and G42 have entered into a strategic collaboration to advance the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare, marking yet another major step in realizing AI’s potential in medicine. The partnership will create a joint task force to assess, prioritize, and expedite AI-powered efforts to enhance patient care, medical research, and operational efficiency. G42, based in Abu Dhabi, UAE, is a global technology pioneer specializing in AI, digital infrastructure, and big data analytics. M42, the group’s healthcare subsidiary, operates 480 clinics in 26 countries and has led large health projects such as the Emirati Genome Program and Abu Dhabi’s health information exchange, Malaffi. “Cleveland Clinic is committed to finding opportunities that improve patient safety, patient experience, patient outcomes, and access,” said Cleveland Clinic CEO and President Tom Mihaljevic, M.D. “Artificial intelligence offers a tremendous opportunity to continue to advance and fulfill our mission of caring for life, researching for health, and educating those who serve.” source

美聯集團主席黃建業指出，本港住宅交投已經於2023年及2024年錄得兩連升，但是近期的樓價卻出現「三背馳」的情況，樓價走勢與成交、租金及股市背馳的現象。反映樓價偏離常軌，主要是受到高庫存及市民對經濟前景信心的影響。不過，房屋政策支持，加上樓價「三背馳」，吸引投資客開始入市，過去一年一手大手客入市個案按年急升近8倍，涉及單位數量按年增加近10倍，可見住宅物業的回報已開始吸引投資者入市。黃建業相信，受惠新一年眾多利好因素，投資客將持續入市，令樓價於逐步找到「支撐點」後回穩，預期樓市全年將現「價穩量升」，新盤成交量有望創出歷史新高。 黃建業：高庫存壓力 樓價現「三背馳」 黃建業指出，特區政府連續兩年推出振興樓市措施，去年先是於「財政預算案」宣佈「全撤辣」，然後再放寬按揭，今年更是毅然在財赤下削減置業印花稅，房策全面利好，成交及租金上升，樓價理應亦止跌回升，卻因為物業「高庫存」及市民對經濟前景不明朗，樓價持續疲軟，「美聯樓價指數」最新(3月24日)報126.28點，已創逾8年半新低。樓價續跌，並呈現以下「三大背馳」情況：1. 樓價與成交背馳：2024年一手私宅及二手住宅成交量共約 56,700宗，按年升約23%，惟全年樓價卻跌6.86%，更已經連續兩年出現「量升價跌」的情況。值得留意的是，去年的二手成交量雖然按年升逾15%，但是成交金額僅微升0.04%，成交金額的升幅遠低於成交量，反映市民入市信心未復常，令樓價受壓。2. 樓價與租金背馳：2024年樓價下跌的同時，美聯「租金走勢圖」卻於2024年升逾5%，呈「租升價跌」，連續2年出現背馳走勢。3. 樓價與股市背馳：香港股市於2024年已經回升，恒生指數在2024年錄得17.7%升幅，跑贏不少知名的市場。今年恒生指數一度升穿24,000點水平，惟「美聯樓價指數」迄今則跌約1.44%，續創逾8年半新低，亦即是回到2016年中水平。 樓價「背馳」吸投資者入市不過，樓價「三背馳」的走勢，同樣吸引到投資客入市「趁低吸納」，過去一年相關的個案大幅增加。黃建業指出，自去年「全撤辣」後，港樓的投資價值抬頭，樓市開始出現「大手客」的蹤影。據美聯物業研究中心綜合土地註冊處的資料，2024年3月至2025年2月的一年間，已知的一手大手客(即同一買家於同一月份及同一新盤購入多於一個單位)的個案數目，達到584宗，按年急升接近8倍，涉及單位數量近1,500伙，按年增加接近10倍。除了大手客外，撤辣後一年以公司名義入市的已知買家個案高達2,100多宗，按年急升約5.8倍，以上數據均證明投資者已較「全撤辣」前踴躍入市。值得留意的是，內地買家於一手大手客中的佔比愈來愈高。撤辣後一年，於一手大手客中，涉及內地買家宗數達286宗，按年大增接近17倍，而涉及的單位數目更達714宗，按年激增超過19倍；撤辣前一年，內地買家佔大手客約2成半，而撤辣後一年，佔比已大幅急升至接近5成水平(見圖一)。 黃建業認為，現時樓市仍是由用家及剛需買家主導。不過隨著以下利好因素於近期陸續出現，加上樓價「背馳」，住宅物業的回報及投資價值會上升，相信投資者入市的個案將會愈來愈多，從而帶動樓市交投續升，樓價將逐漸找到止跌的「支撐點」。 利好樓市因素1. 經濟環境改善，多個支柱行業現復甦跡象2. 股市向好，恒指一度重上24000點關口，帶動投資氣氛3. 息口下調，資金流動性加強，有望持續流入中港4. 庫存高位回落，長期供應減少5. 來港專才及學生成樓市生力軍黃建業指出，在眾多利好因素之中，以後三點最值得留意。首先是資金的流入。息口是影響資金流動性的最大因素，息口愈低，愈多資金流入市場。預期美國或於年內至少減息兩次。人民銀行亦已表明「擇機降準減息」，同樣有望增強資金的流動性。自年初開始，已漸見資金加快流入香港，港股年內日均成交量逾2,400億元，較去年日均高逾8成，正是受惠於中外資金流入。中金更預期，年內尚有6,000億至8,000億元的北水流入，當中或有部份會於股市獲利後流入樓市，為住宅物業帶來新的購買力。此外，亦要留意物業的庫存量。「高庫存」是造成樓價「背馳」的主要原因，發展商為「去庫存」須低價賣樓，令二手樓價受壓。不過，庫存有高位回落跡象，雖然去年第四季現樓貨尾量升至27,000伙的紀錄新高，短期供應充裕，但是長期供應卻見回落。數據顯示，未來3至4年一手供應(包括已批出土地可隨時動工(熟地)、已落成未售出單位數目(現樓貨尾)、建築中未售出單位數目)於去年第四季合共錄107,000個單位，按季減少1,000個，連跌3季，並創5季新低，比起去年第一季112,000個的紀錄高位減少約5,000伙(見圖二)。隨著賣地減少，相信未來一手私宅潛在供應或見頂回落，長遠為樓市帶來支持。 隨著庫存高峰回落，新盤定價與二手樓價的差距開始縮窄。根據美聯物業研究中心資料，今年首季(截至3月24日)新盤溢價錄-8.6%，雖然是連續第11季出現「負溢價」，即新盤開價低於同區二手價，並較去年第四季的-7.4%稍為擴大，但是已經較去年第二季錄-12%的季度最大紀錄後收窄(見圖三)。由於現樓貨尾量仍然高企，相信「負溢價」短期持續，但是有機會再度收窄，舒緩二手樓價的壓力。 黃建業又指出，來港專才及學生是重要購買力。港府近年積極吸納人才及學生，將香港打造成高端人才匯聚地及高等教育樞紐。根據政府數字，由2022年底至今年1月底，各項人才入境計劃共收到超過44萬宗申請，當中獲批的超過28萬宗，為本港帶來新的住屋需求。值得留意的是，新來港者多數會採取「先租後買」的策略，而一般租約期都是兩年，換句話說，由今年開始將有大批「轉租為買」的購買力入市，增加價量上升的動力。 黃建業認為，利好因素湧現，投資者有望更積極入市。預計2025年本港住宅物業成交量再錄升幅，當中一手成交量可望達至1.9萬宗，按年升逾2成，並創自2013年<<一手住宅物業銷售條例>>生效後新高；估計二手住宅交投達4.3萬宗，按年升近5%，則創4年新高。相信樓價將會逐漸試探，並找到支撐點，跌幅逐步放緩，今年內或回穩，由連續兩年的「價跌量升」，轉為「價穩量升」，除非外圍政經環境出現重大的變化，否則樓價進一步大幅下跌的機會不大。 提三建議加速去庫存如果想樓市加快復甦，黃建業建議政府再提出有效措施，吸納資金來港置業，加速去庫存，增加發展商恢復買地的誘因，增加庫房收入。黃建業認為，放寬資金鏈振樓市已經成為國家政策。中央對樓市的定調，由過往的「房住不炒」，轉變成「穩住股市樓市」，扶持樓市的決心及力度之強前所未見。全國人大會議首次將「穩住股市樓市」寫進《工作報告》總體要求；近日推出的《提振消費專項行動方案》亦強調持續用力推動房地產市場止跌回穩，可見中央將穩樓市提高至最重要的經濟目標之一。特區政府亦緊跟中央政策而改變房策，先後於兩次「財政預算案」中提出「全面撤辣」及減印花稅的重要措施，為港樓拆牆鬆綁。 具體建議包括：1. 為投資移民拆牆鬆綁建議投資移民全面放寬至任何樓價的物業，樓價全數計入投資額，鼓勵買樓可以移民。由於短期供應仍多，放寬投資移民，不會大幅刺激樓價上升，但可幫助消化供應，同時為庫房帶來收入，簡單化移民政策亦有助吸引高質人才，利好香港長遠發展；2. 交易完成後才繳付印花稅建議放寬印花稅延至交易完成後才需繳付，讓置業人士有更大的彈性來運用資金，有助減輕短期資金壓力。即使因為各種原因導致相關交易最終未能完成，買家亦不必因為已繳印花稅而承受損失。由於現時物業投機活動極少，相信放寬亦不會出現炒風。3. 設立跨境「購房通」；亦即是中港兩地互聯互通機制的「購房」版，設立「購房資金通」讓兩地居民可以在兩地購房，並便利內地人才落戶香港。 LinkedIn Email Facebook Twitter WhatsApp source

