I am one summer break until mid-September. (Truthfully, I am moving and it’s a lot of work.) So I am bringing back some oldies but goodies you may have missed. First published March 2024.

Apart from tapas, Barcelona has apparently given the world another export: Aitana Lopez, an AI influencing fitness guru. Think impossibly smooth skin, perfectly flowy pink hair, and proportions that make Disney princesses look downright average. I remember staring at her photo, mesmerized, reminded of the stomach pouch I carry after giving birth to two children. At first, I assumed these were your standard “overly filtered” social media personalities—just more curated than usual. But as I kept scrolling, I realized there was no human underneath the face-tuning apps. These influencers weren’t real people at all.

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That realization left me half-fascinated, half-freaked out. I’d been one of those folks who constantly rolled my eyes at influencers for being “fake.” Now, here I was, gawking at every pixel of something literally not human—yet with hundreds of thousands (sometimes millions) of followers. After all the flak we give human influencers for lacking authenticity, how on earth did a completely fabricated personality rise to stardom? Does our need for a flawless idol trump the requirement that it be a breathing person? I wanted answers, and I found them in a chat with a digital anthropologist who pointed out, in the most Canadian-and-British-friendly way, that this phenomenon is just a high-tech spin on something ancient.

AI influencers are surging across social platforms, offering a brand-safe, always-on persona that never sleeps or scandalizes. It seems contradictory, but according to experts, resonates with a historical human tendency to create icons—totems—that embody shared values. What we’re witnessing is the collision of that ancient behavior with cutting-edge tech, opening up a new sphere for brands, marketers, and communities worldwide.

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An Evolution in Human Idol Worship

Just regular humans Giles Crouch and I having a conversation on AI influencers and totemism for JAMCQ. I have about 3k followers on X, Giles has about 4.5K on LinkedIn, so AI has us both beat.

It’s not like worshipping celebrities is new. We’ve been doing this for thousands of years—building statues, wearing masks, creating figures to rally around or pray to when life got unpredictable. Giles put a name to it: totemism, this old-as-dirt practice of giving an object or idea (like a carved figure or a killer pop album) enough power that entire communities unite around it. If you’ve ever yelled “Slay!” at a Beyoncé concert, you’ve already joined that club. I’m a card-carrying member of the BeyHive myself, so I totally get the urge to gather en masse around a single iconic figure. When it works, it feels like belonging, but it also feels a little primal—like you’d do out-of-character things in the hive.

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Now, imagine transferring that same raw devotion to a digital entity that can’t ever slip up or randomly decide it wants to grow old and retire. AI influencers basically take this centuries-old totem thing and supercharge it. They talk back to us, post flawless content 24/7, and never reveal any awkward details about their personal lives—because they don’t have one.

“Totemism on Instagram is aesthetic, so design means a lot,” explains Giles, noting how the idols are created in each platform. “In TikTok, well, it's more performative totemism. An AI influencer encourages people to sing and dance along, so it's more of an active thing. Twitter or X, that's more what I call conversational totem, totemism. It's more about dialogue. Then there’s YouTube. There it is narrative totemism because they're longer videos. There can be some engagement but not really. It’s the AI influencer creating the narrative, and it's less so about the community.”

Totemism makes total sense: people want icons to believe in, to dress like, to defend in online wars. We used to carve them in stone; now we code them to perfection. And the most mind-blowing part? We’re still showing up with the same fervor, if not more.

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Syphoning Marketing Dollars Off to AI

Reports project the influencer marketing industry to be valued at a whooping $24 billion and growing. When you add AI influencers into the mix, the possibilities seem boundless. So how are brands tapping into this totemism?

“People like to relate to brands, but they don't have relationships with them,” says Giles. But AI influencers are changing that.

They allow brands to embody human-like figures, totems, to build direct bonds with consumers.

“What’s interesting is that it’s not so much the influencer that we’re forming a relationship with—it’s the community we create around that influencer,” Giles Crouch explained.

And for many companies, the holy grail is fostering a sense of community— profitable communities.

Giles points to companies like Puma, a German athletic shoe brand. Puma introduced an AI-created influencer with a specific cultural background—an avatar from Morocco—tailored to resonate with sports fans across African and Middle Eastern markets. Why Morocco? Because Puma saw a significant following in these regions and wanted a “spokesperson” who could speak directly to those cultural values and lifestyle aspirations.

And what ends up happening doesn’t stop at official brand campaigns. Communities form organically around these digital figures. People create fan art, build subreddits, launch hashtags, and even craft virtual “meet-and-greet” sessions. While some brand managers fear AI might depersonalize relationships, early adopters find that the opposite is happening. It’s the fan community where the real brand equity builds, providing a sense of belonging that extends well beyond the product itself.

In practical terms, AI influencers can:

• Post and engage with audiences 24/7, crossing time zones effortlessly.

• Speak multiple languages or vernaculars, broadening brand reach in global markets.

• Provide consistent messaging aligned with brand values.

• Continuously learn from user interactions, refining their approach to generate deeper engagement.

The lure is clear: a flexible, data-driven persona that can be “enhanced” with a few tweaks in programming. That can be a game-changer for companies looking to scale quickly without risking the next big scandal or falling victim to influencer burnout.

Not All Is Pleasant in Pleasantville.

Beyond the fandom, there are ethical and social concerns, and different cultures are seeing unique challenges. In South Korea’s K-pop scene, fans expect a certain level of innocence and purity. But does an AI influencer take that a step further, reinforcing unrealistic expectations about perfection, body image, or lifestyle? In the West, digital anthropologists worry about manipulated consumerism—an AI figure that entices you to spend more, buy more, or behave in ways you might not otherwise. Meanwhile, data centers powering these AI “personalities” guzzle electricity, leaving questions about sustainability and long-term scalability.

Then there’s the emotional bond. If an AI influencer is perceived as a friend, a role model, or even a romantic figure (because humans have a knack for projection), how do we handle the psychological fallout if it “ghosts” followers or the brand pulls the plug?

“We have to ask ourselves what it means to be human in a phygital world,” Giles said, referencing that blurred line between our physical and digital realities. “If an AI influencer, all of a sudden gets turned off, and people— hundreds, thousands, millions— have formed a relationship with this AI influencer, then it's gone. Do we get depressed? Do we have a funeral? What are the rituals that we place around that?”

We don’t have the guardrails in place to deal with not just a psychological fallout—the risks of suicide, depression, and anxiety. We also don't have the guardrails to deal with cyber crime and how we can be manipulated by these AIs. And that is a real risk for society.

So How Can a Business Use an AI Influencer Effectively?

• Start with an Exit Strategy: If you ever retire the AI persona, think about how fans might react. Giles cautions that if people build emotional attachments, shutting the influencer down cold turkey can leave them feeling abandoned—much like a show abruptly canceled without a finale. That can sour your brand’s reputation, or worse cause psychological damage to people so tread carefully.

• Explore Cultural “Type” First: Giles points out that cultures fall loosely into “type one” (highly individualistic) or “type two” (collectivist). In the West (type one), personal freedoms and liberties come first, so your AI influencer should highlight uniqueness and personal gain. In places like South Korea or many Nordic nations (type two), a “we-first” approach resonates better—emphasizing teamwork, community values, and shared identity.

• Respect Local Norms and Expectations: If you’re launching an AI influencer in a region where fans expect a squeaky-clean public image (like K-pop circles), perhaps understanding and navigating that cultural reality will make it easier for the public to accept and feel safe with your technological human. Conversely, in Western markets, showing a bit of “edginess” might actually drive more engagement, as fans enjoy personalities that stand out.

• Customize Communication Channels: Different areas have preferred platforms—WhatsApp or Twitter in one region, KakaoTalk in South Korea, Telegram in parts of Eastern Europe. Tailor your AI influencer’s main channel to the local audience’s habits, make sure it speaks the local language and strategize your totemic behaviors based on the platform.

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The Analysis 

I’ll admit, by the time I finished my research, I was both intrigued and tempted to delete every social app on my phone. There’s no denying the marketing goldmine these digital darlings seem to represent. But the speed at which this is all going, the threats to jobs, energy and society are just as poignant as the business opportunities. 

Giles pointed out that in the past humans had many decades to adopt and adapt to technology. Today, that’s all out the window. 

But take a moment and digest it all. I had to. Just know that the moment you need to take can also leave you feeling a bit further behind. 

The Cultural Takeaway

You’re more cultured now because you see that AI influencers thrive not just on flashy tech, but on deep-rooted cultural values. In South Korea’s communal context, they satisfy collective ideals. In Western individualistic cultures, they offer curated authenticity without the risk. They’re modern totems, reflecting the timeless human need for shared stories—only now, our icons can text us back. 

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This Fourth of July, I watched Americans, including an international pop icon, wrestle with their sense of patriotism.

I went to Beyoncé's concert for the music but found myself more struck by the symbolism.

Words filled the screen: “I am an American poet.” Emphasis on “American.”

Then images of Black artists appeared.

The words continued: “With American images like...” followed by a sign for an old Tina Turner concert and James Brown dropping to the ground with his microphone.

What I witnessed was something complicated struggling for expression—a need to affirm the Americanness of Black and other minority populations within this country. It felt like laying stake to a claim, similar to how Beyoncé approached country music, a genre she was repeatedly told she didn't belong in but made space in, not only for herself but for other Black artists.

In that performance, with all the beautiful red, white, and blue outfits, I saw a woman struggling to celebrate when things felt complicated. Her final act made the critique clear: the Statue of Liberty masked with braids.

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It’s Not Just About Queen B

But Beyoncé isn't alone in this wrestling match. According to a recent Gallup poll, this is a national phenomenon. A record low of 58% of Americans say they are "extremely" (41%) or "very" (17%) proud to be American, compared to 87% who said they were extremely or very proud in January 2001. The slip has occurred primarily among Democrats and independents.

While talking to people in the crowd at the concert, I saw a woman wearing a sash that was red, white, and blue but read "America Has a Problem." When I asked her about it, she said this was what she could bring herself to wear that day. I also reached out to people on TikTok and heard from multiple individuals—veterans even—who said their patriotism had been slipping. Though it seemed to be an ongoing struggle, it has certainly hit a new low this year.

Some of the white people who messaged me said their sense of pride slipped was because of the level of racism they see around them that they hadn't witnessed to that extent before. For Black families with military service history, it seemed more complicated—something they wrestled with in an ongoing way, layered with generations of complex relationships with American identity.

This is all worth noting. I've seen Americans domestically and abroad, and we can be an obnoxiously prideful people. So it certainly says something about where we're headed that so many are struggling with their sense of patriotism.

