Artificial intelligence is transforming how we work, connect, and live. But with its extraordinary potential come some big questions about trust, human relationships, and the future of society. These five books explore the promises and perils of AI, offering fresh perspectives on a technology that’s changing our world faster than ever.

Six months ago, the outcome of the November 3 midterm elections would have seemed impossible. Most states and regions were highly polarized politically. So-called purple states were generally a reflection of a balance of voters from different areas of the state that offset each other rather than a collection of moderates and independents.

Yet, states made enormous swings. I spent almost three decades living in Texas (and only moved away last year). A state that had not elected a single Democrat to a statewide office since 1994 saw every statewide office taken by Democrats. Similar stories occurred across the country, with Democrats winning in states and districts that had not flipped in decades.

While Democrats’ legislative agenda for the incoming Congress is still taking shape, early indications suggest workplace and labor issues will have a prominent role.

Republicans hitched their wagon to a single leader. And they lost in the midterms. Bigly.

This article is republished with permission from Wonder Tools, a newsletter that helps you discover the most useful sites and apps.

When we think of a leader, charisma—an individual’s ability to motivate people to follow them, share their vision, and ultimately do what they say—is often at the center of our image. Charismatic, transformational leaders are respected, admired, and even loved. A successful business, however, is about much more than one person, and the danger with an overreliance on an individual is that too much power accumulates at the top of the tree.

If you already miss Halloween candy, never fear. The end-of-year holiday season is sure to be sweeter than ever, thanks to Hershey.

At first glance, FlexiQuad looks like a small drone. Just one more buzzing thingy doing its flying thing. Then you see it crashing against a tree. A regular drone would crash and fall to the ground, but this one bounces back from the tree trunk and happily keeps flying along.

Why do some people seem to be getting a lot out of AI, while others—maybe you—still feel like they’re spinning their wheels trying to squeeze anything remotely useful out of these platforms? The answer is multifaceted, of course.

Whether you’re among the 53.5% of Americans who get their health insurance through work, the 20.1% enrolled in Medicare, or the 10.5% purchasing ACA coverage, mid-October or early November typically marks the start of the open enrollment period for next year’s insurance coverage.

CAPTCHAs are one of the great annoyances of the modern internet, yet they play an important role in keeping the web secure. These tests, which usually involve solving simple puzzles or deciphering distorted text, help websites determine whether a visitor is human, thus helping prevent malicious bot attacks.

But now scammers are using the ubiquitous test to attack the humans—and if you fall victim to a CAPTCHA scam, all your data could be up for grabs.

What I’m about to tell you has a bit of a Matrix edge to it, I realize, but hear me out: Some of my favorite tools are the ones that fill in gaps and improve the experience in other apps I’m already using.

In the aftermath of the Democrats sweeping the midterms, the internet has anointed this moment as “Woke 3.0”: an extension of the terminology people have used to describe the political and cultural movement that took hold during the pandemic, particularly after George Floyd’s murder.

New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez recently referenced this shift during a widely discussed interview in which she appeared to distance herself from that brand of progressivism. (As she put it: “Woke 1 was crazy.”)

Legacy leather goods brand Coach has won over Gen Z, and it’s already translating into results.

The Tesla Cybertruck, the polygonal pickup that promised to reinvent the automobile and transport astronauts across Mars, was declared dead today. Its father, one Elon Musk, announced the news on X: “Tesla will be winding down production of the Cybertruck at Gigafactory Texas [the only factory that makes it] around the middle of next year.”

Here’s something that might seem unbelievable: The cost of attending college has actually become cheaper in the past decade.

GoDaddy CEO Aman Bhutani says he won’t read a report if he suspects it was written by AI— because he knows nobody put thought into it. 

Did you see Christian Dior’s “Night in Color” ad? It’s gorgeous. A dreamy, fantastical tale set in Paris featuring talking animals, inspired by the friendship of Monsieur Dior and German actress Marlene Dietrich. Directed by French animator Sylvain Chomet, the short film’s delicate illustrations come alive with the voices of stars such as Robert Pattinson and Rihanna. It is oh so pretty. A love letter to storytelling, craft, and art in the infinite stream of AI-generated video vomit. Dior even made a behind-the-scenes video to show how it aligns with the fashion house’s artisanal and design values.

Hiring in October blew past expectations, with U.S. employers adding 165,000 jobs and unemployment edging down to 4.1%.

Sports-betting app DraftKings is not on track to have as good a year as it once expected; the company trimmed its 2026 financial outlook amid the rise of competing prediction markets.