Image: seventyfourimages/Envato Elements The EU is pouring €1.3 billion ($1.4 billion) over the next two years to accelerate the adoption of artificial intelligence technologies. The funding will support the development and testing of “immersive environments” to apply in healthcare for purposes like training and virtual patient assessments. The investment will also support the implementation of the AI Act, which ensures all AI systems developed and used in the EU are done so safely and responsibly. Additionally, it will help build energy-efficient digital public digital infrastructure, including electric vehicle charging ports. Many of the generative AI models powering these initiatives will be created by the EU’s AI factories, specialised research centres using powerful supercomputers. “Securing European tech sovereignty starts with investing in advanced technologies and in making it possible for people to improve their digital competences,” Henna Virkkunen, executive vice-president for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, said in a press release. EU leaders double down on AI to secure digital future Funding will also be allocated toward: Supporting European Digital Innovation Hubs, which offer companies training and resources in technologies such as AI. Building the Destination Earth digital model which simulates environmental changes to support policy-making and sustainability efforts. Improving the cyber security of critical infrastructure like hospitals and undersea cables. Building and promoting the EU Digital Wallet architecture that will allow citizens to store official documents, like passports and driving licenses, in a smartphone app. Supporting EU education and training institutes in providing digital skills and recruiting for these courses. Developing other secure, interoperable digital public services. The funding comes from DIGITAL, a programme of €8.1 billion focused on increasing digitisation for businesses and individuals in the region. Businesses and other EU entities will be invited to apply for DIGITAL funding or programmes from next month. SEE: UK Trails Behind Europe in Technical Skills Proficiency, Coursera Report Finds More must-read AI coverage Europe desperately wants to shake its reputation of being technologically behind Europe has developed an unfortunate reputation for being behind other global superpowers when it comes to technology. According to a 2024 report from former European Central Bank President and economist Mario Draghi, Europe’s lack of innovation has led to the US outpacing the EU’s GDP by $9 trillion in 2023. Despite Europe’s top three R&I investors being in tech, “we are failing to translate innovation into commercialisation,” he said, pushing entrepreneurs to relocate to the US. A Google report published in October 2024 found that Europe spends only 2% of its GDP on tech research; by contrast, the U.S. spends 3%, and South Korea and Israel spend over 5%. The region specifically lags in AI innovation, having only filed 2% of global AI patents in 2022, while China and the U.S., the top two largest producers, filed 61% and 21%, respectively, according to Stanford University’s 2024 AI Index. “Present gaps indicate that the EU risks falling behind the next wave of AI and needs to ramp up its efforts to remain competitive,” the Google researchers wrote. Among other recommendations, the report suggested that Europe invests in AI research to make it more accessible. source

