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• Companies are trying to figure out the best way to manage all the AI agents they’re using.
• Part of the answer might involve treating them like people, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said.
• AI agents should have identities and permissions like human employees, he said.

Microsoft uses a lot of AI agents. To help manage them, it’s starting to think of them like human employees.

CEO Satya Nadella said the software giant is figuring out what kinds of tools and policies it needs to oversee all the agents it’s created. That includes giving agents specific permissions for what they can and cannot access within the company, as well as ways to audit their work, he said.

“You need to give them identities, you need to give them sandboxes, then you need to set policies to govern them,” Nadella told Reid Hoffman in an episode of the “Possible Podcast” posted on Friday.

During the discussion, Hoffman also said that after 10 years, he’d be leaving Microsoft’s board to return to what he called “founder mode.”

While companies are spending vast sums to adopt AI, many are still figuring out how their AI agents will work with their human employees. Figuring out how to manage AI agents represents a particularly tough problem.

It’s a challenge that Nadella himself has dealt with, he told Hoffman. The Microsoft CEO said that he often runs 100 AI coding agents at once, and guiding each through a chat interface is tough. “The cognitive load on me managing this is so high,” he said.

Microsoft has created Agent 365, a suite of tools that includes Entra, its digital identity and network access product, as well as Purview, which the company uses to label data AI agents create, he said.

“I think security, containment, managability, and observability is the way we’re going to have confidence around these agents,” Nadella said.

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• US News & World Report conducted a study of the best countries in the world.
• Switzerland ranked No. 1 for its high-ranking governance, health, and culture scores, among others.
• The European country also boasts strong opportunities and economic development, the report found.

While many people know Switzerland best for its chocolate, watches, or neutrality, a new global ranking highlights its strengths in a range of areas.

Switzerland recently topped US News & World Report’s annual ranking of the best countries in the world, released in May. The ranking evaluated 100 countries on factors such as economics, environment, health, and infrastructure.

European countries were the most prominent among the top half of the list, occupying all but one spot in the top 15. Switzerland finished first overall — ahead of Denmark in second, and Sweden in third — thanks to its high scores in nearly every major category considered by the study.

Switzerland’s cultural contributions come in different forms, from art to academics

Switzerland ranked No. 2 in culture and tourism in the report, which cited 19 Nobel Laureates who were born in Switzerland. This doesn’t include Albert Einstein, who emigrated from Germany and lived in Switzerland for roughly 20 years.

Switzerland is home to 13 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Other notable historic sites include Chillon Castle on Lake Geneva, a medieval castle dating back roughly 800 years, classified as a Swiss Cultural Property of National Significance.

The country draws large numbers of tourists for its mountains and historic cities. In 2024, the Swiss hotel industry had a record number of overnight stays, largely because of American tourists, Reuters reported.

The country also exports $59 billion in creative goods and services per year, according to US News & World Report.

It has one of the highest GDPs per capita in the world

Switzerland ranked No. 1 in economic development. The report cites “low corporate tax rates, a highly developed service sector led by financial services and a high-tech manufacturing industry” as factors contributing to the country’s strong economy.

The country also has a high number of patent applications, indicating strong research and innovation. Switzerland exports $90 billion in high-tech products each year, according to the report.

“Exports surge, inflation stays low, and innovation keeps us ahead,” Sven Siepen, a senior partner at Roland Berger’s Zurich office, said in a 2025 report about the country’s economy. “Even as global challenges mount, Swiss stability remains our greatest asset.”

Switzerland also has a strong and stable government

This earned the country the No. 1 spot in the governance category. US News & World Report gave the country perfect scores in political violence, regime turnover, and inflation volatility.

Switzerland has a federalized government in which two chambers elect a seven-member body known as the Federal Council, according to Presence Switzerland.

Swiss residents generally find their government to be trustworthy. In 2023, “62% of people had high or moderately high trust in the national government,” according to the OECD. Across all OECD countries, the average is 39%.

Despite these promising figures, the country has issues with voter turnout — which averages 46.09%, per the International Foundation for Electoral Systems — earning a low score from US News & World Report.

High life expectancy and ample medical care can be found in the country

The report ranked Switzerland No. 4 in health. The country has a life expectancy at birth of 84.1 years, earning it a perfect score in the metric in the report. Based on data from the World Bank Group, Switzerland has the fourth-highest life expectancy in the world.

The country has universal health coverage through a mandatory private system. Though everyone is covered, the country spends the second-most per capita on healthcare in the world, trailing only the US, according to the Bern University of Applied Sciences.

In 2022, the country had 4.5 physicians per 1,000 residents, compared to 3.7 in the US and the global average of 1.9, according to the World Bank Group.

It did, however, receive a low score for the number of hospital beds per 1,000 residents, at 4.4 in 2023. This is below the European Union average, which was 5.1 beds per 1,000 people in 2022, according to World Bank data.

Swiss residents have access to educational opportunities

Switzerland, which is home to top universities such as the University of Zurich, ranked No. 2 in opportunity. The average number of years spent in formal education for adults aged 25 and older is 13.9 years, according to the report. This is roughly on par with the US, per the State of the Nation Project.

