Bob Safian
- Editor-at-Large and Host, Masters of Scale (Podcast)
- Founder, The Flux Group
- Host, Rapid Response
New York
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Journalist, optimist, family man, delusional hoopster, founder of The Flux Group, host of Rapid Response, former editor of Fast Company
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Articles by Bob Safian
Eric Schmidt says China is now just 6 months behind the U.S. in AI
The AI race between the U.S. and China is the defining competition of our age. Eric Schmidt, former CEO of Google, adviser to the Pentagon, and current CEO of Relativity Space, gives his most unvarnished assessment yet. He reveals that the gap he once estimated at two years has narrowed to six months, and takes on the open-source question that’s keeping Silicon Valley up at night.
Eric Schmidt says China is now just 6 months behind the U.S. in AI
7 hours ago Apple has redesigned the Podcasts app and upgraded Siri AI. Add Engadget on Google: Preferred Source Google Discover Apple has officially released iOS 27.2, bringing more Siri and AI functions to iPhone users. And since CarPlay is powered by iOS running directly from a connected iPhone, the rollout …
La próxima estrella de Hollywood podría no ser humana
Eline van der Velden sostiene que la inteligencia artificial podría reducir los costos de producción, democratizar el cine y abrir nuevas oportunidades para los actores, incluso mientras Tilly Norwood provoca críticas, amenazas y un debate sobre el futuro de la actuación. ¿Qué sucede cuando entrevistas a una inteligencia artificial? Aunque parezca increíble, es más extraño de lo que imaginas.
Former ARPA-H director Renee Wegrzyn wants to solve science’s ‘magic hands’ problem
Renee Wegrzyn spent her career building the future of American science—including the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, or ARPA-H, the White House agency created to accelerate health breakthroughs. Then the Trump administration showed her the door. Wegrzyn cofounded Transfyr to tackle what she calls one of the most overlooked issues in science: the magic hands problem.
Kalshi’s COO thinks prediction markets can beat the polls
Prediction markets incentivize truth. Everything else incentivizes clickbait. That’s the core argument Luana Lopes Lara makes for Kalshi, the prediction market platform she co-founded that has gone from $5 billion to $22 billion in valuation in under a year and is now being sued by New York’s attorney general for $36 billion.
The woman behind the AI actor Tilly Norwood says Hollywood shouldn’t panic
What happens when you interview an AI? If you can believe it, it’s stranger than you’d expect. Eline van der Velden, the Dutch actress-turned-tech-founder who created AI “actor” Tilly Norwood, explains how a personal art project became one of the most controversial figures in entertainment—attracting talent agency interest, death threats, and a global debate about whether AI will kill acting or democratize it.
The woman behind the AI actor Tilly Norwood says Hollywood shouldn’t panic
AI Filmmakers Say Humans Need to Be Involved in Productions: 'We Should Unplug Tilly Norwood' The rise of AI in Hollywood has led to many questions, chief among them how much the technology can — or should — be integrated into …
Hershey CEO Kirk Tanner on GLP-1s, AI, and keeping an iconic brand relevant
The second a brand like Hershey stops being culturally relevant, says CEO Kirk Tanner, you should be worried. So he explains exactly what he’s doing to make sure that never happens. Tanner also reveals why GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) users are actually good for the candy business, how AI is now routing Hershey’s sales force in real time through Target and Walmart, and all the ways an iconic brand finds new energy.
Hershey CEO Kirk Tanner on GLP-1s, AI, and keeping an iconic brand relevant
I can imagine it was structured the other way previously because the risk was that it could become too complicated, or incentives might not be as clear when you put things together, right? These are the cycles businesses go through sometimes: put them together, take them apart. A couple of things had already been underway. The supply chain operation was already One Hershey. How we interfaced with the customer was not One Hershey.
Cómo On convirtió mangueras de jardín y videos de Halloween en una marca deportiva de 4 mil millones de dólares
A lo largo de 16 años, David Allemann, cofundador y codirector ejecutivo de On, ayudó a construir una marca deportiva de 4 mil millones de dólares con una manguera de jardín, una cena con Roger Federer y un joven diseñador que vio un video de Halloween en YouTube. Pero afirma que la década decisiva para On aún está por llegar.