With six baseball fantasy experiences under my belt, I’ve learned time and again that I didn’t make the wrong career choice, but I’ve also learned that baseball lessons are life lessons, and I’m a better lawyer for my time at St. Louis Cardinals fantasy camp, says Scott Felder at Wiley. source

Brand safety commonly refers to advertising and content adjacency in the digital space. And while that is a vital component for protecting a brand’s reputation, digital content adjacency isn’t the only adjacency that threatens a brand. Forrester’s 2024 B2B Brand And Communications Survey suggests we’ve reached a new tipping point, with 58% of B2B marketing leaders now saying their organization has a view of brand safety that goes well beyond advertising and includes how they form partnerships, choose suppliers, and make business decisions. A Broader View Of Brand Safety Companies’ reputations don’t just exist online and through their digital activities; they exist across every experience throughout the business ecosystem. Marketers should look at brand safety through the lens of associations and engagements, considering the ways that suppliers, partners, vendors, customers, and others cohabitate with different content, organizations, groups, and individuals. We have to ensure that our ecosystem’s beliefs, behaviors, and values are not antithetical to our brand purpose and values. Building And Preserving Trust Brand safety is fundamentally about building and preserving trust. Trust is built through positive experiences that inform audiences of the brand’s values and promise. Research from Forrester’s Business Trust Survey, 2023, shows that trust in one brand can extend to its affiliated brands (a concept Forrester calls “trust transference”). In fact, 74% of global business buyers in our survey say that they are likely to trust a company affiliated with a trusted brand, compared to 42% who would trust a company affiliated with an untrusted brand. Buyers are also more likely to recommend, forgive, and do business with companies affiliated with brands that they trust. The Domino Effect Of Reputational Damage When crisis strikes one brand, the fallout can impact associated brands, as well. Consider how last year’s CrowdStrike outage, which caused widespread disruptions and was crowned the biggest IT outage in history, manifested as the blue screen of death for millions of Microsoft Windows devices. Not only was the Microsoft brand affected, but the ripple effect continued as countless companies including airlines, hospitals, banks, and retailers suffered crippling disruptions, all creating negative brand experiences. Think about the companies with which your brand does business. Do their beliefs and behaviors align with your brand values? What reputational risks might exist in these relationships? As marketing and brand leaders, if you aren’t exploring these questions with the executive team, then your brand is likely at risk. Expanding The Definition Of Brand Safety B2B companies must expand their definition of brand safety to include all aspects of their business relationships and initiatives to effectively protect their brands. The new definition for brand safety is safeguarding a brand’s reputation, ensuring that it minimizes harmful associations while consistently building favorable perceptions. To secure your brand’s reputation under this broader perspective, be sure to: Scrutinize partner, vendor, and customer relationships. The actions and reputations of partners, suppliers, vendors, and customers can directly impact your brand. The goal is to choose wisely. Recognize the level of alignment with your brand values, the amount of control you have in the relationship or initiative, the reward potential, and