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Trump Sends Mixed Signals as Israel-Iran Conflict Deepens

President Donald Trump has shifted positions repeatedly on the escalating military confrontation between Israel and Iran, drawing criticism both at home and abroad.

While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insists his country’s airstrikes were “fully coordinated” with Washington, Trump has offered conflicting messages. He initially voiced strong support for Israel’s campaign, then distanced the United States from any direct involvement.

On Thursday, after Israeli missiles struck Tehran, Trump warned Iran of “even more brutal” action from Israel, which has been using US-made munitions. But he later posted on social media that the American government had “nothing to do with the attack.”

The confusion deepened after Trump abruptly left the G7 summit in Canada, citing urgent business in Washington. The White House said his return was linked to developments in the Middle East, though Trump later claimed it had “nothing to do with a Cease Fire.”

Behind the scenes, Trump is balancing pressure from hawkish advisers who want a tougher stance on Iran, and others urging restraint. Talks with Tehran, which had been planned for Sunday in Oman, have collapsed.

Some Republican lawmakers are calling for regime change in Iran, believing sustained pressure could force its leaders to negotiate from a weaker position. But Trump, who has long styled himself as a dealmaker, has also floated diplomacy as a solution.

Inside his political base, a different struggle is unfolding. While many Republicans in Congress support Israel, some prominent voices within the Make America Great Again movement are urging Trump to pull back.

Right-wing commentator Tucker Carlson accused the White House of misleading the public about its involvement. He warned that the conflict could lead to the deployment of US troops to fight on Israel’s behalf.

Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene echoed those concerns, declaring that full-scale engagement would betray the America First agenda.

Amid rising tensions, Trump has attempted to reposition himself. Over the weekend, he joined Russian President Vladimir Putin in calling for an end to hostilities. By Sunday, he publicly urged Israel and Iran to pursue a deal, reiterating that the US played no role in the latest attack.

With Iran threatening retaliation against US military bases in the region, any American casualties could reshape the political calculus, pushing Trump further toward a more isolationist response.

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Emperio Capital’s Founders are Rewriting the Rules of Small Business Growth: One Strategic Stack at a Time

Emperio

When Joshua Velazquez and Chase Alley launched Emperio Capital, they were not entering the finance world from the outside: they were battle-tested entrepreneurs who had fought, clawed, and innovated their way through some of the most unforgiving capital deserts in business. The traditional system had not worked for them, and they had no intention of perpetuating it.

Instead, they built a firm from the ground up to serve founders like themselves, entrepreneurs with vision, velocity, and the kind of operational urgency that traditional finance just does not understand. Emperio Capital is not a bank. It is not a VC. It is a funding execution partner engineered for speed, trust, and strategic leverage. Before Emperio, Velazquez and Alley had forged impressive entrepreneurial paths.

Velazquez, a seasoned growth strategist, scaled multiple ecommerce brands into seven-figure operations without access to traditional capital. He mastered the art of strategic debt by reinvesting revenue and crafting bootstrapped growth plans in the face of systemic funding roadblocks.

Alley’s trajectory was equally global and dynamic. He built and exited companies, and navigated complex financial logistics across the Middle East, Caribbean, China and United States while securing distribution deals that included royal clients. But even with these wins, accessing growth capital remained unnecessarily complex.

Those shared frustrations were the spark behind Emperio. Velazquez said, “We knew there had to be a better way. Not just faster money, but smarter money. Capital that fuels a vision, not just plugs a hole.”

Launched with the belief that capital should never be the bottleneck to business growth, Emperio Capital set out to reimagine how entrepreneurs access and use funding.

Their solution is equal parts financial innovation and customer empathy. Emperio does not offer loans. It offers custom capital stacks, personalized funding architectures designed to accelerate momentum without compromising ownership or liquidity.

Unlike banks, Emperio does not demand tax returns, P&Ls, or collateral. Instead, their proprietary vetting process evaluates a business based on behavioral signals, cash flow patterns, and strategic potential. It is possible for their private clients to  receive funding options within 24 to 72 hours.

Alley said, “Our process was designed for the way founders actually operate. We are not here to say no. We are here to engineer the right, yes.”

The results speak for themselves. To date, Emperio Capital has structured over $100M in funding for clients across the SaaS and e-commerce industries to home services and construction.

For Emperio’s founders, capital is not a product. It is a strategy and they have built their company to reflect that.

Where traditional lenders treat funding as a transaction, Emperio treats it as a partnership. Every deal is structured with the client’s long-term success in mind. That could mean bridge capital to hit a milestone, stacked funding to support a new service rollout, or a growth round aligned with seasonal expansion.

One client, a direct-to-consumer brand on the verge of a national retail launch, used Emperio’s funding to secure inventory and ad placements within a week, timing that would have been impossible through traditional channels.

They do not just inject cash. They build a framework around the capital so that it creates compounding effects. It’s not just money, but momentum.

What makes Emperio especially distinct in a sea of fintech platforms is its commitment to the human element. The company sits in a unique lane: fast enough to rival algorithmic lenders, but personal enough to navigate real-world nuance.

At Emperio, real humans vet every deal. Advisors structure every offer. Clients are never routed through a call center or left in the dark.

This hybrid model, tech-enabled, trust-driven, has earned Emperio a Net Promoter Score over 90, and a fast-growing client base of repeat customers.

Alley said that they knew that they could not automate trust, so they didn’t try to.

Perhaps Emperio’s greatest contribution is its ability to serve what the founders call the “underfunded middle”, entrepreneurs who are too real for banks, too early for VCs, and too busy to wait for either.

They are not chasing unicorns. They are backing the gritty, the scrappy, the builders in the middle who need real capital right now.

These clients, coaches scaling their practices, contractors expanding their crews, and SaaS founders chasing product-market fit, are often overlooked by traditional finance. But they are also the backbone of the American economy.

By designing for their realities, Emperio has carved out a space that no one else seems willing or able to serve.

As Emperio scales, the focus remains on depth and breadth. The founders are expanding their roster of funding partners by refining their vetting technology and investing in deeper strategic advising for clients.