The average annual tuition for Swiss students at public universities was equivalent to $1,427 in 2022-23, according to the OECD.

Though Switzerland has strong educational opportunities, the report found that it lagged behind in economic opportunity, indicated by low scores in income taxation and foreign direct investment.

Despite ranking highly in most major categories, the country fared lower in others

Switzerland ranked 19th in natural environment, with only 12.5% of its land designated as protected areas, compared with 21.1% across the European Union, according to World Bank data.

The country ranked 15th in civic health, having relatively low scores in anxiety, which measures anxiety disorders per 100,000 residents, and income equality, among other metrics.

It also ranked 15th in infrastructure, where the report gave it lower marks on the renewable-electricity metric. The report’s metric excludes hydroelectric power, Switzerland’s biggest renewable electricity source.

• I stayed in a cylindrical tiny home hotel in Germany during a train trip through Europe in 2022.
• The 106-square-foot home made smarter use of space than any tiny home I’ve seen in the US.
• The European tiny home was two stories and less than half the size of the US tiny homes I’ve booked.

As a New Yorker who’s rented several cramped apartments over the years, tiny homes inspire me.

Making the most of a minimal square footage requires some creativity. I often book fun-sized accommodations when I travel, hoping to discover new space-saving hacks to make the most of my own little dwelling.

From Florida, Maryland, and Tennessee to Canada, Austria, and Switzerland, I’ve stayed in several tiny Airbnbs around the world.

None of those homes utilized indoor space as efficiently as this tiny home hotel in Germany, which I found on Airbnb back in 2022.

I was looking for tiny stays in Germany when I found one with a unique, cylindrical shape that packed a lot inside, so I booked it for two nights for $140.

The Airbnb was part of a tiny home hotel in Neustrelitz, Germany, called Slube. The company designs minimal concrete “Slubes” for up to two people.

There are three types of Slubes: a one-story Basic, a two-story Home, and a Tower, which is two stories with a rooftop terrace. I booked a Home Slube.

It was less than half the size of any tiny home I’d stayed in before.

The 16-foot-tall Slube with two floors was 106 square feet. Prior to this stay, the tiniest home I’d ever booked was 250 square feet.

There was no physical key to my room. I checked in with a code sent to my phone.

When I arrived by train from the airport in Berlin, I didn’t see any employees at the tiny home hotel.

At first, I was confused, but then I checked my email. A message from Slube informed me I’d be staying in room five and could check in by myself.

Inside, the 53-square-foot bottom level had a bathroom on the right, a sitting area on the left, and a ladder to the second floor.

The sitting area had a foldout table that I could push against the wall to save space.

Across from a foldout table was a bench with two seat cushions in lieu of a couch.

I stored my luggage beneath the bench.

This tiny home utilized more vertical space than those I’ve seen in the US.

There were hooks and storage cubbies above the bench, so I stored all my clothing and toiletries on the first floor.

I was impressed by the amenities packed into such a small room.

In the back right corner of the sitting area, there was a nook with built-in shelves that housed a small coffee machine, a hair dryer, and a few dishes.

The bathroom had an efficient layout.

There was a curtain separating the showerhead and sink from the toilet and storage space.

Even with two windows, I felt I had enough privacy.

The first-floor windows had a film covering most of the glass, letting in natural light without sacrificing privacy.

After checking out the first level, I headed up the ladder to the second-floor bedroom.

I thought it was easy to climb, but it could be challenging for some.

There was a latched gate at the top of the ladder, which I imagine was installed to prevent people from falling.

Knowing I was securely fastened into the bed area made sleeping easier.

The bedroom was the same size as the living space and bathroom combined — 53 square feet.

The floor space was covered by a comfy, full-size bed. The pillows had the ideal ratio of fluff to firmness for my neck and head.

Above the bed was a mounted TV equipped with Netflix and other streaming services.

Before bed, I watched some of my favorite shows on Netflix.

I used the lower platform on the far side of the bed as a nightstand.

It had easily accessible outlets, a pocket for the TV remote, and more space for my electronics and water bottle.

Above the bed, a large window opened so I could let the breeze into my room.

It had a blackout curtain for privacy and blocking early morning light.

The Slube also had smart electricity that made my stay feel a tad luxurious.

I controlled the lights and temperature of each story from my phone.

I found it fascinating that this tiny home truly left no space unused, from the loft bed to the wall cubbies.

I can’t stick a second story into my own rental, but the European tiny home still gave me inspiration for how I could make better use of my space, starting with vertical storage hacks.

• Kevin O’Leary agreed to scale back his proposed Utah data center project.
• The concession follows pressure from Utah Senate President J. Stuart Adams, who wanted a 75% cut.
• The project has drawn concerns over water, energy use, and its rural footprint.

Kevin O’Leary has agreed to scale back his proposed Utah data center project after pressure from a top state lawmaker.

On Thursday, O’Leary pledged to cut the proposed 40,000-acre Stratos development in Box Elder County in half, Bloomberg reported Thursday. Most of the remaining project area would be left as open space, O’Leary wrote in a letter to Utah Senate President J. Stuart Adams.