the risks. Be attentive to the pressures that impact brand safety. Growth and competitive pressures, socioeconomic and political shifts, regulatory environments, and technological advancements all influence brand safety decisions. Be sure to consider diverse cultural sensitivities, varying legal regulations, and shifting political and social values, as well as the layers of complexity these issues have on brand safety. Companies must stay vigilant and adaptable, and marketers must bring these pressures to the attention of executives and advocate for the brand. Build a strong brand. A solid reputation isn’t just good for growing the business; it’s vital for brand resilience. Trusted brands are more likely to be forgiven for product/service mistakes and for behaving out of step with their values. When a crisis occurs, you want your brand to be in the trusted category to ensure that you can regain good standing with greater ease. Prepare a crisis communication plan. Regardless of how carefully a business approaches brand safety, it can’t control everything. There will always be some level of risk. Evaluate the risks and work with legal, executives, and other leaders to build crisis communication plans in case you should ever need to quickly address a crisis to preserve the brand reputation. Brand safety isn’t something to be taken for granted, and preserving it takes continual vigilance. Join me as I dive deeper into this topic at Forrester’s B2B Summit North America, happening March 31–April 3 in Phoenix. My session “Understanding The New Threats To Brand Safety” will explore strategies to help you safeguard your brand and enhance brand reputation despite threats. Hope to see you there! source

新世界發展營業及市務（特別項目）部總監何家欣小姐(左二）、帝國集團執行董事姚志偉（右二）、資本策略地產有限公司執行董事何樂輝（左一）及麗新發展高級副總裁潘銳民（右一）為港島南岸第5A期超級豪宅項目「DEEP WATER PAVILIA滶晨」舉行項目命名儀式。 由新世界發展（00017）、帝國集團、資本策略（00497）、麗新發展及港鐵公司精心以「ART NOUVEAU」設計理念打造，迄立港島南區尊貴地段、俯瞰深水灣及壽臣山，見山觀海天地，海灣與山巒一覽無遺，以此為靈感雕琢出華麗而異國夢幻的繁花瑰邸，傳承PAVILIA系列最登峰造極之作，傲立於港島南岸第5A期的超級豪宅項目，正式命名為 「DEEP WATER PAVILIA滶晨」 (以下簡稱「項目」) 。 新世界發展營業及市務（特別項目）部總監何家欣小姐表示：「集團夥拍帝國集團、資本策略、麗新發展及港鐵公司，以獨特『ART NOUVEAU』風格精心打造的超級豪宅項目 ─『DEEP WATER PAVILIA滶晨』，將貴族元素與現代生活完美結合，為住戶帶來無與倫比的奢華體驗。英文名字取材自香港其中一個富豪聚居地、最尊貴豪宅地段的深水灣（Deep Water Bay），由於項目傳承集團旗下最尊貴的PAVILIA系列，俯瞰深水灣美景的登峰造極之作，故此得名。至於『滶晨』的中文名字，『滶』有翱翔海洋的意思，呼應項目毗鄰多個歷史悠久的著名泳灘，遠眺最令人嚮往的南區海岸線；而『晨』則是晨曦的意思，晨光美景加上優美醉人的深水灣及淺水灣海灣，意指項目環抱壽臣山翠綠山巒，擁抱山水，地靈人傑。項目採用結合貴族元素的新藝術風格設計，並以瑰麗花園為概念，令人猶如置身於叢林之中，感覺脫俗而奢華，同時又可享受到交通的便捷，與港鐵金鐘站及中環核心商業區僅數個港鐵站之隔，輕鬆連接城市的繁華。」 帝國集團執行董事姚志偉表示：「得天獨厚的地理位置，令『DEEP WATER PAVILIA滶晨』與深水灣及壽臣山為伴，蔚藍的海水，優雅的遊艇，層疊的別墅屋頂坐落在山腰上，景色迷人，全景盡收眼底。於香港其中一個最優越的地段建構新藝術風格的繁花瑰邸，匯聚深水灣與淺水灣的貴族氛圍，成就南區生活典範。」  資本策略地產有限公司執行董事何樂輝表示：「港島南岸第5A期『DEEP WATER PAVILIA滶晨』屬港島南超級豪宅，提供447個住宅單位，戶型多元化，項目的三房及四房標準單位，以及精選特色戶，均設有珍罕及高私隱度的獨立私人升降機前廳；另項目亦提供兩房單位，適合有意進駐港島南區享受奢華閒逸富豪生活的人士。」 由國際大師團隊精心策劃 麗新發展高級副總裁潘銳民表示：「『DEEP WATER PAVILIA滶晨』由國際大師團隊精心設計，風格採用19世紀末到20世紀中期於歐洲廣泛流行的新藝術運動風格，特徵包括強調線條的流動性、不對稱的構圖，以及貴族風的裝飾，提倡將藝術與日常生活結合，借鑒自然界的花卉、植物及動物形態，展現生命的活力與自然的美學，住客置身這充滿活力的自然環境，享受脫俗高尚的生活氛圍。」 LinkedIn Email Facebook Twitter WhatsApp source

TL;DR: Get lifetime access to DeskSense AI Assistant from just $38 for life (reg. $179) and simplify your workday with AI-powered productivity and creativity tools. What busy person hasn’t thought of how nice it would be to have an assistant? Whether it’s to help run your errands or help streamline your professional tasks, our own personal helper would be terrific. While DeskSense AI Assistant can’t do your laundry, it can certainly help in a variety of other ways. A lifetime license to the Basic Plan is on sale for just $38 (reg. $179) for a limited time. Features This productivity-boosting, creativity-enhancing tool takes the hassle out of your daily grind. Whether you’re a solopreneur, a content creator, or a small business owner, DeskSense has everything you need to stay ahead of the game and tackle