Velazquez said, “Capital is just the beginning. Our goal is to be the most valuable partner a founder has, for funding and growth.”

With over $100M in capital pipelines already engineered and a client base that spans industries and business stages, Emperio is proving that you do not need to play banker games to build big. You just need a better playbook.

To learn more, visit https://emperiocapital.com.

All the photos in the article are provided by the company(s) mentioned in the article and are used with permission. 

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EY Announces Publication of Bold 12-Point Plan to Help Reignite Foreign Investment in Europe  

Business people investing in Europe

New 12-step plan reflecting views of business leaders across Europe published as the continent faces a decrease in foreign investment.  

Potential actions include reducing energy prices, simplifying regulation, boosting investment in innovation and AI.

Recommends ‘Choose Europe’ campaign to help promote key strengths, including skilled workforce and commitment to sustainability.

LONDON, 17 JUNE 2025. In a new report, the EY organization is calling on European business and government leaders to consider 12 collective steps to help enhance the continent’s attractiveness after foreign direct investment (FDI) into Europe hit a nine-year low in 2024.  

The plan follows the publication of the latest EY Europe Attractiveness Survey, which found that European FDI fell by 5% in 2024, with double-digit declines in France, the UK and Germany ‒ the top three destinations for FDI in Europe. 

The survey also found that 37% of surveyed businesses have either postponed, cancelled, or scaled back their investment plans in Europe, citing high energy prices, regulatory complexity, as well as trade and geopolitical tensions as key deterrents. 

Julie Linn Teigland, EY EMEIA Area Managing Partner and EY Global Vice Chair – Alliances & Ecosystems, says:  

“Europe is facing a critical moment and decisive action taken now can help transform adversity into opportunity. By focusing on these essential measures and taking action, Europe could enhance its global competitiveness by attracting the foreign investment that will help drive sustainable growth for years to come.” 

To address key challenges and restore investor confidence, today’s publication outlines 12 actions Europe could take, focused on helping boost competitiveness, reinforcing resilience and firing up growth. The key potential actions are: 

Reduce the energy gap: Businesses rank reducing energy prices and increasing energy independence as a top priority. Electricity prices in Europe remain significantly higher than in the US, and immediate action should be considered to help create a more competitive energy landscape. 

Lead on sustainability: Europe’s commitment to sustainability is considered a competitive advantage – with two-thirds of business leaders saying that Europe’s sustainability efforts have boosted investment appeal. However, to maintain a leading position, policymakers must accelerate the low-carbon energy transition and simplify access to decarbonization programs. 

Supercharge innovation: Europe lags other advanced economies in R&D investment. Europe should consider improving access to funding for early-stage businesses and enhancing collaboration to help drive innovation and attractiveness to leaders across a range of areas including AI and clean energy. 

Simplify the rules: The complexity of operating in Europe frustrates businesses – 45% of businesses surveyed say that Europe’s approach to tax has decreased its attractiveness as an investment destination. Streamlining regulations and harmonizing approaches across Member States may be essential for boosting Europe’s investment appeal. 

Make tax lower and predictable: Concerns over rising public sector debt and tax unpredictability are deterring investment and surveyed businesses say a more predictable tax environment is crucial, in addition to a reduction in corporate tax rates. 

Shape a new trade strategy: Businesses cite tariffs and trade barriers as significant obstacles. Europe should work to further reduce internal trade barriers and build new trade relationships to enhance market access. 

Champion strategic sectors: Protecting critical industries and promoting innovative sectors like clean energy and AI is considered to be vital for securing future growth and investment. 

Support SMEs: Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are essential to the investment ecosystem and targeted support and simplification of SME-related regulations is considered critical to help them thrive. 

Invest in defense: Geopolitical tensions require increased defense spending, and a coordinated approach would be needed to increase confidence in European security. 

Unlock access to finance: The availability and cost of capital are crucial for investment. Europe should therefore consider enhancing its capital markets and creating a more favorable environment for venture capital to thrive. 

Foster and attract top talent: A skills deficit poses a significant challenge for Europe, which should consider investing in the right education to foster and attract top talent, especially in data and technology. 

Choose Europe: A unified investment promotion push could help project Europe’s strengths and attract global investors, showcasing its skilled workforce, commitment to sustainability and the measures already taken to address longstanding barriers to investment. 

For a comprehensive view of the findings and recommendations, please visit here, in addition to further detail on investment attractiveness of a range of other countries. 

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Trump Returns to G7 Amid Global Tensions and Shifting Alliances

Trump Returns to G7 Amid Global Tensions

President Donald Trump joined fellow world leaders in the Canadian Rockies on Monday for the first G7 summit of his second term, stepping back into a global spotlight he has often treated with skepticism.

The gathering, held in Kananaskis, Alberta, comes seven years after Trump’s last appearance at a Canadian-hosted G7, where tensions boiled over and a now-iconic photograph captured the moment he clashed with allies over a joint statement he later rejected.

Today, much has changed. The world leaders who surrounded Trump in that 2018 photo — including Germany’s Angela Merkel, Japan’s Shinzo Abe, and Canada’s Justin Trudeau — have either left office or, in Abe’s case, been lost to tragedy. Four of the seven heads of government attending this year’s summit are first-timers, reflecting rapid turnover in leadership across the world’s top economies.

The stakes remain high. Conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, economic instability, and global trade disputes all compete for attention. Leaders are also expected to address issues such as AI development, drug trafficking, and climate disasters like wildfires.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz emphasized that the rising threat from Iran and the risk of nuclear escalation will feature prominently in discussions. Still, Canadian officials have already scrapped the traditional end-of-summit communiqué, seeking instead shorter, issue-focused statements to avoid the type of friction seen in 2018.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will attend the summit in hopes of reinforcing international support, particularly from Trump, who has remained cautious about imposing new penalties on Russia.

While Trump’s aides have played down expectations for breakthrough agreements, they have prioritized trade talks, especially with new tariffs looming. So far, his administration has secured only a framework deal with the United Kingdom.

