Beyond the Hype: The Messy Reality of Training AI | AllBusiness.com

February 25, 2026 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Scour LinkedIn jobs and you’re sure to come across half a dozen listings like the following: “Content Reviewer: Review AI content for clarity. Set your own hours.”

There are variations of these roles, but the deluge on job boards means one thing: training AI models is a real business. One World Economic Forum survey shows the fastest-growing skill in the marketplace is “AI and big data.”

Despite my initial hesitation about AI (I’m a writer, so I’ve had concerns about AI replacing my role), I decided to get on board with data annotation and AI data training. I’ve spent the last few months hopping from company to company, and I’d like to share an insider’s view of my experience.

ChatGPT ads: OpenAI is rolling them out now | Mashable

February 10, 2026February 9, 2026 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

OpenAI has begun rolling out ads inside ChatGPT, marking a major shift for a product that has largely operated without traditional advertising since its launch in 2022.

In a blog post published this week, the company confirmed it is testing ads for logged-in users on its Free and Go plans in the U.S., while keeping paid tiers like Pro, Business, Enterprise, and Education ad-free. OpenAI said the move will help fund broader access to advanced AI tools without requiring every user to pay a subscription.

“Our focus with this test is learning,” OpenAI’s blog post read. “We’re paying close attention to feedback so we can make sure ads feel useful and fit naturally into the ChatGPT experience before expanding.”

Gasoline Prices Set to Drop Nationwide in 2026, Stabilizing in 2027 | Small Biz Trends

January 28, 2026January 26, 2026 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

As gas prices are a significant concern for small business owners, recent forecasts from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) promise some relief. According to their latest Short-Term Energy Outlook, retail gasoline prices are expected to decrease by 6% in 2026. While this may sound like great news, regional differences and underlying factors present both opportunities and challenges that small businesses must navigate.

The forecast indicates a general decline in gasoline prices across the United States, with an average drop in 2026 before a slight increase of 1% in 2027. Despite this uptick, prices in 2027 will still remain below the levels seen in 2025, except for the West Coast, where higher gasoline margins due to a reduction in refinery capacity may keep prices at 2025 levels.

2025 Guide to Business Investment: Get the Best Investor Offer | Business.com

October 14, 2025October 13, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Every business needs funding to launch and grow. Often, that funding comes directly from the founder or a good business loan. For some businesses, though, getting to that next level requires the help of a business investor. That avenue can be rewarding but carries unique challenges, such as finding the right investors and successfully courting them. Whether you court venture capitalists, angel investors or crowdfund your investments, you must recognize a good deal from a bad one to avoid getting burned.

What makes a good investment deal?

Not all investment deals are created equal. But how can you tell the good from the bad? Don’t just jump at the money. Stop to think about where the deal in question can get you down the line and how it might influence the overall growth of your business in the long term.

While creating a detailed investor persona and a compelling pitch is necessary to obtain financing, you also want to consider who you want for a partner and how much control the deal gives them. Follow our best business tips below to help find a good investment deal.

Google enables free sharing of custom Gemini AI bots and it’s a huge deal | Digital Trends

September 19, 2025September 18, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The big news from Google earlier today was the arrival of Gemini within the Chrome browser, with a promise of tab awareness and a sidebar assistant that can take steps on users’ behalf. But another important news that flew under the radar was the ability to share custom versions of the Gemini chatbot with other users.

What’s the big picture?

Imagine creating an AI agent that performs a specific task for you. I’ve created a custom version of Gemini called Email Assistant. It helps me with answering emails. All I have to do is copy-paste the contents of an email, type “Yes” or “No,” and it accordingly creates a polite response for those emails.

2025 Guide to Business Investment: Get the Best Investor Offer | Business

May 27, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Google Enhances Gmail Search With Smarter AI-Powered Results | Small Biz Trend

April 17, 2025April 16, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Google has announced the rollout of a new AI-powered search enhancement for Gmail, designed to help users find emails more quickly and efficiently. The update introduces a smarter sorting feature that surfaces the most relevant results first, rather than simply displaying emails in chronological order. According to Google, the upgraded search experience considers several factors such as the recency of emails, user engagement like most-clicked emails, and frequent contacts. The goal is to make it easier for users to locate important information in cluttered inboxes.

The end of remote work will undo years of change for workers with disabilities | Mashable

April 8, 2025April 7, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

On Jan. 20, wasting little time during his first 24 hours in office, President Donald Trump issued a memorandum terminating federal remote work arrangements for millions of government employees. It was a pleasing move to many Republican lawmakers, the authors of a fistful of bills seeking to monitor or cull remote workforces, and to Trump’s corporate supporters, many of whom have rolled out their own in-person work requirements over the last year. Return-to-office (RTO) mandates — eschewing the opinions of experts who have found numerous positive benefits to telework — followed, as the new leader established a hardline on telework.

Such moves, paired with slashes to the federal workforce, have been praised by RTO’s proponents as wins for productivity and reduced spending, with portions of the employees forced to choose between in-person work or leaving their position. But few have acknowledged that the brunt of these decisions will be shouldered by already at-risk workers.

NASA’s daredevil solar spacecraft survives 2nd close flyby of our sun | Live Science

April 4, 2025April 3, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

NASA’s Parker Solar Probe has successfully completed its second close flyby of the sun, the space agency announced earlier this week.

The car-sized spacecraft swooped within 3.8 million miles (6.1 million kilometers) of the sun’s surface at a whopping 430,000 miles per hour (692,000 kilometers per hour), matching the historic record it set during its encounter on Christmas Eve last year.

Best Jobs for Flexibility | Business News Daily

April 3, 2025April 2, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

On the heels of the COVID-19 pandemic and the “great resignation,” finding a flexible job has become a top priority for many job seekers. In fact, some employees would swap pay for a flexible workplace.

With a higher demand for flexible jobs while many companies are pushing workers to return to the office, it can be challenging for job seekers to find positions that offer varying degrees of flexibility. We’ve compiled a list of roles worth considering, along with a few tips on how to score one.

The best jobs for flexibility

In a 2022 McKinsey & Company study, 40 percent of the 13,382 global workers polled stated that workplace flexibility was the No. 1 priority for them. An NIH study found that the ability to work remotely increased perceived happiness.