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Workers embrace AI and prioritise skills growth amid rising workloads and an accelerating pace of change: PwC 2024 Global Workforce Hopes & Fears Survey

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Almost half (45%) of workers say their workload has increased significantly in the past year, as almost two-thirds (62%) say the pace of change at work has increased over the same time
More than one-quarter (28%) say they are very or extremely likely to switch employer in the next 12 months – a higher proportion than during the ‘Great Resignation’ (19%) in 2022
Employees prioritise skills-growth: fewer than half (46%) strongly or moderately agree that their employer provides adequate opportunities to learn new skills. This is particularly important for workers considering leaving: two-thirds (67%) say opportunities to learn new skills are a key factor in any decision to job-switch
More than 80% of workers who use generative AI daily expect it to make their time at work more efficient in the next 12 months. Half (49%) of all users expect it to lead to higher salaries
Cost-of-living pressures ease slightly: the proportion of workers with money left over each month rises to 45% (compared to 38% in 2023). However, 52% say they are still financially stressed

LONDON, June 25, 2024 /CNW/ — Among more than 56,000 workers across 50 countries and territories, many say they are prioritising long-term skills growth to accelerate their careers amid rising workloads and heightened workplace uncertainty, according to PwC’s 2024 Global Workforce Hopes & Fears Survey, published today.

In the last 12 months, workers say they have experienced rising workloads (45%) and an accelerating pace of workplace change. Nearly two-thirds (62%) say they have experienced more change at work in the past year than the 12 months prior, with two-fifths (40%) noting their daily responsibilities have changed to a large or very large extent. Almost half (44%) don’t understand the purpose of changes taking place.

In the midst of this growing mix of employee pressures, the findings suggest workers are alert to opportunities elsewhere, and are highly focused on skills growth and embracing AI.

More than one-quarter (28%) say they are likely to switch employer in the next 12 months, a percentage far higher than during the ‘Great Resignation’ (19%) of 2022. Two-thirds (67%) of those considering moving say skills is an important factor in their decision to stay with their current employer or switch to a new one.

Carol Stubbings, Global Markets and Tax & Legal Services (TLS) Leader, PwC UK, said:

“As workers face heightened uncertainty, rising workloads and continue to face financial stress, they are prioritising skills growth and embracing new and emerging technologies such as GenAI to turbocharge their growth and accelerate their careers. The findings suggest that job satisfaction is no longer enough. Employees are placing an increased premium on skills growth in a climate characterised by constant technological change. Employers must ensure they are investing in their employees and technological platforms to mitigate employee pressures and retain the brightest talent.”

Workers embrace AI to ease workplace pressures and unlock personal growth

As employees face heightened workplace pressures, they are also turning to new and emerging technologies such as generative AI (GenAI) to help. Among those employees who use GenAI daily, 82% expect it to make their time at work more efficient in the next 12 months.

Employees are also optimistic about opportunities for GenAI to support their growth. Half (49%) of all users expect GenAI to lead to higher salaries – an expectation that’s even higher (76%) among employees who use the technology daily. More than 70% of users agree that GenAI tools will create opportunities to be more creative at work (73%) and improve the quality of their work (72%).

The skills imperative

Workers are placing an increased premium on skills growth to mitigate their concerns and accelerate their careers. Employees who say they are likely to switch employers in the next 12 months are nearly twice as likely to strongly consider upskilling in that decision than workers planning to stay (67% vs. 36%). This comes as fewer than half (46%) of all employees moderately or strongly agree that their employer provides adequate opportunities to learn new skills that will be helpful to their careers.

Employees who are likely to leave in the next year may be more attuned to skills changes that are needed than the general workforce, with 51% moderately or strongly agreeing that the skills their job requires will change in the next five years (vs. 29% of those unlikely to change employer).

There is particular interest in the impact of AI on skills development, with 76% of all users expecting it to create opportunities to learn new skills at work. However, employers will need to invest heavily in new and emerging technology training and access. Among employees who have not used GenAI at work in the last 12 months, one-third (33%) don’t think there are opportunities to use the technology in their line of work, while 24% don’t have access to the tools at work, and 23% don’t know how to use the tools.

