Connected Economy

The innovations in technology, connected devices, software, payments and cellular technology make it possible for people and businesses to connect with each other and do business via any device, an in any digital or physical location safely, securely, and in real time. This integration of the digital and physical worlds will transform the economy across the ten pillars that today represent its key cornerstones – pillars that are already experiencing the impact of disruptive innovation as new blended, digital-first experience-driven ecosystems are now taking shape.

PepsiCo Tests Its Factories in Software Before Steel

PepsiCo Tests Its Factories in Software Before Steel
PepsiCo Tests Its Factories in Software Before Steel
August 11, 2026  |  Innovation

Before PepsiCo spends money physically expanding a plant, it builds a digital twin of that plant first. Using Siemens’ Digital Twin Composer and running on...

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Thredd Helps Cashi Turn Stablecoins Into Everyday Money
Thredd Helps Cashi Turn Stablecoins Into Everyday Money
August 11, 2026  |  Cryptocurrency

Stablecoins do not have an acceptance problem in the conventional sense. They have an interoperability problem. Thredd’s new partnership with stablecoin platform Cashi, announced Tuesday...

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Connected Vendor Networks Modernize Insurance Claim Payouts
Connected Vendor Networks Modernize Insurance Claim Payouts
August 11, 2026  |  Insurance

Watch more: Need to Know With Eileen Carlin of One Inc An insurer can approve a claim and still leave the policyholder waiting because the...

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Upwork Navigates Cross-Currents as AI Reshapes Freelance Demand
Upwork Navigates Cross-Currents as AI Reshapes Freelance Demand
August 10, 2026  |  Earnings

Upwork’s second-quarter results, released after market close on Monday (Aug. 10) offered up a snapshot of which freelance jobs are surviving artificial intelligence (AI), which...

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Harvey Targets $15.5 Billion Valuation as Revenue Surges Past $350 Million
Harvey Targets $15.5 Billion Valuation as Revenue Surges Past $350 Million
August 07, 2026  |  Investments

Legal artificial intelligence (AI) startup Harvey is in talks to raise $500 million at a $15.5 billion valuation, including the investment, The Information reported Friday (Aug. 7), citing...

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ElevenLabs Lets Brands Rent History’s Most Famous Voices
ElevenLabs Lets Brands Rent History’s Most Famous Voices
August 06, 2026  |  Artificial Intelligence

Thomas Edison never recorded an advertisement. Mark Twain never narrated an audiobook. Amelia Earhart never fronted an airline campaign. All three can now be hired...

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Ninth Circuit Narrows CFAA Reach in Perplexity Agentic Commerce Ruling
Ninth Circuit Narrows CFAA Reach in Perplexity Agentic Commerce Ruling
August 06, 2026  |  Artificial Intelligence

A federal appeals court has handed the artificial intelligence (AI) industry a potentially significant early victory in the development of the law regarding agentic commerce....

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Meta Model’s Hack Mirrors Previous OpenAI and Anthropic Security Breaches
Meta Model’s Hack Mirrors Previous OpenAI and Anthropic Security Breaches
August 06, 2026  |  Artificial Intelligence

A Meta artificial intelligence (AI) model hacked another company during cybersecurity testing in an incident similar to earlier ones that happened at Anthropic and OpenAI, Reuters reported Wednesday (Aug....

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