A IA deveria simplificar o trabalho. Mas está criando mais carga e ruído
A inteligência artificial ainda não está simplificando a vida. Em vez disso, está produzindo mais opções, mais decisões e mais ruído. Para Jim VandeHei, cofundador e CEO da Axios, a resposta para essa sobrecarga não está em mais um aplicativo de produtividade. Está em um método de três etapas que ele chama de “confrontar, eliminar e ampliar”.
Mercy Corps is now Prosper Global. Its CEO explains why
The world has never faced so many humanitarian crises at once, and the systems built to respond to them are fraying. Tjada McKenna, CEO of Prosper Global—the organization long known as Mercy Corps—shares what she’s seeing firsthand from Syria to Sudan to Ukraine to Gaza, and why she rebranded a 40-year-old institution in the middle of a funding crisis.
Codie Sanchez thinks you should buy a business, not just invest
Own or be owned. That’s Codie Sanchez’s ultimatum for anyone serious about their financial future. The founder of Contrarian Thinking and author of the new book Own or Be Owned makes her most impassioned case yet for why buying a small business is the most reliable path to wealth that most people are too scared to take. She breaks down what “cowboying” your business is costing you, and why AI isn’t a shortcut for everyone, but instead an accelerator for what’s already inside you.
How On turned garden hoses and Halloween videos into a $4 billion sports brand
Over the course of 16 years, David Allemann, cofounder and co-CEO of On, helped build a $4 billion sports brand with a garden hose, a Roger Federer dinner, and a young designer who watched a Halloween YouTube video. But he says the defining decade for On is still ahead. He breaks down what the first-of-its-kind LightSpray robotic process says about On’s innovation philosophy.
How On turned garden hoses and Halloween videos into a $4 billion sports brand
Over the course of 16 years, David Allemann, cofounder and co-CEO of On, helped build a $4 billion sports brand with a garden hose, a Roger Federer dinner, and a young designer who watched a Halloween YouTube video. But he says the defining decade for On is still ahead. He breaks down what the first-of-its-kind LightSpray robotic process says about On's innovation philosophy. Most Read from Fast Company National Cheeseburger Day freebies and deals: McDonald's, Five Guys, Burger King, more.
AI is supposed to simplify work. Jim VandeHei says it’s doing the opposite
AI isn’t simplifying your life . . . yet. It’s mass-producing more options, more decisions, and more noise. Axios CEO Jim VandeHei makes the case that the antidote isn’t a better productivity app, it’s a ruthless, three-part system he calls Confront, Delete, Amplify.
AI is supposed to simplify work. Jim VandeHei says it’s doing the opposite
AI isn't simplifying your life . . . yet. It's mass-producing more options, more decisions, and more noise. Axios CEO Jim VandeHei makes the case that the antidote isn't a better productivity app, it's a ruthless, three-part system he calls Confront, Delete, Amplify.
Shopify is giving its engineers free rein on AI. Here’s why
For decades, e-commerce rewarded the biggest brands that could buy their way to the top of search results. AI is changing that. Shopify COO Jess Hertz shares what Shopify’s data reveals about the agentic shopping revolution in real time, and how the company is building the infrastructure layer that makes products discoverable and purchasable by AI.
Shopify is giving its engineers free rein on AI. Here's why
For decades, e-commerce rewarded the biggest brands that could buy their way to the top of search results. AI is changing that. Shopify COO Jess Hertz shares what Shopify's data reveals about the agentic shopping revolution in real time, and how the company is building the infrastructure layer that makes products discoverable and purchasable by AI.
The economy looks stable. The Chicago Fed president isn’t relaxing
The economy is strong, prices are still too high, and the job market is sending mixed signals. The Federal Reserve is navigating all of it while fending off the most overt political pressure in its modern history. Ahead of the central bank’s closely watched meeting in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, the president of the Chicago Fed, Austan Goolsbee, gives his most candid read on what’s actually going on.
