10 people tell all about the uncertainty, risk, and reward of navigating the US immigration system. Sean Marc Lee, Angela Ponce, Chinky Shukla, Ian Tuttle for BI The H-1B visa system is one of high stakes, shifting rules, and little certainty. Over the past year, Business Insider has spoken to more than 20 H-1B visa holders and hopefuls about their decisions to opt in, push through, and sometimes give up on the H-1B American Dream as the Trump administration has become increasingly hostile to foreign workers. As part of our H-1B Fallout series, published one year after the Trump administration introduced a $100,000 payment for some new H-1B petitions, we are telling the stories of people navigating the visa system. Some left the US and returned to their home countries, while others rebuilt elsewhere or are still trying to build a career in the US. This story is part of Business Insider's "H-1B Fallout: 1 year later" series. Read more of our coverage of how the Trump administration's H-1B visa changes affect workers: The winners and losers of the new H-1B era The new lands of opportunity The hidden sacrifices of chasing an H-1B career in America I missed out on the H-1B lottery 3 times. I wasn't ready to give up on my career in the US. In a statement, a White House spokesperson said the goal of the $100,000 H-1B fee is to focus on sponsoring "truly highly specialized temporary labor." A Department of State spokesperson said the US is unapologetic about its "America first visa policies" and that the administration is working with partners to facilitate necessary visas. A Department of Labor spokesperson said the administration is protecting American jobs and increasing wages. Keep reading to see what life has been like for people affected by the US's immigration policy changes. Soumi Chanda, 35 Paromita Chatterjee for BI Country of origin: India Lives in: Kolkata, India Industry: Customer Service Education: BA and master's degree in organizational leadership from Gonzaga University Soumi Chanda had spent 13 years building a life in the US when a 2025 layoff put her H-1B status at risk. Chanda moved from Kolkata to Spokane, Washington, in 2013 for graduate school. She was selected for an H-1B on her first attempt in 2021 — "pure luck," she said — and Amazon later took over her sponsorship, prompting her move to Seattle. When Amazon laid her off, Chanda had 60 days to find a new sponsor or leave the country. "Sixty days sounded impossible from the start," she said. Her search came as debate intensified over the proposed fee. "Even with Amazon on my résumé, I didn't get a single interview the following month," she said. When preparing to leave the US, Chanda made her two cats her priority. She spent weeks arranging their international travel and paid roughly $5,000 for paperwork, along with thousands more to break her lease, dispose of her belongings, and secure last-minute travel. In total, she estimates the move cost her $18,000. Now back in Kolkata, she's still working out whether India will be her long-term home. "There's plenty here I value, and other things, as a feminist, I find harder to reconcile." Paromita Chatterjee for BI Even with Amazon on my résumé, I didn't get a single interview the following month. Read: She was picked for an H-1B visa on her first try, but got laid off Luciana Pereyra, 26 Angela Ponce for BI Country of origin: Peru Lives in: Lima, Peru Industry: Marketing Education: Bachelor's degree in business administration and an MBA from the University of Findlay Luciana Pereyra moved from Peru to the US at 17 on a tennis scholarship. After graduating, she landed a marketing role at Ohio State. Her H-1B was approved in April 2024. She described that time as living in "survival mode," knowing that losing a job could also mean losing her home. In December 2025, Pereyra said HR contacted her to say that her position would end the following month. She had 60 days to find another employer to sponsor her visa or leave the country. "I treated the job search like the last match of my career," she said. She focused on university jobs, but the timing worked against her: Many campuses closed for winter break as her grace period began. She said two promising opportunities fell through after prospective employers raised concerns about securing a visa amid the proposed H-1B fees. Pereyra returned to Peru in March. In Lima, she freelances for a US marketing client, coaches tennis, and is building a small business. She said she would consider moving to the US again, but only if it came with "a real path to permanent residency." Angela Ponce for BI I treated the job search like the last match of my career. Read: She played college tennis, earned 2 degrees, then lost her H-1B job Mohamed Zeeshan, 33 Jared Soares for BI Country of origin: India Lives in: Arlington, Virginia Industry: Global policy Education: Master's degree in international affairs from Columbia University Recent changes to US immigration policy have made Mohamed Zeeshan, a green card holder, more concerned about whether immigrants like him can build stable lives in the country. He's seen relatives and friends consider countries such as Germany and Australia, rather than the US, because of the difficulty of securing jobs and visas after graduation. The instability surrounding H-1B visas — including the proposed $100,000 fee for new applicants — has reinforced his concerns. Zeeshan self-petitioned for a green card and received it in 2023, enabling him to live in the US without needing employer sponsorship. In 2025, he