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Lessons From Overseas

While posted as a U.S. diplomat in Saudi Arabia, I was able to write a column in the Arab newspaper there about my feelings on the Fourth of July, a huge feat to discuss freedom and democracy in a strict monarchy. It was short, but I remember it being a challenge. I wanted to celebrate where America was as a country while also addressing the elephant in the room: that I was a Black woman and that our history is fraught, with efforts at cohesion perhaps forever ongoing.

Whether you're domestic or abroad, I’d love to keep this conversation going. How are you feeling? How did you celebrate the Fourth of July? What does patriotism mean to you right now?

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Shout out to The Grade that made a kind donation and republished one my last newsletter! Check them out if you are into education reporting!

I hope you found this newsletter helpful and engaging. Please share with any friends or family you think would be interested and feel free to buy me a coffee by subscribing if you got some use out of it or make a one-time donation.

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As a local journalist, I've covered more parades than I can count. Pride parades, Puerto Rican parades, all kinds of cultural celebrations. My first news job was in New York City, and parade coverage was a biweekly affair in the summers.

But I learned from all those early morning setup shots and crowd interviews. Every parade taught me something new about the culture I was covering: the different dances, the music, how people celebrated their heritage in their own unique ways, right here in America.

And I think this is pretty unique to the United States. I've traveled and lived in several other countries, and I don't remember seeing the same kind of cultural parades for minority populations that we have here (happy to be corrected on this). There's something distinctly American about the way we let—or better yet, encourage—communities to celebrate who they are in public spaces.

Which is why the cancellation of the Salvadoran parade in Maryland because of ICE fears really matters. Are communities now afraid to publicly display their culture in this country? The headlines say some are.

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From Pride to Suppression

For many first and second generation Americans I’ve met, parades have been a way for them to connect with the other half of themselves, the part that is often reserved for home. Hidden.

It is as if the moment they change from their jeans and t-shirts to whatever cultural attire they normally wear, they are letting you in on a secret, showing you a glimpse of another part of themselves. At least that's how I felt watching people I knew dress up and show out at cultural celebrations.

In places like Montgomery County, Maryland where I live, or Houston, Texas where my mom is, cultural diversity is huge. The parades and celebrations are how local families display their pride in their heritage and maintain a sense of belonging to their communities.

But what happens when fear starts dictating which cultures get to be visible?

Even in Montgomery County, where the local government voices strong support for immigrant communities, people's lived experience appears to be changing. They're now scared of being the next Kimar Abrego Garcia, caught in a web of politics that may or may not have anything to do with them.

So What?

So what does it mean for these families when they don’t feel as if they can celebrate their culture publicly anymore? When your restaurants are “trouble spots,” when your cultural centers are seen as dangerous and threatening? How do you explain to your kids that celebrating who they are has become unsafe? I don’t have these answers, but these are questions worth pondering.

The U.S. has gone through ebbs and flows with immigrant hostility and discrimination in its history—think Japanese internment camps, deportations of the Irish, the list goes on. But my formative years in this country were marked by a system where multiple cultures seemed to coexist and celebrate openly.

I think about all those parades I covered as a young reporter. Each one was a story about people finding ways to be themselves in America. They were stories about belonging, about community, about the complexity of the American identity.

Now, I'm watching communities make what they describe as the tough decision to hide. This Salvadoran parade cancellation isn't just a Maryland story. It is the new American story. And right now, I'm not sure how it ends.

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Bonus: Nigerian Meat Pie Recipe (Cheat Version)

Now, a bit from my culture. Here’s how I make my quick and flavorful Nigerian meat pies, with a few time-saving hacks and some personal touches.

No measurements, just vibes. If you think too hard, you’ll mess it up.

Filling:

• About 1 lb ground beef

• 1 whole onion, diced

• 4–5 garlic cloves, chopped

• 1–2 carrots, chopped

• 1 zucchini, chopped (you can substitute yellow squash)

• Olive oil

• Salt to taste

Seasonings (to your heart’s content):

• Curry powder

• Turmeric

• Cumin

• Parsley

• Paprika

• Black pepper

• Oregano

• Red pepper flakes (optional – I skip this for my kids)

I don’t add potatoes to this filling because I’m not about that carb-on-carb life, but lots of Nigerian people do.

Sauté everything in olive oil—start with the onions and garlic, then brown the beef, then add the veggies and spices. Cook it down until everything is well-seasoned and soft. I usually make the filling the night before because I don’t like doing too much in one day.

Dough (cheat code):

• Trader Joe’s pizza dough

• A bit of flour (to firm it up—it’s too sticky straight from the bag)

• 1 Egg for coating

Roll it out, cut it into circles or squares, add the filling, and fold it over. Press the edges with a fork to seal. You can brush the tops with an egg wash if you want them glossy, but it’s optional.

Bake at 375–400°F until golden brown (about 25–30 minutes).

That’s it.

Delicious, savory, flaky, and kid-approved. It’s the Nigerian meat pie but faster, easier, and still packed with love.

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Growing up in a conservative Christian Nigerian home and attending an evangelical church, I was taught early on that being gay was considered part of a sinful lifestyle, alongside fornication, lying, and other transgressions. As I got older, I discovered this belief wasn't unique to my circle—a large portion of African and African-American families held or hold similarly conservative (now largely understood as discriminatory) views. And today it is this cultural conundrum, holding views that exclude groups while navigating life as a person who needs acceptance from other groups, that I want to unpack.

This cultural complexity creates fascinating contradictions, something I witnessed clearly during recent discussions about papal succession. (I know the pope is already chosen but bear with me here). This fascinating NPR story touched on an interesting dilemma within the decision to choose a new pope for the church: even if church leaders wanted to be progressive and select a dark-skinned African pope, that person's deeply held ideological beliefs might actually work against the LGBTQ community and other progressive causes those types of leaders supported.

This was a point of tension worth exploring for me because it raised a lot of questions that I had growing up about identity and belonging. How do you reconcile it when one’s fundamental, deeply-rooted beliefs may work against them in unexpected ways? It's a complexity I've observed throughout my life—watching my mother vote for both parties, seeing how ideological divides can obscure the full humanity of people whose beliefs are layered and sometimes contradictory.

The NPR piece highlighted this beautifully through Father James Martin's work with LGBTQ Catholics. He described meeting people who felt increasingly pushed out of churches they loved, while also acknowledging that church leaders are "prayerful people" who've dedicated their lives to service and genuinely believe they're doing what's right, which sometimes is exclusion of groups, ideas and lifestyles. There's real pain.

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The Catholic Church's current struggle reflects a broader challenge many institutions face: the fastest-growing communities of faith are often in regions where conservative social views are deeply embedded in local tradition and culture. Yet these same communities may find themselves marginalized by the power centers of institutions they're most faithful to (i.e. the Vatican).

The Takeaway?

I have lived around the world and seen the discrimination and rejection all sorts of people do to one another while simultaneously seeking acceptance from others. It is a complex thing to take in and try to understand.

But what I have concluded is that this isn't just about religion or politics. It's about the messy reality of human identity—how our deepest convictions about faith, family, culture, and belonging don't always fit into neat categories. It's about recognizing that people can hold seemingly contradictory beliefs not out of confusion, but because their lived experiences are genuinely complex.

These conversations resist simple solutions precisely because they involve our most fundamental beliefs about right and wrong, about community and belonging, about who we are and who we're called to be. Perhaps the way forward isn't about resolving these tensions, but about creating space for the full complexity of human experience, acknowledging that people can be deeply faithful and deeply conservative while also being part of communities that don't always recognize or welcome all aspects of who they are.

Thoughts?

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Newsletter Housekeeping

A little housekeeping update for you all. As some of you know, I was juggling multiple newsletters, which honestly became too much to manage. So I've merged everything into one weekly newsletter that goes out on Sundays.

The new format is divided into three sections, and I’ll lead with something different each week:

Jenny Explains World Systems — This is where I'll dive into general system connections and share interesting things I come across.

JAM CQ — The intersection of culture and industry, lifestyle, and current affairs. All the articles from this section have been migrated over here.

The Herd World — This is where I'll talk about my books, share fanfare, fan fiction, and other book-related content.

I'm experimenting with keeping this newsletter on a donation basis, so you can now make a one time donation through stripe or you can be a monthly subscriber for just $5 a month.

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If you enjoy it and want to support what I'm doing, donations and subscriptions are always appreciated and help keep things running. I'm also considering making some of the Herd World pieces subscriber-only, but nothing's set in stone yet.

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Things might change as I figure this out—I'm learning alongside all of you.

The Herd World- Updates, and What I’m Reading

Where to Find The Herd The Herd is now available at Wonderland Bookstores in Bethesda, Maryland! If you're in the area, you can grab a copy there. I've also launched my new author website where you can order signed copies directly from me—just a heads up that signed copies are exclusively available through my site.

Check Out the Website

Exclusive Maps in Development For those of you who've already read the book, I'm working on something special: two detailed maps that I think you'll love. The first will show faction population concentrations within the herd world, mapping out how these groups have coalesced across the U.S. landscape in the post-apocalyptic Herd world. The second map will illustrate how the world gets redrawn as different wars following the Crash . These visual guides are helping me see the world more clearly as I write, and I think they'll be fantastic resources for readers too. I'm planning to make these maps available as subscriber-only content—a little exclusive treat for dedicated readers.

Book Two Progress I'm still deep in the revision process for book two (kind of lost track of word count at this point lol), and as many of you know, revisions take considerable time and patience. After I complete this round of revisions, I'll do another full read-through before seeking a professional editor. If you're interested in beta reading or editing opportunities, keep an eye out—those opportunities will be coming after I secure an editor for book two. I'm really excited about how this sequel is shaping up!

Current Reading Recommendation Beyond my own writing, I've been absorbed in Severance, a post-apocalyptic novel by Asian-American author Ling Ma. I love the distinctive voice and perspective she brings to the futuristic dystopian genre. Her novel follows the protagonist Candace who is wandering a world overtaken by a mysterious sickness. I haven't reached the ending yet, so I can’t fully recommend it. But I am I'm thoroughly enjoying the modern setting of this dystopian world. I always love discovering post-apocalyptic stories from diverse authors, and this one delivers a fresh, contemporary approach to familiar themes.

Thanks for following along on this journey with me!

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Around the world, cultures hit pause in different ways, from Japan’s cherry blossom season and Spain’s Semana Santa processions, to Thailand’s water-soaked Songkran festival. At JAM CQ, we’re taking our own kind of break: part rest, part reset.

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But before we do that, we want your voice in the mix. What’s working? What’s not? What do you wish we covered more? Less? Drop your thoughts in this quick survey and help us shape the next season of JAM CQ. We’ll be back in May with fresh content, sharper insights, and a few surprises.

