This Week in Business Technology News
Business Technology News #1 – The In-Person Interview Resurgence Driven by AI
Ray Smith from the Wall Street Journal reports a notable pivot in the hiring paradigm as companies revert to traditional, face-to-face interviews. The rise of generative AI in recruitment has compelled organizations to reassess their interview strategies, striving to balance efficient automation with genuine interaction. Source
Why this is important for your business:
Research indicates that some job hunters have been leveraging AI tools to enhance their perceived qualifications, particularly in technical fields such as software development. To combat this, employers are innovating their interview processes by utilizing AI-driven screening for resume assessments, followed by personal interviews designed to evaluate soft skills and cultural compatibility.
While AI expedites and scales hiring, the realization is dawning that excessive automation can create an emotionally detached experience. The future may embrace a hybrid interview format, infusing technology with essential human touch.
Business Technology News #2 – Zendesk and Talkdesk Elevate Customer Support Efficiency
Customer service giant Zendesk has integrated GPT-5 into its Resolution Platform, aiming to revolutionize customer assistance through advanced automation and swifter, more precise responses. Enhancements to Zendesk’s AI agents, including Copilot and App Builder, promise to streamline interactions significantly.
The adoption of GPT-5 is expected to minimize escalation incidents while accelerating resolution times. Zendesk asserts that rigorous testing protocols ensure GPT-5’s reliability, reducing erroneous outputs. Source
Why this is important for your business:
For years, I have chronicled major companies’ investments in AI, primarily to enhance customer service. Notably, smaller businesses are now beginning to benefit from these advancements. Platforms like Zendesk and others, including Talkdesk Express, employ AI to decrease resolution times, yield more accurate customer responses, and bolster the efficiency of human attendants. This progression is just the beginning.
Business Technology News #3 – Generative AI Transforms Online Checkout, Ushering In a New Era
Generative AI is poised to redefine the online shopping landscape by refining the checkout experience—making it swifter, more intuitive, and cohesively integrated. Platforms such as Perplexity enable users to purchase items—including concert tickets and travel—directly within chat interfaces, facilitating seamless payments via PayPal or Venmo without navigating to external sites.
This frictionless system aims to enhance conversion rates and curtail cart abandonment. Reports suggest that an integrated checkout system could be supported by OpenAI, potentially in collaboration with Shopify, although this remains unconfirmed. Source
Why this is important for your business:
Experts anticipate that this evolution could significantly alter the retail framework, with merchants now likely to compensate AI platforms for in-chat transactions. This innovation transcends mere product recommendations, facilitating actual sales closures.
While large retailers are currently leading the charge, the trajectory indicates these technologies will soon empower smaller enterprises to enhance customer experiences. Keep an eye on major e-commerce platforms like Amazon and eBay as they begin equipping their merchants with these tools.
Business Technology News #4 – The Premier Laser Printers for 2025
According to PCMag, a selection of top-tier laser printers has been curated to cater to diverse needs—encompassing home usage, office environments, color outputs, monochrome preferences, and budgetary constraints—assessed based on speed, print quality, usability, and cost-effectiveness per page.
Noteworthy picks include the Brother MFC-L3780CDW as the best color laser at $569.99, the Brother HL-L3295CDW for budget buyers at $429.98, and the Xerox C235 for small office use at $400. Additionally, the HP Color LaserJet Enterprise MFP M480f stands out for larger workgroups at $1,000. The assessments are derived from decades of empirical testing, focusing on pragmatic performance. Source
Why this is important for your business:
Even in 2025, I still encounter challenges connecting to my printer.
Business Technology News #5 – AI Agents Exhibit Susceptibilities to Hijacking Attacks
Researchers from Zenity Labs have uncovered alarming vulnerabilities in widely used AI agents, demonstrating how nefarious actors could exploit them to exfiltrate data, manipulate processes, and impersonate legitimate users.
Their investigations reveal that agents might be misled into corrupting knowledge sources or altering their operational behavior. Attackers could establish memory persistence, thereby securing ongoing manipulation and access. Source
Why this is important for your business:
“This exposes significant risks for sabotage, operational disruptions, and the propagation of misinformation,” cautioned Greg Zemlin, product marketing manager at Zenity Labs. Their demonstrations showcased the following vulnerabilities: Prompt injection via email that compromised ChatGPT and extracted Google Drive content; Microsoft Copilot Studio that leaked entire CRM databases; and Salesforce Einstein redirecting customer communications to attacker-controlled addresses.
This research underscores the imperative for robust security measures as AI agents increasingly permeate business ecosystems. While AI may be displacing certain jobs, it simultaneously enhances avenues for malicious actors.
Source link: Forbes.com.