those tasks you’d rather not spend hours on. Forget the endless hours spent drafting emails, formatting spreadsheets, or staring at a blank page trying to come up with blog post ideas. With DeskSense, you can automate the tedious stuff, leaving you more time to focus on the important work that really needs your attention. Need to whip up an email? DeskSense will have it done in seconds. Struggling with an Excel formula? DeskSense generates complex formulas in a snap. Want to quickly pull information from a webpage or document? DeskSense’s AI text analysis makes it really easy. It even goes so far as to create social media posts, generate blog content, and assist with coding tasks. Oh, and if you’ve got a visual project in mind, DeskSense can help you create custom images based on simple text prompts. Consider our minds blown! Plans Choose your plan and give yourself the gift of more time to focus on the bigger picture: Prices and availability subject to change. source

Surveys in 36 countries find that Christianity and Buddhism have the biggest losses from ‘religious switching’ Light shines through the doors of Zionskirche, a Protestant church in Berlin. (Busà Photography/Getty Images) How we did this Pew Research Center conducted this analysis to examine rates of religious switching in 36 countries across the Asia-Pacific region, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East-North Africa region, North America and sub-Saharan Africa. The countries have a variety of historically predominant religions, including Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism. For non-U.S. data, this analysis draws on nationally representative surveys of 41,503 adults conducted from Jan. 5 to May 22, 2024. All interviews 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. Interviews 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, Tunisia and Turkey. In Australia, we used a mixed-mode probability-based online panel. For the United States, data comes from the 2023-2024 Religious Landscape Study (RLS). The new RLS was conducted in English and Spanish from July 17, 2023, to March 4, 2024, among a nationally representative sample of 36,908 U.S. adults. Respondents had the option of completing the survey online, on paper, or by calling a toll-free number and completing the survey by telephone with an interviewer. The RLS was made possible by The Pew Charitable Trusts, which received support from the Lilly Endowment Inc., Templeton Religion Trust, The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations and the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust. Here are the questions and responses used for this report, along with the survey methodology. This analysis was produced by Pew Research Center as part of the Pew-Templeton Global Religious Futures project, which analyzes religious change and its impact on societies around the world. Funding for the Global Religious Futures project comes from The Pew Charitable Trusts and the John Templeton Foundation (grant 63095). This publication does not necessarily reflect the views of the John Templeton Foundation. Terminology Throughout this report, religious switching refers to a change between the religious group in which a person says they were raised (during their childhood) and their religious identity now (in adulthood). The rates of religious switching are based on responses to two survey questions we asked of adults ages 18 and older: “What is your current religion, if any?” “Thinking about when you were a child, in what religion were you raised, if any?” The responses to these two questions allow us to calculate what percentage of the public has left a religious group (or “switched out”) and what percentage has entered (or “switched in”). This kind of switching can take place without any formal rite or ceremony. We