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One of my favorite ways to surprise Americans when we talk about Turkey is to let them listen to Duman, a Turkish rock band founded in 1999. My favorite song from them, “Senden Daha Güzel,” is a headbanging melody that resonates even more deeply when you’re a bit buzzed, and it makes Americans question every assumption they hold about the country. And they absolutely should. As a nation where the majority of the people are Muslim, Turks defy many stereotypes people associate with Muslim culture, defining their identity with their own rhythm. Perhaps this culture of defiance has beckoned them to protest en masse against the authoritarian leader in their country who refuses to relinquish his grip on power.

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I lived in Turkey (or Türkiye as it is now officially called) a little over ten years ago, and I’ll never forget when the Gezi Park protests ignited in 2013. I stood in Taksim Square, the heart of Istanbul, and watched defiance transform an entire city. Seas of people flooded the streets. They turned the roads unrecognizable by plastering walls with messages of resistance, covering the Starbucks in the square with graffiti, and filling the air with tear gas and determination. People from all walks of life poured in, uniting against President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his government’s steady erosion of democratic freedoms.

The Gezi Park protests didn’t last just one day of rage—they stretched on for weeks as people camped out in the streets. Protesters knew the risks: arrests, crackdowns, losing their jobs, even physical harm. Yet day after day, they returned, believing it was their sacred duty to stand up for their democracy. I’ll always remember watching people on the side streets pour milk in their eyes to relieve the sting of tear gas, then head right back out.

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In the years since, Erdoğan has clamped down harshly. Arrests, intimidation, and oppression have become commonplace. Protests shrank in size and frequency, giving way to a grim quiet that felt like resignation. Elections came and went, and irregularities and questionable outcomes marked each one. Erdoğan consolidated power, changed laws to extend his rule, diminished the judiciary’s independence, and silenced dissenters.

Despite everything, Turks never ceased to amaze me by continuing to show up and vote. Even when the outcome seemed predetermined, even when it felt pointless, they persisted. Each ballot felt like a small yet powerful act of resistance—a refusal to quietly surrender their democracy.

The arrest of Istanbul’s mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu, sparked this recent wave of protests. It reminds me of the spirit I first witnessed at Gezi Park and in the grungy Taksim clubs while I banged my head to Duman—a spirit that refuses to die. It reveals the extraordinary resilience of people who, despite two decades of growing authoritarianism, continue to rise up and say, “Enough.”

As an American who watches our own democracy face threats from within, I feel inspired when I witness the tireless bravery of the Turkish people.

Turks are Muslims who take pride in their Rakı and Efes—the most famous liquor and beer in the country. They are Muslims whose women step on their husbands’ feet during wedding ceremonies to assert their authority in the home. They are Muslims who frequently remind Americans that their country’s short history already included a woman president. They are Muslims whose clubs—bombed and attacked in the past—still pack in people eager to bang their heads to rock music.

They have chosen their own path and their own way of religious practice, and they remain determined to choose their own democratic future. When I see the resilience and unyielding hope in these Turkish protesters’ eyes, I think: this is what democracy means. This is what it means to never surrender. Americans could probably use a little more of that defiant culture. The Turkish fight reminds us all that democracy isn’t something handed to us—it’s something we continually earn and protect, no matter the cost.

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You’re now more cultured because…

…you now understand that Turkish culture is dynamic and unique to the region.

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We’re thrilled to announce the launch of our brand-new Cross-Cultural Grants Access, designed to empower you to put your cultural intelligence to work. Now, in addition to learning about cultural intelligence with JAM CQ, you can tap directly into a curated database of over 50 active grants focused on intercultural arts, culture, education, youth, music, and more!

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President Donald Trump has a high risk tolerance, an individualistic decision-making style, a hierarchical leadership approach, and a transactional negotiation methodology—all cultural traits that our JAM CQ Middle East analyst, Muhammad Dabbour, says give Hamas hope.

I sat down with Muhammad, a former State Department media analyst with over 20 years of experience, to understand exactly why Hamas wants to negotiate with Trump and what cultural dimensions influence this unusual diplomatic pairing. Here’s our insightful Q&A on the unexpected relationship between Trump and Hamas—and why it matters culturally and politically.

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Q: You’d think that after President Trump said he wants to clear Gaza and turn it into a resort, Hamas wouldn’t want anything to do with Americans.

Muhammad Dabbour: The truth is, Hamas isn’t just one unified group; it's split into factions. There's the Hamas leadership inside Gaza, who believe force is the only solution, and then there's the Hamas leadership abroad (primarily in Qatar), who are more pragmatic and open to negotiations. With rebuilding Gaza is at stake, the group abroad is regaining influence and believes that America—particularly under Trump—is an important mediator because of his willingness to bypass traditional diplomatic rules.

Q: What strategic calculations are behind negotiating directly with the Trump administration?

Important Note: The U.S. designates Hamas as a terrorist organization. Traditional leaders, like former President Joe Biden, refuse to negotiate with groups carrying this label, but the Trump administration has. That creates an opportunity Hamas has never had before.

Muhammad: Interestingly, Hamas sees Trump as a "serious president"—someone who doesn't play typical political games. They believe once Trump decides something, he sticks to it, and won’t bend under pressure from allies, including Israel. From Hamas’s perspective, previous agreements with Israel have often been ignored or violated, and past U.S. administrations typically aligned closely with Israeli interests. Trump, from their perspective, is unpredictable enough that he could actually impose his will independently of Israel’s traditional influence.

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Trumps Cultural Dimensions

After speaking with Muhammad Dabbour and revisiting our JAM CQ cultural dimensions framework, I broke down the aspects of Trump’s negotiation style and cultural attributes that make direct talks appealing to Hamas. Here’s what I found:

1. Communication Style:

Indirect (High Context) ←Saudi Arabia—China—UK—Trump (Direct)→ Direct (Low Context)

Trump’s blunt, transactional approach simplifies negotiations for groups with limited resources.

2. Hierarchy & Power Distance:

High Hierarchy ←Saudi Arabia– Trump: Authoritative, Top-Down- US Avg.– Denmark→ Low Hierarchy

Trump’s unilateral decisions bypass bureaucracy, enabling faster negotiations beneficial for Hamas’s limited position.

3. Risk Tolerance:

Risk Averse ←Japan—Biden Admin.—Trump→ High Risk Tolerant

Trump is highly risk-tolerant, aligning perfectly with Hamas’s urgent needs for immediate gains.

4. Decision-Making Style (Individualistic vs. Collectivist):

Collectivist (Group Consensus) ←Japan—Traditional Middle East—U.S. Standard—Trump (Highly Individualistic)→ Individualistic

Trump acts independently, rarely deferring to group consensus or even advisors, appealing to Hamas by quickly clearing bureaucratic hurdles.

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So What?

Trump’s negotiation style offers Hamas something they desperately need right now: a clear, direct, and transactional partner who can bypass traditional diplomatic barriers. Trump’s willingness to act decisively without consulting advisors or fearing political backlash creates a rare opening for Hamas, whose limited resources and dwindling leverage require precisely that kind of bold, authoritative decision-maker. His risk-tolerant approach and focus on short-term, visible wins aligns perfectly with Hamas’s urgent need for immediate results—not just to boost legitimacy, but to survive politically after essentially losing this war.

Trump’s style isn’t just preferable for Hamas; it’s become their best—and possibly only—hope.

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One of my favorite historical periods is the Cold War. I’ve devoured countless books on it because I find the concept of entire nations aligning and going to war over competing ideologies or cultures fascinating. Between 1947 and 1991, the United States championed its capitalistic, free-market democracy against the Soviet Union’s communism. It was a stark divide: on one side, you had personal freedoms, private enterprise, and open expression; on the other, state control, centralized planning, and severe restrictions on free speech. This ideological rivalry shaped global relationships for decades.

You can imagine the shock many Americans felt last week when President Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance effectively berated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and suspended military aid to Ukraine. In the midst of a war that directly pits Western democratic ideals against Russia’s authoritarian leanings, these actions seemed to mark a clear departure from the familiar posture of backing allies and partners who share those core “Western” cultural values.

So, how does the realignment of our foreign policy affect American culture and identity? If our bonds with Western-culture nations keep fraying, could core freedoms like open journalism and public protest face new threats? Understanding this trend helps us see what remains of the Western bloc—and whether we still belong in it.

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From Plato to NATO

When I served as a diplomat in Saudi Arabia, one of my main goals was to foster an environment where Western ideologies—like property rights, respect for women, and freedom of expression—were more palatable to locals. It’s not that I was there to push some monolithic American agenda; rather, the point was that shared values make it easier to build partnerships, do business, and live harmoniously. If we speak the same cultural “language,” we’re less likely to misunderstand each other on essential matters.

Now, what’s happening inside the United States makes me wonder if we’re still championing those core Western tenets. The West, as I’ve always understood it, refers to a fluid and evolving concept more tied to ideals than geography or even race. Historians trace the earliest concepts of what can be called westernization to ancient Greece. Over centuries, it became a blend of democratic governance, rule of law, human rights, individual liberty, and economic freedom. This is the cultural glue that tied the U.S. to nations across the Atlantic and formed the backbone of the NATO alliance.

Of course, “the West” has never been a monolith. America’s flavor of Western democracy is distinct from, say, France’s or Germany’s. But we’ve generally held onto that shared baseline of open discourse and the sanctity of individual freedoms.

How Does “Western Culture” Show Up Daily?

Western culture, in an American context, plays out in a variety of ways, for example:

• Free Speech: The ability to critique leaders publicly (like what we’re doing here) without state retaliation.

• Elections: We vote for our leaders, and in theory, those leaders are beholden to the people who elected them.

• Protest and Assembly: We can gather in public, voice our frustrations, and push our representatives toward change.

This is not to say other parts of the world don’t protest or vote. They do. But in many places, a thick cloud of fear hovers. In certain countries, a bold opinion piece can cost you your job—or worse, your freedom. So, for me, a big hallmark of “the West” is being able to participate in civic life without that constant dread of an authoritarian crackdown. It’s the lack of fear.

Are We Truly Shunning the Bloc Now?

The question that’s been nagging me since that tense meeting involving Zelensky, Trump, and J.D. Vance is whether this shift indicates a deeper break with Western alliances or if it’s just political theater. It’s impossible to know for sure right now. Some say this is the final nail in the coffin; others insist Trump is simply prioritizing ‘America First.’

At the moment, people are still protesting and voting freely in the United States—some might argue more passionately than ever. But there’s also a creeping sense of caution among some journalists and political analysts. More are looking over their shoulders, worried about rhetorical attacks, lawsuits, or smear campaigns that could threaten their job security if they press too hard.

This moment feels like a test. What will happen to American westernization if we cozy up to regimes that historically clash with western principles? Even if such a realignment is temporary, the cultural repercussions could be long-lasting.

