DataSolved

There’s a lot of noise about AI right now, but this caught my eye because it’s refreshingly honest 🙂

A report shows that around 70% of retailers are already testing or partially using agentic AI.

But only 8% have rolled it out fully across their business.

In other words, most people are experimenting. Very few have cracked it.

And I’m certain it doesn’t only apply to retail.
�
Agentic AI isn’t just a chatbot answering questions.

It’s AI that can look across systems, spot issues, and suggest (or trigger) actions. Think delays, bottlenecks, stock problems, or inefficiencies. Not marketing slogans.

Retailers are optimistic.

Nearly all believe AI will be essential to staying competitive, and many expect efficiency gains very soon.

But they’re also hitting reality.

The biggest blockers?

• Data that isn’t clean or joined up
• Concerns about trust, transparency, and regulation
• And a shortage of people who know how to implement AI properly

What’s interesting is where AI is heading.

So far, most use has been in customer service and marketing.

But the next wave is about operations. Things like inventory, supply chains, fulfilment, admin. Less creative AI, more quietly fixing problems before customers notice.

And that’s the bit business owners should pay attention to.

The real value of AI is removing friction from day-to-day operations and freeing humans to focus on decisions that need judgment.

AI works best when the foundations are solid: Good data, clear processes, and realistic expectations.

So, here’s my question for you 🤔 If AI could spot problems in your operations before they became issues, would your systems be ready to support it?

This is why phishing is getting harder to spot… and why “just be careful with emails” isn’t enough anymore 😬

Attackers are abusing legitimate Google services to send phishing emails that look completely genuine.

Not fake domains or sender addresses.�

Actual emails coming from Google-owned infrastructure.

Security researchers recently tracked almost 10,000 phishing emails sent to thousands of businesses in just two weeks.

The emails looked like standard Google notifications. Voicemails, shared documents, that sort of thing.

And they were sent from a real .com address.
�
This wasn’t Google being hacked.

Attackers were misusing a real Google Cloud automation tool to send emails as part of a workflow.

Because those emails are generated by Google systems, they inherit Google’s excellent sender reputation.

That’s what makes them so dangerous.

Clicking the link takes victims on a journey that feels safe at every step:
�
• A trusted Google Cloud link�
• A convincing “prove you’re human” CAPTCHA�
• Then… a fake Microsoft login page

By the time someone realizes what’s happened, their email password has already been handed over.

Most of the victims were in manufacturing, tech, and finance. But the technique itself isn’t industry specific.

If your business uses Microsoft 365 and trusts Google links, this applies to you too.

The takeaway is simple but important: You can’t rely on trusted brands as a safety check anymore.
�
And you can’t expect staff to spot every trick.

That’s why modern security focuses on layers. Things like multi-factor authentication, conditional access, and reducing what a stolen password can do.

Because today’s phishing looks normal.

�👉 If one of your team received a genuine-looking email from Google, would they act on the request without thinking?

Here’s a small Windows 11 change that I think should have been there all along… 😄

Microsoft is testing a tidy-up to File Explorer’s right-click menu, specifically around AI features.

If you’ve ever right-clicked a file and noticed an AI actions option sitting there doing absolutely nothing, you’ll understand why this matters.

In this test version of Windows 11, if there are no AI actions available, Windows simply won’t show that section at all.
�
AI actions are things Windows can offer through Copilot, like summarizing a document or making smart edits to photos.

You can already turn these features off if you don’t want them.

The problem was, even when everything was turned off, the menu item still showed up.

Clicking it led to nothing. Which was confusing and, frankly, messy.

This update fixes that.

It’s not adding new AI features. It’s not forcing AI on anyone. It’s cleaning up the interface, so you only see options that do something.

And that’s important.

We don’t want more buttons. We want fewer distractions and clearer choices.

Right-click menus are meant to be quick and useful, not a dumping ground for half-used features.

This change is part of a bigger push from Microsoft to declutter Windows 11, especially in File Explorer, where small irritations add up over the course of a workday.

It’s currently in testing, but changes like this usually make their way to everyone once Microsoft’s happy it hasn’t broken anything.

Sometimes the best improvements aren’t flashy 🙂

💬 When it comes to AI in your everyday tools, do you want more options at your fingertips or a cleaner screen that only shows what you use?