have analyzed switching into and out of five widely recognized, worldwide religions to allow for consistent comparisons around the globe. Specifically, this report analyzes change between the following groups: Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, other religions, religiously unaffiliated adults, and those who did not answer the question. For example, someone who was raised Buddhist but now identifies as Christian would be considered as having switched religions – as would someone who was raised Christian but is now unaffiliated. However, switching within a religious tradition, such as between Catholicism and Protestantism, is not captured in this report. (Refer to Pew Research Center’s 2023-24 Religious Landscape Study for an analysis of switching in the United States that does count some switching within Christianity. Read “4 facts about religious switching within Judaism in Israel” for an analysis of switching within Judaism.) Religiously unaffiliated refers to people who answer a question about their current religion (or their upbringing) by saying they are (or were raised as) atheist, agnostic or “nothing in particular.” This category is sometimes called “no religion” or “nones.” Other religions is an umbrella category. It contains a wide variety of religions that are not in the other categories and that have survey sample sizes too small to analyze separately in most countries. This includes Sikhism, Jainism, the Baha’i faith, African traditional religions, Native American religious traditions, and others. Disaffiliation rates refer to the percentage of adults who say they were raised in a religion but are now religiously unaffiliated (or have no religion). Net gains/losses are the differences between the percentage of survey respondents who say they were raised in a particular religious category (as children) and the percentage who identify with that same category at the time of the survey (as adults). The “net” gain or loss takes into account both sides of the equation – those who have left and those who have entered the group. Retention rates show, among all the people who say they were raised in a particular religious group, the percentage who still describe themselves as belonging to that group today. Accession rates (also called entrance rates) show, among all the people who describe themselves as belonging to a particular religious group today, the percentage who were raised in some other group. In many countries around the world, a fifth or more of all adults have left the religious group in which they were raised. Christianity and Buddhism have experienced especially large losses from this “religious switching,” while rising numbers of adults have no religious affiliation, according to Pew Research Center surveys of nearly 80,000 people in 36 countries. Rates of religious switching vary widely around the globe, the surveys show. What is religious switching? Throughout this report, religious switching refers to a change between the religious group in which a person says they were raised (during their childhood) and their religious identity now (in adulthood). We use the term religious switching instead of “conversion” because the changes can take place in many directions – including from having been raised in a religion to being unaffiliated. We count changes between large religious categories (such as from Buddhist to Christian, or from Hindu to unaffiliated) but not switching within a world religion (such as

