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As the weather warms up, nationwide protests against the Trump Administration are getting larger. More Americans are taking to the streets, town halls, and public forums in every state and major U.S. city to voice their growing disapproval of the administration’s handling of everything from the economy to immigration. It’s no coincidence that the next big protest is happening this Thursday, May 1, on May Day, or International Workers’ Day. It comes as many American workers face layoffs, skyrocketing living costs, and overall economic uncertainty as a result of widespread tariffs since the beginning of Trump’s second term. Americans from all walks of life and all corners of the country have joined anti-Trump protests this year, including: retirees worried about cuts to Social Security and Medicare; teachers at schools under attack for DEI, where funding has been pulled; struggling middle class families with small children; and government workers who were recently laid off amid job cuts by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). May Day protestors are expected to include men and women, girls and boys, the young, middle aged, and old. That’s because this movement is a populist one, representing the general sentiment of Americans who increasingly disapprove of the way Trump is governing, punctuated by his sinking approval ratings. What protests are happening on May Day 2025? Organizers are holding “a national day of action” on Thursday, May 1, with more than 1,100 events slated for nearly 1,000 cities across the country in all 50 states. Major cities include Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, Phoenix, Raleigh, San Francisco, St. Paul, MN, and Washington, D.C. (Here is a list of May Day events and locations.) Organizers expect about 70,000 protesters. “This May Day we are fighting back” organizers posted on the May Day website. “We are demanding a country that puts our families over their fortunespublic schools over private profits, healthcare over hedge funds, prosperity over free market politics.” Like the recent “Hands Off” protests earlier this month, which drew hundreds of thousands of Americans, the May Day protests are organized by a broad coalition of groups, including unions, non-profits, educators, and progressive political groups. Some of those organizers include: MoveOn, Womens March, Indivisible, American Federation of Teachers, Greenpeace USA, Massachusetts Teachers Association, 50501, The Association of Professional Flight Attendants, Union of Southern Service Workers, and Florida National Organization for Women, just to name a few. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont is among the many people slated to speak, and he is expected join one of the rallies in Philadelphia at 4 p.m. ET on Thursday. Organizers have emphasized that “nonviolence is a ‘core principle’ behind the action,” aimed at “fighting back” against President Donald Trump “and his billionaire profiteers [who] are trying to create a race to the bottomon wages, on benefits, on dignity itself.” “We’re coming together to send a loud and clear message to Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and the rest of the billionaire oligarchs trying to destroy our democracy,” Saqib Bhatti, executive director of Bargaining for the Common Good, one of the May Day protests’ sponsors, said in a statement. “There will be no business as usual.”
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E-Commerce
The U.S. economy contracted for the first time in three years, an initial measurement by the Commerce Department revealed on Wednesday. During the first quarter of President Trump’s return to office, the gross domestic product (GDP) shrunk at an annual rate of 0.3%. The economic decline follows a 2.4% growth for the last quarter in 2024. Additionally, personal consumption fell from the last quarter, increasing by a 1.8% annualized rate in comparison to the previous 4% rate. While the GDP measurements reflect data from January to March of this year, Trump has taken to social media to blame his predecessor, former president Joe Biden, for the economic decline. “This is Bidens Stock Market, not Trumps,” Trump said via Truth Social. “This will take a while, has NOTHING TO DO WITH TARIFFS, only that he left us with bad numbers.” Economists left surprised by contraction The economic shrink was fueled in part to “an increase in imports” and a “decrease in government spending,” the advanced estimate said. The decline comes as a surprise, with economists surveyed by the Wall Street Journal having anticipated a 0.4% growth. A volatile and uncertain economic landscape leading up to the report has already led various companies to adjust or withdraw their economic forecasts for 2025. Proctor & Gamble, PepsiCo, and Chipotle lowered their economic forecasts, citing volatility and changing consumer habits. Meanwhile, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, and Southwest Airlines withdrew their full-year guidance for 2025. Major stock indexes were lower on Wednesday as investors absorbed the unpleasant news: The Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500, and Nasdaq Composite were respectively down 0.74%, 1.05%, and 1.51% in late-morning trading.
