JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon believes AI will eventually shorten the work week and says people should embrace it now, before it transforms every corner of the workforce. Speaking at Fortune’s Most Powerful Women conference at the America Business Forum in Miami, FL, on Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025, Dimon said the future of work may involve fewer hours but greater value — if leaders take the proper steps now. He urged companies to modernize data systems so AI can use them effectively, invest despite power limitations, and create humane transitions for jobs that will disappear. “It’s going to affect every application, every job, every customer interface,” Dimon said, as Fortune reported. “My guess is the developed world will be working three-and-a-half days a week in 20, 30, 40 years, and have wonderful lives,” he continued. As AI takes on more routine work, the same result may require fewer hours — though every transition brings its own challenges. “It will eliminate jobs. People should...

After 32 years at Black Entertainment Television (BET), former CEO Debra Lee continues shaping culture and business. Today, she sits on the boards of Warner Bros. Discovery, Marriott International, and Procter & Gamble — but her legacy at BET remains untouched. At AFROTECH™ Conference 2025, Lee reflected on how her leadership from 2005 to 2018 helped define generations of Black entertainment, from shaping beloved programming to setting new standards for representation. Lee began at BET as the company’s first in-house counsel, building the legal department from the ground up. She later — and unexpectedly — became president and chief operating officer, succeeding founder Bob Johnson. “When people started writing articles, ‘Debra Lee is the heir apparent,’ it really shocked me,” Lee recalled. “I thought I was just going to continue to do the work, and Bob would get all the credit. That’s the way it went. No big deal. And it wasn’t until Bob left and I became CEO that people started...

International Business Machines Corp. ( IBM ) announced on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2025, that it will cut thousands of jobs in the fourth quarter as the company pivots toward higher-growth areas such as AI consulting and software. The technology company, which had 270,000 employees at the end of 2024, said the move aligns its workforce with changing market demand, according to The New York Times. “We routinely review our workforce through this lens and at times rebalance accordingly,” a company spokesperson said, per Bloomberg. “In the fourth quarter, we are executing an action that will impact a low single-digit percentage of our global workforce.” For years, IBM has practiced what it calls “workforce rebalancing,” cutting some positions while adding others, The Times reports. The number of workers in the United States is expected to remain steady despite some cuts. Since Arvind Krishna took over as CEO in 2020, IBM has pushed aggressively into high-growth areas such as cloud computing...

A former Paramount executive has filed a lawsuit alleging age and racial discrimination , claiming the company’s diversity push led to his firing after 30 years. Joseph Jerome, who is white, filed the lawsuit in California federal court on Oct. 31, 2025, according to The Hollywood Reporter. In the suit, Jerome, who worked at Paramount from 1994 to 2024, alleges he was one of three CBS Media Ventures (CMV) attorneys terminated and replaced by younger employees from minority groups. At the beginning of 2024, CMV reportedly had an approximately even split of white and minority attorneys, the lawsuit states. However, all those laid off from Jerome’s division were reportedly white and over 50 years old. The complaint states that a 25-year-old Black law school graduate and former CMV intern assumed Jerome’s position as the senior vice president of business and legal affairs and production counsel for Entertainment Tonight, while younger Asian attorneys whose prior roles were eliminated...

International Business Machines Corp. ( IBM ) is facing a lawsuit alleging it discriminated against Black executives when it terminated them to align with the Trump administration’s push to eliminate federal diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. Former IBM executive Zena Washington filed the 15-page lawsuit on Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025. According to the suit, Washington, who spent 26 years with the company before her dismissal in February 2025, held various roles in product management and engineering, most recently serving as director of product management for data and AI . According to the lawsuit, Washington “was viewed as an excellent employee” and consistently received positive performance reviews and bonuses. She was also selected for an IBM program that prepares employees for senior executive roles. “This is further evidence that until her termination, IBM viewed the plaintiff as one of the most highly valuable employees with strong potential to go into a C-Suite...

