Latest news with #KnowYour
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
The 'Gen Z stare' mocks youth for staring into the void, but is anyone laughing?
First they came for our elders, mocking their supposedly outdated opinions with a single, repeated refrain: "OK, boomer (new window) ." Then, they came for millennials, like, rather aggressively, making fun of their ankle socks (new window) , coffee dependence, for pausing before speaking in videos (new window) and for knowing which Hogwarts house they'd be sorted into, all while stealing their baggy jeans and butterfly hair clips. Certainly, they came for Gen Alpha, calling them Sephora Kids for having 24-step skincare routines (new window) by the age of nine. And Gen X, well ... no one's bothered mocking them recently (new window) , which we, of course, mock them for (new window) . But now, at last, social media is turning the mirror on Gen Z, roasting this youthful generation for its supposed habit of, well, staring. Coined the Gen Z stare (new window) , it describes the blank, expressionless look that the younger generation gives the older generation, according to Know Your Meme (new window) , particularly in customer service settings. It's used instead of a greeting or small talk, the site says. This blank gaze into the middle distance/void/job market has been the recent topic of debate on TikTok, where different generations argue over whether it's rude, a symptom of overwhelm, a product of growing up during the pandemic, a communication deficit — or just another generational stereotype. Some people are mocking Gen-Zers, suggesting they don't know how to communicate, and maybe that's fair, said TikTok user Efe Ahworegba in a video posted last week with 11.7 million views (new window) . But a lot of older generations talk too much, too rudely and too proudly, she said. Début du widget Widget. Passer le widget ? @thisisjenae ♬ original sound - jenae Fin du widget Widget. Retourner au début du widget ? She described working in a fast food restaurant where an older customer demanded a cheeseburger without cheese, but with pepper jack, all while insisting pepper jack was not, in fact, cheese. In another interaction, she went on, a customer complained an iced tea was too cold. I really don't know what these people want from me. Of course I'm just going to start staring at you. Alexis Salter, 23, of Kingston, Ont., told CBC News she believes the stare is 100 per cent a real phenomenon — she says she's done it before while working in customer service — but that she believes people misinterpret it as rudeness. I've had some people ask me what their PIN is when making a transaction, so I will admit I've had to process what they've said with a blank stare and pause to think before I say my next thing, Salter said. It's also more of a reaction I give when people are being rude or ask very common-sense questions. Alexis Salter, 23, of Kingston, Ont., is pictured in a submitted photo. Salter says she believes people misinterpret the Gen Z stare as rudeness. Photo: Submitted by Alexis Salter 'Processing how to respond perfectly' The first use of the term that Know Your Meme could track down was by a TikTok user last July (new window) , when a millennial asked, What is up with this weird stare that Gen Z be doing? I swear, every time I'm in public and it's a Gen Z worker, they just stare at you, like, even if you say something. But the term itself only recently took off. According to Google Trends, U.S. searches for "gen z stare (new window) " more than quadrupled over the past week and are currently at an all-time high (new window) . Searches within Canada (new window) have also spiked over the last few days. Why the sudden, intense interest? It could be that unlike, say, ankle socks, the debate over the stare touches on deeper issues, like how young adults and teens are coping with the lingering effects of COVID-19 lockdowns (new window) while facing the worst youth unemployment rate in decades (new window) . Début du widget Widget. Passer le widget ? @kennytookrazy #genz #genzstare #millenials ♬ original sound - Kenny Fin du widget Widget. Retourner au début du widget ? Generation Z largely came of age during the isolation (new window) of the pandemic, tend to prefer digital communication (new window) and report higher rates of anxiety (new window) than previous generations. Recent surveys (new window) have shown that some managers are hesitant (new window) to hire younger workers (new window) , citing a lack of soft skills like communication and collaboration. The stare is just one example of a workplace red flag and really shows how this generation is struggling, says Barry Garapedian, president of U.S.