started his own consulting firm. Over the past year, Zeeshan said he has watched the immigration landscape become more uncertain. He still plans to become a US citizen but says that if he had to rely on an H-1B visa today, he doesn't think he'd do it: "When you're on an H-1B here in the US, you're kind of always on tenterhooks." "You don't know if you're going to be here next month or two months or three months down the line. That's a very difficult position to be in." His wife is still waiting for her green card, and the couple is holding off on having children until they have more clarity about her status. Jared Soares for BI When you're on an H-1B here in the US, you're kind of always on tenterhooks. Read: He moved to the US on a green card and wouldn't do the same on an H-1B Vivienne Yang, 31 Sean Marc Lee for BI Country of origin: Taiwan Lives in: Yilan, Taiwan Industry: Adtech Education: Master's in applied analytics at Columbia University Vivienne Yang found out she was being laid off from her H-1B-sponsored job while she was on vacation in Japan in October 2024. She spent the rest of the trip speaking with immigration and labor lawyers, emailing her employer, and trying to enjoy sightseeing with her partner. Yang, who is from Taiwan, managed to get her employment extended for a few weeks, allowing her to fly back to New York. She then switched to a B-2 tourist visa so she could stay in the US longer and search for another job. She went through over 20 job interviews in the next year, all of them unsuccessful. So, she decided to pivot. Yang was accepted into a New York acting program, but her application for a US student visa was denied after she returned to Taiwan to apply for it in December 2025. Her American partner now looks after her two cats in Brooklyn while she remains in Taiwan, living with her family and working as a content creator, business English coach, and freelance consultant. She has put her US plans on hold. "I don't want to deal with visa issues anytime soon," she said. "Now I can move on with my life without any regrets because I know I have tried," she said. "I have a better understanding of what living abroad looks like and what American dream looks like in reality." Sean Marc Lee for BI I have a better understanding of what living abroad looks like and what American Dream looks like in reality. Read: She lost her job and left behind her American dream — and her cats Watch: Vivienne Yang on letting go of her American dream Ananya Joshi, 26 Natalia Kepesz for BI Country of origin: India Lives in: Rostock, Germany Industry: Biotechnology Education: Master's degree in biotechnology from Northwestern University Ananya Joshi's plans to build a career in the US came apart in 2025, when a visa setback and a sudden layoff pushed her to look for a future elsewhere. Joshi had moved from India to Illinois to pursue a master's degree. After graduating in 2024, she joined a Chicago startup developing cultivated meat as a scientist, working on an F-1 Optional Practical Training, or OPT visa. She was enjoying the work until she learned that her employer could not complete E-Verify, which employers must use to sponsor an extension of STEM graduates' OPT. From May through July 2025, Joshi interviewed for jobs around the world. She received offers in Canada and Germany and ultimately chose Germany. "Having gone through so much, I realized I needed that stability," she said. In January, she moved to Rostock, about three hours north of Berlin, to join another lab-grown-meat startup. These days, Joshi is taking German classes and adjusting to what she describes as a slower work culture. She's also learning to navigate a long-distance relationship with her boyfriend, who remains in the US. Joshi said she would still like to return to the US, but said, "I can't forget what I went through." Natalia Kepesz for BI I realized I needed that stability. Read: Her American dream hit a visa roadblock; she found a job in Germany Watch: H-1B visa hopeful had her life upended, moved to Germany Gu Yichen, 31 Ian Tuttle for BI Country of origin: China Lives in: Sunnyvale, California Industry: Tech Education: Electrical and computer engineering degree at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Gu Yichen's path to working in the US began in high school, when he spent a year as an exchange student in Yacolt, a small town in Washington State. He later attended college in the US, interning at Amazon before joining the company full-time after graduation. With a STEM degree, Gu had three chances to enter the H-1B lottery. He was selected on his third try. In late 2022, Gu left Amazon for a job at Google, despite his manager's warning that the market was becoming unstable. He was laid off the following month, before he had done "a single day of real work." Gu faced pressure to find a new employer within the 60-day grace period. Rather than take a stopgap role, he returned to China for a break before ultimately rejoining his former Amazon team in the US on an I-140, an immigration petition that can support a green-card application. He has since applied for a green card, hoping it will give him "more freedom in both my personal life and my career." Over the past year, he said the biggest challenge has remained the same: His ability to stay in the US is tied to his job. "I've been thinking what kind of life I really want to live and what is my real interest in life." Ian Tuttle for BI I've been thinking what kind of life I really want to live and what is my real interest in life. Read: Google