By Alex Stark

Coming out of the Thanksgiving holiday break, we’ve passed the final furlong pole along the clubhouse turn as we reach the finish line for 2025. AI seems to be in the headlines every day. I came across an excellent in-depth look into the current state of AI. Some financial experts summarize that America is making a “giant bet on AI.”

In his article, Felipe Cornejo captures the disconnect in all the AI-driven content circling the airwaves.

  • AI investment is no longer “a side bet” – it’s become the core capex line item.
  • This is a telling analogy: tech capex on AI in 2025 (relative to GDP and adjusted for inflation) is equal to the money invested in the US-moon landing, the Manhattan Project, the US-Interstate Highway System, the Hoover Dam, plus several mega-20th-century projects combined.
  • This investment appears to be like all the significant advancements before it – railroads, electricity, the Internet. But the financing on this one makes it different.
  • Gains are occurring, but at what cost? “AI is an amplifier, not a solution.”
  • A watchout is leaning on AI, leading to less critical thinking – “eroding expertise you’re counting on when AI fails.”
  • True ROI is like “shadow IT circa 2010.” Unglamorous, back-office automation is more productive than system-wide initiatives.
  • Seven AI capabilities will amplify the benefits.
  • The energy bottleneck could be an interesting factor. In my home state, Three Mile Island (yes, that nuclear power plant), is coming back online 46 years after the 1979 meltdown.
  • “Measure reality instead of vibes,” and other things to watch out for in 2026.

While AI dominates most of the attention in the room, in the logistics and supply chain world I operate in, there are unsexy, essential tasks that must be performed at a high level. Otherwise, the entire sector becomes suboptimal.

Adrian Gonzalez is an expert in the supply chain industry. He recently published a thought-provoking article on the significance of data management. I appreciate that he clearly framed the data quality issue with two key questions.

Who owns data quality management?

Do we really need all of this data and complexity?

Setting aside any debate over tariffs, it is undeniable that they affect the supply chain industry and the opportunities they create. In Kevin O’Marah’s piece, “Six months in: Are tariffs really rebuilding American manufacturing?” he adeptly states that even if policy shifts in the future, the bottom-line concern of resilience should be one of the factors on nearly every leader’s mind. The industry needs to build long-term strength, which is usually achieved through competition and innovation.

Resilience has moved from cost center to core strategy. After years of disruption—including pandemics, wars, and unexpected natural disasters—leaders are now modeling risk as a constant, not an exception. The result is a new kind of supply chain math: one that factors resilience directly into cost models…Efficiency still matters, but durability has become the new measure of performance.

My family makes the annual trip to get a Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving. It’s a tradition and really kicks off the holiday vibe in the household. About 25 to 30 million real Christmas trees are sold in the U.S. each year. Stats show that over 90 percent of Americans put up a tree every festive season. However, over 80 percent opt for artificial trees.

I thoroughly understand the ever-increasing number of synthetic trees, but come on, how great is this commercial? Well done, Home Depot.

Bonus: Here’s a playlist I’ve been listening to on Spotify. It’s all about tranquility and gratitude.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1J1V04AUwy7JI3F3qKdjvj?si=d16183f5e1b243d5

Gratitude is a gift as beautiful as light snow on a field in the early morning. During this season when things can feel rushed, busy, and noisy, take some time to practice gratitude. We can all improve in this. It shifts our perspective and helps us appreciate even the most minor things.

Remember, it costs nothing to be kind.