This year’s format favors shorter sessions and one-on-one meetings, in line with Trump’s preferences. He is also expected to speak with Mexico’s President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum, who has criticized his immigration policies.

Trump’s return to the G7 offers a glimpse into how he plans to navigate global diplomacy in his second term. Once critical of multilateral summits, he has now chosen to reengage — at least for now.

“President Trump doesn’t view these gatherings as necessary for American power,” said Rachel Rizzo of the Atlantic Council. “But he clearly enjoys being around the world’s most powerful people — as long as he’s the one leading the room.”

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Protesters Rally Nationwide Against Trump as Military Parade Draws Criticism

Protests Erupt Against Trump’s Military Parade

Tens of thousands of demonstrators filled streets across the United States on Saturday in a coordinated wave of protests against President Donald Trump, timed to coincide with a military parade held in Washington, DC.

Branded “No Kings,” the protests spanned cities including New York, Philadelphia, Houston and Los Angeles. Organizers said hundreds of events were held, drawing millions to oppose what they describe as Trump’s authoritarian use of power in his second term.

The demonstrations came in response to a rare military parade staged on the president’s birthday and in honor of the US Army’s 250th anniversary. Trump, flanked by tanks and marching bands, stood in salute and declared, “They fight, fight, fight. And they win, win, win.”

But critics said the parade resembled a political spectacle rather than a tribute to service. The event’s estimated cost of up to $45 million drew rebukes from lawmakers and former military leaders, who called it an unnecessary display amid domestic unrest.

Protesters voiced concern over Trump’s immigration policies, particularly a new wave of deportation raids. In Los Angeles, where tensions had already been high, National Guard troops clashed with demonstrators near the Federal Building. Tear gas was deployed, though large groups nearby continued their march peacefully.

“This is about defending democracy,” said Karen Van Trieste, a nurse protesting in Philadelphia. “When you gut public health and tear families apart, people rise up.”

Polling suggests a majority of Americans still support Trump’s immigration approach. A CBS/YouGov survey last week showed 54% in favor of deporting undocumented immigrants, with 53% believing the focus remains on criminals.

The protest movement’s name, “No Kings,” reflects growing alarm over what critics call Trump’s disregard for constitutional limits on executive power. Despite the president’s warning of “heavy force” against protesters near the parade, most events unfolded without major incident.

In Washington, veterans and their families gathered for the parade, many of them separating the politics from the celebration. Vietnam War veteran Melvin Graves said, “We never got a parade. This is for all of us who served.”

While the crowd at the capital was smaller than expected—dampened by rain and public criticism—some attendees welcomed the rare show of recognition for military personnel.

Still, analysts noted a troubling overlap. “There’s an unsettling contrast between honoring troops in one city and using them to police protests in another,” said security analyst Barbara Starr.

In Minnesota, some protests were cancelled after flyers were linked to a man accused of killing a state lawmaker and her husband. Governor Tim Walz urged caution, though thousands still took to the streets.

As the country grapples with sharp political divides, Saturday’s demonstrations showed that opposition to Trump remains deeply mobilized—just as his policies continue to draw support from a substantial portion of the electorate.

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Gen AI Gave Us Time to Think Bigger in Customer Support

Humanoid robot in a call center.

By Dr. Gleb Tsipursky 

For Sterling Parker, Executive Vice President of Global Support at Ivanti, customer support has never been a static function. Over his nearly 14-year journey with the company—starting from taking support calls on the front lines to now overseeing a global operation—he told me in our interview about witnessing firsthand how technology can transform not just how support is delivered, but also how teams think, collaborate, and innovate. Today, generative AI is at the heart of that transformation.

Turning Curiosity Into Capability

Ivanti’s journey with AI in customer support didn’t begin with the Gen AI boom of late 2022. The company started weaving machine learning into its support infrastructure as early as 2018. The initial goal was straightforward: automate low-effort, repetitive support tasks to improve the self-service experience and free up human agents to focus on higher-value interactions. This early integration used machine learning to analyze a customer’s behavior just before submitting a support case—where they’d been, what documentation they had already accessed, what entitlements they had—and then recommended related support articles. This modest beginning already produced measurable impact, deflecting up to 12% of incoming support requests.

But Parker and his team weren’t satisfied with marginal gains. “We really wanted to take it to the next level,” he said. With the maturity of large language models, Ivanti moved to embed Gen AI into customer-facing forums and community platforms. Now, users—whether logged in or not—can pose questions and receive dynamically generated responses drawn from a federated search across forums, product documentation, and internal knowledge bases. And unlike earlier iterations, these responses are not just links—they’re full explanations, augmented with traceable source references and immediate feedback mechanisms so customers can rate the AI’s helpfulness.

This evolution didn’t just enhance the user experience. It created a ripple effect internally, giving Parker’s team new roles as AI trainers and quality monitors. “It shifted from curiosity to capability,” Parker noted. “Now it’s something my team can’t live without.”

The Human-AI Partnership

Any implementation of AI in a human-dominated space invites questions about job displacement. But Parker’s team met the technology with open arms. “Because we’re a tech-first culture, the excitement outweighed the fear,” he explained. Still, skepticism lingered—would Gen AI really create value? That question was answered as soon as the technology began tackling some of the most frustrating tasks in the support process.

Any implementation of AI in a human-dominated space invites questions about job displacement.

Take case summarization. Before AI, engineers would spend hours post-call compiling notes from marathon troubleshooting sessions. Now, Gen AI auto-summarizes voice calls, assigns action items, and prepares documentation. This automation eliminated what Parker calls “low work”—necessary, yet soul-sapping administrative duties—freeing agents to focus on solving complex problems. “It made my team’s work more meaningful,” he said. “They’re happier, more engaged, and their job satisfaction has increased because they get to spend their time on higher-value contributions.”

This partnership between human expertise and AI augmentation is now a critical part of the team’s identity. As Parker put it, “AI isn’t replacing us. It’s helping us become better versions of ourselves.”