The economy looks stable. The Chicago Fed president isn’t relaxing
Kind of, but that doesn't mean that we can't make terrible mistakes. Yes, you could be trained for it, but you could convince yourself that inflation is temporary and then it turns out it's not. The analogy is you're driving to work and there's traffic and you're kind of . . . "I've been sitting here some time. Should I change lanes?" Sometimes you shouldn't have changed lanes. Then when you switch, then the other lane goes.
USA Fencing’s scrappy plan to make fencing a hit before the 2028 Olympics
Fencing is one of the oldest sports in Olympic history. It’s also one of the least watched domestically. Phil Andrews, CEO of USA Fencing, is on a mission to change that, and with the 2028 Los Angeles Games on the horizon, he’s running out of time. In a masterclass in scrappy brand building, he shares how he’s building a sports brand with almost no budget and no marketing playbook, cold-calling CMOs, crashing Comic-Con, and convincing Snoop Dogg and Flavor Flav to pick up a sword.
Why Upwork’s CEO insists the AI jobs apocalypse isn’t happening
The dynamics are moving from full-time towards fractional work, which is a really fascinating trend. Our most recent survey showed a 10-point increase in freelancing in the U.S. within knowledge workers. It's at 38% of the population today. It was at 28% just a year ago.
Why Upwork’s CEO insists the AI jobs apocalypse isn’t happening
Few leaders have a better real-time read on how AI is actually reshaping the workforce than Hayden Brown. As CEO of Upwork, the platform where 18 million freelancers meet the businesses that need them, she sees what the monthly jobs report can’t: which skills are surging, which jobs are quietly disappearing, and why 23% of businesses that moved work to AI are already bringing humans back.
Why Upwork’s CEO insists the AI jobs apocalypse isn’t happening
19 hours ago Proceed with caution. This week's launch of ChatGPT for Teens may be welcome news to parents concerned about the role of artificial intelligence in their child's life. OpenAI positioned its new product as a learning partner for students. The company said ChatGPT for Teens limits the emotional and …
Watch Duty is expanding beyond wildfires as disasters grow more extreme
It’s mid-August, and Watch Duty’s CEO, John Mills, says fire season is only going to get worse. With British Columbia under a province-wide state of emergency and Spokane reeling from the most destructive wildfire in Washington state history, Mills takes us inside the most catastrophic fire season his team has ever faced.
Watch Duty is expanding beyond wildfires as disasters grow more extreme
Then we look it up in our system and we say, "Oh, that's Spokane, Washington. Go find that channel in Slack, ping that channel," and then everybody springs into action. Every fire's a big deal because we don't know what it is yet. And so, we treat them all like it's a life-and-death emergency. In this case, we knew very quickly that there were more than one fire, there was wind on it, and it was near structures, and that's when it starts to become an all-hands-on-deck situation.
Wieden+Kennedy CEO Neal Arthur says every leader needs to understand the customer
For decades, Wieden+Kennedy has defined the brands that shape culture. Now, as economic uncertainty, AI, and shifting consumer expectations rewrite the rules of business, CEO Neal Arthur breaks down why understanding your audience is no longer just the marketing team’s job. He shares what today’s most successful brands are getting right, how leaders can better understand the culture that moves their customers, and what’s at stake for the future of creativity in business.
Cómo planea Byron Allen convertir BuzzFeed en un rival de YouTube
Cuando el magnate de los medios Byron Allen adquirió una participación mayoritaria en BuzzFeed en mayo, convirtiéndose en su CEO y presidente, fue su última apuesta audaz en un volátil panorama mediático. El fundador de Allen Media Group explica su estrategia para BuzzFeed, por qué YouTube y Netflix no son inalcanzables en la guerra del streaming, y por qué la raza importa en la propiedad de los medios.
How Byron Allen plans to turn BuzzFeed into a YouTube rival
When the media mogul Byron Allen took a controlling stake in BuzzFeed in May—becoming its CEO and chairman—it was his latest bold bet in a volatile media landscape. The Allen Media Group founder explains his strategy for BuzzFeed, why YouTube and Netflix aren’t untouchable in the streaming wars, and why race matters in media ownership.
Serena Williams wants to find the next trillion-dollar company
Serena Williams doesn’t just defy convention on the tennis court. She’s also applying her competitive mindset to entrepreneurship and venture investing, recently rebranding her firm from Serena Ventures to Starfire Ventures. Williams discusses the investment strategy that has led to 16 unicorns now in her portfolio, what she looks for in founders, and how partnerships with companies from Nike to Ro fit into her broader vision.