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E-Commerce
Have you ever used ChatGPT to draft a work email? Perhaps to summarise a report, research a topic or analyse data in a spreadsheet? If so, you certainly arent alone. Artificial intelligence (AI) tools are rapidly transforming the world of work. Released today, our global study of more than 32,000 workers from 47 countries shows that 58% of employees intentionally use AI at workwith a third using it weekly or daily. Most employees who use it say theyve gained some real productivity and performance benefits from adopting AI tools. However, a concerning number are using AI in highly risky wayssuch as uploading sensitive information into public tools, relying on AI answers without checking them, and hiding their use of it. Theres an urgent need for policies, training and governance on responsible use of AI, to ensure it enhancesnot undermineshow work is done. Our research We surveyed 32,352 employees in 47 countries, covering all global geographical regions and occupational groups. Most employees report performance benefits from AI adoption at work. These include improvements in: efficiency (67%) information access (61%) innovation (59%) work quality (58%). These findings echo prior research demonstrating AI can drive productivity gains for employees and organisations. We found general-purpose generative AI tools, such as ChatGPT, are by far the most widely used. About 70% of employees rely on free, public tools, rather than AI solutions provided by their employer (42%). However, almost half the employees we surveyed who use AI say they have done so in ways that could be considered inappropriate (47%) and even more (63%) have seen other employees using AI inappropriately. Sensitive information One key concern surrounding AI tools in the workplace is the handling of sensitive company informationsuch as financial, sales or customer information. Nearly half (48%) of employees have uploaded sensitive company or customer information into public generative AI tools, and 44% admit to having used AI at work in ways that go against organisational policies. This aligns with other research showing 27% of content put into AI tools by employees is sensitive. Check your answer We found complacent use of AI is also widespread, with 66% of respondents saying they have relied on AI output without evaluating it. It is unsurprising then that a majority (56%) have made mistakes in their work due to AI. Younger employees (aged 18-34 years) are more likely to engage in inappropriate and complacent use than older employees (aged 35 or older). This carries serious risks for organisations and employees. Such mistakes have already led to well-documented cases of financial loss, reputational damage, and privacy breaches. About a third (35%) of employees say the use of AI tools in their workplace has increased privacy and compliance risks. Shadow AI use When employees arent transparent about how they use AI, the risks become even more challenging to manage. We found most employees have avoided revealing when they use AI (61%), presented AI-generated content as their own (55%), and used AI tools without knowing if it is allowed (66%). This invisible or shadow AI use doesnt just exacerbate risksit also severely hampers an organisations ability to detect, manage, and mitigate risks. A lack of training, guidance and governance appears to be fuelling this complacent use. Despite their prevalence, only a third of employees (34%) say their organisation has a policy guiding the use of generative AI tools, with 6% saying their organisation bans it. Pressure to adopt AI may also fuel complacent use, with half of employees fearing they will be left behind if they do not. Better literacy and oversight Collectively, our findings reveal a significant gap in the governance of AI tools and an urgent need for organisations to guide and manage how employees use them in their everyday work. Addressing this will require a proactive and deliberate approach. Investing in responsible AI training and developing employees AI literacy is key. Our modelling shows self-reported AI literacyincluding training, knowledge, and efficacypredicts not only whether employees adopt AI tools but also whether they critically engage with them. This includes how well they verify the tools output, and consider their limitations before making decisions. We found AI literacy is also associated with greater trust in AI use at work and more performance benefits from its use. Despite this, less than half of employees (47%) report having received AI training or related education. Organisations also need to put in place clear policies, guidelines and guardrails, systems of accountability and oversight, and data privacy and security measures. There are many resources to help organisations develop robust AI governance systems and support responsible AI use. The right culture On top of this, its crucial to create a psychologically safe work environment, where employees feel comfortable to share how and when they are using AI tools. The benefits of such a culture go beyond better oversight and risk management. It is also central to developing a culture of shared learning and experimentation that supports responsible diffusion of AI use and innovation. AI has the potential to improve the way we work. But it takes an AI-literate workforce, robust governance and clear guidance, and a culture that supports safe, transparent and accountable use. Without these elements, AI becomes just another unmanaged liability. Nicole Gillespie is a professor of management and chair in trust at Melbourne Business School. Steven Lockey is a postdoctoral research fellow at Melbourne Business School. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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E-Commerce
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