It’s a major concession in the fight over one of the country’s most closely watched AI infrastructure projects. The proposed data center — dubbed the Stratos Project — has sparked a wave of backlash from community members who are concerned about rising energy prices, water use, and environmental damage.

The initial project was expected to require 7.5 to 9 gigawatts, making it one of the largest data center projects in the US.

In a press release responding to the project’s reduced scale, Adams wrote that O’Leary had agreed to all of the conditions outlined in a demand letter he sent to the famed “Shark Tank” investor on Monday, including scaling back the project area and dedicating new water to the Great Salt Lake.

“O’Leary’s concessions in response to the demand letter I sent are a positive step forward,” Adams wrote.

The proposal still faces a lengthy review process. Adams said “no approvals or permits have been applied for, let alone issued,” and that written commitments, permitting, and environmental review would be required before the project could move forward.

A representative for O’Leary Digital didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

• Daniela Amodei waded into the discourse around companies overspending on AI.
• The Anthropic president is optimistic that much more capable AI models are on the way.
• Anthropic’s AI use is tracked without a leaderboard, she said.

Daniela Amodei has entered the tokenmaxxing discourse in Silicon Valley — and no, Anthropic does not have an AI leaderboard.

At Thursday’s Bloomberg Tech conference in San Francisco, the Anthropic president and co-founder took a question about tokenmaxxing, where developers use as much AI as possible and rack up huge bills with unclear business payoffs.

Amodei was diplomatic, but offered a bullish vision.

She said that though AI models have dramatically improved over the last two years, this isn’t the end state of their progress.

“I actually think there’s a lot more distance to go still for what the models will be able to do two to four, six to eight years in the future,” Amodei said.

The executive also said businesses will find new ways to use the tools, and learn together as a larger community.

She acknowledged that workers are reckoning with a new paradigm, where they’re directed to use AI and sometimes even tracked by their employers.

“Today there’s this feeling that’s like, ‘Oh, like AI, you know, the leaderboards, and it’s like I have to use it, and what am I going to use it for?'” Amodei said. “My hope is that over time it’ll be more incorporated into the day-to-day of how humans do our work, how we communicate together, and that there will actually be a lot more value realized in a way that feels really good to people.”

Anthropic does not have a token-usage leaderboard, she noted, though the company does track general use of the company’s Claude products as teams work.

“But there’s not like, ‘You must use AI and you must use Claude’,” she added.

Claude Code, Anthropic’s juggernaut AI-coding product, is one of the main drivers of the tokenmaxxing discourse.

The tool uses significantly more tokens — the units of AI input and output — than a classic chatbot interface. That gap grew more substantial with the advent of agents, which a user can direct to autonomously churn through tasks. Anthropic and OpenAI partly charge on a per-token basis, so the boom in AI coding has fueled a surge in revenue.

Companies are navigating how to spend on AI, after some executives at top companies encouraged a freewheeling attitude. Amazon recently shut down an informal, employee-made leaderboard that tracked the use of AI tokens.

“Please don’t use AI just for the sake of using AI,” Dave Treadwell, an Amazon senior vice president, told staff.

A similar leaderboard at Meta was taken down by the employee who made it, The Information reported. It had been titled “Claudeonomics.”

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• Challenger said AI was the cited reason for 40% of job cuts in May.
• In 2026, AI is the leading reason companies cite for layoffs.
• The outplacement firm also said this isn’t “yet the jobpocalypse some predicted.”

AI may not be a complete disaster for jobs yet, but companies are citing it more than any other reason when announcing layoffs, according to a new report from Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

The global outplacement firm’s latest report said AI accounted for 40% of 97,006 job cuts by US-based employers in May, the highest monthly total since Challenger began tracking AI as a reason for layoffs in 2023. So far in 2026, Challenger says 87,714 cuts have been attributed to AI, far surpassing the total of 54,836 in 2025.

“AI isn’t yet the jobpocalypse some predicted,” Andy Challenger, labor and workplace expert and chief revenue officer of Challenger, Gray & Christmas, said in a statement accompanying the report. “Like spreadsheets and email before it, the technology will ultimately make workers more productive, but our data shows companies are already acting on it, citing AI for more cuts than any other reason.”

Overall, Challenger found that May 2026 saw the highest number of layoffs since 2020, when 397,016 job cuts were announced during the height of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Technology remains the leading sector for layoffs by “a wide margin,” the report said.

The extent to which AI is to blame for layoffs is highly contested, including, not surprisingly, by those whose companies are directly involved in the AI boom. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently said companies were “AI washing” their layoffs, blaming the nascent technology for their decisions when other business factors were at play.

Elsewhere, Apollo Global Management’s chief economist Torsten Sløk wrote last week that he sees “zero evidence of job losses because of AI,” citing the ADP National Employment Report.

Outside of AI, Challenger’s report found that so far this year, the next biggest reasons attributed to layoffs are “market and economic conditions,” which have been cited for 69,645 cuts; “closings,” which have been cited for 66,733 cuts; and “restructuring,” which has been attributed to 52,249.