laid him off a month after hiring him; he was on an H-1B visa Disha Lamba, 28 Chinky Shukla for BI Country of origin: India Lives in: Gurugram, India Industry: Healthcare Education: Master's in computer engineering at NYU Leaving a six-figure data-scientist job in New York and returning to India in May was not an easy decision for Disha Lamba, but she says being closer to her family — and free from the limits of an employment visa — made it worthwhile. Lamba moved to the US in 2021 to pursue a master's degree. She later joined CVS Health as a data scientist and learned that she had been selected in the H-1B lottery in March 2026. By then, however, Lamba had already decided to move home. Though she had a fulfilling job and social life in New York, she struggled with the distance from her parents. The prospect of managing an H-1B long-term reinforced her decision. Lamba was concerned about the difficulty of obtaining visa stamps to travel, as well as the limits the visa can place on changing employers, taking a career break, or pursuing additional income. "Anything comes with its pros and cons. H-1B has its pros but also has its cons. I wasn't OK with the cons of being in these restrictions," she said. After resigning, Lamba moved back to live with her parents and brother. She took a two-month career break and secured a short-term contract role, but she's still looking for a permanent job. Nonetheless, she's still happy about her decision. "Every moment when I get to hug my parents, that's when I realize, no, this was all worth it," she said. Chinky Shukla for BI H-1B has its pros but also has its cons. Read: She moved back to India to be near family and leave H-1B limits behind Sunjana Ramana, 27 Ayesha Kazim for BI Country of origin: India Lives in: London Industry: Tech Education: Master's degree in electrical engineering at Columbia University After three failed attempts to obtain an H-1B visa, Sunjana Ramana is reinventing her "American Dream." Ramana moved from Hyderabad, India, to New York in 2021 for her master's degree. After graduating in 2023, she joined a global insurance company. Her employer entered her in the H-1B lottery in 2023, 2024, and 2025. She was not selected. When her work authorization ended in early 2026, Ramana had to leave the US. "When I didn't get the visa, I was really, really clueless. I thought that was the end of everything that I had built for three years," she said, adding, "but I realized just a couple of months later that there are so many additional options that I didn't know existed." Instead of returning to India, Ramana secured a 2-year UK visa that is not tied to one employer. She chose London as her base, where she could pursue the entrepreneurship she had wanted to explore in the US. Ramana was accepted into Antler's founder-in-residence program and spent two months building Flax, a two-person tech company that helps AI founders and builders. In May, she moved into a product-management role in fintech. "I want to go back and tell my younger self not to associate the 'dream' with America or a country for that matter, because it doesn't matter where you are. The dream should be aligned to you and your goals." Ayesha Kazim for BI When I didn't get the visa, I was really, really clueless. I thought that was the end of everything that I had built for three years Read: She left the US when she didn't get an H-1B visa. Now, she's living a new dream. Madhur Mehta, 36 Chona Kasinger for BI Country of origin: India Lives in: Seattle Industry: Tech Education: Master's degree in business analytics, University of Texas at Dallas An H-1B selection brought immediate relief for Madhur Mehta this year, but it has not resolved the uncertainty that shapes his and his fiancée's plans in the US. Mehta moved to the US in 2021, earned a master's degree in 2023, and was eligible for three years of student work authorization. Amazon offered him both a job and sponsorship. He joined the company in 2025 as a program manager. But over the past year, while the company was trying to get him an H-1B, Mehta grew concerned about changes to the lottery. He began exploring backup plans for his US life, including an EB-1A visa and opportunities in Canada and Australia. He learned he was selected for an H-1B in March, potentially giving him the chance to work and remain in the US for another three years. "It was a big relief," he said, adding, "It's like someone has taken a 100-pound load off your mind," he said. Mehta's fiancée, who is also from India, has one remaining chance in the H-1B lottery before her work authorization expires. "It's hard, you know, obviously you can't plan," Mehta said, adding, "unless we are both very clear on what our visa status is." Chona Kasinger for BI It's like someone has taken a 100-pound load off your mind. Read: He got an H-1B visa, but uncertainty makes it hard to plan his future Shreya Mishra Reddy, 34 Cassandra Rudolph for BI Country of origin: India Lives in: Tourist visa in Toronto, Canada Industry: Fintech Education: Master's degree in engineering management from Duke University Shreya Mishra Reddy left the US in January after not being selected for an H-1B visa. Her plan was to leave the country and keep applying for US jobs from abroad. That plan, however, started to feel unrealistic after the Trump administration proposed the $100,000 fee on some H-1B applicants. Though the fee has been challenged in court and is not being enforced, she said the uncertainty changed her mind: "I've decided not to pursue H-1B or any role in the US right