Here’s what I do know: “Western culture” isn’t just about our alliances, it’s a living belief system that fosters open thought, civil rights, and transparent governance. If that part of our culture evolves, we might not notice right away, but we’ll soon feel its absence everywhere—particularly in freedoms we only realize are gone when we need them.

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It’s funny how certain corporate backtracks on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) can feel so personal—especially for Black people. Take Target, for instance. When it first expanded its offerings to include more Black haircare products, festive Black Santa outfits, and other items reflecting aspects of our culture, I remember feeling an odd little jolt of pride. Before that, finding quality hair products for myself or my kids usually meant a trip to the local beauty supply store. Target making shelf space for Black-owned or Black-centered products felt like our subculture had finally gone mainstream.

But now, with several U.S. companies scaling back DEI programs—some out of choice, others bowing to political or economic pressures—people are mulling over how to respond. Some are even looking overseas. A Black woman I know recently announced she was done with the United States and actually left. So that got me thinking: if we move abroad, will we find the diversity, equity, and inclusion that feels so shaky here?

Let’s get one thing straight: every country on this planet grapples with its own blend of racism, classism, prejudice, and discrimination. The events of 2020 may have amplified tensions in the United States, but other nations are not immune. Humans, in our infinite creativity, have always figured out new ways to exclude “the other.” How each place reckons (or refuses to reckon) with inclusion is complicated, shaped by unique histories, cultural values, and societal norms.

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The Blue Passport Privilege

The first time I went to Turkey, I taught English in massive Istanbul. Among my students was a young Kurdish man who had recently returned from mandatory military service. The Turkish military at the time viewed certain Kurdish groups in the south as a primary threat, and here he was—Kurdish, conflicted, and wrestling with the trauma of being deployed against his own community.

Our English conversations morphed into impromptu therapy sessions. He told me about the discrimination he faced in his home country simply because of his Kurdish identity—jobs he couldn’t get, the invisible ceiling on his ambitions. It was all so heavy for him.

Meanwhile, my experience as a Black American in Turkey was totally different. Yes, I sometimes got unwanted attention—people asking for photos, touching my hair—but overall, the local community was welcoming.

A few African friends I met in Turkey shared stories of more direct—and far harsher—discrimination. My “Blue Passport Privilege” shielded me, at least partially, from the challenges they faced.

In many places I’ve traveled—Italy, other parts of Europe—the same pattern holds. Being Black doesn’t automatically trigger one uniform experience. People interpret your nationality, your accent, and your perceived social status in all kinds of ways. That nuance means you might face discrimination based on race in one context, yet receive preferential treatment based on being American in another.

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National Identity Strength and Why It’s Hard to Integrate

So, how hard is it really to feel included overseas? Recently, I’ve tried to measure this through something I call “national identity strength”—basically, how intensely a country’s population holds onto traditional, sometimes exclusionary, ideas of who “belongs.”

• Very Strong National Identity: There’s a deep insider-versus-outsider mindset, and local traditions are nonnegotiable. The expectation might be: “You’re in our country, so follow all our customs exactly as we do—or else.”

• More Global Identity: Cultures here might be open to blending traditions and adopting outside influences. Sure, biases can still exist, but they might be subtler, hiding under the polite surface.

In nations with a more rigid sense of “who we are,” you’re more likely to run up against barriers in the job market or social spheres—particularly if you’re an immigrant, a person of color, or you don’t speak the local language fluently. Contacts who’ve worked or studied in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland talk about how bureaucracy and cultural formalities can be daunting, even if they appreciate the high quality of life there. One contact noted how even at the bars, many Austrians wore leather pants and paid tops like uniforms marking their national identity, a practice she found bizarre.

But Europe isn’t one simple monolith. Nationalism can be strong in certain pockets, and even neighboring countries or cities have different attitudes on integration. And because Europe is relatively small but extremely diverse, you can see stark contrasts in a quick, three-hour drive across a border. In some settings, assimilation is expected—people expect you to become “one of them” and don’t always see a need to adapt or accommodate.

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DEI vs. “Acculturation”: A Different Lens Abroad

Where Americans often use DEI language, many other places focus on what could be called “acculturation” or integration. Rather than actively highlighting and celebrating differences—whether around race, gender, religion, or language—some cultures see it as the outsider’s duty to fold themselves into the existing social and professional fabric.

My Greek contact who has lived in Switzerland for years has struggled to find steady work despite her qualifications. The Swiss job market can be notoriously competitive, and she’s realized that feeling truly “included” often means mastering local languages and customs in ways that go far beyond standard HR trainings. On the flip side, younger Europeans in certain global cities—think Berlin or Barcelona—might be more open and fluent in cross-cultural exchange. It’s not a one-size-fits-all scenario.

But there are many countries working hard to address diversity, equity and inclusion within their borders. Colombia got its first Black woman vice president in 2022. Spain, a country that only recently experienced a large influx of immigrants, is slowly diversifying its Congress with representatives like Rita Bosaho, the first Black female member of the Spanish Parliament. But it’s still rare, and some would argue that official “DEI” frameworks in many parts of the world are significantly behind the U.S. in many respects, partly because the concept of celebrating difference isn’t as widespread.

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So…Should You Move?

Ultimately, no matter where you choose to live, discrimination is layered, complicated, and follows you in different forms. Every country is on its own journey toward reckoning with inequities—some are just more vocal or systematic about it than others.

And make no mistake: the United States, despite its internal battles and political drama, is also still on that journey. We may be watching companies move away from the words “diversity, equity, and inclusion,” but that’s not the end of any story. Market forces and global realities will continue to nudge companies—whether they like it or not—to adapt, hire from diverse talent pools, and tap into different cultural markets. Whether we call it DEI, “cultural intelligence,” “multicultural competence,” or simply “good business,” these needs aren’t going away.

But if you’ve got a personal calling for adventure or a more hospitable climate, this may be a great chance to explore. But you won’t be escaping discrimination as a concept. You’ll just be changing its shape, language, or cultural rules.

I’m still shopping at Target for my Black hair products, and for now, they’re still on the shelf. As long as those profits roll in, I’m guessing they’ll stay.

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Over the course of this year, I’ve been thinking about how I can use my global experiences to make out-of-the-box, more enriching life choices for myself and my children. One idea that I have not only mulled over but have built an entire online testing platform for is spending summers overseas.

And I am not alone in my thoughts. In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, a growing number of American parents are rethinking how they spend their summer months. With remote and hybrid work on the rise, families are discovering they can travel abroad and enroll their children in overseas summer camps—often at a fraction of the cost of U.S. programs. This allows parents to give their kids more than childcare, it’s a culturally immersive experience. And let’s be real, traveling with kids can suck. Stealing a few hours with your spouse to wander a museum or sip coffee at a cute café on those little cobblestone sidewalks—without someone pestering you for juice—is priceless.

But for some parents the idea of spending the summer overseas may seem overwhelming or like a pipe dream but, the truth is, it's not much different from simply planning a summer vacation. Families I spoke with who embraced this global approach say it has completely enriched their lives. They’re finding camps in places like Spain, Poland, and Austria that promise fresh perspectives and enhanced learning experiences. In doing so, they are also underscoring a simple truth: the modern American family can be more creative—and more global—when it comes to raising their kids.

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A New Model for Summer

“We basically realized that if we’re putting our kids in camp here in New York, why not do it in Amsterdam or Barcelona?” said Maddy, a professor and Instagram influencer who has spent the last several summers home-swapping in Europe. “We arrive, and the kids go to day camp, which is way cheaper than anything we could find in New York. Then my husband and I can explore museums, cathedrals—things the kids wouldn’t necessarily enjoy all day. Everybody wins.”

When I spoke to Maddy, she reminded me of myself—someone who loves to travel and doesn’t want having kids to hold her back. She’s impressively creative in how she has found ways to swap homes, hire nannies, and make her trips as affordable as possible. Maddy, who lives in Harlem with her husband and three children, says her family’s international summers started out modestly—one or two weeks away—before eventually stretching to nine consecutive weeks in Europe. The couple uses HomeExchange.com (she gave me her referral code, and I’m sharing my own) to swap their Harlem apartment for homes in cities like Amsterdam, Paris, and Krakow. The result? Free housing, lower camp costs, and genuine cultural immersion.

“You see very early how it can broaden perspectives,” Maddy explains, noting how her kids are purposefully exposed to cultural, language, and economic diversity. “To me, it’s really important for them to understand global diversity, and that's one of the main reasons why we put our kids in the camps.”

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Overseas Camps Are Seeing More Americans

I also spoke with multiple camps in different countries that parents recommended for their kids. These summer camp leaders say the number of international attendees has skyrocketed, particularly from the U.S. One Valencia-based program, Olé, says interest from the U.S. has ballooned since pandemic travel restrictions eased.

“Four years ago, we brought in just four international kids,” said Paloma, a bilingual educator who opened her family-run summer camp, Olé, in Spain. “Then 16, then 80, and this year we’re expecting around 150. A lot of them are Americans who discovered they can work remotely. They spend a few weeks in Spain, put their kids in camp, and explore the area on weekends.”

In Vienna, Nora runs a small day camp for children ages 3 to 6, offering German and English instruction. She has seen a surge in signups from traveling families:

“A few years ago, international campers made up about 10% of our total enrollment. Today, they account for nearly one-third of our 300 campers per year. The largest group of international campers comes from the United States and France, with many American families including our camp as part of their European summer travels,” Nora explained.

She says some kids are tourists in Vienna for just a week or two, while others are relocating for short or longer periods. In her camp, language isn’t much of a barrier because many kids already speak English or are at least accustomed to hearing it at home.

A Glance at Costs

But is this really feasible? Well, my husband and I ran the budget for our own family vacation to compare costs, and truly, if you are already planning an overseas trip, some of these hacks can help you break even.

Costs vary widely depending on location, housing arrangements, and the child’s age (younger campers often require smaller ratios and can sometimes cost more). You could also consider Airbnbing your home and using the savings to rent a place overseas, which may offer more options and flexibility than home exchanges.

The Challenges—and Joys—of Cultural Immersion

Now, there are some challenges parents should keep in mind with these exchanges. But to me, the good seems to outweigh the bad. Language barriers, new foods, and unfamiliar rules can spark anxiety for both parents and kids. Paloma said her immersive program in Valencia supports international children with an extra bilingual counselor to smooth cultural and language differences.

“We’ve noticed children in Spain might be used to getting changed for pool time right in front of everyone,” she explained. “Some of the American or British kids felt shy about that. Or at lunchtime, Spanish kids expect a teacher to tell them, ‘You have to eat your vegetables.’ It’s a bit stricter than some American kids are used to.”

Nora, in Vienna, says kids can be pretty jet-lagged when they arrive. She also notes that some cultural differences can be an adjustment for families.

