This Week’s Top Five Stories in AI

AI Mega Trend: Inside TSMC’s US$165bn US Expansion

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is accelerating its multibillion dollar expansion in Arizona semiconductor manufacturing site, as the AI chip supplier responds to surging demand from the artificial intelligence sector, according to CNBC.

Having invested US$165bn in its first three fabs in Arizona, TSMC’s first fab began production on technology in 2025, with the second and third fab set to begin production by the second half of 2027 and the end of the decade, respectively.

CNBC notes that the company is set to further expand that investment.

How Ivanti Secures AI by Treating Tools Like New Employees

Ivanti is a global enterprise IT and security software provider that manages, protects and automates technology for customers around the world.

With half of its employees and customers outside the US and 18 offices in 23 nations, Ivanti supports diverse sectors, from major real estate brands like Coldwell Banker and Century 21, to regional health systems such as Samaritan Health Services, and consumer product firms like Conair.

As enterprise AI adoption shifts from “hype-driven experimentation to thoughtful, integrated and outcome-focused execution”, the necessity of responsible implementation is clear. 

We speak with Brooke Johnson, Chief Legal Counsel and SVP of HR and Security at Ivanti, about navigating this crucial moment. 

Brooke argues that building trust around AI is predicated on complete transparency regarding its use and a commitment to educating staff on the technology. 

By fostering AI fluency and treating every AI tool like a new hire – evaluated, supervised and developed over time – leaders can address employee anxiety and ensure AI serves as a powerful, secure enabler of innovation.

PwC Research: How Few Firms Capture Most AI Economic Gains

While AI investments break new glass ceilings, research shows that a small group of companies have captured the lion’s share of financial gains while others struggle to move beyond experimentation.

A PwC study interviewing over 1,200 senior executives found that just 20% of organisations are securing nearly three quarters (74%) of AI-driven economic value, underlining a stark divide in how businesses are using the technology.

At the heart of this gap is a shift in mindset. Rather than treating AI as a tool for efficiency alone, leading firms are embedding it into their growth strategies and reshaping how they operate.

“Many companies are busy rolling out AI pilots but only a minority are converting that activity into measurable financial returns,” says Joe Atkinson, Global Chief AI Officer at PwC. “The leaders stand out because they point AI at growth, not just cost reduction and back that ambition with the foundations that make AI scalable and reliable.”

Is there an AI Disconnect Between Education and Work?

The AI skills gap between higher education and the workplace has reached a critical point, according to new research that could have significant implications for enterprise AI adoption strategies.

AWS and Pearson's report, AI Readiness: Building the Bridge from Higher Education to Work, finds very few graduates feel they have developed the AI skills to succeed in the workplace.

Drawing on more than 2,700 survey responses from learners, higher education leaders and employers across six countries, researchers discovered that just 14% of graduates say they have achieved a high level of proficiency in applying AI tools in the workplace.More than half of employers also report that their main challenge when hiring is finding graduates with the right AI skills.

As the use of AI accelerates in the workplace, this disconnect between higher education and the working world could slow successful AI adoption – making it more challenging for businesses to see a return on their technology investments.

Lumen CEO: New Corporate Workforce is Comprised of AI Agents

Kate Johnson, CEO of Lumen Technologies, believes executives must fundamentally rethink their operational approaches as AI bots now account for half of the planet's online traffic.

In an open letter to fellow CEOs and company executives published on 13 April, Kate warned that businesses must prepare for industry-wide shifts in AI-driven traffic patterns occurring at volumes and speeds that could become increasingly difficult to predict.

“The new corporate workforce is comprised of AI agents and bots,” Kate wrote. “They’re proliferating rapidly, operating continuously, insatiably consuming and generating data and dynamically interacting with other agents, bots and humans.

“And despite the early days of AI adoption in most businesses, today, more than 50% of internet traffic is created by these autonomous workers.”

Kate said that companies relying on computing power and data processing can no longer take their physical network capacity for granted. She added that organisations previously purchasing network capacity to cover set volumes and routes will need to rethink those options and consider switching to a consumption-based model.