now." Reddy had moved to the US in 2021 for a master's degree in engineering management at Duke University. After graduating, she was hired by Visa, but her student work authorization expired before she could secure an H-1B visa. She's now in Toronto with her husband on a tourist visa and weighing whether to base herself in Canada or India. During a career break, Reddy has been writing a fiction book and building a handloom brand while exploring fintech roles. In March, Reddy was accepted into a master's program in psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. She decided not to attend, citing uncertainty around student visas and the US job market. She said she's optimistic about her future and wishes she'd been more open to opportunities in other countries earlier, rather than banking everything on the US. "I was thinking that H-1B would pan out for me, it didn't, and it's something that I definitely regret." I was thinking that H-1B would pan out for me, it didn't, and it's something that I definitely regret. Read: She gave up on H-1B amid $100K fee; now she's weighing Canada or India Watch: Why an H-1B visa hopeful decided to give up on work in the US Cassandra Rudolph for BI I was thinking that H-1B would pan out for me, it didn't, and it's something that I definitely regret. Read: I changed course on my H-1B plans because of the proposed $100,000 fee. Why I'm optimistic about my life outside the US. Watch: Why an H-1B visa hopeful decided to give up on work in the US Read the original article on Business Insider

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Cory Booker attended Stanford University and Yale University. Gary Reyes/MediaNews Group/Bay Area News via Getty Images Some US colleges have numerous alums who went on to prolific political careers in the Senate. Many of the colleges listed are Ivy League or have extremely low acceptance rates. Harvard University tops the list, with 13 current senators among its alums. US senators come from all sorts of different educational backgrounds. Some graduated from the US Naval Academy or smaller private schools, but 42 of the 100 US senators came from 10 prominent universities, according to biographies on the US Senate website. Harvard University, the oldest college in the country and one of the hardest to get into, boasts the largest number of current senators among its alums. The senators on this list are alums of the schools' undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, law, or medical programs, and some have graduated from multiple of the listed universities. Honorary degrees and schools a senator attended without graduating were excluded. Here's a look at which US colleges have produced the most current senators. Brigham Young University BYU had a 70.2% acceptance rate for its current freshman class. George Frey/Bloomberg via Getty Images Senators: Mike Crapo (R-ID), Mike Lee (R-UT), and John Curtis (R-UT). Sen. Crapo graduated from BYU in Utah with a bachelor's degree in political science, as did Sen. Lee. Sen. Curtis earned a bachelor's degree in business management. Duke University DURHAM, NC - OCTOBER 26: A general view of the Duke University Chapel on campus of Duke University on October 26, 2013 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images) Lance King/Getty Images Senators: Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Rand Paul (R-KY). Sen. Alsobrooks studied public policy, Sen. Moore Capito studied zoology, and Sen. Paul received a medical degree. Princeton University Student walk along the campus of Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey. (Photo by Rick Friedman/Corbis via Getty Images) Rick Friedman/Corbis via Getty Images Senators: Ted Cruz (R-TX), Dave McCormick (R-PA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR). Princeton is an Ivy League university. Sen. Cruz earned a bachelor's degree in public policy, Sen. McCormick earned a Ph.D. in international relations, and Sen. Merkley earned a master's degree in public affairs. Dartmouth College Baker-Berry Library on the campus of Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, U.S., on Sunday, Oct. 17, 2021. Dartmouth Colleges endowment returned 47% in the fiscal year that ended in June, the latest university to post some of the strongest investment gains in decades. Bloomberg/Getty Images Senators: Angus King (I-ME), Tina Smith (D-MN), John Hoeven (R-ND), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY). Dartmouth is the smallest Ivy League school by undergraduate enrollment. Sen. King earned a bachelor's degree in government, Sen. Hoeven earned a bachelor's degree in economics, and Sen. Smith earned an MBA from the university's Tuck School of Business. Sen. Gillibrand graduated with a bachelor's degree in Asian studies. University of Chicago Cobb Gate at the University of Chicago campus in Chicago, Illinois, US, on Tuesday May 27, 2025. Chicago universities produce legions of science and technology workers, and the city is poised to benefit from growth of nascent industries such as quantum computing. Photographer: Christopher Dilts/Bloomberg via Getty Images Bloomberg/Getty Images Senators: Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Todd Young (R-IN). The University of Chicago's five Senate alums span the political spectrum, from independent Sen. Bernie Sanders to Republican Sen. Pete Ricketts. Both Sen. Sanders and Sen. Kim earned a bachelor's degree in political science. Sen. Ricketts graduated with both a bachelor's degree in biology and an MBA. Sen. Young also earned an MBA, while Sen. Klobuchar earned a law degree. University of Virginia CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - MARCH 01: An aerial view of the central grounds on campus at the University of Virginia on March 1, 2013 in Charlottesville, Virginia. