What’s New

At Google’s recent I/O Conference, co-founder Sergey Brin declared that artificial intelligence (AI) will be “vastly more transformative” than the internet or the mobile phone. Meanwhile, global markets grappled with a very different kind of transformation: The visible unravelling of US fiscal dominance and the dollar’s once-unassailable safe-haven status.

After months of heightened tariff pressure, the US and China appear to be moving towards de-escalation. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer concluded talks with Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng in Geneva, calling the discussions “productive” and a sign of “substantial progress”. The talks resulted in an agreement to establish a bilateral mechanism for continued dialogue. Both delegations emphasised shared interests.

Rethinking commuting – because time and money are being spent without corresponding returns in output. As traffic congestion once again grips South Africa’s metros, it is worth re-evaluating the assumptions underpinning our approach to knowledge work. For businesses that rely on employees in finance, technology, legal services, administration, or other knowledge-based functions, the daily commute increasingly appears to be an inefficient and costly legacy of a pre-digital economy.