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.

1 in 4 S&P 500 Companies Can Now Prove AI Pays 
1 in 4 S&P 500 Companies Can Now Prove AI Pays 
April 27, 2026  |  Artificial Intelligence

A year ago, most large companies were running artificial intelligence (AI) pilots and calling it progress. Now they’re reporting numbers. One in four S&P 500...

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The AI Guest Whisperer Taking Over Vacation Rentals 
The AI Guest Whisperer Taking Over Vacation Rentals 
April 27, 2026  |  Artificial Intelligence

Short-term rental operators spent years pricing by hand, answering guest messages at midnight and chasing cleaners between checkouts. A growing number have stopped: artificial intelligence...

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AI Agents Move From Demo Day to Desk Work
AI Agents Move From Demo Day to Desk Work
April 27, 2026  |  Artificial Intelligence

Agentic artificial intelligence (AI) is starting to move from conference-room promise to operating-room reality in financial services, where banks, insurers and asset managers are testing...

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Insurance Quoting Enters the AI Conversation Layer
Insurance Quoting Enters the AI Conversation Layer
April 24, 2026  |  Artificial Intelligence

Getting a price on small business insurance has always meant answering a long list of questions across multiple touchpoints before reaching anyone who could give...

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Anthropic Turns Claude Into a Front Door for Daily Apps
Anthropic Turns Claude Into a Front Door for Daily Apps
April 24, 2026  |  Artificial Intelligence

Anthropic introduced consumer app connectors for Claude, letting users link the artificial intelligence (AI) assistant directly to services they use every day. The integrations include...

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Banks, Retailers Turn Call Centers Into Revenue Engines With AI
Banks, Retailers Turn Call Centers Into Revenue Engines With AI
April 24, 2026  |  Artificial Intelligence

Retailers and banks are reworking the mechanics of customer contact, as artificial intelligence (AI) moves call centers away from scripted menus and toward conversational problem-solving...

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Mastercard Takes Aim at the Fragile Side of Financial Inclusion
Mastercard Takes Aim at the Fragile Side of Financial Inclusion
April 24, 2026  |  Payment Methods

Technology and connectivity have drawn billions of consumers and businesses into the formal financial system, but the shift from access to stability remains uneven and...

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The AI Leapfrog Coming for Insurance Underwriting
The AI Leapfrog Coming for Insurance Underwriting
April 24, 2026  |  Insurance

Watch more: Digital Shift With Crystal Venture Partners’ Jonathan Crystal In the late 1680s, a man named Edward Lloyd opened a coffeehouse on Tower Street...

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Insurance Denials Meet Their Match in AI-Powered Appeals
Insurance Denials Meet Their Match in AI-Powered Appeals
April 23, 2026  |  Artificial Intelligence

A patient is denied coverage for a drug he has taken for 18 years. His insurer says he should try a cheaper alternative. He finds...

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