Serena Williams wants to find the next trillion-dollar company
Serena Williams doesn’t just defy convention on the tennis court. She’s also applying her competitive mindset to entrepreneurship and venture investing, recently rebranding her firm from Serena Ventures to Starfire Ventures. Williams discusses the investment strategy that has led to 16 unicorns now in her portfolio, what she looks for in founders, and how partnerships with companies from Nike to Ro fit into her broader vision.
Serena Williams wants to find the next trillion-dollar company
Robots 2 hours ago An Upstate New York school district bought a $60K robot teacher that looks uncomfortably like a sex doll Fortune - Philip Marcelo, The Associated Press • 2h A school district in a rural corner of upstate New York is hitting pause on plans to deploy an AI-powered, humanoid robot in the classroom after … World News 3 hours ago We have a winner! See where $800M Mega Millions ticket was sold USA TODAY Money - Julia Gomez, Fernando Cervantes Jr. • 3h We've got a winner! Someone...
Serena Williams wants to find the next trillion-dollar company
Serena Williams doesn't just defy convention on the tennis court. She's also applying her competitive mindset to entrepreneurship and venture investing, recently rebranding her firm from Serena Ventures to Starfire Ventures. Williams discusses the investment strategy that has led to 16 unicorns now in her portfolio, what she looks for in founders, and how partnerships with companies from Nike to Ro fit into her broader vision.
OpenAI encerrou a ferramenta antes que este filme feito com IA ficasse pronto
"Critterz" foi um dos primeiros longas-metragens feitos principalmente com inteligência artificial. Mas a OpenAI encerrou abruptamente o Sora, a ferramenta da qual seu diretor, Nik Kleverov, dependia. Diretor de criação da produtora Native Foreign, Kleverov defende que a IA não está matando Hollywood, mas está prestes a reinventá-la.
The Toronto Tempo president explains how she’s building a WNBA franchise like a startup
The Toronto Tempo arrived in the WNBA this season with record-breaking attendance, a 53-point single-game performance from a star player, and the weight of being the league’s newest franchise. As the season pauses for All-Star Weekend, team president Teresa Resch takes stock of what she’s built, what’s surprised her, and what she’s still figuring out in real time.
The Toronto Tempo president explains how she’s building a WNBA franchise like a startup
7 hours ago This is what a president sounds like. Suavity is a sorely missed ingredient in the American presidency. The effortless charm of a Roosevelt or a Reagan, a Bush or a Clinton, projected a particular brand of power. Suave means a kind of athletic ease and self-command in difficult, spotlighted …
Delta CEO Ed Bastian says the airline sees the economy before everyone else does
Very few companies have a better real-time read on the American economy than Delta, and even fewer CEOs are more willing to say what they actually think than Ed Bastian. True to form, he shares how the company’s business model has evolved over time, and why he’s not convinced by AI until it moves his top line. This is an abridged transcript of an interview from Rapid Response, hosted by former Fast Company editor-in-chief Robert Safian.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian says the airline sees the economy before everyone else does
Technology 4 hours ago Samsung's new foldables just hours away from unveiling Mashable - Stan Schroeder • 4h The next big Galaxy Unpacked launch event is upon us, and we're expecting big news for Android users — and Android-curious users. Samsung's big event is scheduled for July 22 at 9 a.m. ET, and this year the action takes place in London.
OpenAI killed the tool behind this AI film. Its director says Hollywood is only getting started
Critterz was one of the first feature films built primarily with AI. But OpenAI abruptly shut down Sora, the tool its director, Nik Kleverov, was relying on. Kleverov, who is chief creative officer of the production company Native Foreign, makes the case that AI isn’t killing Hollywood but is about to reinvent it. He breaks down why 2026 is year zero for mass adoption of AI in the film industry, and why human talent is more in demand than ever when great storytelling is the goal.