OpenAI is adding support for Anthropic’s Model Context Protocol, an open-source standard for connecting artificial intelligence applications to data repositories. Developers can use it to ensure their chatbots only provide responses based on relevant information. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced on Wednesday via X that the protocol can now be used in the Agents SDK, its toolkit for building AI-powered agents. The company’s developer team added that it is working on adding support for the ChatGPT desktop app and OpenAI API, and will announce more in the coming months. SEE: Have Some Spare Cash? You’ll Need it for OpenAI’s New API How does MCP help AI systems access data? Scaling AI models can be a clunky process, as they constantly need access to new third-party data sources, such as cloud servers, business platforms, and legacy systems. Each source will speak its own technological language, requiring developers to build custom integrations for each one. MCP is effectively a universal language that can be used to develop two-way connections between a wide range of AI models and third-party data sources. “The result is a simpler, more reliable way to give AI systems access to the data they need,” Anthropic said. More must-read AI coverage Developers creating AI agents with Agents SDK can either expose their data through so-called “MCP servers” or build “MCP clients,” i.e., apps that easily connect to the servers. This removes the need for countless custom-built integrations and allows AI to access the information it needs across different tools without losing context. Anthropic Chief Product Officer Mike Krieger said he was “excited to see the MCP love spread to OpenAI” in an X post. “LLMs are most useful when connecting to the data you already have and software you already use.” MCP was made open-source in November and since then a number of AI platforms have announced support, including Microsoft Copilot, Apollo, Replit, Codeium, and Sourcegraph. Which AI platforms support MCP? It was just over a week ago that Microsoft announced MCP support in Copilot Studio, allowing users to connect their agents to MCP servers directly within the platform. But just after the OpenAI announcement, Redmond also released a Playwright MCP server on GitHub. MCP agents will easily connect to the server to gain automated browser capabilities such as clicking, typing, and browsing the web. Naturally, the more AI companies that adopt MCP, the more valuable it becomes for the AI community. With OpenAI — Anthropic’s biggest rival — now on board, Anthropic may be on its way to establishing the global standard for agent interconnectivity. source

For decades, businesses have relied on MPLS and SD-WAN to connect branch offices and remote workers to critical applications. That worked when everything lived in the corporate data center. But the world shifted—applications moved to the cloud, workers became mobile, and cybercriminals got more creative. Meanwhile, many IT departments are stuck in the past, clinging to infrastructure that no longer meets the needs of the modern workforce. It’s time to rethink the way we connect and protect users, and that’s where the idea of the “Cafe-like Branch” changes the game. This approach embraces Zero Trust principles to deliver flexibility, simplify operations, and improve security. As workplaces evolve, it’s not just an option—it’s a necessity. The problem with networking like it’s 1999 Let’s face it: MPLS had its moment. Paying a premium to backhaul traffic to a central data center made sense when that was where all applications lived. But the second your workflows moved to the cloud—whether Salesforce, Zoom, Office365, AWS, or Azure —MPLS became, in a word, inefficient. Add high bandwidth costs and painful latency into the mix, and it’s no surprise companies started looking for a better option. Enter SD-WAN: cheaper than MPLS and designed for cloud-first traffic patterns. Sounds promising, right? Well, not exactly. SD-WAN solved the cost issue but left companies exposed in other ways: Implicit Trust Is a Problem: SD-WAN simply extends the corporate network everywhere using site-to-site