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images) Lance King/Getty Images Senators: Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), John Cornyn (R-TX), John Kennedy (R-LA), Angus King (I-ME), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI). Founded by Thomas Jefferson in 1819, the University of Virginia has a graduate-heavy Senate alum base: Sen. Cornyn, Sen. Kennedy, Sen. King, and Sen. Whitehouse earned law degrees there. Sen. Moore Capito earned a master's degree in education. Stanford University PALO ALTO, CA - SEPTEMBER 26: A general view of the campus of Stanford University including Hoover Tower as seen from Stanford Stadium on the day of the ACC college football game between the Stanford Cardinal and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on September 26, 2026 at Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto, California. (Photo by David Madison/Getty Images) David Madison/Getty Images Senators: Cory Booker (D-NJ), Josh Hawley (R-MO), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Tina Smith (D-MN), Ron Wyden (D-OR). Sen. Booker, Sen. Schiff, and Sen. Smith all earned bachelor's degrees in political science. Sen. Booker also earned a master's in sociology. Sen. Hawley earned a bachelor's in history, and Sen. Merkley earned a bachelor's in international relations. Georgetown University WASHINGTON, D.C., July 8, 2020 -- Photo taken on July 7, 2020 shows the Healy Hall on Georgetown University's main campus in Washington, D.C., the United States. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday the White House will push state governors hard to get schools opened in the fall despite a spike in coronavirus cases in the country. (Photo by Liu Jie/Xinhua via Getty) (Xinhua/Liu Jie via Getty Images) Xinhua/Liu Jie via Getty Images Senators: John Barrasso (R-WY), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD). Georgetown University's appeal is partly due to its location in the nation's capital. Four of its seven Senate alums earned law degrees: Sen. Durbin, Sen. Hirono, Sen. Sullivan, and Sen. Van Hollen. Sen. Barrasso, meanwhile, earned a medical degree from Georgetown's School of Medicine. Yale University Yale University's Cross Campus looking towards Sterling Library. New Haven, Connecticut. Fall, 2013. Kathryn Donohew Photography/Getty Images Senators: Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chris Coons (D-DE), Josh Hawley (R-MO), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI). Five of Yale's seven Senate alums earned law degrees from the university: Sen. Bennet, Sen. Blumenthal, Sen. Booker, Sen. Coons, and Sen. Hawley. Sen. Coons also earned a master's degree in religion. Sen. Klobuchar earned a bachelor's degree in political science, while Sen. Whitehouse earned a bachelor's degree in architecture. The Ivy League school is in the top 5 most selective schools in the US, with an acceptance rate of 4%. Harvard University Cambridge, MA - October 9: The campus of Harvard University is seen behind the John Weeks Bridge from the Charles River on October 9, 2025. (Photo by Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe via Getty Images Senators: Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Ted Cruz (R-TX), John Fetterman (D-PA), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Jack Reed (D-RI), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Mark Warner (D-VA). Eight of Harvard's 13 Senate alums earned Juris Doctor degrees from the Ivy League school: Sen. Cotton, Sen. Cruz, Sen. Kaine, Sen. Crapo, Sen. Reed, Sen. Schiff, Sen. Schumer, and Sen. Warner. Sen. Blumenthal earned a bachelor's degree in government. Sen. Fetterman and Sen. Van Hollen each earned a Master of Public Policy degree. Sen. Gallego earned a bachelor's degree in international relations, and Sen. Sullivan earned a bachelor's degree in economics. Read the original article on Business Insider

Terence Tao, a UCLA math professor who earned a doctorate at age 20, said that math is entering a new, less "heroic" age. Jesse Grant/Getty Images Terence Tao, now a UCLA professor, earned his doctorate in mathematics at 20. The prodigy said his work is changing in the age of AI. With AI tools doing the legwork, math is no longer "heroic," Tao said. AI is upending mathematics. For one top professor, the issue is just as spiritual as it is practical. Terence Tao, a renowned professor at UCLA, said in a recent podcast appearance that the "romantic era" of math is over, thanks to AI tools capable of solving hundreds of problems with some simple prompting. Now, he said, even leading scholars like him are reduced to sorting through reams of AI-generated proofs, instead of doing the "heroic" solving themselves. "We are moving to an industrial era where math will become much more large-scale," Tao said in an interview this week on Numberphile, a YouTube channel dedicated to math. "We are entering an era where exciting new things are possible, but some things are being lost," he added. OpenAI began its brusque push into the field by solving the Navier-Stokes equation in early September, one of math's millennium problems. The revelation that AI had cracked it caused consternation from many a math geek. Some mathematicians also expressed frustration that while the AI model might