“We’ve encountered minor cultural differences, such as varying perceptions of punctuality. In some cultures, being 'on time' is more flexible, which doesn’t always align with our structured schedule. Additionally, some parents feel uneasy about their children going on outdoor excursions twice a day, as it might differ from what they’re used to at home.”

To mitigate these cultural challenges, some camps send out notices about expectations so families can prepare before they arrive. And, of course, nothing beats your own planning. Maddy and her husband map out their home exchanges and camps months in advance, typically finalizing their summer schedules by January. Some families also coordinate with local babysitters or nannies abroad, providing extra coverage for half-day programs or unexpected closures.

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A Summer Camp Service

But at the end of the day, parents and camp providers say they love seeing the intercultural connections kids are making, especially when the world seems to be growing less and less tolerant of people who are different.

“One of the most heartwarming experiences last summer was seeing three children—one French-speaking, one English-speaking, and one German-speaking—become best friends,” says Nora. “Despite the language barrier, they found ways to communicate, creating games together, and even arranged playdates outside of camp.”

These are the types of connections that Maddy says her kids make in the numerous countries they have visited. She frequently posts about her overseas summer camp experiences on social media if you want to follow her.

One of my many passion projects has been developing a community and service that supports families wanting to live and think more globally. One way we are doing this is by helping them find community and summer camps overseas. If this interests you, please sign up here, and we will send more information when we have enough interest to create a good group.

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You know that intercultural summer exchanges can challenge comfort levels on everything from changing in public to eating everything on your plate.

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“Ama yabancı.” But he is a foreigner.

Those two words—casually tossed out by a Turkish colleague who didn’t realize I spoke the language well enough to understand him—still echo in my mind. It was 2012, and I taught middle school English in Istanbul. We had just held a contest for the best English-language speech in the school. An Iraqi fifth grader stole the show: He was charismatic, eloquent, and spoke with confidence that put older students to shame. But when it came time to choose the winner, a Turkish teacher objected, insisting that a “foreigner” should not represent the school. My protests didn’t matter.

At that moment, I understood something I hadn’t quite grasped before—the level of discrimination migrant populations from Muslim countries faced, even in other Muslim countries.

I remember thinking, If this poor kid couldn’t win a middle school speech contest in Turkey, what could he win? I fumed, imagining the nights he stayed up practicing. Why even let him compete when the system was rigged?

President Donald Trump recently reminded me of how little understanding we still have regarding the cultural, nationalistic, religious, and ethnic differences of people outside the United States. Last week, the world watched in shock as Trump suggested that the United States should “take over” Gaza and transform it into the “Riviera of the Middle East.” Even more concerning, his proposal implied forcing Palestinians to leave and outsourcing their welfare to other Arab states, primarily Egypt and Jordan—almost as if anyone who speaks Arabic could simply be shuffled into whatever leftover territory remains.

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In one sweeping proposal, Trump resurrected the old colonial mindsets that painfully carved up most of the non-white world. His seeming disregard for the complex realities of nationalism, ethnicity, and history risks igniting new upheavals in a region already scarred by forced displacement.

Are We Colonialists Again?

From colonial cartographers carelessly redrawing borders to the present day, powerful governments have ignored cultural, ethnic, and national distinctions they deemed inconvenient. White imperialists presumed the right to arrange the others however they saw fit—carving up entire regions with a few strokes of a pen.

These decisions left minority communities crammed into tiny pockets of land or stranded in countries whose fragile economies and social structures could hardly accommodate them. Time and again, internecine conflicts erupted over crumbs of resource allocation. That legacy persists in border disputes, refugee crises, and everyday discrimination—where entire groups are lumped together, misread, and dismissed.

The Sykes–Picot Agreement (1916) and the Balfour Declaration (1917) rearranged the Middle East region with limited concern for ethnic, religious, or tribal realities, leaving minority communities in constant tension and vulnerability.

The result?

• The Arab-Israeli conflicts (1948, 1967, 1973, and beyond), rooted in the fight for land and national identity.

• The Lebanese Civil War (1975–1990), where religious and ethnic fault lines erupted into 15 years of violence.

• The Kurdish struggle for autonomy across Turkey, Iraq, Syria, and Iran—directly tied to borders that split their population into multiple states and denied them a homeland.

Time and again, these conflicts have escalated into full-scale wars, displacing millions and turning political disputes into endless cycles of violence.

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Why Lumping Groups Together by Ethnicity Hasn’t Worked?

Some scholars have pointed out that all borders are arbitrary, taking in, and frequently splitting people groups and cultures. So why are some situations worse than others? I return to my fifth-grade student’s situation—where discrimination strips away hope.

According to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), about 5.9 million Palestinian refugees are registered across Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Gaza, and the West Bank. Most fled or were expelled following the 1948 Arab–Israeli War and the 1967 conflict. These refugees often live in legal gray zones with limited rights, patchy job prospects, and tenuous residency status.

Jordan hosts more than 2 million registered Palestinian refugees, many of whom have built lives in cities like Amman and Zarqa. Yet, their legal standing and public acceptance remain complicated. During the 1970s, internal strife—fueled by concerns over Palestinian political influence—led to conflict in Jordan. Lebanon’s experience has been even more fraught, with Palestinian refugee camps beset by poverty and encircled by local factions wary of growing foreign communities. These complexities have only deepened since the Syrian civil war displaced millions more in the region.

I’ve seen variations of this dynamic firsthand. In Turkey, as a Black American educator and later as a diplomat, and in Saudi Arabia, where an unofficial quasi-caste system places local Saudis firmly above anyone else in society. Fear of outsiders—fueled by concerns over jobs, housing, and national identity—quickly transforms into policy. Minority students are kept out of schools. Jobs become harder to find. Political power becomes unreachable. This effectively traps people as second-class citizens, their hopes and dreams forever stuck under a glass ceiling.

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So What?

It’s 2025, not 1925. We live in an era where culturally diverse people have more voice, more platforms, and more global awareness. We can teach people about the cultural layers that exist and why it’s complex and dangerous to carelessly lump people together. We have history books. We have references. We no longer need to replay the same script. As colonial logic resurfaces at the highest levels of power, we have the opportunity to advocate for a more thoughtful path forward.

The UN reports that Gaza’s population, now at nearly 2.2 million, already suffers from extreme poverty and infrastructural collapse. Few solutions won’t face extreme challenges and resistance. But that doesn’t mean we should avoid reflecting on the possible consequences of our foreign policy choices.

That Iraqi fifth grader in Istanbul only wanted to give a winning speech but lost because of his foreign passport. Multiply that injustice millions of times for displaced peoples, and you begin to grasp the scale of the crisis. How can people pushed out of their homeland expect to find real opportunity in countries already burdened by their own fragile economies and social strains? It won’t be easy, but we can do better this century.

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I recently met a doctor at a friend’s holiday party. He gave up a high salary to pursue public health work in Southeast Asia with USAID, risking his own safety and health to provide medical care in communities with dire needs. He spoke earnestly about his calling to public health, almost with a religious fervor. He shared stories about having to make do, grappling with tough decisions on who received help and who went without, all while contending with understaffed and under-resourced conditions.

Did his desire to help people in need make him left-leaning? Maybe, but he was far from a radical activist, contrary to what some on X (formerly Twitter) might have you believe.

In recent weeks, prominent figures such as Elon Musk and President Trump described USAID workers in alarmist terms—calling them “radical lunatics” and “a criminal organization,” alluding to a culture of leftist political ideology they see within the organization. They have since gone to do what many are describing as a bureaucratic purge of the organization, leaving agency employees confused, scrambling and afraid for their livelihoods. These statements and actions reignited an old culture war that paints federal employees as dangerously partisan.

But the truth is more nuanced. Agencies like USAID attract individuals who are passionate about global development, diversity and diplomacy—values often linked with liberal or progressive circles. Yet on the job, federal workers are supposed to remain strictly apolitical in carrying out policies. Sometimes they succeed, and sometimes they do not. So, what has been the culture in one of the nation’s most visible international agencies? And how does that culture impact their work?

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Culture of Agencies

Oftentimes different agencies attract particular personalities by the nature of their work. It’s tough to be a rebellious type and build a career in the Department of Defense, where a rigid hierarchy and risk-averse culture permeate the hallways. A 2020 research report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies found that STEM talent struggled in the Defense Department because management was not willing to challenge authority and advocate for change. Imagine someone who excels in the fast-paced, risk-taking environment of a tech startup like SpaceX or Airbnb suddenly joining the U.S. State Department—a place built on hierarchy, diplomacy, risk aversion, and slow, deliberate decision-making. Those differences would clash, making it hard for that personality to succeed.

So, what type of person gravitates toward government foreign aid work?

Well, consider that if your job is to travel halfway around the world to help people in dire need—maybe they’re rebuilding after a natural disaster or trying to improve health care systems—you need certain traits to find satisfaction. Typically, it’s someone who doesn’t mind leaving home for extended periods, who feels comfortable immersing themselves in a different culture, and who wants to see tangible changes that improve people’s lives. That’s not usually the kind of role you pursue if your main priority is earning a large paycheck or championing small-government policies.

For example, I have another friend at USAID—she’s a minority American—who often explains how her upbringing influenced her desire to do this work. Growing up, her family saw firsthand how economic struggles shaped communities, so she feels a personal commitment to help others facing similar challenges. She also points out that once you live abroad and witness everyday realities, you start seeing the world in broader, more global terms—less “us vs. them” and more “we’re in this together.” That worldview shift sometimes aligns with progressive ideals, such as empathy for refugees or support for robust government programs to address inequality.

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Apoliticism Is Part of the Job Description

But most public servants, as federal workers are often called, will tell you they’ve taken an oath to the Constitution, meaning they aim to serve the country’s best interests, not just those of a particular administration or their own.

Many become expert compartmentalizers, similar to how journalists operate. They do their jobs and separate personal views from official duties. In government, your role is to implement policy, not shape it—that responsibility belongs to elected or appointed leadership. For the most part, people accept that as part of government service. While there are channels to voice disagreements, using them can be controversial.

That’s not to say federal employees lack political views. They have them, and I used to find it frustrating when people pretended otherwise. However, they often keep those views private while implementing their official duties, basically until they clock out.

A Shifting Culture in Government

Now, federal workers do express their political views outside office hours. In 2019, a State Department employee was found to have hosted a far-right podcast. Colleagues reacted with widespread disgust, illustrating that while the workforce isn’t uniformly left-leaning, it strongly favors inclusivity and rejects extremist ideologies. But many will point out that the promotion of inclusivity at State is new.

A well-known joke about the State Department used to be that the staff was “pale, male and Yale,” but that reality has evolved.

USAID has also changed over the years. To label it a monolith ignores the agency’s internal complexities. These organizations are far more diverse than they once were, and both liberal and conservative voices coexist within them.

