Latest news with #Kirkness
Calgary Herald
31-07-2025
- Business
- Calgary Herald
Will AI make the 4-day workweek a reality in Canada? For some it already has
Article content Even U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders has chimed in, arguing that AI's productivity gains should translate into shorter working hours. 'You are a worker, your productivity is increasing because we give you AI, right? Instead of throwing you out on the street, I'm going to reduce your work week to 32 hours. (This is) not a radical idea. There are companies around the world that are doing it, with some success,' he said on a June episode of the Joe Rogan Experience podcast. Article content At least a few Canadian firms are putting the theory Sanders espoused into practice. Article content 'From a low baseline, we are seeing a slow and gradual increase, mostly by small-to-mid-sized enterprises in the private sector,' O'Connor said. Article content Any chance of accelerating that transition would require more refined and specialized AI tools, which are still only able to support certain forms of work. Article content Article content 'The use of AI has not accelerated sales nearly as much as software engineering, which is now moving multiples faster,' Kirkness said, adding that Convictional's engineering team has used agentic AI coding tools to accelerate their technical output. 'What used to take six months to build now takes three weeks, which is a profound change.' Article content Since Convictional's four-day week was implemented six weeks ago, Kirkness said his team isn't doing more work, but is 'writing the same amount of code in four days instead of five.' Article content A 2024 report from Work Time Revolution found that if companies introduce the use of large language models such as ChatGPT, 91 per cent of workers in the Canadian labour market could see their working hours shortened by 10 per cent or more by 2034. Article content Toronto-headquartered PRAXIS Public Relations Inc., a marketing and communications agency, adopted a four-day week in 2022. Article content Article content But since the launch of ChatGPT late that year, the company has embraced AI to improve its productivity even further, eliminating 'busy work' and allowing staff to focus on strategic and creative work and preserve the reduced workweek, said Matt Juniper, a partner at the firm. Article content PRAXIS PR encourages employees to use AI tools such as Perplexity AI, Inc.'s chatbot, which is viewed as more rigorous for research and academic tasks. Its staff use AI for a wide range of tasks: to write first drafts of press releases; to monitor social media to gauge public sentiment on a topic; to compile media outreach lists; and to help them rehearse client presentations. Article content 'In under 20 minutes, I can get a solid first draft of a press release from AI. For staff who are still learning and doing all the work manually, it wouldn't be realistic to expect an initial draft without giving them a couple days to work on it,' Juniper said. Article content The company leaders insist that their aim is not to slash staff numbers and to pay employees less, but they do think that the rise of AI will affect their hiring in more subtle ways. Article content 'My ambition is not to hire less people in the long run,' Kirkness said. 'But AI will probably change the nature of the roles that we're hiring for.' Article content He acknowledged that some functions, such as finance, are zero-sum for his company. Article content 'If our finance function gets more efficient (due to AI), it doesn't mean we're processing more transactions. That may lead to job losses in the future.' Article content His company's engineers, meanwhile, will see their job functions will change as they increasingly rely on AI to write code. Article content 'They will become more like managers, and oversee the work that the AI agent is doing on their behalf,' he said. Kirkness envisions all of his company staff taking on more 'judgment work' as AI usage grows. Article content Article content Juniper similarly noted that some companies could expedite layoffs in the hopes that AI will fill in the gaps, but he argued that people remain vital in using the tech. Article content 'Human oversight and assessment over what AI is producing … is a critical skill-set that could be a default requirement in many fields in three to five years.' Article content Yet any shift runs the risk of playing out unequally, with some workers likely to be left behind. Some AI and business leaders say that AI will come for white-collar jobs first. But the ideal scenario, O'Connor said, is that AI-fluent workers increase their market value and command the same or a higher salary for fewer hours worked. Meanwhile lower-skilled workers unfamiliar with AI are at a higher risk of displacement, and could end up working fewer hours or resorting to gig work to fill their schedules, he said. Article content Article content He argued that government intervention will likely be required, 'especially in sectors that will experience the greatest disruption … to smooth the transition, preserve jobs, and to prevent major labour and employment shocks.' Article content There will also be competing pressures as technology advances, said Juliet Schor, a sociology professor at Boston College and economist who studies the four-day week. Some employers will 'want to keep the machines running and push for longer hours at the same time (that) it is clearly possible to achieve more production in less time,' she wrote in her book, Four Days a Week: The Life-Changing Solution for Reducing Employee Stress, Improving Well-Being, and Working Smarter. Article content Researchers say that there is no one-size-fits-all approach for every company. Various factors, including the structure of a business, its approach to implementing new technologies and work schedules, will play a role in determining if and how adopting AI for the purposes of a shorter workweek is feasible.