Atlanta-based Goodr Co. is stepping up for the community as millions are set to experience a pause in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. In an Instagram video shared Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025, Goodr Founder and CEO Jasmine Crowe-Houston issued a call for help. “As many of you may have heard, millions of people will lose their SNAP benefits in just a few days, including hundreds of thousands right here in Metro Atlanta ,” Crowe-Houston said. “What this means is that their grocery budgets will disappear overnight. At Goodr, we’re stepping up to fill the gap,” she continued. The tech-enabled sustainable food waste management company has launched the Goodr Community Fund, allowing the public to make a direct impact. For a $10 donation, donors can sponsor a “grab bag” meal that feeds a family of four. For an additional $5, Goodr will deliver groceries and meals directly to seniors and families.   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Goodr Inc (@goodrco)...

Netflix’s Board of Directors has approved a 10-for-1 stock split, the company announced in a news release on Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025. Shareholders of record at the close of trading on Monday, Nov. 10, 2025, will receive nine additional shares for each share held, effective after the close on Friday, Nov. 14, 2025. Trading on a split-adjusted basis is expected to begin Monday, Nov. 17, 2025. Netflix said the split aims to “reset the market price of the Company’s common stock to a range that will be more accessible” for employees with stock options . Netflix shares rose by 2% in after-hours trading following the 10-for-1 stock split announcement, Business Insider reports . The stock closed Thursday at $1,089, up 42% over the past year, and is one of only 10 S&P 500 stocks trading above $1,000, reports CNBC. Thursday’s 10-for-1 split marks Netflix’s third split-stock decision, following a 2-for-1 split in 2004 and a 7-for-1 split in 2015, per Yahoo! Finance. What Is A Stock Split?...

Disney has suspended its channels from YouTube TV, including ESPN, after the two companies failed to reach a new distribution deal by 11:59 p.m. ET on Oct. 30, 2025. YouTube TV announced the news in a blog post just over three hours before the deadline. The company said it had been negotiating with Disney “in good faith,” but accused the media giant of using “the threat of a blackout” to push for higher prices. Disney is “now following through on that threat,” YouTube TV wrote, calling the move to suspend their content one that “directly harms” subscribers while benefiting Disney’s own live TV offerings, such as Hulu + Live TV and Fubo. YouTube TV, whose parent company is Google, said it will offer subscribers a $20 credit if Disney’s channels remain unavailable for an extended period. On Oct. 23, YouTube TV said in its blog that Disney had proposed “costly economic terms that would raise prices on YouTube TV customers and give our customers fewer choices.” “With a $3 trillion...

Generosity isn’t just about being nice — it’s the key to earning the trust of a Fortune 100 CEO. At AFROTECH™ Conference 2025 in Houston, TX, Juan Bonilla, president of marketing agency Walton Isaacson, and Ayiko Broyard, executive vice president and head of account management, unpacked the power of strategic generosity as a growth strategy that strengthens relationships, unlocks bigger budgets, and leaves chief marketing officers (CMOs) feeling supported, empowered, and recognized. Broyard shared how this philosophy shaped Walton Isaacson’s long-standing partnership with Lexus. Early on, she noticed how luxury buyers valued the brand’s respect and hospitality — something missing from competitors. To truly understand that experience, she and her team visited dealerships, sat in the cars, and immersed themselves in the customer journey. That firsthand insight became a cornerstone of the agency’s experiential strategy: every event must feature a vehicle people can touch, sit in, and...

SNIPES USA, the leading footwear retailer connecting streetwear culture with community and creativity, has launched a series of campus activations at Historically Black Colleges and Universities ( HBCUs). Through its Pay It Forward initiative, launched in 2022, SNIPES has funded HBCU scholarships and campus programs at Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, Spelman College, Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, Morgan State University, Central State University, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (N.C. A&T), Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU), Norfolk State University, and Hampton University, according to a news release shared with AFROTECH™. The initiative is rooted in SNIPES’ HBCU strategy, built on three core pillars: cultural celebration and connection, educational empowerment, and sustainable community integration. “Our work with HBCUs goes far beyond a campaign — it’s a commitment,” SNIPES USA Chief Marketing Officer Kelley Walton...