Guardrails for Accuracy and Trust

One of the most pressing challenges in using Gen AI in customer support is managing the risk of hallucinations—those confidently incorrect answers AI systems sometimes produce. Ivanti has built a robust system of human-in-the-loop oversight to combat this. The backbone of this process is its Knowledge-Centered Support (KCS) framework. Dedicated KCS coaches continuously monitor generative outputs and customer feedback to ensure the AI’s responses are grounded in verified knowledge, not assumptions or speculation.

“It’s a heavy lift,” Parker admitted. “But it’s absolutely necessary.” Ivanti’s use of a proprietary internal LLM also adds a layer of control, reducing exposure to the unpredictability of public models. This closed-loop training approach ensures responses remain accurate, relevant, and policy-compliant.

The result? AI that customers can trust—and that Parker’s team can stand behind.

Measuring What Matters

In an environment where speed and accuracy are paramount, quantifying the impact of AI is essential. Parker uses a blend of traditional KPIs and AI-specific metrics to evaluate performance. Deflection rate remains a cornerstone—tracking the percentage of support requests resolved without human intervention. But satisfaction is equally critical. “We marry deflection with CSAT,” he said. “If AI handles a case but frustrates the customer, that’s not success.”

Another powerful metric is the “effort score,” captured at the close of every human-handled incident. This tells Parker whether the interaction felt seamless and easy from the customer’s perspective, an essential measure in the support experience.

On the learning and development side, AI has dramatically reduced content production timelines. What once took four days to localize, caption, segment, and embed into training modules can now be done in minutes. Parker tracks this efficiency gain as another indicator of Gen AI’s value, helping his team accelerate onboarding and internal upskilling.

And there’s a financial side, too. Ivanti calculates cost savings by estimating the average cost per incident and comparing it to the number of cases deflected by AI. These hard numbers bring clarity to AI’s business impact.

Looking Ahead: The Rise of AI Agents

As the capabilities of AI continue to evolve, Parker’s vision for the next phase of support is centered on proactive, intelligent AI agents. In his ideal future, customers no longer need to explain the basics—product versions, tenant information, environment details. The AI agent already knows. It identifies the customer, understands the context, flags known issues, and even initiates next steps like sending notifications or preparing post-mortem documentation.

The AI should not only pass along logs and diagnostic information, but also suggest likely causes—ensuring that the human agent enters the interaction equipped and ready.

“It’s not just about reducing complexity for my team,” Parker explained. “It’s about reducing complexity for the customer.” The most powerful use cases, he believes, lie in automating the low-effort, high-volume interactions that clog up the pipeline. But even as AI takes on more of these roles, Parker emphasizes the importance of the handoff. When a problem needs human insight, the transition must be frictionless and well-informed. The AI should not only pass along logs and diagnostic information, but also suggest likely causes—ensuring that the human agent enters the interaction equipped and ready.

This is not about removing people from the equation. It’s about giving them room to think bigger, act faster, and deliver more.

Redefining the Role of Support

In an era where customer expectations are rising and loyalty is hard-won, the support experience can make or break a brand. By leaning into Gen AI, Sterling Parker and his team at Ivanti are proving that technology isn’t a threat—it’s a tool for transformation. AI has shifted their operating model, reframed their metrics, and re-energized their workforce.

Most of all, it’s created space. Space to innovate. Space to connect. Space to think bigger.

And in the fast-changing world of customer support, that may be the most valuable outcome of all.

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About the Author

Dr. Gleb TsipurskyDr. Gleb Tsipursky was named “Office Whisperer” by The New York Times for helping leaders overcome frustrations with hybrid work and Generative AI. He serves as the CEO of the future-of-work consultancy Disaster Avoidance Experts. Dr. Gleb wrote seven best-selling books, and his two most recent ones are Returning to the Office and Leading Hybrid and Remote Teams and ChatGPT for Leaders and Content Creators: Unlocking the Potential of Generative AI. His cutting-edge thought leadership was featured in over 650 articles in prominent venues such as Harvard Business Review, Fortune, and Fast Company. His expertise comes from over 20 years of consulting for Fortune 500 companies from Aflac to Xerox and over 15 years in academia as a behavioral scientist at UNC-Chapel Hill and Ohio State. A proud Ukrainian American, Dr. Gleb lives in Columbus, Ohio.

Still Another Unwarranted High-Stake Proxy War

Israel small flag on burning dark background.

WBy Dan Steinbock   

Israel’s strikes against vital targets in Iran is morphing into yet another misguided proxy war, which relies heavily on intelligence, arms and financing by the US and its allies. The timing couldn’t be worse.

Not so long ago, Iran-US negotiations still appeared to be promising. So, why the seemingly sudden escalation?

Last Thursday, the board of governors of the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said that Iran wasn’t complying with its nuclear obligations. That set in motion an effort to restore the UN sanctions on Tehran later this year. Yet, this is a diplomatic track that should not have military reverberations.

So, what changed?

Weaponizing regional diplomacy                     

Since the possible costs of any major attack are likely to prove extraordinarily high – as I argue in my The Fall of Israel (2005) – Israel will strike Iran only with the tacit greenlight by the US administration.

Presumably, the sixth round of talks was to take place on the weekend in Oman. President Trump’s Special Envoy Steve Witkoff was due to travel there to meet with his Iranian counterpart. When Trump was asked what could reduce tensions in the region, he said Iran “can’t have a nuclear weapon.”

Nonetheless, the US – from the Biden administration to the Trump team – has acknowledged it has no evidence Iran was building a nuclear weapon. Moreover, in early May, the IAEA did not say Iran was close to a nuclear weapon; only that it was on the verge of a nuclear weapon.

In critics’ view, the misrepresentation of the cause of Israel’s pre-emptive strike is reminiscent of the misrepresentation of Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction as a trigger for the 2003 Iraq War.

Yet, such scenarios are very much in line with President Trump’s penchant for fostering “strategic tension,” which is then exploited as a pretext for military solutions in the name of the West’s ” rules-based order.”