-based firm MAG7 Consulting, and who specializes in helping young adults get workplace-ready. Years of communicating through screens — where you can edit, delete and carefully craft responses — creates anxiety when forced to respond spontaneously in person, Garapedian said in an email. They're processing how to respond 'perfectly' instead of simply responding authentically. Enlarge image (new window) Actors Sydney Sweeney and Brittany O'Grady are pictured serving some serious Gen Z stare in Season 1, Episode 1 of the White Lotus. Photo: Mario Perez/HBO Nuance to the stare There's more nuance to the trend than people realize, said a 22-year-old TikToker who identified herself as Maya, in a recent video (new window) where she lamented what she sees as the loss of small-talk skills in her generation. Instead of attacking ... maybe we could look inwards, and get curious about why we are the way that we are. Jean Twenge, an expert on generational differences at San Diego State University and the author of Generations, agreed the stare might be due to social anxiety and having less experience with face-to-face social interactions. Gen Z spent much less time with people in person during their teen years, and that's a crucial time for developing social skills, Twenge told CBC News. If there are actual differences between the generations, that's not a stereotype. Gen Z really does have less experience with face-to-face social interaction. Salter, in Kingston, says she doesn't mind the trend, but adds she mostly sees the stare in people age 15 to 20. The younger Gen Z, I think, COVID has definitely robbed us of our people skills, she said. It's definitely a puzzled reaction rather than intending to be rude. WATCH | How did the Gen Z job market get so bleak?: Début du widget Widget. Passer le widget ? Fin du widget Widget. Retourner au début du widget ? Natalie Stechyson (new window) · CBC News · Senior Writier & Editor Natalie Stechyson has been a writer and editor at CBC News since 2021. She covers stories on social trends, families, gender, human interest, as well as general news. She's worked as a journalist since 2009, with stints at the Globe and Mail and Postmedia News, among others. Before joining CBC News, she was the parents editor at HuffPost Canada, where she won a silver Canadian Online Publishing Award for her work on pregnancy loss. You can reach her at X (new window) Instagram (new window)
Time of India
14-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
SLBC to hold spl drives across 4,345 panchayats in state
Ranchi: Banks in Jharkhand have started a special drive to achieve 100% financial inclusion of people in all the 4,345 panchayats of the state, state level bankers' committee (SLBC) said on Monday. Santosh Kumar Sinha, deputy general manager (DGM) of SLBC, said a statewide campaign in this regard has started from July 1 and would continue till September 30. "Camps were held in 768 panchayats as on Sunday," he said. The DGM said that the camps are being organized to open new accounts under Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojna, enrol people under Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojna, Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojna and Atal Pension Yojana. The banks are conducting a rerun of Know Your Customer (KYC) process for the inoperative accounts and spreading awareness against cybercrime. The claims related to insurance are also being settled in the camps. The SLBC has issued instructions to all the banks and the lead district managers to carry out extensive awareness about the bank programme and reach out all the gram panchayats. The SLBC is appealing to the people to take part in the special campaign in order to benefit from the government schemes. The drive would also enable eligible people get the benefits of government's social welfare scheme like the Maiyyan Samman Yojana, he added.
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Business Standard
11-07-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Fintech firm Cashfree Payments plans to add 100 lenders for VKYC by FY26
Fintech firm Cashfree Payments plans to scale its AI-based Video Know Your Customer (KYC) solution from the current four to at least 100 lenders by the end of the current financial year (FY26), a senior company executive said. The Bengaluru-based company is targeting Reserve Bank of India (RBI)-regulated entities such as non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) to expand the offering, aiming to improve conversion rates and reduce wait times for end customers. The company claims a conversion rate of 80%, higher than the industry average of 50%, and says it can complete a VKYC process in less time than the industry standard of eight to ten minutes. 'The idea is to get NBFCs to route all their flows through us and scale to at least 100 lenders by the end of this financial year,' said Reeju Datta, co-founder, Cashfree Payments. 'It's built for lenders in tier II and III since it works even on 150 kbps bandwidth and uses smart OCR (optical character recognition) while alerting you to issues like low light or blurred images,' he added. At present, operational challenges such as network bandwidth, document verification processes, and the availability of agents to conduct VKYC continue to exist. 'We handle document and PAN verification separately, before the VKYC process. Users enter VKYC only after completing PAN checks. This avoids failures from missing PAN during VKYC and improves success rates by running these steps asynchronously,' he explained. A longer waiting period also leads to increased drop-offs during the VKYC process, leading to a lower conversion rate for any given entity. To address this, the company is deploying an AI-driven solution capable of scheduling agent calls with customers. 'The agent scheduling is fully AI-driven, ensuring optimal capacity utilization. VKYC wait times, which are typically 3–5 minutes, are reduced to under a minute with smart scheduling, boosting conversion rates,' Datta added.