Scoop
14-07-2025
- Business
- Scoop
NZ Herald Unveils New Website: Faster, Smarter And Built For The Future
The New Zealand Herald website has a fresh new design that provides a modern home for New Zealand's best journalism. Purpose-built with audience insights and emerging technology in mind, the upgraded offers a faster, smarter and more visually immersive experience across mobile, tablet and desktop. The revamped site features a wider, cleaner layout, enhanced performance and improved accessibility, all designed with a mobile-first focus to ensure Kiwis can discover the stories that matter most with greater ease and impact. The redesign is more than a facelift. It's a strategic step-change that allows editorial teams to tailor layouts to enhance dynamic storytelling. It also positions the Herald for continued growth, supporting future enhancements in personalisation, regionalisation and variation in multimedia storytelling formats. Murray Kirkness, NZME editor-in-chief, says the redesign is a milestone in the Herald's ongoing digital transformation. "Across NZME we are continually innovating to ensure we offer a world-class experience for our audiences and commercial partners. We've already seen this innovation in action with the recent introduction of Herald NOW, our live video news platform, which has expanded the way New Zealanders can consume the news, and by bringing our leading podcasts, The Front Page and Media Insider, to life in video format. 'We know there's still growing demand for our premium content online, with more than 151,000 digital subscriptions across our verticals including Herald Premium, BusinessDesk, Viva Premium and NZ Listener. 'Our focus remains on delivering trusted, quality journalism whilst ensuring we can quickly respond to changing audience needs and future-proof our news platforms for sustainable growth,' says Kirkness. Explore the redesigned website now at
Business Insider
28-06-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Bernstein Sticks to Their Buy Rating for Randstad Holding NV (0NW2)
In a report released yesterday, Will Kirkness from Bernstein maintained a Buy rating on Randstad Holding NV (0NW2 – Research Report), with a price target of €48.00. The company's shares closed yesterday at €39.26. Confident Investing Starts Here: Easily unpack a company's performance with TipRanks' new KPI Data for smart investment decisions Receive undervalued, market resilient stocks right to your inbox with TipRanks' Smart Value Newsletter According to TipRanks, Kirkness is a 3-star analyst with an average return of 4.8% and a 47.78% success rate. Kirkness covers the Industrials sector, focusing on stocks such as Intertek, SGS SA, and Experian. The word on The Street in general, suggests a Hold analyst consensus rating for Randstad Holding NV with a €39.93 average price target, which is a 1.71% upside from current levels. In a report released on June 26, Kepler Capital also maintained a Buy rating on the stock with a €48.00 price target.