Despite the pace of change, there are also signs of optimism and engagement at work. 60% of workers expressed at least moderate job satisfaction (up from 56% in 2023) while more than half (57%) of employees who view fair pay as important agree that their job is fairly paid. Cost-of-living pressures have slightly eased since 2023 (the proportion of workers with money left over each month has risen to 45%, up from 38%). However,  more than half (52%) say they are still financially stressed to some degree.

Pete Brown, Global Workforce Leader, PwC UK, said:

“Technology is fundamentally transforming the way work gets done and the types of skills employers are looking for. Employees are therefore placing an increased premium on organisations that invest in their skills growth so that they can stay relevant and thrive in a digital world. Businesses in turn must be proactive in their upskilling programs – prioritising the employee experience and being transparent. Because when you meaningfully engage your workforce, they become an accelerant for successful transformation.”

Notes to Editors: 

About the Survey

In March 2024, PwC surveyed 56,600 individuals across 50 countries and territories who are in work or active in the labour market. The sample was designed to reflect a range of industries, demographic characteristics and working patterns. You can read the full report on pwc.com.

About PwC

© 2024 PwC. All rights reserved. PwC refers to the PwC network and/or one or more of its member firms, each of which is a separate legal entity. Please see www.pwc.com/structure for further details.

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SOURCE PwC

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Federal Court Issues Preliminary Injunction Against OpenAI, Sam Altman, and Sir Jony Ive; iyO Alleges Trade Secret Theft by Altman’s Hardware Chief

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April 27, 2026

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SAN FRANCISCO, April 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — On Thursday, April 23, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California granted iyO Inc. a preliminary injunction against OpenAI, Sam Altman, Sir Jony Ive, and io Products. The ruling, where the Court found that iyO was likely to succeed on the merits of its trademark claim, officially bars the defendants from using the “io” name for their hardware while iyO’s federal lawsuit proceeds.

Federal court bars OpenAI, Sam Altman, and Jony Ive from using ‘io’ name as iyO alleges trade secret theft.

Amended Complaint: Trade Secret Theft and Corporate Espionage
The ruling caps a year of escalating legal action. On March 13, 2026, iyO amended its federal complaint to include trade secret theft claims against the defendants and Tang Yew Tan — former Apple VP of Product Design, co-founder of io Products, and current Chief Hardware Officer at OpenAI.

The amended complaint outlines a highly coordinated timeline of alleged misappropriation:

May 2024: Just 11 days after iyO’s viral TED talk was published, Tan pre-ordered the iyO One. Nine days later, he contacted iyO’s Design and Manufacturing Lead, Dan Sargent, to schedule a dinner meeting for early June.

June 2024: Forensic analysis of Sargent’s company laptop revealed that in the days leading up to the dinner with Tan, Sargent downloaded 33 highly secret files, accessed dormant intellectual property folders, and exported 17 CAD files into cross-platform formats unused by iyO. These files were renamed with obfuscated strings (e.g., “grgrgege.x_t”) and exported outside of business hours. Sargent has since admitted to bringing iyO prototypes to show Tan.

May 2025: Barely 11 months after the dinner, OpenAI announced a $6.5 billion acquisition of io Products, a company built on what iyO alleges is its proprietary technology.

Following the acquisition announcement, iyO CEO Jason Rugolo confronted OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, who refused to cease use of the “io” name and threatened to sue Rugolo for using iyO’s own federally registered trademark.

Statement from iyO Leadership
“Sam, Jony, and Tang investigated us,” said Jason Rugolo, founder and CEO of iyO. “Then targeted us opportunistically, trying to eliminate us with a fancy $6.5 billion press release during our fundraise using a copy of our name. This week, a federal judge said: not so fast.”

iyO’s lawsuit asserts nine causes of action, including trade secret misappropriation, trademark infringement, intentional interference, and unfair competition. The company is seeking injunctive relief, compensatory and exemplary damages, disgorgement of profits, and a constructive trust over any portion of the $6.5 billion acquisition value attributable to the alleged stolen intellectual property and brand infringement.

ABOUT IYO
iyO began its mission inside Google X in 2018 to make natural language computing as commonplace as cellular phones. Spinning out as an independent venture-backed startup in 2021, iyO developed the iyO One, the iyO yO, and the recently announced iyO Wand, which are revolutionary screenless computer form factors that allow users to interact with AI and the internet through voice alone. iyO is headquartered in Redwood City, CA.

