Human Times

North American Edition

23rd September 2026

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THE HOT STORY

DoorDash settles worker underpayment allegations with New York City

Food delivery company DoorDash is to pay $131.5m to settle a New York City government investigation that found it underpaid or waited too long to pay workers. DoorDash will provide nearly $115m of relief to about 264,000 workers; the median payout is about $48. The firm accepted a $16.7m civil fine. Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the settlement was "part of a larger commitment to hold delivery companies accountable." Through its use of "greedy algorithms," Mamdani said DoorDash failed to comply with the 2023 city law intended to improve pay for delivery workers. "For years, DoorDash failed to count every hour ⁠worked by delivery workers," he said. "This was not a rounding error or an accidental mistake."

The Hill

Reuters

AI FOR EXECS

Bring your executives more than attrition and headcount

When HR meets with executives, the numbers are always the same, attrition, time to hire, payroll cost, engagement scores. AI can already show a lot more than that, in real time.

On October 1, April Little, VP of HR at Bond, walks through the data AI makes possible for exec meetings, real-time team health scores, dashboards execs can check themselves, and a clear read on where your top talent stands.

Hear from the expert

HIRING

AI forces companies to rethink entry-level hiring

AI is increasingly taking over tasks traditionally assigned to junior employees, raising concerns about career advancement and skill development for young workers. Tobias Green, founder of London-based ad agency Catalyst, notes that AI tools now enable one junior employee to manage five client accounts, reducing the need for multiple hires. The Open University’s 2026 Business Barometer report found that 51% of U.K. business leaders believe AI is changing hiring practices, with 19% reducing entry-level recruitment due to AI adoption. While AI is enhancing productivity, experts like Cheney Hamilton, director at U.K. research firm Bloor, warn that it may hinder the development of critical judgment skills in junior workers, arguing: “AI raises the floor of what a junior can produce, but it doesn't give them the judgement to know when the output is wrong.”

CNBC

TECHNOLOGY

Aviation regulators turn to AI to help manage the nation's airspace

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has launched a $875m project to enhance airspace efficiency through a new AI-powered system called Strategic Management of Airspace, Routes and Trajectories (SMART). Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said: "SMART will slash those frustrating delays, reduce stress on air traffic controllers, and lower travel prices." While the FAA said it aims to optimize air traffic management using artificial intelligence, critics expressed their skepticism about its likely effectiveness in addressing deeper issues, such as staffing shortages among air traffic controllers. "It won't replace humans. It'll be another tool in the toolbox," observed Dave Riley, a former air traffic controller who retired in 2020 after more than 20 years at the FAA. "But of course, when you call it AI, it gets a lot of attention," he said. The National Air Traffic Controllers Association has distanced itself from the project, saying it was not involved in its design or implementation.

NPR / National Public Radio

Most Americans say AI firms are not doing enough to prevent disaster

Three-quarters (73%) of Americans say AI firms are not doing enough to prevent disaster, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll. The survey found that many respondents did not have confidence in the companies' ability to regulate themselves, and most said federal officials should play a major role in setting safety standards. Fifty-five percent of respondents said it would be good to slow AI development; 13% said it would be a bad thing. The rest didn't express an opinion or didn't answer the question.

Reuters

LEGAL

UC San Francisco 'illegally favored Black and Latino medical school applicants'

The Justice Department has accused UC San Francisco's medical school of favoring Black and Latino applicants over white and Asian candidates in its admissions for the classes of 2023, 2024, and 2025. The department claims the practice violates Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Supreme Court's 2023 ruling against race-based affirmative action. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon said: “Unfortunately, at UCSF Medical School, MCAT scores and undergraduate GPAs have taken a back seat to race.” UCSF disputes the allegations, asserting that its admissions process prioritizes academic qualifications alongside other experiences. The DOJ has requested a response from UCSF by October 2 regarding a potential voluntary settlement, warning of a lawsuit if no agreement is reached.