Toronto Star
17-06-2025
- General
- Toronto Star
Winnipeg School Division honours Indigenous graduates in the city and beyond
WINNIPEG - Parker Ledoux never imagined spending the last month of her Grade 12 school year cooped up in a Winnipeg hotel room far from her home. But when an out-of-control wildfire encroached on Creighton, Sask., at the end of last month and forced its some 1,200 people to flee, that's exactly what happened. With graduation celebrations supposed to take place next week and community members still displaced, Ledoux is not sure what the quintessential teenage experience will look like for her and her classmates. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW The Winnipeg School Division recognized the uncertainty high school evacuees may be facing and opened up its own ceremony honouring Indigenous graduates to students forced out of their homes by the wildfires. 'I am so grateful to be here today,' said Ledoux, a Red River Métis citizen. 'Just the opportunity to do something ... I'm grateful that they thought of us evacuees.' The school division was to host its annual outdoor powwow last week, but had to postpone it due to wildfire smoke from the north impacting air quality in the province's capital. The division decided to host a smaller, scaled-back version Monday with a grand entry, drumming and singing honour songs and speeches. Officials saw the new event as an opportunity to also recognize the resilience, dedication and achievements of students beyond the school division. 'Welcoming these evacuated students is our way of honouring their hard work, extending our community and showing them that we care,' said Rob Riel, assistant superintendent of Indigenous Education, in a statement. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW After Creighton residents were ordered to leave, classes at the local high school were cancelled. Ledoux is hoping for a postponed graduation ceremony for her and her 40 some classmates. The 17-year-old was named valedictorian and was looking forward to reading the speech she prepared three months ago. 'It's something you look forward to growing up,' she said. 'You (make) it to Grade 12, and then last month of school, and all of the sudden, everyone had to go.' The teen considers herself one of the lucky ones. Some of her classmates who live in nearby Denare Beach lost their homes when the blaze ripped through the small village. Infernos in northern Saskatchewan and Manitoba forced tens of thousands from their homes. Recent rain and cooler temperatures have allowed some to return. In Manitoba, the roughly 2,300 people who call Tataskweyak Cree Nation home are still displaced. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Keanu Kirkness, 18, has been staying with relatives in Winnipeg for two weeks. Graduation celebrations are scheduled to take place at the end of the month. Whether that happens remains to be seen. 'We were just going to do it in our school gym,' said Kirkness. 'I don't think we're going to do that.' Kirkness's principal encouraged him and some of his classmates to attend Monday's event on the chance that they can share their stories with other graduates. Coming from an isolated, close-knit community, Kirkness said he finds the city and large-scale events crowded but a good opportunity to meet new people. 'I'm feeling alright knowing that I can try to talk to somebody — just to try to get out of my bubble.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 17, 2025.
Hamilton Spectator
17-06-2025
- General
- Hamilton Spectator
Winnipeg School Division honours Indigenous graduates in the city and beyond
WINNIPEG - Parker Ledoux never imagined spending the last month of her Grade 12 school year cooped up in a Winnipeg hotel room far from her home. But when an out-of-control wildfire encroached on Creighton, Sask., at the end of last month and forced its some 1,200 people to flee, that's exactly what happened. With graduation celebrations supposed to take place next week and community members still displaced, Ledoux is not sure what the quintessential teenage experience will look like for her and her classmates. The Winnipeg School Division recognized the uncertainty high school evacuees may be facing and opened up its own ceremony honouring Indigenous graduates to students forced out of their homes by the wildfires. 'I am so grateful to be here today,' said Ledoux, a Red River Métis citizen. 'Just the opportunity to do something ... I'm grateful that they thought of us evacuees.' The school division was to host its annual outdoor powwow last week, but had to postpone it due to wildfire smoke from the north impacting air quality in the province's capital. The division decided to host a smaller, scaled-back version Monday with a grand entry, drumming and singing honour songs and speeches. Officials saw the new event as an opportunity to also recognize the resilience, dedication and achievements of students beyond the school division. 'Welcoming these evacuated students is our way of honouring their hard work, extending our community and showing them that we care,' said Rob Riel, assistant superintendent of Indigenous Education, in a statement. After Creighton residents were ordered to leave, classes at the local high school were cancelled. Ledoux is hoping for a postponed graduation ceremony for her and her 40 some classmates. The 17-year-old was named valedictorian and was looking forward to reading the speech she prepared three months ago. 'It's something you look forward to growing up,' she said. 'You (make) it to Grade 12, and then last month of school, and all of the sudden, everyone had to go.' The teen considers herself one of the lucky ones. Some of her classmates who live in nearby Denare Beach lost their homes when the blaze ripped through the small village. Infernos in northern Saskatchewan and Manitoba forced tens of thousands from their homes. Recent rain and cooler temperatures have allowed some to return. In Manitoba, the roughly 2,300 people who call Tataskweyak Cree Nation home are still displaced. Keanu Kirkness, 18, has been staying with relatives in Winnipeg for two weeks. Graduation celebrations are scheduled to take place at the end of the month. Whether that happens remains to be seen. 'We were just going to do it in our school gym,' said Kirkness. 'I don't think we're going to do that.' Kirkness's principal encouraged him and some of his classmates to attend Monday's event on the chance that they can share their stories with other graduates. Coming from an isolated, close-knit community, Kirkness said he finds the city and large-scale events crowded but a good opportunity to meet new people. 'I'm feeling alright knowing that I can try to talk to somebody — just to try to get out of my bubble.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 17, 2025. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