WEBSITE
www.iyo.ai 

IYO INC.
2606 SPRING STREET
REDWOOD CITY, CA 94063
UNITED STATES

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
©2026 IYO INC.

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SOURCE iyO, Inc.

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Pudu Robotics Inaugurates U.S. Headquarters in Dallas, Accelerating Long-Term Growth in the Americas

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April 27, 2026

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DALLAS, April 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Pudu Robotics, a global leader in commercial service robotics, officially opened a new U.S. headquarters in Dallas, Texas, on April 23 as part of its global strategic expansion. The new facility is set to enhance Pudu’s regional capabilities and underscores the company’s long-term commitment to the Americas, marking a new phase of scaled, structured business development.

Dallas Unlocks Greater Efficiency and Regional Coordination

As a central hub for nationwide and cross regional operations across the Americas, Dallas brings strong strategic advantages. The area offers well-developed logistics and supply chain infrastructure, a business friendly environment, and access to a broad base of enterprise customers. Its central location will allow Pudu more efficient coverage across both North America and South America. As Pudu transitions into a phase of rapid, scalable growth in the Americas, its new centralized headquarters, which is located in Richardson’s Sherman Tech Center and combines a modern office space, product showroom, and on site warehousing, will enhance support management, operations, and long term regional coordination.

Meanwhile, as part of its broader infrastructure optimization, the company has also transitioned its Santa Clara office into a streamlined logistics support function outpost and established a dual warehouse system on both coasts to support nationwide delivery in the U.S.

Pudu in the Americas – A Growing Footprint Across Diverse Industries

Since entering the U.S. market in 2018, Pudu has steadily expanded its footprint across the Americas to a point of deep, localized operations. To date, nearly 15,000 Pudu robots have been deployed across the Americas, driving regional revenue growth of 285% year over year, bringing the company to a phase of large scale commercialization.

This rapid adoption is fueled by Pudu’s comprehensive product matrix, which addresses the specific labor and efficiency needs of the American market across four core categories:

Service Delivery: Led by the industry-favorite BellaBot and the newly enhanced BellaBot Pro, which have become the gold standard for hospitality and retail interaction.Commercial Cleaning: Featuring the best-selling PUDU CC1 series, the PUDU MT1 series designed for large-scale dry cleaning, and the recently launched PUDU BG1 series—an AI-native large scrubber-dryer robot built for heavy-duty environments.Industrial Delivery: The PUDU T-series robots provide versatile logistics support with payload capacities ranging from 150kg to 600kg, streamlining warehouse and factory workflows.General embodied AI: Represented by the advanced PUDU D5 series, pushing the boundaries of how robots interact with and adapt to complex human environments.

Partnerships with local distributors have also accelerated, achieving 63.6% YoY growth, with a rapidly expanding client base across diverse industries, including food and beverage, healthcare, industrial logistics and warehousing, real estate and property services, retail, and entertainment, sports and more. The company’s robots have enjoyed strong adoption by global industry leaders, including Walmart, Accenture, NASA, Norwegian Cruise Line, Honeywell, top automotive brands, and others.

This growth is matched by organizational development. Since entering the U.S. market in 2018, a initial team has flourished into a multi functional organization of professionals, with localized sales, after sales service, solutions, and marketing capabilities that enable stronger customer support and execution.

Building a Global Future Based on a Strategy of Localization

Looking ahead, Pudu will continue expanding its presence across key sectors including retail, logistics, food service, healthcare, and commercial cleaning, while bringing its service delivery, commercial cleaning, industrial delivery, and general embodied AI robotics solutions into broader industry scenarios.

“We are building for the long-term in the Americas with a localized approach,” said Raymond Pan, General Manager of the Americas at Pudu Robotics. “Our ambition over the next five years is to serve one million people across the U.S . Our new headquarters and infrastructure optimization provide a foundation for this ambition, alongside continuing investment in localized products, enhancing our local supply chain, and strengthening our partner ecosystem.”

