Toxic video mixes

The Wall Street Journal sought to determine what Instagram’s Reels algorithm would recommend to test accounts set up to follow only young gymnasts, cheerleaders and other teen and preteen influencers active on the platform.Instagram’s system served jarring doses of salacious content to those test accounts, including risqué footage of children as well as overtly sexual adult videos — and ads for some of the biggest US brands. The Journal set up the test accounts after observing that the thousands of followers of such young people’s accounts often include large numbers of adult men, and that many of the accounts who followed those children also had demonstrated interest in sex content related to both children and adults. The Journal also tested what the algorithm would recommend after its accounts followed some of those users as well, which produced more disturbing content interspersed with ads.

(Adapted from “Instagram’s Algorithm Delivers Toxic Video Mix To Adults Who Follow Children,” by Jeff Horwitz and Katherine Blunt)

Making shoes out of planes

Emirates has made a bigger bet on Airbus A380 jumbo jets than any other airline on the planet, filling its fleet with more than 100 of them. While rivals have either given up on the behemoth entirely or fly it only in small numbers. Airbus itself pulled production in 2019 after little more than a decade of slow sales. However, Emirates is giving them a new lease of life. The Dubai carrier has started a massive $2 billion refurbishment program of the giant aircraft, seeking to extend their lifespan into the early 2040s. Gone are the gold trimmings and wood panelling, with Emirates opting for lighter tones, fresh carpeting and mood lighting. Given the size of the planes — a typical A380 comes with about 550 seats on two decks — the overhaul produces vast amounts of recyclable materials, including more than 250kg (595 pounds) of seat leather per jet. The answer? A limited-edition collection of shoes, belts and backpacks made from the offcuts.

(Adapted from “Seats Become Sneakers in Emirates’ $2 Billion A380 Jet Retrofit,” by Leen Al-Rashdan, published on November 21, 2023, by Bloomberg)

Thriving in a fractured world

The United Arab Emirates’s standing in the world seems to be growing rapidly. The country is home to just over 0.1pc of the world’s people and produces only 0.5pc of its GDP, but it contains nearly 10pc of the world’s oil reserves, and this wealth helps it punch above its weight. Although its GDP per person exceeds that of Britain or France, it is often seen as part of the global south and is a hub for Indian and African businesses, making it the Singapore of the Middle East. Hosting the COP28 climate summit is one indication of this. Through its embrace of global business and its foreign investments, including in clean energy and logistics, it is binding itself to other countries worldwide. Its economic openness and its apolitical approach to business give it broad appeal: it is one of the few places where Americans, Chinese, Iranians, Israelis and Russians all rub shoulders.

(Adapted from “Lessons From The Ascent Of The United Arab Emirates,” published on November 23, 2023, by The Economist)

Opening up your team

As a new leader, you’ll often inherit several direct reports — each with unique passions and development areas. To foster a culture that inspires them to do great work, you’ll need to figure out how to align their responsibilities with the former and help them overcome the latter. One-on-one meetings are typically the best time to do this. During the meeting itself, begin the conversation by explaining your intention. You can say, “I was hoping to use this time to learn more about you and your work. I’m curious how you feel about your current role and responsibilities on the team.” To get people to open and be honest, try using the 80/20 method: Talk only 20pc of the time and listen for the other 80pc. Prompt your team member with an open-ended question and then listen, only chiming in to probe deeper.

(Adapted from “How to Encourage Your Team to Open Up to You,” by Kelly Knight, published by HBR Ascend)

Published in Dawn, The Business and Finance Weekly, December 4th, 2023