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So what does this all mean?

What will be the future of the culture at USAID (if the organization remains)? Marco Rubio has stepped in as acting administrator of USAID while also serving as secretary of state. If this leads to a full-on merger, it could become quite the experiment. USAID is known for its grassroots, community-driven approach—working with local partners and focusing on development from the ground up. The State Department, by contrast, operates in a more hierarchical, protocol-heavy world centered on policy formation. If these two cultures collide under one roof, one approach will surely come to dominate.

But apart from the dominant culture, there are several ripple effects to all these changes:

First, if federal government jobs are perceived as partisan and unstable, recruiting for those roles will become difficult.

Second, the effectiveness of policies depends on the workers who implement them—if aid workers are hampered, so is their work.

Finally, a culture war over who works at USAID or any federal agency endangers the longstanding principle of apolitical public service. If agencies are purged, stacked, or threatened based on ideological litmus tests, the government’s ability to function impartially—and serve all Americans—erodes.

You Are Now More Cultured Because You Know…

The culture of federal service is neither static nor simple. It evolves with changing missions, diverse recruits and a shared oath to the Constitution. Perhaps the biggest irony in labeling this community is that it’s dedicated, complex and quintessentially American in its mix of beliefs and backgrounds.

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I recently showed up at a Monday afternoon pickleball clinic, expecting maybe half a dozen newbies. But when I arrived, the local gym floor looked like a party: Around 25 adults filled every available court, paddles in hand, waiting for their turn to play. The instructor joked, calling out to the crowd, “Don’t you all have jobs?” Apparently not—at least not during pickleball hour. The courts filled with teams of two, and some of us even had to linger on the sidelines to rotate in. This doesn’t seem to be an anomaly, either. All across the U.S., pickleball classes are exploding in popularity, consistently surprising instructors with larger-than-anticipated turnouts.

I had tried to sign up for tennis lessons or even a padel class. But here on the East Coast, many tennis centers are booked solid, and padel is still a bit too rare—or nonexistent. Instead, I found a wealth of pickleball sessions. And so I asked myself: Why pickleball? And how have racket sports collectively become the new wave in American fitness?

Geography, culture, and socialization are reshaping fitness in the United States—specifically through the surging popularity of racket sports. America’s old-school “drive to the gym, pop in your headphones, and ignore everyone” workout style is giving way to more communal activities. Space constraints, cost, ability, and class distinctions have historically shaped who plays which sports (from swimming to golf to tennis). Perhaps that is what has paved the way for pickleball’s ascension. The smaller footprint and inclusive ethos make pickleball the perfect sport to unite different demographics and spark a cultural shift in the way we approach fitness.

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Topography of Culture and Sports

Racket sports live and die on real estate, meaning the availability of the sport is often limited by the cost of space. Dr. Robert Lake, a tennis expert I spoke with, pointed out that tennis requires significant space—full-sized courts, extra room for running after balls, and a location that often skews suburban or private-club.

“Tennis has always had a very upper-middle-class vibe to it because of where the courts are often located—in the suburbs,” Lake said.

He noted that while pickleball seems to be eating into the tennis fan base, he doesn’t see the sport dying out any time soon. In fact, he thinks racket sports aren’t competing but complementing each other. With the rise of pickleball, there is now a larger base of racket sport players who could go on to become stars.

“Tennis is still one of the most lucrative sports worldwide, especially on the professional side. But that alone doesn’t attract the casual crowd,” he continued, emphasizing that, particularly for women, tennis remains a lucrative sports career.

So which sport does appeal to a more casual crowd? Pickleball. Pickleball and other small-court sports, like padel or badminton, fit snugly into smaller footprints. That’s why large cities are seeing growth in these sports. In densely populated cities where space is at a premium, a single tennis court can be converted into almost four pickleball courts, offering 16 people a chance to play instead of just two or four.

Padel, a racket sport that is very popular in European cities, also uses smaller courts, but the courts are designed around walls that must be padded. This makes it harder to repurpose existing structures into padel courts. It’s much easier to do so for pickleball. With pickleball, new courts are popping up in converted parking lots, repurposed gymnasiums, or even on rooftops in some big cities. Understanding the design of the courts helps explain why one sport is taking off more than the other. But there’s also the socialization aspect.

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It’s in beta, which means we need your feedback. Give it a spin and tell us what you think!

Socialization as Part of Fitness

For decades, U.S. fitness culture has often meant slogging alone on a treadmill or zoning out in a spin class with headphones on. The New York Times recently asked, “Are Americans Doing Fitness Wrong?” and pointed out that many cultures integrate physical activity into everyday life. They gather in public spaces to exercise together, making movement something that’s part of social routines—not a chore to check off.

Pickleball cuts straight to the heart of this more social approach. You don’t need an advanced skill set to get started, and doubles play keeps you in close contact with your partner and opponents, fostering conversation and instant community.

Brynn Grissom, a marketing and product specialist at Selkirk, a pickleball product company that has seen significant growth in recent years, says pickleball is an incredibly social sport.

“Even at its highest level, pickleball is unbelievably social,” Grissom said. “People show up to have a good time, talk between points, and maybe get a little competitive—but mostly, they’re there to connect.”

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This week, the inauguration seemed to speed past me, which is odd because I’m based in the Washington, D.C.-area. I took a moment to pause—first, to wonder about Melania’s hat fashion choice (we all paused, I guess that was the goal), and second, to notice all those tech billionaires lined up, almost in an act of kissing the ring. It said a lot: all these titans of Silicon Valley flying out to make nice with the incoming President. And my cofounder Alice and I couldn’t help but wonder—what happens when technology and power become intertwined at this level, both here and across the globe?

As a millennial American, I grew up with the idea that technology was an equalizer. It gave the underdog—people like me, a minority woman—the tools to disrupt norms and systems that didn’t always have our best interests in mind. For a while, it was exciting to watch these systems shake under the force of “breaking things” and remaking them. But now, the tech scene’s evolution feels less like a revolutionary wave and more like part of “the machine,” as I like to call it.

The U.S. is on the cusp of a major power shift, driven not by oil or steel but by technology. In 2025, tech moguls aren’t just coding in garages; they’re lining up at inaugurations, wielding influence that reaches far beyond our borders.

For those of us who once saw tech as an equalizer—and for communities worldwide—it raises urgent questions: Will technology serve us, or will we be serving it? The rules we set now, from D.C. to Brussels to Beijing, will determine whether digital power liberates society or tightens its grip on us all.

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The Times They Are A-Changin'

Historically, we’ve seen wealth and power form around land, monarchies, and even oil. Those in control of critical resources held the keys to shaping society. But in 2025 and beyond, data is the new resource—and the people who can harness it wield tremendous influence.

In the past, we might’ve expected the steel barons or oil tycoons to appear in the same room as the President. Now we see tech moguls—billionaires who own not just platforms but entire ecosystems. These ecosystems touch our social connections, our finances, our sense of self, and even our politics.

So why is this shift significant? Because it’s no longer about physical goods—it’s about what we do, what we think, how we interact with the world. That’s an incredibly intimate power where our sense of self and independent thought is at risk.

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Technology 💍 Power

Tech bro culture used to be about the “glorified hacker”—that smart kid in a hoodie who built something in a garage and took it to the moon. It was all about disruption, flattening hierarchies, toppling old industries. Soon we realized that it wasn’t nearly as inclusive as it claimed to be. Still, it gave us glimpses of how a scrappy startup could outshine century-old corporations.

But now, many of those so-called “scrappy” startups are the establishment. They’re some of the wealthiest, most influential organizations on the planet, with founders who’ve become the new aristocrats—flying on private jets, investing in space colonies, or even buying entire islands. Instead of working around government, they’re working with it—or, in some cases, trying to work above it.

In the U.S., the blurring lines between private enterprise and public policy make it hard to tell who’s truly at the helm. It’s a marriage of big data + big power—one that’s both fascinating and frightening.

Now That It’s Merged, What Can We Expect?

1. Policies Shaped by Tech Interests
   Expect regulations on AI, data privacy, and platform behavior to possibly swing in the favor of large tech entities. It might be subtle—tweaks to data laws or an extended grace period for new regulations—enough to give these companies time to strengthen their hold.

2. New Frontiers of Innovation
   On the bright side, collaboration between government and tech might speed up advancements in healthcare (AI diagnostics), infrastructure (smart cities), and education (customized learning tools).

3. Heightened Global Rivalries
   With China, the Middle East, the EU, and the U.S. all racing to lead in AI and emerging tech, big decisions about trade and diplomacy might revolve around algorithms, data centers and chip manufacturing more than traditional resources.

4. Growing Divide in Society
   Not everyone benefits from digital power. When entire communities lack high-speed internet or advanced devices, they’re locked out of the very innovation that claims to “help” them. This digital divide could widen further. In addition to the impacts that AI could have on energy resources, taking from some to feed the AI-generations of others.

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How You Can Protect Yourself and Your Family

1. Own Your Data: Know what platforms you use, what data they collect, and how to limit what you share. Simple steps—like adjusting privacy settings, turning off location services, and using encrypted messaging—can help you stay in control.

2. Stay Politically Aware: Tech policy might sound boring, but it affects everything from your social feed to your job prospects. Keep an eye on new laws or executive orders related to AI, data privacy, or digital currencies. Staying informed can help you spot red flags.

3. Cultivate Digital Literacy: If you have younger siblings or children, teach them not just how to use tech but also how tech uses them. Understanding algorithms, ads, and mental health impacts early can prevent future pitfalls.

4. Diversify Your Tech Toolkit: Don’t rely on a single platform or ecosystem for everything. Experiment with smaller or more privacy-focused tools. That way, you’re not entirely beholden to a handful of mega-corporations.

5. Value Local Communities: Big tech is global, but resilience starts locally. Get involved with local groups—whether neighborhood cooperatives, mutual-aid networks, or small businesses—to stay grounded in a community that’s not purely algorithm-driven.

We stand at the crossroads of an era where technology is no longer just shaping how we live—it’s forming the backbone of political power structures themselves.

And while it’s easy to feel uneasy—or even a little jaded—about a world where corporate jets land on the White House lawn, there’s still room for optimism.

The question is: how will we choose to engage? Will we be passive consumers of these shiny new ecosystems, or will we stay vigilant, informed? The answer might depend on whether we’re willing to pay attention—not just to fancy hats at inaugurations, but to the subtle handshake between tech and power that’s shaping our tomorrow.

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Cultural Takeaway

Technology is fast becoming the backbone of our social contracts, shaping how we work, communicate, and govern ourselves across different societies. Whether it empowers us or exploits us depends on the legal frameworks and cultural values we adopt—rules and norms that can either protect citizens or hand tech giants free rein.

