Top 5 Must-Reads: 3/24/23

You already know that every day at InformationWeek there will be original reporting from our team of journalists and unique commentary you won’t see anywhere else. But in case you missed them, here are some of our favorites from this week:??

1.????Layoffs

As always, keep a watchful eye on our Tech Company Layoff Tracker . Begun by our beloved former colleague Jessica Davis and maintained by our beloved new colleague Brandon Taylor , it’s updated… um… frequently.

And if, after that, you are still ready to look economic financial realities square in the face, read contributing reporter and columnist John Edwards’ feature “How to Downsize IT With Minimal Damage.” It contains practical advice for difficult times.

2. Impulsive AI

Suddenly, everyone is making it possible to use AI to do everything everywhere, from writing limericks to writing applications. Generative AI has made its way into low-code development platforms, leading InformationWeek contributing reporter Nathan Eddy to ask executives at several major technology firms whether this is such a good idea. They all cautioned IT departments against moving too fast.

“CIOs need to set limits to protect against impulsive AI investment.” -- Jason Conyard , CIO of VMware

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3. What Just Broke?

In the latest episode of his new periodic podcast “What Just Broke,” Senior Editor Joao-Pierre Ruth pontificated on whether tech hubs really help economic development . With tech layoffs abounding, the recent pause on construction of Amazon’s HQ2 project in Arlington County, Va., the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank , and other unhappy excitement causing the ground beneath tech hubs to quake, it’s worth asking ourselves questions like this, before we start rebuilding.

4. Unsustainable Software

John Abel , technical director at Google Cloud , wrote a lovely column about software’s environmental impact , and the downslide caused by years of writing inefficient code. Abel gives a tip of the hat to Paul Allen, Steve Wozniak, and the resourcefulness of yesteryear’s software developers, and laments the wasteful abandon of today. “Decades of advances in hardware gave a sense that computing resources, first on servers, then on networks, hosting centers, and clouds, was abundant. This illusion of abundance made it less necessary to budget memory and computing, even cost. …The result was computing languages that used more processing -- architectures that didn't adapt to changing needs -- and increased hardware resources, with little eye to the amount or type of electricity they'd consume.”

“We need to rediscover our roots, when physical technology constraints made every byte precious.” -- John Abel, technical director at Google Cloud

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5. March 30th Event on Cloud Security

Next Thursday – March 30, from 11 am to 4:15 pm Eastern – check out our online event, “Cloud Security: How the Game is Changing in 2023.” Our keynote speakers are Klaus Haller , senior security architect of major insurer AXA Switzerland and Jerich Beason , CISO, Commercial Bank, Capital One. Haller will kick off the day with lessons on cloud security best practices, and Beason will delve into the practical realities securing a remote workforce. The event will also feature speakers from FOLX Health , Fortinet , Rubrik , Palo Alto Networks , Mandiant (part of Google Cloud) , Uptycs , Revolution Cyber Security , 6Degrees LTD .

?This is just a taste of what’s going on. If you want the whole scoop, then register for one of our email newsletters , but only if you’re going to read it. We want to improve the sustainability of editorial operations, so we don’t want to send you newsletters that are just going to sit there unopened. If you're a subscriber already, please make sure Mimecast and other inbox bouncers know that we’re cool and they should let us through. And if you’re thinking about subscribing, then maybe start with the InformationWeek in Review; it only arrives on Fridays. ???