Diverting attention away from Gaza

On June 12, Israel launched an air campaign targeting Iran’s nuclear program and its political and military, to “degrade, destroy, and threat” of Iranian weaponization of its nuclear program.

Subsequently, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu – an alleged war criminal according to the International Criminal Court (ICC), who is amid a lingering corruption trial and needs immunity to stay out of prison – announced that the June 12-13 strikes were just “an opening volley in a weeks-long air campaign.”

His rhetoric was seconded by Defense Minister Israel Katz: If Iran continues firing missiles, he warned, “Tehran will burn.” Like Netanyahu, Katz has a personal stake in the deflection. After October 7, he was the Israeli energy minister who subjected Gaza to a devastating blockade and the subsequent famines – and who hopes to avoid targeting by the ICC as a war criminal.

Targeting not only multiple Iranian military targets and prominent members of Iranian nuclear research cluster, Israel focused on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure hoping to cripple Iran’s uranium enrichment capabilities. Hence, the strikes against enrichment capabilities at Natanz, nuclear facilities in Esfahan and reported attacks near Fordow, possibly targeting air defense systems.

These strikes are taking place at a historical moment when Israel has effectively demolished Gaza, committed genocidal atrocities against its Palestinian residents and is conducting ethnic cleansing in the West Bank.  

Like in Gaza, Israel pulled the trigger in Iran, but only with the intelligence, arms and financing by the United States and its allies – thanks to the effective impotence of the international community.

A simulated Israel-Iran confrontation 

That all begs the question: how would Israel respond to a conventional “existential crisis” with Iran? That is an issue I addressed in detail in my The Fall of Israel (2025), based on research over a year ago.

In late 2023, such military scenarios of “existential crisis” were tested in a high-level U.S. war game in which participants included members of U.S. executive branch, Republicans and Democrats in the Congress, leading academics, think-tank experts and Pentagon officials.

The game starts in 2027 with Israeli intelligence reports that Iran is mating nuclear warheads to its long-range missiles. Consequently, Israel targets Iran’s key nuclear and missile sites with U.S. standoff hypersonic missiles. That is followed by devastating conventional missile strikes against Israel with thousands of casualties, to which, in this projected 2027 scenario, Israel retaliates with aerial strikes.

Iran responds by striking key Israeli nuclear and government buildings and withdrawing from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), thereby signaling its readiness to deploy nuclear weapons. Washington urges Israel to stop escalation. But in an emergency that is perceived as existential for national survival, Israelis have little interest in US concerns.

Isolated and unable to halt Iran’s possible nuclear strike, the Israeli PM greenlights a non-lethal nuclear demonstration detonation over a remote location in Iran, coupled with conventional strikes and cyber-attacks against the main Iranian nuclear facilities and military sites.

Instead of overwhelming Iran, these assaults strengthen resolve in Tehran, which begins preparing a new response. Then, Israel launches a nuclear strike of 50 weapons against 25 major Iranian military targets.

A joint-regime change operation?

Intriguingly, initially the U.S. participants presumed that self-restraint would prevail in this high-level war game. Yet, the simulation’s cold logic compelled them into a sequence of steps that quickly went nuclear.

What’s immediately needed is forceful de-escalation to preempt the massive, unwarranted human and economic costs that now loom ahead in the region and that have potential to cause great human costs in the region and further downgrade global economic prospects.

Instead, so it appears, the Trump administration and the Netanyahu cabinet are jointly engaged in a massive, pre-calculated regime change operation that seeks to eliminate entire Iranian political, economic and military capabilities – irrespective of the devastating net effects in the region and worldwide.

And like with Gaza, the world is watching, in real time.

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About the Author

Dr. Dan SteinbockDr. Dan Steinbock is an internationally-renowned visionary of the multipolar world and the founder of Difference Group. He has served at the India, China and America Institute (USA), Shanghai Institutes for International Studies (China) and the EU Center (Singapore). For more, see https://www.differencegroup.net

AI Chatbots in Mobile Apps: The CXO’s Guide to Smarter Customer Interactions

Chatbot, Ai Artificial Intelligence technology, internet virtual assistant on smart phone screen, online customer support website or social media network, information about products or services

In today’s mobile-first world, the way businesses connect with customers has been completely transformed. From e-commerce and banking to healthcare and travel, consumers expect seamless, instant, and intelligent support 24/7. Enter AI chatbots—automated assistants that live within mobile apps and revolutionize customer interactions.

For CXOs aiming to enhance user engagement, reduce operational costs, and scale support efficiently, integrating AI chatbots into mobile apps isn’t just a trend—it’s a strategic necessity.

This guide walks you through how integrate chatbot in mobile app development services, their key business benefits, real-world use cases, and essential considerations for successful implementation.

Why AI Chatbots Are Now Essential in Mobile Apps

The demand for real-time, always-on customer service is increasing. AI development services step in as scalable, efficient, and cost-effective solutions.

Here’s why they’ve become indispensable:

  • 24/7 Availability: Customers can engage with your brand any time without waiting for human agents.
  • Quick Responses: AI-powered chatbots minimize waiting time that resolves queries in seconds.
  • Personalization: AI models analyze past behavior and preferences to provide relevant and customized answers.
  • Multilingual Support: Expand your global reach by offering interactions in multiple languages.

Top Business Benefits of AI in App Development for CXOs

As a CXO, your focus is on improving customer experience (CX), optimizing costs, and achieving business growth. Here’s how AI chatbots for business contribute to each goal:

1. Enhanced Customer Experience

AI chatbots create frictionless experiences. They assist users in product discovery, booking appointments, resolving complaints, and even processing transactions—all within a single chat interface. These micro-interactions lead to higher app engagement and customer loyalty.

2. Reduced Customer Support Costs

Chatbots can handle thousands of conversations simultaneously, significantly reducing the dependency on large customer support teams.

3. Data-Driven Insights

Chatbots log every user interaction, providing valuable insights into customer pain points, behavior trends, and frequently asked questions. This data helps CXOs make informed product and service decisions.

