Employers are drowning in AI-generated job applications, with LinkedIn now processing 11,000 submissions per minute—a 45 percent surge from last year, according to new data reported by The New York Times.
Due to AI, the traditional hiring process has become overwhelmed with automated noise. It's the résumé equivalent of AI slop—call it "hiring slop," perhaps—that currently haunts social media and the web with sensational pictures and misleading information. The flood of ChatGPT-crafted résumés and bot-submitted applications has created an arms race between job seekers and employers, with both sides deploying increasingly sophisticated AI tools in a bot-versus-bot standoff that is quickly spiraling out of control.
The Times illustrates the scale of the problem with the story of an HR consultant named Katie Tanner, who was so inundated with over 1,200 applications for a single remote role that she had to remove the post entirely and was still sorting through the applications three months later.
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"What's this purple laptop? It's cool."
Over a decade-plus of doing gadget reviews and review-adjacent things, my wife (and, lately, my 5-year-old) have mostly stopped commenting on the ever-shifting selection of laptops I have in my bag or lying around the house at any given time. Maybe she can't tell them apart, or maybe she just figures there isn't that much to say about whatever black or silver metal slab I'm carrying around. Either way, they practically never elicit any kind of response, unless there are just too many of them sitting out in too many places.
But she did ask about the Framework Laptop 12, the third and latest major design in Framework's slowly expanding lineup of modular, repairable, upgradeable laptops. With its five two-toned color options and sturdy plastic exterior, it's definitely more approachable and friendly-looking than the Laptop 13 or Laptop 16, both metal slabs with a somewhat less-finished and prototype-y look to them. But it retains the features that a certain kind of PC geek likes about Framework's other laptops—user-customizable and swappable ports, an easy-to-open design, first-class Linux support, and the promise of future upgrades that improve its performance and other specs.
© Andrew Cunningham
Sonya Moore
In March, I decided to take advantage of my flexible schedule and spend two months in Bali, working remotely and exploring the island.
I had already visited Bali many times, and I'm a big fan. But over the years, as its fame has spread, it has become busier. Bali's iconic charm and unique energy are still there, but they now coexist with big crowds and heavy traffic.
During my time there, I relished much of what Bali has to offer: yoga, massages, sound baths, authentic spiritual traditions, gorgeous style, and delicious food. I found pockets away from the crowds in the less-developed regions of Bangli and Sidemen. But after a few weeks in Ubud and south Bali, I found myself craving peace and quiet — specifically, a break from the ever-present sound of motorbike engines.
Luckily, I had planned to wrap up my time in Indonesia with a weeklong side trip to the nearby island of Sumba with a friend.
Sumba is a 90-minute direct flight from Denpasar International Airport. It's about twice the size of Bali, has one-sixth of Bali's population, and a fraction of its tourists.
It's also known for limited WiFi and cell service across large swaths of its undeveloped territory. There's no signage on the main roads indicating the island's scenic spots, making it hard for visitors to find them without a local guide. We hired a guide my friend found through Facebook, and we're glad we did.
Sonya Moore
Sumba's natural beauty lived up to our expectations. The rock-framed sandy coves, the turquoise lagoon, the landscapes of velvety green hills, and the waterfalls left my friend and me in awe. We were charmed by goats lounging by the side of the road and by horses meandering across expanses of golden savannah.
And most of the time, we had the sights all to ourselves. Sometimes, groups of local kids would come over to talk to us. The roads were free of traffic.
Sonya Moore
Along with the absence of tourists and traffic came the absence of extensive food and massage options, which we had grown accustomed to in Bali. I never found wine or cocktails anywhere in Sumba, though I imagine they're available at the handful of 5-star hotels on the island.
Most people in Sumba didn't speak much English, including our guide, so we needed translation apps to communicate most of the time. When there was no cell service, we had to resort to hand gestures.
