What Would Hayek Think of AI?
The International Monetary Fund promises that 'AI can enhance democratic institutions by ensuring citizens' voices are truly heard.' Power wielded by a few experts can enhance democracy? Isn't that what the early 20th-century Progressive movement promised? For that matter, isn't that the thinking behind Soviet 'scientific socialism'?
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Fast Company
30 minutes ago
- Fast Company
How AI can help restaurants provide better hospitality
At first glance, the idea of integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into the restaurant experience seems counterintuitive. After all, sitting down for a meal is one of the most fundamentally human experiences there is—from the warm greeting at the host stand, to the conversations at the table, and the feeling of eating food that someone else prepared for you with care. But when applied thoughtfully, AI doesn't detract from that—it enables more of it. And for restaurants, that's an operational game-changer. Despite macroeconomic conditions, people are still going out to eat—in fact, OpenTable data shows that dining is up 7% year over yearat the time of writing. But restaurants are feeling the squeeze navigating continued staffing shortages, shrinking margins, and the looming impact of tariffs. The National Restaurant Association's 2025 State of the Industry report revealed over a third (39%) of restaurants were not profitable in 2024. Meanwhile, 95% of operators said labor costs were a significant challenge last year, and 77% said recruiting and retaining employees remains a significant challenge. And that is where AI can help close the gaps. Take something as simple as answering the phone: 59% of customers hang up after being placed on hold for a minute or less and it's estimated that over 60% of calls to restaurants go unanswered during peak hours —that's money off a bottom line that's already running on a razor-thin margin of ~3-4%. AI phone agents like and PolyAI can help restaurants take reservations and answer pertinent dining questions, 24/7. This means less time spent manning the phone, and more revenue from increased bookings. Technology has even come so far that these voice agents can be trained on a restaurant's brand and tone-of-voice so that warmth and hospitality aren't lost to efficiency. Automating phone calls is a good example of how restaurants can start small with AI. With any business, a test-and-learn approach helps you figure out which tools are right for the job and helps get team members on board. Restaurant owners can start by implementing a single tool—say, one that only manages inventory or only optimizes staff scheduling. Or maybe you don't have resources for a full marketing team but could use large learning models like ChatGPT as a starting point to create marketing campaigns, social media content, and even help produce branded swag. You can see the themes that are appearing here: reducing operational friction and costs and streamlining processes. Because the less time restaurant managers spend in the office or hosts spend on the phone, the more time they can devote to the core part of the job: delivering great hospitality. Diners are the beneficiary of this upleveled dining experience—they will feel,but not see, AI behind the curtains. The use of AI will undoubtedly accelerate across the hospitality sector in the near and long-term future and it's promising and exciting to see a strong interest in adoption: 72% of restaurant operators plan to adopt AI soon, and nearly 94% acknowledge its necessity to remain competitive in the evolving landscape of food service. The future of hospitality isn't a trade-off between high-touch service and high-tech tools; it's a blend of both. It's my belief that by embracing these new tools to build stronger restaurants, we can, in turn, build a stronger industry.
Yahoo
31 minutes ago
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Cursor apologizes for unclear pricing changes that upset users
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Yahoo
31 minutes ago
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Meta reportedly recruits Apple's head of AI models
Apple's head of AI models, Ruoming Pang, is leaving the company to work at Meta, Bloomberg reported on Monday. This marks the latest high-ranking AI executive Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has scooped up to lead his new AI superintelligence unit. Pang previously ran Apple's in-house team that trained the AI foundation models that underpin Apple Intelligence and other on-device AI features, according to the report. Apple's AI models haven't exactly been a huge success — they're far less capable than what OpenAI, Anthropic, and even Meta offer. Apple has reportedly even considered tapping third-party AI models to power its forthcoming AI-enabled Siri upgrade. Sources told Bloomberg that Pang's departure might be the first of many in Apple's troubled AI unit. Nevertheless, Pang could bring expertise in designing small, on-device AI models to Meta, joining an array of talent Zuckerberg has poached in recent months, including leaders from Google DeepMind, OpenAI, and Safe Superintelligence.