4. Scalability

Whether your app has 100 users or 1 million, a chatbot scales seamlessly. There’s no need to hire and train extra staff during peak seasons or product launches.

5. Faster Time-to-Resolution

AI chatbots can resolve issues instantly or guide users to the right resources, reducing churn and increasing satisfaction.

Real-World Use Cases of Integrating AI Chatbots in Mobile Apps by Industry

AI chatbots are no longer futuristic concepts — they’re actively transforming customer experiences across sectors. Below are real-world use cases across various industries, each with a challenge in mobile applicatio development examples from well-known brands.

1. Retail & eCommerce: Personalized Shopping Assistants

Challenge: Retailers struggle to deliver personalized, 24/7 shopping experiences that convert visitors into loyal buyers — especially on mobile.

Solution: AI-powered chatbots for customer support integrated into mobile apps can recommend products, offer discounts, handle FAQs, and assist with order tracking — all in real time.

Example: H&M’s chatbot on their mobile app engages users with outfit suggestions based on style preferences, size, and weather.

ROI:

  • 30% increase in customer engagement
  • 2x higher conversion rate on mobile
  • Reduction in customer service costs by 40%

2. Banking & Finance: Smart Virtual Banking Assistants

Challenge: Banks need to manage massive customer queries securely and efficiently while maintaining a human-like experience.

Solution: AI chatbots offer instant account updates, help with transactions, report fraud, and even educate users about financial products via mobile apps.

Example: Bank of America’s “Erica” handles over 50 million client requests — from spending insights to transaction alerts — through its mobile banking app.

ROI:

  • Handled 1.5+ billion client interactions
  • Reduced call center traffic by 25%
  • Increased app retention by 40%

3. Healthcare: Virtual Health Assistants

Challenge: Patients often face long wait times, confusion over symptoms, and appointment scheduling delays.

Solution: AI chatbots in healthcare apps can pre-screen symptoms, book appointments, send medication reminders, and share wellness content.

Example: Babylon Health uses AI chatbots to assess symptoms and offer medical advice via mobile — reducing unnecessary clinic visits.

ROI:

  • 30% reduction in outpatient appointments
  • Saved over $1.2 million in administrative costs annually
  • Increased patient satisfaction scores

4. Travel & Hospitality: 24/7 Travel Concierge

Challenge: Travelers often need assistance at odd hours for bookings, cancellations, and destination-related queries.

Solution: AI chatbots act as travel concierges within mobile apps, helping with itinerary updates, hotel bookings, real-time translations, and local recommendations.

Example: KLM Royal Dutch Airlines uses its mobile app chatbot to send boarding passes, flight updates, and answer FAQs in 13 languages.

ROI:

  • 40% reduction in customer service workload
  • Improved NPS (Net Promoter Score) by 15 points
  • Increased booking conversion by 20%

5. Education: AI-Powered Study Companions

Challenge: EdTech apps need to personalize learning at scale and provide round-the-clock student support.

Solution: AI chatbots deliver tailored content, answer subject-related questions, track progress, and motivate learners via gamified interactions.

Example: Duolingo’s chatbot helps users practice real-world conversations in different languages, enhancing user retention and fluency.

ROI:

  • 50% increase in daily active users
  • Boosted course completion rate by 33%
  • Reduced churn by 28%

6. Telecom: Automated Customer Support

Challenge: High call volumes and complex service inquiries overwhelm telecom support teams, especially during peak times.

Solution: AI chatbots offer self-service support via mobile apps — handling billing inquiries, plan upgrades, and troubleshooting.

Example: Vodafone’s TOBi chatbot manages over 70% of customer queries on the mobile app with high accuracy.

ROI:

  • Reduced operational costs by 22%
  • Improved first-response resolution rate by 35%
  • Enhanced customer satisfaction ratings

Choosing the Right AI Chatbot for Your Mobile App

Before integrating a chatbot, consider these critical factors:

1. Rule-Based vs. AI-Powered

  • Rule-based bots work with scripted flows and limited inputs.
  • AI-powered bots leverage NLP (Natural Language Processing) and machine learning for smarter, more flexible conversations.

For long-term scalability and better CX, AI-powered bots are the better investment.

2. NLP Capabilities

Ensure your chatbot can understand user intent, slang, emojis, and various languages. Tools like Google Dialogflow, Microsoft Bot Framework, and IBM Watson offer strong NLP features.

3. App Integration

Your chatbot should integrate smoothly with mobile app frameworks like Flutter, React Native, or native Android/iOS. It should access data like user profiles, order history, and real-time inventory.

4. Security & Compliance

Especially for industries like banking and healthcare, the chatbot must comply with regulations like HIPAA, PCI DSS or GDPR compliance or CCPA compliance. Look for features like end-to-end encryption, secure APIs, and access controls to prevent security risks with AI.

5. Analytics Dashboard

Choose a chatbot platform that offers performance metrics like engagement rates, resolution times, satisfaction scores, and drop-off points. This helps optimize bot performance and customer interactions over time.

Key Steps for Successful Implementation

Here are several steps of AI and ML in mobile app development:

  1. Define Use Cases: Start with specific problems you want the chatbot to solve—e.g., order tracking, FAQs, lead generation.
  2. Design Conversational Flows: Create user-centric dialogues with clear pathways and fallback options.
  3. Choose the Right Tech Stack: Select platforms that align with your mobile app and business needs.
  4. Train Your Chatbot: Use real user data to improve chatbot intelligence and accuracy.
  5. Test & Iterate: Launch with a limited user base, gather feedback, and refine conversations continuously.
  6. Promote Bot Usage: Use in-app banners, onboarding tips, and push notifications to educate users about the chatbot.

The Future of AI Chatbots in Mobile Apps

Emerging trends indicate chatbots will continue evolving into virtual brand representatives:

  • Voice Integration: Chatbots will support voice inputs for hands-free experiences.
  • Emotion AI: Advanced bots will detect user sentiment and adapt responses accordingly.
  • Hyper-personalization: Bots will use AI to deliver dynamic content, recommendations, and offers tailored to user preferences.
  • Multimodal Interaction: Chatbots will combine text, voice, images, and videos for richer engagement.