And punctuality? We found out that it's not a thing in Sumba. Our driver tended to show up 15 to 20 minutes after our agreed departure time, then order himself a coffee before we left, then stop to pick up his breakfast at a roadside shop or get gas. He was an excellent drone videographer and photographer, though, which helped make up for his relaxed sense of time.
Our four-day guided Sumba road trip covered a lot of ground.
After the road trip, we spent three nights at a boutique hotel on a deserted stretch of white sand beach in East Sumba, about an hour from the airport, and it was there that we found total relaxation.
Shaded by tall cemara trees, the temperature was perfect both day and night. We were lulled to sleep every night by the sound of gentle ocean waves lapping the shore.
Sonya Moore
Our hotel, Cemara Beachfront Suite, was $80 per night and came with great service. The staff brought us tea with little desserts every afternoon and were always ready to provide any extras we asked for to make our stay more enjoyable. Except wine. Next time, I'd bring a bottle or two in my suitcase, along with a good book.
The attentive care of the staff and the idyllic setting allowed us to completely unwind and fully enjoy just being there. We could have happily stayed much longer.
Sumba's wild beauty and serene relaxation provided the perfect complement to Bali.
Using AI can be a double-edged sword, according to new research from Duke University. While generative AI tools may boost productivity for some, they might also secretly damage your professional reputation.
On Thursday, the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) published a study showing that employees who use AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini at work face negative judgments about their competence and motivation from colleagues and managers.
"Our findings reveal a dilemma for people considering adopting AI tools: Although AI can enhance productivity, its use carries social costs," write researchers Jessica A. Reif, Richard P. Larrick, and Jack B. Soll of Duke's Fuqua School of Business.
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REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis
Your ride to the airport or Friday-night dinner delivery through Uber might cost less if an economic downturn arrives, according to its CEO.
If the economy enters a recession, more people could sign up to drive and deliver for Uber, Dara Khosrowshahi said on Friday.
"If there is more unemployment, the cost of Uber will come down, because, to some extent, the cost of labor comes down," Khosrowshahi said at the Semafor World Economy Summit in Washington, D.C.
Khosrowshahi said that Uber tends to be "recession-resistant" since many people still want groceries, restaurant delivery, rides around town, and other "everyday use cases" — even if they cut back spending in other areas.
"You may put off going on vacation in Europe this summer, but you're still going to treat your family to a nice dinner," he said. "We specialize in small treats, not big treats."
Consumers have turned to said small treats when the economy — and their income — have deteriorated in the past.
Lipstick sales, for instance, rose during the 2001 recession as some shoppers looked to makeup as an affordable luxury even as they avoided larger purchases.
Economists, executives, and others worry that a recession could be sparked this year by President Donald Trump's tariffs.
Many retailers and consumer brands have said that they will pass the costs of the tariffs to shoppers, leading to higher prices on store shelves and online after years of post-pandemic inflation.
While shoppers pulled back spending in many areas last year, many did keep paying to have what they bought delivered through services including DoorDash, Instacart, and Uber Eats, earnings reports at the time showed.
Getting work on Uber and other gig apps might not be so easy for laid-off workers and others in a recession, though.
Current gig workers have told Business Insider that many apps are already saturated with people looking to claim work, and that some even have wait lists for prospective independent contractors.
Do you have a story to share about Uber or other gig work apps? Contact this reporter at [email protected] or 808-854-4501.
Framework, the designers and sellers of the modular and repairable Framework Laptop 13 and other products, announced today that it would be "temporarily pausing US sales" on some of its laptop configurations as a result of new tariffs put on Taiwanese imports by the Trump administration. The affected models will be removed from Framework's online store for now, and there's no word on when buyers can expect them to come back.
"We priced our laptops when tariffs on imports from Taiwan were 0 percent," the company responded to a post asking why it was pausing sales. "At a 10 percent tariff, we would have to sell the lowest-end SKUs at a loss."
"Other consumer goods makers have performed the same calculations and taken the same actions, though most have not been open about it," Framework said. Nintendo also paused US preorders for its upcoming Switch 2 console last week after the tariffs were announced.
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