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Business Standard
04-07-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
ED attaches luxury yacht, properties in Spain in case against OctaFX
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached offshore assets valued at ₹131.4 crore in its investigation against forex trading platform OctaFX. These include a luxury yacht named Cherry and two high-end residential properties located in Spain. According to a News18 report, "Cherry", the luxury yacht, is an Italian commercial yacht cruising in the Western Mediterranean. The report suggests that these assets belong to Pavel Prozorov, a Russian national, allegedly the mastermind behind OctaFX, which was once promoted through the Indian Premier League (IPL) ad campaigns and was endorsed by celebrities. This is the second instance when the offshore properties have been attached in this case. Previously, the probing agency attached 19 properties in Spain and other assets worth ₹296 crore. The case also marks ED's second offshore attachment in a money laundering case, the first involved properties in Dubai, the report added, citing sources. Case details ED said that in just nine months, the trading platform reportedly generated ₹800 crore in illicit proceeds by scamming thousands of Indian investors. Disguising itself as a legitimate forex broker, the platform lured victims with advertisements on social media, according to the News18 report. The agency claimed that OctaFX manipulated trades behind the scenes and diverted investor funds through mule accounts. The funds were allegedly transferred overseas using fake import invoices, shell e-commerce firms, dummy directors, and several unauthorised payment gateways. In a statement, the ED said, "The directorate initiated an investigation based on an FIR registered by Shivaji Nagar PS, Pune, against several individuals for defrauding investors by falsely promising high returns through the OctaFX forex trading platform. And the investigation revealed that OctaFX, an unauthorised forex broker promoted via IPL, social media, and celebrities, laundered funds by collecting investor money through mule accounts in the names of fake e-commerce firms." The investigation further revealed a web of dummy directors, shell companies, and bank accounts hidden under forged Know Your Customer (KYC). According to the ED, the diverted money was routed to companies linked to Prozorov across multiple regions, including Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. The network of transactions spanned jurisdictions such as Estonia, Russia, Hong Kong, the UAE, the UK, and Singapore. The report reveals that Spain became Prozorov's haven, where he was investing the money laundered into a lavish lifestyle, including properties, which have now been attached by the central agency. The special court under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) has taken cognisance in connection with this case. Citing an official, the report added that two complaints have already been filed against OctaFX and 54 others.