The Final Say!

CXOs guide to AI in mobile apps represent more than automation—they’re powerful tools to reimagine customer journeys. By improving efficiency, delivering 24/7 service, and offering deep insights, chatbots drive meaningful ROI across departments.

But success lies not just in adopting chatbot technology—but in aligning it with business goals, user needs, and scalable systems.

Ready to create smarter customer interactions in your AI-powered app development? Invest in an AI chatbot strategy that’s not just reactive—but transformative.

FAQs

How to integrate a conversational AI chatbot?

To integrate a conversational AI chatbot, choose a platform (like Dialogflow or IBM Watson), define intents, connect APIs, train with data, test thoroughly, and embed it into your mobile app.

How to use ai to build an app?

To build an app using AI, define your use case, choose the right AI model or API (e.g., OpenAI, TensorFlow), integrate it with your app backend, test, and deploy.

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Geopolitical Hedging —The New Mantra of Globalization

symbol of geopolitics in the world with chess pieces.

By Ricardo Ernst and Jerry Haar

Increasingly, international companies are developing structured frameworks to systematically address geopolitical risks across their operations. Accordingly, geopolitical hedging has emerged to allow businesses to successfully navigate complex global power dynamics by balancing relationships, reducing over-dependence, and preserving strategic flexibility. They achieve this principally through operational repositioning, financial hedging, and portfolio rebalancing.

“Hedging your bets” has fast become a mantra not just for investors and traders but entire industries, companies, and nation states.

While the phrase first appeared in a 1672 satirical play by George Villiers, the 2nd Duke of Buckingham, the current climate of volatility, uncertainty, and perplexity have given rise to geopolitical hedging as an indispensable tool of risk management and an essential component of their operational strategies.

Recent surveys and research indicate that businesses are implementing more sophisticated approaches to hedge against unpredictable geopolitical events that can significantly impact their financial performance and operational stability. Quantitative indices such as the Geopolitical Risk Index (GPR) and BlackRock Geopolitical Risk Indicator (BGRI) have gained increasing prominence in recent years.

Increasingly, international companies are developing structured frameworks to systematically address geopolitical risks across their operations. Companies first identify areas of vulnerability, such as their supply chains in the case of a firm like Unilever and Walmart, then assess available options for building resiliency, and finally prioritize responses based on how exposed they are. Doing so helps businesses allocate resources efficiently while addressing the most significant threats first.

Corporations typically employ three geopolitical hedging approaches. The first is operational repositioning, relocating supply chains or manufacturing bases to leverage trade agreements and cost advantages. A North American medical-devices firm saved 15-25% in operating costs by shifting production to Mexico while enhancing resilience through nearshoring. Semiconductor companies are increasingly targeting the Taiwan-Singapore corridor, with one firm gaining $47 billion in market share through strategic sales realignment.

The second is financial hedging. Currency and interest rate instruments protect profit margins from volatility. Coca-Cola HBC adjusted cash reserves and debt portfolios during the 2022 Russo-Ukrainian war to mitigate ruble and dollar fluctuations. A global automaker saved $15 million annually through optimized FX hedging strategies while redeploying $1 billion from excess liquidity buffers. Finally, there is portfolio rebalancing whereby private equity firms actively shift investments between geopolitical risk zones. One fund relocated dual-use technology manufacturing from conflict-prone regions to stable jurisdictions, avoiding regulatory scrutiny1. A dairy conglomerate sold underperforming units and reinvested proceeds in regions with favorable growth trajectories across multiple scenarios, boosting share prices by 10%.

Another approach, followed by European businesses with significant global footprints, known as “4R”5. The first “R” is risk assessment. Companies are investing in enhanced intelligence gathering and analysis to better understand potential threats. Many organizations have expanded their government relations teams to monitor regulatory changes, potential sanctions, and emerging political developments. With risk reduction, businesses actively work to lower their exposure to identified risks or minimize the potential impact on their business model. This involves diversifying supply chains, adjusting market presence, or modifying operational structures.

Another “R” is ringfencing. For risks that cannot be eliminated or reduced, companies implement containment strategies to limit potential damage to specific business units or operations. This isolation approach prevents the spread of negative impacts throughout the organization. Finally, there is rapid response. Developing agile decision-making processes and contingency plans enables companies to adapt quickly when geopolitical events materialize. This capability has become increasingly important as the pace of geopolitical developments accelerates.

And while geopolitical hedging falls within the domain of individual companies, entire industries engage in the practice as well. Take semiconductors. TSMC (Taiwan), Intel (U.S.), and Samsung (South Korea) all pursue hedging strategies through geographic diversification of production. TSMC is building fabs in the U.S., Japan, and Germany to reduce geopolitical risk from cross-strait tensions. This reduces exposure to potential conflict over Taiwan, thereby increasing global resilience. The automotive sector is another case of hedging through nearshoring by U.S. and European automakers to Mexico and Eastern Europe. This strategy involves shifting supply chains from China to politically aligned and stable regions. The result is reduced dependency on East Asia amid rising U.S.-China tensions.

W.H. Auden’s 1947 poem The Age of Anxiety is an apt title to describe the current global environment, one in which sweeping economic, political, social and legal changes are resulting in unprecedented impacts on companies, consumers and countries. Within this milieu, geopolitical hedging has emerged to allow businesses to successfully navigate complex global power dynamics by balancing relationships, reducing over-dependence, and preserving strategic flexibility.

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About the Authors

Ricardo ErnstJerryRicardo Ernst is the Baratta Chair in Global Business and Professor of Operations and Global Supply Chains at Georgetown University. Jerry Haar is a professor of international business at Florida International University and a Senior Fellow of the Council on Competitiveness in Washington, DC.

How to Stay Ahead of the Game in the Age of Tariffs

By Antonio Martinez Castillo

With U.S. President Donald Trump seemingly determined to fight off legal challenges to his tariff policies, they appear likely to remain in place for some time, reinforcing the need for multinationals to adopt a more strategic approach to the new trading regime.

