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Ready or not, here it comes. Artificial intelligence is quickly changing the ways we interact with the world. That includes how businesses connect with people.

But how do your customers feel about AI? What are your expectations for how AI will transform customer experiences?

While using AI as part of a customer communications strategy isn’t exactly new, it is certainly expanding. Honestly, exploding might be a better word, and Sinch predicts that it will continue. Here’s what CX and communication leaders need to know as an increasingly AI-powered world becomes our reality.

Artificial intelligence and customer communications

Earlier this year, Sinch surveyed 2,800 consumers and more than 1,600 business leaders from retail, healthcare, technology, and financial services, and published the findings in its report “The State of Customer Communications.”

Here are some of the key findings from the research regarding artificial intelligence:

• 98% of all industries surveyed are either using or plan to use AI in customer communications.
• 63% of respondents from all industries planned to invest in AI voice bots in 2025.
• 34% of business leaders are concerned with how consumers perceive the use of AI in customer communications.
• 42% of consumers would trust AI trained on a company’s support documentation.
• 72% of Gen Z consumers are willing to use AI for customer support.
• 52% of all consumers would trust AI for basic answers, such as checking the status of an order.

These findings suggest that most businesses are going full steam ahead on AI solutions for customer communication. Yet, these leaders understand there are both advantages and risks associated with unleashing AI in customer-facing experiences.

At the same time, there are groups of consumers who are ready and willing to use AI-powered solutions to meet their needs. But some people are uncertain or unwilling to do so.

How do you balance different opinions and possibilities in a world where everything related to AI is in a state of constant flux? Taking a closer look at this research will help you make the right decisions moving forward.

Where are businesses investing in AI?

For 98% of business leaders in healthcare, FinServ, retail, and technology, waiting on every consumer to be ready for AI isn’t an option. That’s why they’re betting on the transformative power of AI and implementing solutions now.

In 2025, AI solutions topped the list of emerging communications technologies that companies across industries are investing in.

63% of businesses surveyed plan to adopt AI voice assistant technology.

46% of businesses surveyed are adopting or investing in AI-driven chatbots.

For more than a third of the companies surveyed by Sinch (35%), AI and automation

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Building business credit can feel like running in place. You’re paying bills on time, managing expenses responsibly, and doing everything “right” — yet your credit score doesn’t seem to reflect your efforts. It’s a confusing spot to be in as a founder or operations lead, especially when your credibility with vendors, lenders, and partners depends on those numbers.

Understanding what actually influences your business credit score isn’t always straightforward, but it’s essential. Without clear insight into what really moves the needle, you could one day find yourself in financial hot water.

Mercury, a fintech for entrepreneurs, breaks down the lesser-known factors that affect your score and shares how to strengthen it so you can move forward with confidence.

What influences your business credit score?

Several credit bureaus collect and sell data based on spending and borrowing habits. They compile that data into credit reports with a creditworthiness rating. Some of the leading bureaus include Dun & Bradstreet, Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. Each bureau has its own way of evaluating a credit score.

To improve your business credit score, you’ve got to focus on the levers that impact it. Here are the key variables you need to know that credit bureaus pay attention to:

1. On-time payments

One of the strongest predictors of whether you can meet your financial obligations is your history of making on-time payments. Lenders and creditors pay special attention to this, so be sure to always make payments on time. If you can’t make the full payment, make the minimum payment that’s due.

2. Mix of credit accounts

You can have different types of credit accounts, such as credit cards, installment loans, and mortgages. If you have too many or don’t have enough of a variety, it can impact your credit score negatively. It’s a delicate balance.

3. Age of accounts

If you open too many new accounts at once, it shows creditors and lenders that you’re taking on a lot of new debt. Be mindful not to open more accounts than you truly need for your business.

4. Credit utilization

A lower debt-to-credit ratio is important. If all of your accounts are close to the credit limit, it can mean that your business has taken on too much debt. Only borrow what you absolutely need.

5. Public records and legal filings

If you’ve experienced any foreclosures, bankruptcies, judgments, liens, or delinquencies that have been reported to the credit bureaus, these can impact your credit score for a long time.

Common mistake: Assuming on-time payments are enough

There is no doubt that making on-time payments is a good way to improve your business credit score. However, it’s not the only thing that comes into play.

For instance, you may be making payments to your vendors, suppliers, utilities, and contractors on time, but credit bureaus o

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The recent increase in the speed limit on I-465 in Indiana, from 55 mph to 65 mph, raises the question of whether raising the speed limit on highways is a good idea. While the increase is meant to enhance the flow of traffic on the often busy interstate, there are several potential dangers that drivers may not consider.

Although it is believed that raising speed limits and driving faster will reduce travel time, studies have shown that the actual change in travel time is minimal after increasing the posted limit. In fact, the increases actually lead to more crashes and make those crashes more severe, causing serious injuries and even death. Ultimately, the risk of high-speed driving can outweigh the potential benefits of raising the posted speed limit.

Craig, Kelley & Faultless examined three reasons why increasing interstate speeds can make driving more dangerous.

1. Increased Interstate Speeds Make Stop-and-Go Traffic More Dangerous

Driving on the interstate does not always equate to a smooth, uninterrupted trip. Crashes happen, people pull over onto the shoulder due to mechanical issues, emergency vehicles need to get through, traffic gets clogged during rush hours, and sometimes there is construction. All these complications can cause changes in traffic patterns, forcing people to slow down, speed up, or change lanes.