have solved the problem, it didn't show its work, leaving them with the less celebratory task of verifying it. Then, earlier this month, OpenAI said it cracked another 700 outstanding problems. A math professor at New York University told CNBC that the company's release had derailed work by early-career mathematicians. "We've had whole research programs wiped out on Tuesday by their dump," the professor, Tristan Buckmaster, said at the time. In a separate brouhaha in September, OpenAI backed out of a sponsorship for a so-called AI "mathathon" — an event organized by undergraduates at Caltech, where participants were encouraged to use AI to solve equations — after complaints from a group of more senior academics. Event organizers told Business Insider at the time that their professors were sorely out of touch with the field's trajectory. "We look to the future, and we don't even know if there's going to be grad school open positions by the time we get to Ph.D," one organizer, Caiman Moreno-Earle, said. Though OpenAI has said it is taking steps to ensure human academics retain their role in this new era, some researchers and professors are already forecasting their possible obsolescence. Tao isn't as much of a doomer as some of his colleagues in the field. However, he did say in the interview that the stories math nerds tell themselves may not mean so much in the future. "We have these sort of mythological stories," he said in reference to the tale of Sir Andrew Wiles, who famously spent seven years isolated in his attic solving a single difficult equation. "There was something romantic about sort of the heroic age," Tao said. Read the original article on Business Insider

Tim Walsh, CEO and chair of KPMG US, said he routinely hears about cybersecurity concerns from fellow leaders. Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images for Semafor World Economy CEOs are excited about AI, but increasingly worried about cybersecurity, KPMG US CEO Tim Walsh said. “The cyber risks have just elevated to places that we’ve never seen before," he told Business Insider. KPMG is creating a cyber-defense business built around AI. Corporate leaders tend to be enthusiastic about AI's potential — and increasingly concerned about the cybersecurity challenges the technology brings. Tim Walsh, CEO and chair of KPMG US, said the worries come up in nearly every meeting he has with fellow leaders, as AI gives bad actors new ways to try to breach corporate defenses. "The cyber risks have just elevated to places that we've never seen them before," he told Business Insider. Walsh pointed to the Hugging Face incident this past summer, in which OpenAI said an AI agent bypassed controls during an internal cybersecurity evaluation and accessed parts of the open-source AI platform's systems. There isn't currently a defensive wall, he said, that's capable of rebuffing every cyber threat. He said KPMG is working with the frontier AI model developers and others on further protections. The goal is to help the Big Four firm protect its business, and its clients' businesses, Walsh said, adding that he sees it as a potential opportunity worth more than $1 billion. 'Cyber insecurity' fears Unease about AI and cyber threats showed up in a recent KPMG US survey of 400 CEOs at major US companies. While leaders reported confidence in AI's potential, cybersecurity was the concern they identified most often. Eighty-five percent said cybercrime and "cyber insecurity" could affect their company's prosperity over the next three years — more than said the same about inflation, geopolitical tensions, the pace of technological change, or other risks. Cybersecurity was also the most commonly cited challenge to implementing AI. It topped ethical questions, data readiness, cost management, and translating AI spending into measurable returns. Leaders said they were particularly concerned about identity theft and data privacy, vulnerability to cyberattacks, and fraud detection and prevention. Nearly half said they planned to increase cybersecurity investment over the next three years, citing threats including AI-powered social engineering, AI-assisted phishing or malware, and data and privacy risks tied to AI agents. A growing need to defend and check AI The concern is shaping the kinds of work the firm wants to do for clients. Walsh said KPMG is building what he described as a managed cyber-defense business centered on AI, meant to serve as a "shield and defense mechanism" for companies. KPMG already has a cybersecurity business, he said, though this would be a different offering built around AI. The company also sees a growing need to check whether the AI systems organizations deploy are doing what they are supposed to do. KPMG already helps clients assess AI-related controls and governance. Walsh said the firm is developing additional services to verify that AI agents are operating as intended and give investors and others confidence that companies can control them. "Trust around AI is a real thing," he said. Read the original article on Business Insider