Los Angeles Times

WORKFORCE

Vance-led task force targets 760,000 Obamacare enrollments

A White House antifraud task force led by Vice President JD Vance is removing 760,000 Affordable Care Act enrollments that the Trump administration alleges are unauthorized, ineligible, or fraudulent. Officials estimate the cancellations will save $2.2bn. The administration says the affected accounts include people who were enrolled without their knowledge, have employer-provided healthcare, or do not meet income requirements. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is also cracking down on insurance agents and brokers, saying 40 of them generated 50,000 fake enrollments that cost the government $45m, and plans to terminate hundreds from the system. The agency will also review the immigration status and income eligibility of 415,000 current enrollees and tighten documentation requirements. Democrats and healthcare researchers have criticized the measures, warning that some legitimately enrolled people could lose coverage.

ECONOMY

OECD raises 2026 global growth forecast but warns of mounting risks

The OECD has raised its forecast for global economic growth in 2026 to 2.9% from 2.8%, as stronger-than-expected activity, including an AI-driven investment boom, has offset the impact of persistently high energy prices. The organization has increased its U.S. growth forecast to 2.2% this year and 2.1% in 2027, while raising its 2026 outlook for India to 7.1% and South Korea to 3.7%; however, it now expects Saudi Arabia’s economy to contract by 1.8%. G20 inflation is forecast to average 4.1% this year, prompting expectations for further modest interest rate increases, including a quarter-point Federal Reserve hike before year-end. The OECD has warned that prolonged high oil prices, El Niño-related increases in food prices, falling equities, and rising bond yields could weaken global growth to as little as 2.3% in 2027.

Bloomberg

Reuters

Wall Street Journal

INTERNATIONAL

French prosecutors probe misuse of smart glasses

Prosecutors in Paris have launched at least one criminal investigation into suspected sexual harassment following complaints that people used smart glasses to film women on the street without their consent. The Paris prosecutor’s office tasked its cybercrime unit with testing smart glasses two weeks ago to better understand how the technology could be used to facilitate crime. France's data protection authority, CNIL, said it had received under 10 complaints concerning smart glasses being used in the workplace. CNIL's head of economic affairs Nacera Bekhat said smart glasses pose "real challenges" in terms of informing people that they are being filmed and getting consent when needed. AI-enabled wearable devices are regulated by the European Union's AI Act and the General Data Protection Regulation.

Reuters

Starbucks plans global tech center in India

Starbucks has signed an agreement to establish a global capability center (GCC) in the ‌southern Indian city of Chennai and hire around 800 technology professionals. The coffee chain's technology chief Anand Varadarajan said the availability of a skilled workforce, lower attrition and good infrastructure would be a boon to the business. Reuters notes that Starbucks' pact with the Tamil Nadu government came only days after U.S. pharmacy chain Walgreens signed a deal with the southern Indian state to set up a GCC in Chennai, the state capital that is already home to tech centers of global business groups including Citi, Barclays and American Express.

Reuters

Brazilian police seize devices in trade secrets investigation

Brazilian police have conducted a search-and-seizure operation against a former iFood employee suspected of downloading confidential information before joining food delivery rival 99Food. The investigation, led by police inspector Angelo Lages, aims to uncover the extent of corporate espionage in Brazil's competitive food delivery market, which is valued at approximately $20bn. "The purpose of the search was to collect electronic devices so we can conduct forensic analysis and determine what happened to the data," Lages said. iFood holds about 80% of the local food delivery market.

U.S. News

Korea reopens military service alternative for AI talent

South Korea will allow AI researchers to fulfil their military service at large corporate labs starting in 2027, reviving a program that ended in 2013. Four companies – LG Electronics, Samsung Electronics, Samsung Medison and HD Hyundai Robotics – have been recommended to participate in the program, according to Ministry of Science and ICT data obtained by Rep. Hwang Jung-a of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea. The initiative aims to retain top talent and strengthen the domestic AI industry. However, strict eligibility rules have left companies seeking fewer places, raising questions about the initiative's reach.

Straits Times

OTHER

Thai finance boss says he runs on four hours' sleep

Thailand's finance minister, Ekniti Nitithanprapas, says the demands of the job have cut his nightly sleep to about four hours, and weekly vitamin drips and daily supplements keep him going. “They help ease the fatigue,” he said in an interview with Bloomberg News. When he can, Ekniti, who was 55 last week, tries to claim one weekend day for himself, sleeping seven or eight hours and exercising before returning to work. He says such respite can be short-lived: “There always seems to be another crisis.”

Bloomberg

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