These conditions result in stop-and-go traffic, which can cause drivers to brake or decrease their speeds unexpectedly. If you are traveling at a high speed and the person in front of you suddenly brakes due to a vehicle stopping on the interstate in stop-and-go traffic, the amount of time you have to react and stop your own vehicle decreases. Similarly, if you suddenly speed up to make up for lost time and close the distance after being stopped on the interstate, you have less time to react if the vehicle in front of you needs to brake.

Ultimately, these scenarios can result in rear-end collisions. And if the vehicle in front of you happens to be a semi-truck or other heavy truck, these collisions can have devastating outcomes.

2. Why Weaving Through Traffic Becomes Riskier at Higher Interstate Speeds

When driving on the interstate, other vehicles tend to travel at a wide range of speeds, either close to the speed limit or well above it. Some drivers also switch lanes quickly to pass other vehicles or reach their intended exit. These factors can encourage aggressive drivers to weave through traffic at varying speeds to reach their destination. But the higher the speed, the riskier this practice becomes.

As a driver quickly weaves through vehicles, they are focused on locating potential holes in traffic they can use to switch lanes and may not realize the vehicle in front of them in the new lane has come to an abrupt stop. The vehicle the driver pulls in front of also

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If you party a bit too hard over the holidays, there are still things you can do to mitigate the hangover and replenish key nutrients and minerals. But the question is: how? And what causes the hangover in the first place?

Below, performance and health coach Luis Villaseñor, co-founder of LMNT, explains the science behind hangovers and recovery strategies.

How We Metabolize Alcohol

When you ingest alcohol, your liver freaks out. It views any amount of alcohol (also called ethanol) as a toxin. This toxin must be processed and cleared as soon as it can be done.

The liver is your largest internal organ, just as crucial for survival as your brain and heart. It regulates blood sugar levels, manages cholesterol, helps digest food, and aids in blood clotting. But the liver is best known for detoxification.

The liver first detoxifies ethanol with three sets of enzymes: alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), the microsomal ethanol oxidizing system, and catalase. ADH does about 80% of the work.

The term “detoxifies” is a little misleading, though. In fact, ADH turns ethanol into another toxin, acetaldehyde, that’s more toxic than ethanol itself. Fortunately, the liver has enzymes like aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) to clean up the mess.

ALDH converts acetaldehyde (dangerous) into acetate (harmless). Finally, acetate is converted to water and carbon for easy disposal through the kidneys. Toxin cleared. Liver happy.

Here’s a quick review to solidify your memory:

• Alcohol travels from the gut to the liver via the portal vein.
• Alcohol dehydrogenase converts alcohol into acetaldehyde.
• Aldehyde dehydrogenase converts acetaldehyde into acetate.
• Acetate is converted to water and carbon.
• Obviously, alcohol isn’t zapped into water and carbon immediately. The process takes time. And when someone drinks loads of beer, the liver can’t keep up. Now we’re in hangover territory.

Hangover 101

Hangover is a catch-all term for the headaches, weakness, dry mouth, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, light sensitivity, dizziness, and shakiness that may follow alcohol intoxication. The severity of the hangover depends on several factors.

Factors Influencing Hangover Severity

• The amount (and quality!) of alcohol consumed
• The time period over which the alcohol was consumed
• One’s capacity to metabolize alcohol and its toxic byproducts
• What you combine alcohol with (it’s not the same to drink straight or wine, versus a sugar-laden cocktail)
• Hydration status

The first two factors are straightforward. The more alcohol the liver must process, and the less time to process it, the greater the chance and the severity of the hangover symptoms. Most people know how many drinks they can tolera

Por Michelle Watson, CNN

Alguien podría volverse US$ 1.500 millones más rico esta noche, si elige los números ganadores en el último sorteo de Powerball.

El premio mayor de este sábado es el quinto más grande en el juego de Powerball y el séptimo más grande entre los premios mayores de lotería de Estados Unidos, según un comunicado de prensa del viernes.

“Este premio mayor está listo para entregar una ganancia definitiva”, dijo Matt Strawn, presidente del Grupo de Productos Powerball y CEO de Lotería de Iowa, en un comunicado de prensa el jueves.

El premio mayor de Powerball aumentó después de que nadie acertara los números ganadores en el sorteo del miércoles. Esos números ganadores fueron 25, 33, 53, 62, 66 y el Powerball rojo 17.

Aunque nadie ganó el premio mayor, dos afortunados ganadores obtuvieron cada uno US$ 2 millones, de acuerdo con el sitio web de Powerball. Esos boletos ganadores se vendieron en Arizona y Massachusetts.

El posible ganador de este sábado puede elegir entre un premio anualizado estimado en US$ 1.500 millones o un pago único estimado en US$ 689,3 millones, un premio que llega justo a tiempo para la temporada navideña.

Las probabilidades de ganar el premio mayor de Powerball son de 1 en 292,2 millones, aunque las probabilidades son mejores para premios en efectivo más pequeños, algunos tan bajos como US$ 4.

Los sorteos de Powerball se realizan todos los lunes, miércoles y sábados a las 10:59 p.m., hora de Miami.

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