Business Insider wants to connect with small-business owners who use AI. Frazao Studio Latino/Getty Images Running a small business can be an enormous undertaking. Some owners are leveraging AI to streamline tasks, scale up, and boost productivity. Are you a small-business owner using AI? We want to hear from you! Small businesses are the backbone of the US economy. Over 33 million small businesses were operating across the United States as of 2025, and they employ nearly half of the nation's workforce, according to the US Chamber of Commerce. About 99% of businesses in the US are small businesses. Keeping a small business afloat is no easy feat, though. Attracting customers. Hiring employees. Advertising. Paying out of pocket for business needs. There's a seemingly never-ending set of hurdles that can quickly become overwhelming, especially for a tiny team. That's why some small business owners have enlisted an extra pair of hands, or rather, code. AI has become a liferaft for some businesses as they look to streamline operations, scale their products, or elevate productivity. Are you a small business using AI to level up? We'd love to hear from you! Read the original article on Business Insider

When embraced and used carefully, AI tools can help gain perspective and boost productivity at work. Alex Cristi /Getty Images | Chris Williams Chris Williams was the VP of HR at Microsoft and is now an advisor and consultant. Williams uses a broad range of AI tools and encourages his clients to do the same. "Perhaps you'll find, as I did: AI can be better at deletion than creation," he says. Practically every company is making AI tools available to their employees. As the former VP of HR at Microsoft and a leadership advisor with over 50 years of business experience, I'm amazed at how quickly this rollout has progressed. Some people are all in, using the tools for nearly everything they do. Others have barely stuck their toes in the AI waters. I've been using a broad range of AI tools and encourage my clients to do the same. AI isn't without controversy, and if someone is strongly against using it — for whatever reason — I'm not going to convince them otherwise. But if you're wondering how and why you should use these tools, I'm here for you. Let's talk about three ways I advise all my executive clients to use AI effectively in the workplace. 1. Use AI as a second opinion Use AI as a way to see things you might not have seen. Ask it, "What am I missing?" I agree with many that AI is lousy at most creative efforts. Whether written or visual, AI results can be generic, mediocre, and often embarrassing. The output usually deserves the "AI Slop" label it gets. But to dismiss it entirely misses a core value. AI is useful with, perhaps even because of, that generic, often obvious other perspective. It can be amazingly helpful to simply ask: what am I missing? Since AI has a tendency to agree with me, I explicitly ask for pushback: "review this and tell me what I'm missing, tell me where I'm wrong." The fact that AI is so obvious, so average, is actually a core value here. I'm often surprised at the points I missed and the viewpoints I overlooked. Even if AI doesn't find things you missed, a contrarian angle can be very helpful to shore up your own case. You'll be able to say, "Yes, I considered those things, and here's why my take on this issue is better." In that way, AI can also help you prepare for your discussions with colleagues. With so many letting AI draft their arguments, it's very valuable to see their perspective in advance. So no, I don't let AI make my case, but I always look for another perspective in what I do — wherever it comes from. Having a tool that can give me that on a moment's notice is incredibly useful. 2. Ask AI to summarize dense information Long before AI, we all had that colleague who always told you far more than you needed to know. With some now using AI heavily, it can frankly be overwhelming. You ask a simple question and get a blizzard of AI-generated noise in response. AI can be the worst over-explainer when simply left to run. You see the results in a seven-page response. When I'm faced with one of these walls of text, I've learned there are really only two ways to respond. I can, and often do, ask the person to try again. What does this all really mean? Can you summarize your point in a couple of sentences? I occasionally get snarky and ask for the "non-AI slop" version. Another way to deal with this is to ask AI to summarize it, whether AI tools or a wordy colleague wrote it. Importantly, I don't trust the AI summary to be the full explanation, but it helps me understand the key points. Which I then work to find in the original blizzard response. Yes, this is a little circular. After all, why not just have the two AI systems have the discussion? Leave me out of it. But in a world where it seems everyone has a hard time getting to the point, any tool to cut through the noise is welcome. And AI is very good at that. 3. Let AI help you with tasks In a similar vein, one thing AI does incredibly well is organize. This kind of rote task of sorting, filtering, and filing is right in the sweet spot for most AI systems. I'm wary of letting AI systems automate tasks like filtering or filing things without my supervision. I'd never let an AI system automatically send emails, texts, or documents without my careful review. But I often have AI systems help me sort through mountains of accumulated debris. I recently moved to a new computer system and had AI review what I was planning to move over. I discovered decades of accumulated cruft. Simply from a comprehensive list, I found gigabytes of programs, files, and settings, 90% of which I just left behind. So if you have 8,000 emails in your inbox, or a documents folder that has grown a second life, let an AI system take a look for you. Don't just tell it to "deal with it." Your judgment is needed. Rather, have it give you a review of it and another perspective. And once you've reviewed it, perhaps you'll find, as I did: AI can be better at deletion than creation. So when your company rolls out the next new AI, use those tools to your advantage. AI can help you see another perspective, find the important points in the blizzard, and cut through the mess. I've embraced AI, use it with great care, and encourage everyone to do the same. Read the original article on Business Insider