Forbes
01-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Future-Proofing Fintech Companies With AI, Automation And Outsourcing
Thanh Pham is the CEO of Saigon Technology, a global software development company. Fintech development companies are under increasing pressure to support AI, automation and the growing demand for smarter, faster digital experiences. To stay competitive, they must innovate continuously. One way that many companies are working to achieve this is by outsourcing AI and machine learning (ML) development. This approach helps serve as a strategic driver for transformation, operational scalability and long-term resilience. In this article, we explore how organizations can ensure an effective approach to outsourcing AI/ML development to accelerate fintech growth. Outsourcing AI/ML Development To Accelerate Fintech Growth Fintech companies that outsource AI and machine learning development often find it as a strategic path to rapid innovation and scalable growth—without the overhead of building large in-house teams. Partnering with specialized software development firms can help fintechs unlock key advantages: • Access to top-tier talent across data science, natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning engineering. • Accelerated time-to-market through rapid prototyping, agile workflows and scalable resourcing models. • Reduced investment and risk, avoiding the high costs and long-term commitments associated with building internal AI teams. • Expertise in fintech-specific requirements, including regulatory compliance, cybersecurity and industry standards. In today's landscape—where digital experience is a key competitive differentiator—outsourcing has evolved from a cost-saving tactic to a strategic enabler of innovation and resilience. A Framework For Building High-Performance, AI-Driven Fintech Solutions Drawing from real-world fintech projects—including our work building an AI-powered financial advisory platform—I've found that five key elements consistently drive success when moving forward with this approach: Define clear business outcomes, from customer personalization to operational automation, and align them with long-term goals. In one project, this clarity helped accelerate development despite internal limitations in AI expertise and intense pressure to deliver a minimum viable product (MVP) quickly. A skilled technology partner with fintech-specific AI/ML capabilities, strong security practices and regulatory know-how can be the difference between delay and delivery. In our experience, outsourcing enabled rapid deployment of predictive models and automation of key processes like Know Your Customer (KYC), credit scoring and fraud detection. In today's digital economy, fintech success hinges not only on technological innovation but on building a resilient, scalable ecosystem through strategic partnerships. Leveraging cloud-native microservices allows for quick iteration, seamless integration and future-ready scalability. This architecture was critical in enabling the advisory platform to grow securely while maintaining resilience. Ethical AI practices and robust model governance frameworks are essential for regulatory compliance and long-term trust. Lifecycle management was key to maintaining model performance and transparency in the advisory platform rollout. Designing AI-driven experiences that are intuitive and user-focused ensures that the technology enhances—rather than complicates—the customer journey. Intelligent interfaces played a major role in building trust and engagement with the platform's users. How AI/ML Is Helping Fintech Today To illustrate the impact of AI/ML in action, here are examples of solutions helping fintech companies accelerate innovation and enhance operational efficiency: Fintech companies often struggle with large volumes of paper-based documents such as invoices, contracts and customer records. AI-driven optical character recognition (OCR) solutions help digitize these documents, enabling faster data retrieval, streamlined workflows and improved compliance tracking. Python-based NLP libraries, such as NLTK and spaCy, provide powerful APIs for tasks like text summarization, intent detection and similarity matching. Fintech platforms use these tools to enhance customer service chatbots, automate document review and personalize digital communications—all with minimal development overhead. While originally developed for healthcare use cases, image analytics and anomaly detection systems now play a growing role in fintech. Visual AI can power features such as ID verification and fraud prevention—bringing enhanced security and convenience to digital financial services. Leadership That Bridges Technology And Strategy Innovation isn't just about adopting the latest technologies—it's about aligning those technologies with business strategy to drive sustainable success. Effective leaders focus on building multidisciplinary teams, fostering a customer-centric mindset and continuously delivering value in a fast-changing digital economy. Beyond technology, innovation is about delivering strategic value that drives lasting success. Final Thoughts When it comes to AI and outsourcing, the goal shouldn't be to find a vendor and check a box. It's about finding a partner. A real one. If they aren't as obsessed with your goals as you are, the likelihood of failure increases. They need to get it—what you're building, why it has to be rock-solid secure and what it actually feels like for the person on the other end of the screen. However, it's also important to remember that the solution isn't to just outsource everything. That's a huge mistake. You have to know when to keep your cards close to your chest. Is the AI you're developing the actual secret sauce of your business, the thing that makes you unique? Then for goodness' sake, build it yourself. That's an investment in your own people that will pay back tenfold. The same goes for any project that has to mess with your ancient, sensitive internal data. The risk and the sheer headache of bringing in a third party just aren't worth it. At the end of the day, this "build versus buy" question is one of the big ones. It forces you to be honest about your team, your ambition and what the work really demands. Nail that decision, and you're not just staying in the game—you're getting ready to write the next rules for finance. Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives. Do I qualify?
