Says Trump yesterday: The benchmark oil price has dipped after US President Donald Trump said the war with Iran will end "very soon". Doubtful that will translate into lower prices at the pump.
What Trump says typically causes reactions.
Shares across Europe drop on oil price surge - but BP and Shell are up, says a BBC report.
In my part of South Somerset, diesel typically hovers between £1.47 to £1.52 a litre. But what's happening to crude oil prices at the moment means it's impossible to predict anything other than that the price will keep going up. Just a 'glitch' says Trump 🙄
Petrol prices certainly have jumped in the past week. Today at Tesco in Yeovil, E10 petrol is £1.36/litre, up from £1.32 last week. Not far behind E10 at the BP station: £1.38/litre. Topped up the tank with 20 litres, first purchase since 23 Feb (hybrid helps). I expect prices to keep going up.
AI agents promise autonomy. But when they reach the limits of the digital world, they still need humans to observe reality for them.
In my latest post, I reflect on the idea of humans becoming the “sensors” of agentic AI – and what that might mean for human-centred AI.
🔗 bit.ly/4lBM6ml
This is brilliant. Will it win #Eurovision? Er, probably not, it's totally bonkers. But it oughta!
youtu.be/niMKvJ-Itq8?...
Human-centred AI puts people before technology. But what happens when AI begins shaping decisions in war?
A short reflection on ethics, responsibility and human judgement in an age of AI-assisted warfare.
www.nevillehobson.io/when-human-c...
A leader can build goodwill for days... and lose it in seconds.
In #FIRpodcast 503, @nevillehobson.xyz & @shelholtz.bsky.social examine the #IOC press conference moment that turned into a global story about blame, executive readiness & leadership capital.
🎧💻 bit.ly/3OKM3YX
Insightful analysis by Jonathan Freedland in The Guardian of @gavinnewsom.bsky.social, the man who will challenge Trump sooner or later www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
Good news for Yeovil and Somerset as a whole, not to mention the wider UK economy www.bbc.co.uk/news/arti…
“It is, of course, only one by-election, and there are all kinds of factors at play here — but the fragmentation of British politics appears to be speeding up.” - @politico
news.sky.com/story/gre…
US consulting growth is forecast to hit 7%, driven by AI implementation. But this is “selective acceleration”, not a blanket boom.
For independents, the opportunity lies less in AI tools and more in helping organisations interpret change.
New post: www.nevillehobson.io/ai-is-liftin...
AI is already shaping decisions in organisations. Are our ethical frameworks keeping pace?
On 25 Feb, @silviacambie.bsky.social and I are hosting “AI, Ethics, and the Responsibility of Communicators” for #IABC Ethics Month. A leadership conversation, not a tools session.
Details: bit.ly/4rzfBHt
Extraordinary - IOC president threatens to fire PR staff after being blindsided by a journalist in a press conference. Watch the clip, painful viewing.
youtu.be/K_gnbJc3gK0?...
FIR podcast episode 502.
In #FIRpodcast 502, @shelholtz.bsky.social and @nevillehobson.xyz unpacked what happened when an AI coding agent's code was rejected by a human developer – and the AI then published a critique of him and his decision.
Plus 5 more topics in this long-form episode for February.
🔗 bit.ly/46ou3cR
FIR podcast 501
AI isn’t replacing communicators – it may be increasing their value.
In #FIRpodcast 501, @shelholtz.bsky.social & @nevillehobson.xyz explore why companies are hiring “chief storytellers” – and why the shift from messaging to meaning could redefine our role.
🎧💻 bit.ly/4aUFj32
The PRCA has proposed a new definition of public relations. It’s modern, strategic, and ambitious.
But with CIPR, PRSA and others all defining PR differently, can the profession ever speak with one voice? Maybe the issue isn’t about writing a definition, but agreeing on one.
🔗 bit.ly/4ro8h1g
ChatGPT issues
'Gateway timeout' error trying to log in to ChatGPT status.openai.com
New word: #slopaganda
www.businessinsider.com/hottest-j…
FIR 500: AI abuse in the workplace
In #FIRpodcast 500, @shelholtz.bsky.social & @nevillehobson.xyz talk about AI-enabled workplace abuse and why it needs to be treated as workplace harm.
For communicators, this is about preparation – what to do before anything happens to prevent silence becoming permission.
🎧💻 bit.ly/4tsVU5w
“The viral social network for bots reveals more about our own current mania for AI as it does about the future of agents.” Nailed it! www.technologyreview.com/2026/02/0…
One in 3.4 million...
Fascinating. I'm one little dot in a universe of 3.4 million!
The Mandelson scandal is the headline. But what sticks with me is Gordon Brown’s call for systemic reform – hearings for senior appointments, an anti-corruption commission with teeth, tougher lobbying rules, limits on second jobs.
Reform is friction.
www.nevillehobson.io/cleaning-up-...
A really good alternative to hosting your newsletter on Substack is @ghost.org. This is the one I use www.theguardian.com/media/2026/f...
Introducing the IABC AI Leadership and Communication SIG
AI is raising leadership & communication questions before technical ones.
On 11 Feb, @silviacambie.bsky.social & I are hosting an introductory webinar for #IABC members to launch the AI Leadership & Communication SIG – what it focuses on, & how members can get involved.
Details: bit.ly/3Zphqu6
Jeez, this sordid tale gets worse and worse every time I look at the news 🤮 Can they just arrest someone and jail them? And please, mainstream media, stop labelling everything you report as “Breaking News”
We’ve got oddly fixated on one question when reading content: “Was this written by AI?” Hardly a quality judgement.
I’ve written about why good content is defined by intent, ethics, and outcomes – and when AI assistance actually does matter.
🔗 www.nevillehobson.io/good-content...
FIR 499: When silence becomes a statement
PRSA says staying “apolitical” protects credibility. In #FIRpodcast 499, @shelholtz.bsky.social & @nevillehobson.xyz ask a harder question: what happens to credibility, truth and standards when ethical leadership goes quiet?
🎧💻 bit.ly/4tmraTN
Thoughtful discussion welcomed.
A great observation, Bernie. The irony, perhaps, is that this is exactly the kind of adaptive dialogue many organisations struggle to create between people.