Pudu has established itself as a global leader in service robotics, with more than 120,000 units shipped worldwide, operations spanning over 80 countries and regions, and 23% market share in commercial service robotics—ranking No. 1 globally per Frost & Sullivan’s “Market Research on Global Commercial Service Robotics (2023)”. Going forward, Pudu will accelerate its development and localization efforts across the Americas, while, at the same time, continuing to scale its presence in other key international markets as part of its global expansion strategy.

About Pudu Robotics

Pudu Robotics, a global leader in the commercial service robotics, committed to establishing a global intelligent robotics infrastructure that will serve 10 billion people worldwide.

Pudu Robotics has achieved full-stack proprietary R&D in core technologies, including navigation algorithms, multi-robot scheduling, swarm control, motion controllers, and integrated joint modules. Built on three core technologies—Embodied Navigation, Embodied Manipulation, and Embodied Interaction—Pudu Robotics has pioneered an “One Brain, Multiple Embodiments” architecture, establishing a comprehensive product portfolio that includes specialized, semi-humanoid, and humanoid robots.

Currently, Pudu offers four major product lines: service delivery, commercial cleaning, industrial delivery and general embodied AI. Its solutions are widely deployed across industries such as retail, hospitality, manufacturing, real estate and property services, healthcare, entertainment and sport, education, and public services.

To date, Pudu Robotics has shipped over 120,000 units globally, with a presence in more than 80 countries and regions.

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KuCoin Hosts HEXAGON BLOCK PARTY at Hong Kong Web3 Festival, Headlined by DJ Don Diablo and Rooted in Shared Values of Community and Connection

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April 27, 2026

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Headlined by internationally renowned DJ Don Diablo, the event brought together guests from the Web3 and fintech communities for an immersive evening experience.

PROVIDENCIALES, Turks and Caicos Islands, April 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — KuCoin, a leading global crypto platform built on trust, and the exclusive Crypto Exchange and Payments Partner for Tomorrowland Winter and Tomorrowland Belgium (2026-2028), brought the spirit of global electronic music culture to Asia with the HEXAGON BLOCK PARTY in Hong Kong on April 22, which it co-hosted with Finoverse.

Headlined by internationally renowned DJ Don Diablo, the event welcomed guests from across the Web3, fintech, and broader innovation communities, creating an immersive gathering shaped by shared energy, conversation, and in-person connection. Building on KuCoin’s recent Tomorrowland Winter activation, which highlighted a shared belief that trust can be strengthened through community, creativity, and cultural experience, the event carried that momentum forward in Hong Kong through a similar spirit of openness, energy, and human connection. 

Held in the heart of Hong Kong, HEXAGON BLOCK PARTY was designed as more than an evening celebration. By combining world-class music with a culturally driven atmosphere, the event offered a welcoming space for founders, builders, creators, and community participants to come together in a more human and experience-led setting. It reflected a shared belief that meaningful community is built not only through ideas and technology, but also through moments of creativity, openness, and collective experience.

The event aimed to create a cultural touchpoint in Hong Kong that resonated beyond the venue itself. The event served as a space where ideas, creativity, and communities could converge, bringing together guests across Web3, fintech, and digital culture through a shared experience rooted in openness, energy, and connection.

As the global partnership between KuCoin and Tomorrowland continues, the journey moves forward to Tomorrowland Belgium in July 2026, where KuCoin will once again collaborate with Tomorrowland to create new experiences at the intersection of music, culture, and Web3, further expanding the role of digital assets in real-world cultural moments.

About KuCoin

Founded in 2017, KuCoin is a leading global crypto platform built on trust and security, serving over 40 million users across 200+ countries and regions. Known for its reliability and user-first approach, the platform combines advanced technology, deep liquidity, and strong security safeguards to deliver a seamless trading experience. KuCoin provides access to 1,500+ digital assets through a broad product suite and remains committed to building transparent, compliant, and user-centric digital asset infrastructure for the future of finance, backed by SOC 2 Type II, ISO/IEC 27001:2022, and ISO/IEC 27701:2019 Certifications. In recent years, we have built a strong global compliance foundation, marked by key milestones including AUSTRAC registration in Australia, a MiCA license in Europe, and regulatory progress in other markets. 

Learn more at www.kucoin.com.

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SOURCE KuCoin

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