AFROTECH™ Conference 2025 brought the magic of Disney to Houston with “An Inside Look at Imagineering Presented by Walt Disney Imagineering.” On Wednesday, Oct. 29, Imagineers Lanny Smoot and Jonathan Becker shared their personal journeys, offering a behind-the-scenes look at some of the most innovative and immersive experiences in themed entertainment. During the session, Smoot, who holds 107 United States-issued patents — the most of anyone at Walt Disney Company — discussed his latest innovation, the HoloTile floor, which he believes will transform the virtual reality landscape. Photo Credit: Alan Castelan “Virtual reality has always allowed people to be in multiple places, all of that sort of thing, but of course, if they walk too far, they trip on the couch. So, I’ve invented a floor that allows anything on its surface, including people walking, to walk as long as they want to in any direction. The floor will always correct that and keep them on it,” Smoot said. Becker, never...

The construction of hyperscale AI data centers is booming across the United States, but non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) keep many details hidden from affected communities. According to NBC News, major tech companies require landowners and public officials to sign NDAs to receive limited information and the promise of economic benefits. In March 2025, three men approached Dr. Timothy Grosser and his son Andy with a $10 million offer for their 250-acre Mason County, KY, farm — 35 times what they paid in 1988 and far above local land prices. The buyers refused to reveal their identities, with one man claiming to represent a “Fortune 100 company” but offering no names — only an NDA. Dr. Grosser said the contract would have barred him from discussing the project, offering only limited details about its purpose, timeline, and size in return. “We refused to sign it,” Grosser said, per NBC. “I’m not selling my farm for any amount of money.” Grosser is among 20 residents offered deals to...

Stacey Abrams wears many hats. The first Black woman nominated for governor in U.S. history, she is a national leader, voting rights advocate, romance and thriller novelist, and serial entrepreneur with her own media and podcast ventures. At AFROTECH™ Conference 2025 in Houston, Abrams joined Dr. Rachel Gillum, vice president of ethical and humane use of technology at Salesforce, for a session titled “Democracy in the World of AI,” highlighting AI’s rapid spread, its impact on every sector from health care to the economy, and its connection to democracy. Abrams explained that her commitment to democracy is driven by her experience with poverty, which she called immoral, economically inefficient, and solvable — a reality she is determined never to return to. “Democracy is how we have always advanced the cause of more voices being involved in the answer,” Abrams shared from the stage. “I create companies because I was poor, and I don’t like it, and don’t ever want to do it again. My...

United Parcel Service (UPS) began the year with nearly half a million employees but has since cut about 48,000 jobs in a major cost-cutting push to boost profits, remain competitive, and regain investor confidence. In its third-quarter earnings report released Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025, the Atlanta -based logistics giant said it had reduced its operational workforce by roughly 34,000 positions through its Network Reconfiguration and Efficiency Reimagined program. The company eliminated another 14,000 roles, primarily in management, under its Fit to Serve initiative, which began last year to “right-size” operations and build a more efficient, market-responsive business model. “I want to extend my gratitude to all UPSers for their dedication and steadfast commitment to serving our customers,” CEO Carol Tomé said in a statement. “We are executing the most significant strategic shift in our company’s history, and the changes we are implementing are designed to deliver long-term value for...

“Agent Ratliff, ID No. 33712,” a popular YouTuber born Calimar White, has been sued in federal court by a Baton Rouge, LA, business over comedy sketches where he poses as a fake government agent. According to WBRZ News 2, Holmes Building Materials Inc. and supervisor Derek Jones filed a defamation suit against White, alleging that an Aug. 12, 2025, YouTube video with over 120,000 views damaged the company’s reputation. The lawsuit claims that White, joined by another comic and a cameraman, visited Holmes’ business on Aug. 1, 2025, and, implying they were acting under government authority, deliberately misled employees, WBRZ reports. White allegedly identified himself as a federal agent with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), claiming he and a colleague were investigating employee complaints at the business. He supposedly accused the supervisor of racial harassment, nepotism , and other misconduct. In the YouTube video, White refers to his agency as...