Isaac Persky. Courtesy of Isaac Persky Isaac Persky used a creative video to land an internship at Tarte Cosmetics in 2024. Maureen Kelly, the CEO of Tarte, was impressed by Isaac's video, leading to his internship offer. He returned for a second summer internship and started a full-time position this June. When I was in college, I wanted a summer internship in New York City, specifically at one company: Tarte Cosmetics. My mom sent me a video of Tarte's founder and CEO, Maureen Kelly, calling on college students to apply to their summer internship program, and it sparked my interest. I've been posting videos on social media in both the beauty and comedy niches for years, but I thought I'd left that behind when I started college at Chapman University to pursue a more 'serious' career. I was double majoring in economics and public relations and figured Tarte would be a fun way to spend the summer after my sophomore year before turning to a more traditional business or finance path. I had one problem — I had no connections to Tarte, no family in the beauty industry, and no obvious way to stand out among thousands of applicants. In today's job market, especially for a sought-after position in beauty, it felt more likely I'd get struck by lightning than land an offer. When I submitted my application in January 2024, I knew I barely had a shot. This is where most applicants stop They repeat the process with hundreds of applications, hoping to win the lottery of landing an interview and, ultimately, an offer. I'm from Nebraska and attended school in Southern California. To be frank, going home for the summer was not an option. I didn't want to trade my glamorous coastal lifestyle for corn and county fairs. I couldn't rely on pure luck to be selected for an interview. I knew that if I could get in front of them, they would see how perfect I was for the role. I decided to make a video Since posting videos felt natural to me, I figured, what better way to show that I'm qualified for a marketing job at Tarte than by successfully marketing myself to Tarte. I decided to make something fun and entertaining. Inspired by the iconic Harvard admissions video from Legally Blonde, I created an "Elle Woods-style" application video. I showed Tarte that I was passionate about working for them, willing to put myself out there, and could actually do the job that I was applying for. I admit, it felt a little ridiculous. I knew that all my friends would see it, and that there was a good chance it wouldn't work out the way I intended, but it was worth a try. The video got the attention of Maureen Kelly I woke up one morning in January 2024 to a notification that made me check whether I was still dreaming: a comment from Maureen Kelly on my post. It was a simple 'I 👀 u! OBSESSED,' followed by an email from Tarte's HR team saying they enjoyed my video and wanted to schedule an interview. From there, I landed a paid internship with Tarte Cosmetics on their social media team. I moved to New York and worked at Tarte for three months. What started as a creative experiment became my entry point into the beauty industry. The following winter, they offered me the chance to return for the summer of 2025. Despite my initial thoughts that my summer at Tarte would be a one-off adventure, I accepted their offer. It felt like I had found a career that combined my interests in comedy, public relations, and storytelling. The experience also challenged some assumptions I had about internships I expected to spend my summers doing small administrative tasks. Instead, I found myself contributing to campaigns with household-name brands and learning from the professionals who had built Tarte. I was particularly struck by Maureen Kelly, who took my ideas as seriously as she did her VPs' and shared her personal advice and can-do attitude with me regularly. This spring, as I prepared to graduate, I received a full-time offer from Tarte without having to apply again. I officially started my full-time role with Tarte in June. In college, much of the career advice my classmates and I were given emphasized professionalism and networking, but when employees at your favorite company are getting dozens of 'coffee chat' messages each week from people like you, that advice becomes outdated. Sometimes the best career move isn't sending another application; it's doing something creative with the skills you already have. For most people, the idea of posting a video to get a summer internship feels embarrassing To be honest, it was embarrassing. Putting yourself out there always carries that risk, but sometimes that discomfort is the price of trying something others might not. Even if it doesn't work out, don't let it reflect on you. I find it best to maintain the mentality that they would be lucky to have you, and frankly, what a disappointment it is that they didn't get you. Most importantly, I must acknowledge that all of this advice is coming from someone who has the job and got the internship. Yes, I was strategic, and I give myself credit for that, but I was also lucky. Read the original article on Business Insider

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