VPNs, treating all traffic as “trusted.” This inherent trust means that if one user or device is breached, the attacker has access to the entire network. Complex Security Challenges: Attackers love SD-WAN—and that’s not something to brag about. The complexity of these systems makes them ripe for exploitation. The bottom line: these technologies didn’t anticipate the modern way we work. People aren’t tethered to desks; they work from coffee shops, airplanes, and kitchens. And IoT devices? They’re exploding across locations with little thought for enterprise-grade security. The concept of a traditional “branch network” just doesn’t apply anymore. What is the “cafe-like” branch? Think of your favorite coffee shop: No one sits there trying to extend the corporate network to your laptop, but you still have access to the tools you need (securely) over the internet. This is the essence of the Cafe-like Branch. Instead of extending the corporate network to every single employee over VPN or every branch, warehouse, or factory using SD-WAN, organizations securely connect locations—and the people and devices in them—directly to a Zero Trust Exchange. Here’s what makes the Cafe-like Branch model revolutionary: Branches operate like standalone islands: Each site connects securely to the Zero Trust Exchange using broadband, Wi-Fi, or 5G. There’s no more “extending the corporate network” to every single location. No more implicit trust: Every access request is verified by the Zero Trust model, which shifts security from “Connect first, secure later” to “Verify and secure first.” Workers and devices get access to only what they need—nothing more. IoT no longer a blind spot: With IoT devices proliferating in branches, factories, and warehouses, traditional methods like micro-segmentation have fallen woefully short. The Cafe-like Branch architecture enables you to classify and isolate devices automatically, securing environments without requiring costly hardware upgrades or downtime. By eliminating VPNs and simplifying architecture, the Cafe-like Branch model addresses the connectivity needs of today while securing the future. Transformative benefits for businesses When you implement the Cafe-like Branch, you’re not just keeping up with the times—you’re leapfrogging legacy constraints and transforming your network for the better. Here are the key benefits: Minimized attack surface: Hiding applications behind a Zero Trust Exchange minimizes the Firewall and VPN attack surface. You can’t attack what you can’t see. Prevent lateral threat movement: By removing implicit trust inherent in traditional networks, breaching a single user or IOT device doesn’t mean compromising everything on the network. Increased agility: Bringing up a new location only requires a broadband, 5G, or satellite connection. There’s no more “extending the corporate network” to every single location Cost efficiency: MPLS, NAC and expensive switches have long been a drain on budgets. The Cafe-like Branch eliminates these inefficiencies while simplifying the network architecture. Ready to rethink your network? The Cafe-like Branch isn’t a buzzword—it’s a call to action. The days of MPLS backbones, VPN-heavy environments, and SD-WAN vulnerabilities are numbered. Cyberthreats, IoT proliferation, and the demands of hybrid workforces require a total rethink of how organizations build their networks. It’s not just about better security or cost savings—it’s about building infrastructure fit for the way we work today and tomorrow. So, what are you waiting for? It’s time to trade legacy baggage for modern simplicity. The Cafe-like Branch is your key to reducing risk, cutting costs, and giving your workforce the flexibility they crave—all without sacrificing security. To learn more, visit – Zscaler Lightboard: Zero Trust Branch Like a Cafe. source