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Last week, I was about to share an article my cofounder, Jenny Abamu, wrote about AI influencers. It was going to be an exciting topic; we had spent hours discussing it. Jenny had interviewed an anthropologist to make sense of this phenomenon, and it was also timely because last week Meta attempted to release its own AI profiles, which met huge backlash.

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But as my finger hovered over the “share” button, I paused. Twenty miles from my home, wildfires were tearing through Los Angeles. Moonshadows, my refuge for midnight indulges from my college days was burning down. Friends were evacuating. Neighbors of close friends had houses in flames. Sharing a fascinating phenomenon in technology seemed insensitive, morally wrong, and out of touch with the physical world I inhabited.

But clearly, across the country, that wasn’t the case. Some parts of the country were tuned in, while others were completely tuned out—much of this difference relates to America’s individualistic culture.

In times of tragedy, our cultural values tend to surface—revealing starkly different ways people and societies respond to crises. As someone with Korean heritage who grew up in the United States, I’ve found myself torn between collectivist and individualist values that often leave me conflicted about my own responses to terrible world events. Disasters illuminate the power of empathy, the challenges of cultural expectations, and the responsibility we have—whether as individuals or organizations—to respond in ways that reflect genuine care. There’s a lot different cultures could learn from each other about how to do that well.

A Plane Crash in South Korea

About two weeks ago, South Korea faced an air disaster that killed 179 of the 181 passengers on board. My immigrant parents are from the very province where the crash occurred, so while I was far away geographically, the tragedy felt personally devastating. The local media in Korea painted poignant portraits of the victims: nine relatives from a single family, and other heartbreaking stories that instantly shattered any emotional distance.

Collectivist Culture in Action

South Korea declared a week of national mourning, or guk ga ae do gi gan—a rare move that symbolized how deeply the country values unity in grief. While there are no rigid guidelines for what this entails, almost overnight, celebrities stopped posting on social media, award shows were canceled, and everyday life was collectively put on hold.

Even living in the U.S., the push-and-pull of my bicultural identity left me feeling compelled to pause my everyday routine—out of solidarity, out of cultural expectation, and out of genuine heartbreak. And yet, no one here would have faulted me if I had continued posting on social media or attending business meetings.

A Different Response to the LA Fires

When the LA fires started, I noticed something different in the response. In LA, the flames could not be ignored; nature spared no one. From historically rich and diverse Altadena to affluent Pacific Palisades, communities of every background saw homes damaged or destroyed.

But for Americans in other regions or states who were more distant, life went on. This gap—between those who had to face the chaos firsthand and those who could watch from a comfortable distance—highlighted a different kind of privilege: the privilege to remain emotionally uninvested.

This follows many tragedies in America; our distance from the event seems to remove our obligation to collectively mourn.

Navigating What’s “Appropriate”

These dual disasters—Korea’s plane crash and L.A.’s wildfires—sparked the same question in my mind: What is the right way to respond? Do I pause my life only if a disaster is in my own backyard? Or do I also share in the tragedy when it’s halfway around the world but resonates with my cultural or emotional ties?

The answer isn’t always straightforward. Depending on your cultural background and physical proximity to the event, societal expectations may vary.

• TikTok faced backlash for telling L.A. employees impacted by the fires to use personal or sick leave if they couldn’t work while dealing with power outages and evacuations—a move widely criticized as insensitive.

• Kim Kardashian promoted her SKIMS line during the wildfires, inviting accusations of being tone-deaf, especially since her brand is so closely tied to Los Angeles.

Contrast these actions with:

• Jason Oppenheim, the Selling Sunset real estate mogul, who publicly condemned landlords for raising rents on displaced families and used his platform to find them temporary housing. It was “on-brand” with the caring, hands-on persona he’s cultivated, and it earned him even more trust from his audience.

But these are all California-based groups, and the backlash has mostly been limited to companies tied to the region. So far, there have not been any national moments of silence.

Individualism vs. Collectivism—Which Is Better?

It’s not that one approach is inherently superior. Collectivist societies like South Korea tend to unify in times of crisis, creating space for collective grief, which can foster deep solidarity but also lead to societal pressure to participate in mourning. Individualist cultures such as the U.S. promote personal freedom, leaving room for some people to continue business as usual while others respond with empathy—resulting in more scattered, uneven acknowledgments of tragedy.

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So What?

Cultural intelligence is about understanding how these values interplay, not about picking one side. Both collectivist and individualist responses can be valid, shaped by the unique cultural layers that inform values and behaviors.

But in today’s interconnected world, businesses must appeal to both collectivist and individualist values. Customers and employees are global, and cultural awareness is no longer optional—it’s essential.

• Acknowledge and Pause: Don’t rush past pain. Simply acknowledge others’ pain—“I see you; I can’t imagine what you’re going through”—and offer support—“Let me know how I can help.” These steps can build trust and loyalty.

• Train for Empathy: Equip teams with the skills to navigate cultural nuances and respond authentically to diverse needs.

• Leverage Platforms Thoughtfully: Use your voice to amplify awareness without exploiting suffering. Communicate with authenticity and avoid actions that may seem opportunistic or tone-deaf.

These simple acts transcend cultural divides, creating space for connection and humanity.

You’re more Culturally Intelligent because you recognize that our responses to tragedy are shaped both by cultural frameworks—whether individualist or collectivist—and by how close or distant we feel to an event. This understanding shows that empathy is never a one-size-fits-all but must be adapted to the context and the people most impacted.

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Apart from tapas, Barcelona has apparently given the world another export: Aitana Lopez, an AI influencing fitness guru. Think impossibly smooth skin, perfectly flowy pink hair, and proportions that make Disney princesses look downright average. I remember staring at her photo, mesmerized, reminded of the stomach pouch I carry after giving birth to two children. At first, I assumed these were your standard “overly filtered” social media personalities—just more curated than usual. But as I kept scrolling, I realized there was no human underneath the face-tuning apps. These influencers weren’t real people at all.

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That realization left me half-fascinated, half-freaked out. I’d been one of those folks who constantly rolled my eyes at influencers for being “fake.” Now, here I was, gawking at every pixel of something literally not human—yet with hundreds of thousands (sometimes millions) of followers. After all the flak we give human influencers for lacking authenticity, how on earth did a completely fabricated personality rise to stardom? Does our need for a flawless idol trump the requirement that it be a breathing person? I wanted answers, and I found them in a chat with a digital anthropologist who pointed out, in the most Canadian-and-British-friendly way, that this phenomenon is just a high-tech spin on something ancient.

AI influencers are surging across social platforms, offering a brand-safe, always-on persona that never sleeps or scandalizes. It seems contradictory, but according to experts, resonates with a historical human tendency to create icons—totems—that embody shared values. What we’re witnessing is the collision of that ancient behavior with cutting-edge tech, opening up a new sphere for brands, marketers, and communities worldwide.

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An Evolution in Human Idol Worship

Just regular humans Giles Crouch and I having a conversation on AI influencers and totemism for JAMCQ. I have about 3k followers on X, Giles has about 4.5K on LinkedIn, so AI has us both beat.

It’s not like worshipping celebrities is new. We’ve been doing this for thousands of years—building statues, wearing masks, creating figures to rally around or pray to when life got unpredictable. Giles put a name to it: totemism, this old-as-dirt practice of giving an object or idea (like a carved figure or a killer pop album) enough power that entire communities unite around it. If you’ve ever yelled “Slay!” at a Beyoncé concert, you’ve already joined that club. I’m a card-carrying member of the BeyHive myself, so I totally get the urge to gather en masse around a single iconic figure. When it works, it feels like belonging, but it also feels a little primal—like you’d do out-of-character things in the hive.

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Now, imagine transferring that same raw devotion to a digital entity that can’t ever slip up or randomly decide it wants to grow old and retire. AI influencers basically take this centuries-old totem thing and supercharge it. They talk back to us, post flawless content 24/7, and never reveal any awkward details about their personal lives—because they don’t have one.

“Totemism on Instagram is aesthetic, so design means a lot,” explains Giles, noting how the idols are created in each platform. “In TikTok, well, it's more performative totemism. An AI influencer encourages people to sing and dance along, so it's more of an active thing. Twitter or X, that's more what I call conversational totem, totemism. It's more about dialogue. Then there’s YouTube. There it is narrative totemism because they're longer videos. There can be some engagement but not really. It’s the AI influencer creating the narrative, and it's less so about the community.”

Totemism makes total sense: people want icons to believe in, to dress like, to defend in online wars. We used to carve them in stone; now we code them to perfection. And the most mind-blowing part? We’re still showing up with the same fervor, if not more.

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Syphoning Marketing Dollars Off to AI

Reports project the influencer marketing industry to be valued at a whooping $24 billion and growing. When you add AI influencers into the mix, the possibilities seem boundless. So how are brands tapping into this totemism?

“People like to relate to brands, but they don't have relationships with them,” says Giles. But AI influencers are changing that.

They allow brands to embody human-like figures, totems, to build direct bonds with consumers.

“What’s interesting is that it’s not so much the influencer that we’re forming a relationship with—it’s the community we create around that influencer,” Giles Crouch explained.

And for many companies, the holy grail is fostering a sense of community— profitable communities.

Giles points to companies like Puma, a German athletic shoe brand. Puma introduced an AI-created influencer with a specific cultural background—an avatar from Morocco—tailored to resonate with sports fans across African and Middle Eastern markets. Why Morocco? Because Puma saw a significant following in these regions and wanted a “spokesperson” who could speak directly to those cultural values and lifestyle aspirations.

And what ends up happening doesn’t stop at official brand campaigns. Communities form organically around these digital figures. People create fan art, build subreddits, launch hashtags, and even craft virtual “meet-and-greet” sessions. While some brand managers fear AI might depersonalize relationships, early adopters find that the opposite is happening. It’s the fan community where the real brand equity builds, providing a sense of belonging that extends well beyond the product itself.

In practical terms, AI influencers can:

• Post and engage with audiences 24/7, crossing time zones effortlessly.

• Speak multiple languages or vernaculars, broadening brand reach in global markets.

• Provide consistent messaging aligned with brand values.

• Continuously learn from user interactions, refining their approach to generate deeper engagement.

The lure is clear: a flexible, data-driven persona that can be “enhanced” with a few tweaks in programming. That can be a game-changer for companies looking to scale quickly without risking the next big scandal or falling victim to influencer burnout.

Not All Is Pleasant in Pleasantville.

Beyond the fandom, there are ethical and social concerns, and different cultures are seeing unique challenges. In South Korea’s K-pop scene, fans expect a certain level of innocence and purity. But does an AI influencer take that a step further, reinforcing unrealistic expectations about perfection, body image, or lifestyle? In the West, digital anthropologists worry about manipulated consumerism—an AI figure that entices you to spend more, buy more, or behave in ways you might not otherwise. Meanwhile, data centers powering these AI “personalities” guzzle electricity, leaving questions about sustainability and long-term scalability.

