Developers are looking for opportunities to build new last-mile logistics facilities or convert existing properties for this purpose, according to Mehtab Randhawa of JLL. "While not every market necessarily requires a multistory building, many densely populated markets can benefit from the efficiency and economies of scale that these structures provide in the movement of goods," Randhawa said.

US Foods Chef'Store is turning to RELEX Solutions' machine-learning technology to improve its forecast and replenishment capabilities as well as plan promotions and improve the overall customer experience. The warehouse retailer will be able to use the data collected to streamline processes and achieve operational efficiencies.

Hy-Vee has partnered with Takeoff Technologies to construct automated microfulfillment centers in select metro locations to increase efficiency and speed to fulfilling online grocery orders. Takeoff -- which has worked with other grocers including Albertsons -- will provide the technology that factors in regional demand and consumer preference, with the goal being to enable each center to fulfill as many as 1,800 orders daily, taking five minutes of labor to process an average order of 25 items.

AI will allow businesses to utilize unstructured data that is not currently stored in databases, such as emails, genomics data, IoT sensor output and medical images, writes Krishna Subramanian, co-founder of Komprise. The revolution will likely start with health care, which generates 30% of the world's data output and is projected to create an even larger share.

Water levels along the Mississippi River near Memphis fell to a record low for a second time in two years this week at -11.5 feet, and all tributaries along the nearly 400-mile stretch between the Ohio River and Jackson, Miss. have been at or below low-water thresholds since September, according to reports. Drought conditions have disrupted barge traffic; experts expect substantially improved conditions in December.

The recent fighting between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas has forced numerous airlines to curtail regional cargo operations and Israeli sea ports to slow import unloading amid increased inspections, while many manufacturing facilities have shuttered, primarily among medical device, pharmaceutical and chemical suppliers, according to reports. If the conflict expands, there could be further disruptions, including slowdowns at the Suez Canal and Strait of Hormuz, says Container xChange CEO Christian Roeloffs.

More than nine in 10 marketers run paid ads on social media, followed by display ads (61%), retail media (38%) and ad-supported streaming media (28%), per Digiday+ research. Meta-owned platforms and TikTok account for the lion's share of paid social media budgets, while Amazon is the most popular retail media partner and streaming spenders prefer YouTube.

The latest Israel-Hamas war prompted reactions from brands, such as American Eagle displaying an Israeli flag on a digital billboard above its New York City Times Square headquarters and Betty Buzz pulling its Amazon Prime Day marketing. Brand executives are also issuing social media posts and internal memos to condemn the terrorist attacks and voice their support for Israel, victims and families.

As with electricity, the printing press and any other technology, how far and how quickly generative AI affects productivity will depend on other advances in a "wide range of related technologies, organizational innovations, and accommodations between the new technologies and society," writes Thomas Redman, president of Data Quality Solutions. Generative AI needs massive computing power, which is growing, and a large quantity of high-quality data, which is lacking in many fields, and the lack of organizational capabilities needed to harness AI may also prove to be a barrier.

The Conference Board's CEO Confidence Measure fell in the latest quarterly survey, indicating a cautious outlook for the economy. While 18% of CEOs expect general economic conditions to be better than they were six months ago, nearly half expect economic conditions to worsen over the next six months. More than 70% of CEOs reported that they are preparing for a US recession over the next 12 to 18 months, down from 93% at the start of the year.