Understandably, given the uncharted economic waters we are now entering, decision-makers have largely been holding off on a re-evaluation of corporate strategy. They have taken the view that with all the vacillation and question marks over tariffs, it is better to postpone significant strategic moves.

Response so far

Yet senior executives need to be on the front foot, certainly more responsive than they are. We have seen piecemeal actions, such as precautionary frontloading of inventories in the U.S. and other markets, halting or slowing down ordering, or delaying production adjustments and capital investments. Additionally, there have been incremental, short-term modifications to strategy, including piloting new sourcing options and adjusting pricing models to address immediate challenges.

However, such measures are not the long-term solution. Concrete steps are needed. Companies should consider a strategic response – involving a comprehensive evaluation of operations, supply chains, and market position – to enable them to adapt to the unpredictable business environment where tariff rates are one of the key input costs and drivers of uncertainty.

Demand and supply shocks

Even if country-specific tariffs don’t rise much above the proposed 10 percent base rate, companies must understand that this is not just a tax on final products, but also raises the cost of intermediate goods and raw materials. Therefore, it is much more expensive than a sales tax at the customer level. Put simply, companies face demand and supply shocks, similar to those that affected businesses at the height of the COVID pandemic. 

Notwithstanding their uncertain legal validity, Trump has staked his mandate and reputation on tariffs. He is likely to continue to challenge court interventions, and, if that fails, explore other means of keeping his headline policies in place. Consequently, multinationals should prepare for country-specific tariffs to continue for the near to medium term. In contrast, sectoral tariffs (such as those on steel, pharmaceuticals, and automobiles) are likely to remain unaffected by court rulings.

As a starting point for a robust strategic response to demand and supply shocks, companies should consider a playbook of measures that will help them react more effectively to volatile market and sourcing conditions.

Caution over data

At the outset, it is important to be cautious of early indications in hard and soft data. Consumer and business sentiment has cratered in the U.S., but the hard data shows customers continuing previous spending patterns. There is a disconnect between how people feel and how they act. Companies may have anticipated a slowdown due to the increased costs associated with tariffs, yet demand appears to be normal.

Therefore, don’t take data at face value. What you are seeing this month, for instance, in terms of sales growth, is not necessarily what you can expect next month. Many companies will likely have to adjust their pricing, reduce product inventory, lay off employees, or make other decisions that will drive higher prices or alter the types of products they sell. Even if companies choose to incur cost increases, it means they are likely to be less profitable and will thus have less money to spend on new products or factories.

Shorter decision-making timeframes

Not knowing what will change from one month to the next, businesses will have to adapt to shorter planning and decision cycles. From a management perspective, this is quite tricky. Gathering all senior stakeholders together for an annual strategic assessment can be challenging, and doing so monthly will require significant organisational flexibility, urgency, and alignment. Decisions regarding pricing, investment, purchasing of products, and spare parts all have to be made in a much shorter timeframe than companies were accustomed to. Senior executives might find themselves with one strategy for July, another for August, and yet another for September.

Similarly, there is a need for a more agile approach to supply chains. Companies should consider shifting their focus from global efficiency and scale to resilience.  This might be similar in scope to the supply chain diversification many firms undertook to address the massive disruption caused by the pandemic. Having multiple suppliers may be less efficient and drive up cost structures, but it markedly reduces vulnerability. 

Introduction of indirect costs

Managing the now more complex demand and supply dynamics will also introduce indirect costs, which must be factored into any cost analysis. Companies may need to hire trade specialists, lawyers, and economists whose expertise they would previously have only drawn on once or twice a year, and invest in technology that can assist with inventory optimization and the management of quality and reliability across multiple suppliers. To reduce the cost of cross-border shipments, they may need to rethink their regional distribution networks, which could require new or expanding regional distribution centers.

Contracts with customers and suppliers will need to be rewritten. There is a significant risk of being stuck with pre-tariff prices, which may leave companies transitioning from being highly profitable to mildly profitable or even unprofitable altogether. Contracts could include “tariff pass-through mechanisms” that automatically adjust prices based on changing tariff rates for particular products. They could also include specific pricing scenarios, where prices change under certain conditions, or buffers that raise the cost of all products by a nominal sum.

Smoothing prices

In addition to reviewing contracts, businesses may also consider mitigating the sticker shock of a tariff increase by spreading it across other products or accessory items, a process known as price smoothing. For instance, a video game company could maintain the prices of its consoles but increase those of accessories and software. Or a big U.S. beverage company may choose to offset the rise in the cost of bottles imported into America by marginally raising the prices of its products in other markets. Alternatively, companies may focus on the sales of products less subject to tariffs. An American auto firm, for example, could switch from selling economy vehicles from Mexico, subject to high tariff rates, to less affected luxury models whose customers may be less price-sensitive.

As senior executives study these strategic considerations, they should pay attention to how their decision-making is communicated. It is essential to keep discussions and outcomes confidential, as disclosing sensitive information on matters such as pricing, supply chains, and contracts could lead to negative publicity and reputational damage. A decision to regionalise suppliers may not go down well in China, while a move to pass tariff costs to consumers in the U.S. risks a consumer backlash.

It is typically better to keep things under the radar and introduce measures without fanfare. At the very least, carefully consider the potential reactions of stakeholders and how these might be mitigated before making announcements.

In the current climate of uncertainty, companies should strive to transition from piecemeal actions to strategic assertiveness, making operational decisions that may need to be reviewed and adjusted on a monthly basis. Those who continue with a wait-and-see approach risk falling behind more proactive rivals. The latter could benefit from a more efficient supply chain and more favorable pricing, thereby increasing their market share. Decision-making amid volatility is no easy matter, but companies must rise to the business challenges posed by Trump’s tariffs to stay ahead of the game.

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About the Author

AntonioAntonio Martinez Castillo is the Managing Director for Americas and Global Economics Research at FrontierView, a FiscalNote company. He has been advising global corporates for over a decade on strategic planning, market monitoring, and contingency planning in international markets.

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