OpenAI killed the tool behind this AI film. Its director says Hollywood is only getting started
Critterz was one of the first feature films built primarily with AI. But OpenAI abruptly shut down Sora, the tool its director, Nik Kleverov, was relying on. Kleverov, who is chief creative officer of the production company Native Foreign, makes the case that AI isn’t killing Hollywood but is about to reinvent it. He breaks down why 2026 is year zero for mass adoption of AI in the film industry, and why human talent is more in demand than ever when great storytelling is the goal.
OpenAI killed the tool behind this AI film. Its director says Hollywood is only getting started
Now Richard Gere and his family were cheering on Spain ahead of their big win against Argentina at the FIFA World Cup 2026 final on Sunday, July 19. The actor’s wife, Alejandra Silva Gere, 43, who is originally from Spain, shared multiple photos and videos on Instagram as they headed to the MetLife …
What Canva’s cofounder really thinks about the SaaSpocalypse
Like many companies navigating this new era of artificial intelligence, Canva has had an “interesting” year. Looking back at the last six months, Cameron Adams, cofounder and chief product officer of the Sydney-based company, explains why the so-called SaaSpocalypse never kept him up at night, how Canva shifted from a design company to an AI company without losing what made it great, and why being only 1% of the way there is actually the most exciting place to be.
Cómo Amazon utiliza su experiencia en logística para brindar ayuda en crisis globales
Decenas de miles de venezolanos siguen desaparecidos tras dos devastadores terremotos. Bettina Stix, directora global de impacto comunitario de Amazon, nos muestra el funcionamiento interno de la operación de ayuda humanitaria que creó desde cero y que se ha desplegado en más de 200 crisis globales; desde los incendios forestales de Los Ángeles hasta el Caribe.
How Amazon uses its logistics expertise to bring aid to global crises
Tens of thousands of Venezuelans remain missing after two deadly earthquakes. Bettina Stix, global director for community impact at Amazon, takes us inside the disaster relief operation she built from scratch, deployed across more than 200 global crises from the L.A. wildfires to the Caribbean. She explains what Amazon Prime’s obsession with speed and logistics has to do with getting aid to people who need it most, and why delivering what hasn’t been asked for can make a disaster worse.
How Amazon uses its logistics expertise to bring aid to global crises
It could sound like, well, this is standard Amazon activity. We are getting supplies together and logistically getting them from one place to the other. But it does have to be different when you're dealing with a disaster like this. It is and it isn't. Our commitment is to speed. Our commitment is to be able to deliver whatever is needed, very similar to the promise we try to make to our customers. When they need something the next day, they go to the website, they order it.
How the Gap’s CEO uses ‘brand love’ to track the company’s comeback
Gap was never uncool. It just disappeared for a while. CEO Richard Dickson explains how he’s bringing it back, using the same pop culture playbook he used to resurrect Barbie at Mattel. He breaks down why he tracks “brand love” metrics on a dashboard hourly, why Sydney Sweeney’s viral jeans ad was actually good news for the whole industry, and why the biggest risk a brand can take is playing it safe.
How the Gap’s CEO uses ‘brand love’ to track the company’s comeback
Yeah. I think pop culture sounds simple, but it's hard. Moving at the speed of culture, staying relevant, particularly for brands that have history, is difficult. In the context of brands with history, these brands started when it was TV and print and outdoor. Being where your consumer is today means being everywhere. That's very difficult to do. Ultimately, staying relevant is a sport. When you get it right, relevance can drive revenue.
Autodesk CMO Dara Treseder says the best marketers will know when not to use AI
So I think we are in the golden age for marketers and creatives who have excellent taste, are willing to master these tools, know when to use them, but, most importantly, have the discernment to know when not to use them. And I think when you have that down, the clarity and the peace come in the midst of the chaos. The conversation last year here was about how AI is going to crush all the creativity, or people were worried about that.
Autodesk CMO Dara Treseder says the best marketers will know when not to use AI
Every year at Cannes Lions, the advertising world takes stock of itself—what’s working, what’s not, and what it’s pretending not to notice. Autodesk CMO Dara Treseder breaks down the industry’s complicated relationship with AI; weighs in on the hottest and most overrated campaigns of the year, including sharp takes on Nike, Adidas, and Starbucks; and explains why the path from CMO to CEO is suddenly the most interesting career move in business.
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