Then there’s the emotional bond. If an AI influencer is perceived as a friend, a role model, or even a romantic figure (because humans have a knack for projection), how do we handle the psychological fallout if it “ghosts” followers or the brand pulls the plug?

“We have to ask ourselves what it means to be human in a phygital world,” Giles said, referencing that blurred line between our physical and digital realities. “If an AI influencer, all of a sudden gets turned off, and people— hundreds, thousands, millions— have formed a relationship with this AI influencer, then it's gone. Do we get depressed? Do we have a funeral? What are the rituals that we place around that?”

We don’t have the guardrails in place to deal with not just a psychological fallout—the risks of suicide, depression, and anxiety. We also don't have the guardrails to deal with cyber crime and how we can be manipulated by these AIs. And that is a real risk for society.

So How Can a Business Use an AI Influencer Effectively?

• Start with an Exit Strategy: If you ever retire the AI persona, think about how fans might react. Giles cautions that if people build emotional attachments, shutting the influencer down cold turkey can leave them feeling abandoned—much like a show abruptly canceled without a finale. That can sour your brand’s reputation, or worse cause psychological damage to people so tread carefully.

• Explore Cultural “Type” First: Giles points out that cultures fall loosely into “type one” (highly individualistic) or “type two” (collectivist). In the West (type one), personal freedoms and liberties come first, so your AI influencer should highlight uniqueness and personal gain. In places like South Korea or many Nordic nations (type two), a “we-first” approach resonates better—emphasizing teamwork, community values, and shared identity.

• Respect Local Norms and Expectations: If you’re launching an AI influencer in a region where fans expect a squeaky-clean public image (like K-pop circles), perhaps understanding and navigating that cultural reality will make it easier for the public to accept and feel safe with your technological human. Conversely, in Western markets, showing a bit of “edginess” might actually drive more engagement, as fans enjoy personalities that stand out.

• Customize Communication Channels: Different areas have preferred platforms—WhatsApp or Twitter in one region, KakaoTalk in South Korea, Telegram in parts of Eastern Europe. Tailor your AI influencer’s main channel to the local audience’s habits, make sure it speaks the local language and strategize your totemic behaviors based on the platform.

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The Analysis 

I’ll admit, by the time I finished my research, I was both intrigued and tempted to delete every social app on my phone. There’s no denying the marketing goldmine these digital darlings seem to represent. But the speed at which this is all going, the threats to jobs, energy and society are just as poignant as the business opportunities. 

Giles pointed out that in the past humans had many decades to adopt and adapt to technology. Today, that’s all out the window. 

But take a moment and digest it all. I had to. Just know that the moment you need to take can also leave you feeling a bit further behind. 

The Cultural Takeaway

You’re more cultured now because you see that AI influencers thrive not just on flashy tech, but on deep-rooted cultural values. In South Korea’s communal context, they satisfy collective ideals. In Western individualistic cultures, they offer curated authenticity without the risk. They’re modern totems, reflecting the timeless human need for shared stories—only now, our icons can text us back. 

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I know you missed this news roundup! Happy 2025! For those who don’t know, with this biweekly roundup we track AI developments in UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

These are insights you won’t want to miss, but you will miss some of them without a subscription!

Note: Only paid subscribers get our full AI in the Gulf round up and analysis.

JAM CQ’s Analysis

Who said edtech didn’t have a place in the global AI revolution?

• Mind the Gap: The Gulf’s big AI ambitions are running into a skills gap. That’s your cue to know there’s a need for training programs, talent pipelines, and cutting-edge education initiatives.

• Dubai: The AI Playground: From top-tier workshops to cozying up with government officials, Dubai continues to be the go-to for AI innovators. If networking and partnerships are your jam, this is the place to be.

• Startup Central: Dubai is rolling out the red carpet for AI startups. Investors, take note—this market is primed for innovation.

• AI Education Boom: Universities are launching AI-focused programs left and right. EdTech entrepreneurs, the demand is knocking.

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🇦🇪 UAE

AI Strategies

Nuclear Safety Meets AI

The Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation just dropped a strategy to leverage AI for nuclear and radiological safety. Think AI-powered research, tight governance, and environmental protection. (Al-Khaleej, 26 December)

Parliamentary Report Highlights Need for AI Experts in UAE

A parliamentary report reveals only 0.2% of UAE public sector employees specialize in AI. Translation? A massive need for skills alignment in education and the job market. (Al-Khaleej, 22 December)

Workshops, International Collaboration

AI Week Incoming, an AI Showcase Event in April 2025

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and the chairman of the Dubai Future Foundation, is calling for a mega AI event in April 2025. Expect conferences, exhibitions, and more—all about showcasing Dubai’s futuristic AI vision. (Al-Khaleej, 19 December)

Japan, Let’s Talk AI

Alya bint Abdullah Al Mazrouei, Minister of State for Entrepreneurship, rolled out the welcome mat for Japanese investors, spotlighting the UAE’s AI-friendly environment. The "UAE Artificial Intelligence Strategy," which aims to boost AI investment across key economic sectors. (Al-Bayan, 22 December)

AI Startups Participate in Dubai Workshop

The Dubai Future Foundation hosted the "AI Dialogue" organized by the Dubai AI Applications Center, with participation from 60 AI-focused startups, entrepreneurs, and several government partners and innovative investment organizations. (Al-Watan, 20 December)

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As we close out 2024, we can’t help but feel a swell of gratitude, excitement, and curiosity for what lies ahead. We first want to say, thank you to our readers, our first subscribers. It’s been a transformative year for JAM CQ—our journey into uniting cultural intelligence with global business trends has been nothing short of exhilarating. As co-founders, we, Jenny Abamu and Alice Shin, are thrilled to share where we’ve been, what we’ve learned, and what’s next on this incredible adventure.

But First, a Common Question. What does JAM CQ mean?

The “JAM” is about connection and communication. The name carries dual meanings: in Korean, “jam” means fun, and the concept of a JAM session—a free-flowing, creative exchange of ideas—captures our feel, practice and tone.

We believe cultural intelligence—what we like to call CQ—is the bridge between the “us” and the “them.” It’s the tool that allows you to walk into a room (or a Zoom call) with anyone, anywhere, and leave having built trust, connection, and understanding.

We’ve experienced this firsthand. Between us, we’ve navigated American boardrooms, Chinese coffee shops, Saudi markets, and countless other spaces around the world. As women of multiple identities—Korean, Nigerian, American—we’ve faced challenges, but we’ve also found ways to open doors and seize opportunities others couldn’t with people from all walks of life. These experiences have shaped our vision for JAM CQ: to help others effectively connect, no matter where they are or who they’re with.

Cultural intelligence isn’t just about understanding others—it’s about understanding yourself. It’s about SCALE (Self-awareness, Curiosity, Adaptability, Listening, Effective communication). These are the skills we need to thrive in today’s global playground, whether we’re negotiating business deals, resolving conflicts, or planning a trip to a new country.

Our mission stems from a shared belief: the world is at its most innovative and humane when people learn from one another. In an age where artificial intelligence is becoming more “human,” we see an unprecedented opportunity for collaboration—not competition—that can elevate humanity, and build win-win relationships.

Looking Back: Trends That Shaped 2024

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The Pre-COVID vs. Post-COVID World

The contrast between the pre-COVID and post-COVID world continues to define how we live and work. Remote work is no longer an experiment—it’s a permanent fixture, reshaping cities, workplaces, and families. The ripple effects extend into the way we raise our children, plan our careers, and connect with our communities. COVID forced us to rethink the fundamentals of life, and the lessons learned continue to ripple across the globe.

The Pre-AI vs. Current AI World

Just as COVID reshaped our physical and social landscapes, the rise of AI is transforming how we think, work, and create. This year, we’ve seen a collective reckoning with what AI can do—from revolutionizing industries to sparking debates about ethics and governance. It’s not just a technological shift; it’s a global experience. Countries are taking bold stances on how they want AI to shape their futures, creating a fascinating combination of strategies, challenges, and opportunities.

The Global Experience of Change

What makes this moment in history so unique is the shared nature of these transformations. From COVID to AI, the entire world has experienced profound change, together. Countries are evolving, companies are pivoting, and individuals are navigating a rapidly shifting landscape. This shared experience underscores the importance of cultural intelligence—the need to adapt, connect, and thrive in an interconnected world.

Looking forward: JAM CQ in 2025

As we step into 2025, we’re laser-focused on helping our readers navigate these changes. At JAM CQ, we’re streamlining our approach to focus on three key verticals, each designed to empower you with the insights and tools you need to thrive in a globalized, AI-driven world:

1. CQ in Technology

We hate that so many technology titles end up only being on AI, but we are going to be obsessed with AI next year for a lot of reasons. AI is here to stay, and its influence will only deepen in the years to come. In 2025, we’ll dive into:

• The Gulf’s ambitious plans to diversify through AI. If you don’t already follow our AI in the Gulf context, you should.

• Europe’s strict AI governance and ethical debates.

• The U.S.’s struggle to define its stance amidst rising global competition.

• The broader implications of the China-U.S. AI trade war.

Our goal is to provide both opportunities and warnings, helping you approach AI with cultural intelligence and caution.

2. CQ in the Future of Work

The way we work is undergoing a seismic shift. Remote work, social media careers, and the questioning of traditional education pipelines are challenging old norms. In this vertical, we’ll explore:

• The rise of Gen Z and their non-linear career paths.

• The growing emphasis on human skills—curiosity, creativity, critical thinking, and compassion (our 4Cs)—as AI takes over repetitive tasks.

• The global redefinition of what “work” means for individuals and families.

3. CQ in Wellness & Lifestyle

Health and wellness have become global phenomena, blending cultural practices with cutting-edge technology. In 2025, we’ll investigate:

• The rise of personalized wellness solutions driven by AI.

• Cultural habits, like Korea’s baek-sae-shi-dae (“the era of centenarians”), and their impact on longevity.

• Global food trends, from the probiotics of kimchi and sauerkraut to the demand for cleaner, more transparent products.

Each vertical is a lens through which we’ll explore the cultural intelligence needed to adapt to these shifts—and thrive.

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The AI That Feels Like Home: AJ, Our Culturally Intelligent Assistant

One of our most ambitious projects for 2025 is AJ, our culturally intelligent AI. AJ helps you navigate the world with confidence and ease, turning the unfamiliar into familiar. Picture walking into any country, any room, and leaving with trust, connection, and understanding—that’s what AJ is designed to achieve.

AJ isn’t just a tool; it’s your guide to cultural intelligence. It scaffolds your learning, helping you decode unspoken social cues, understand nuanced traditions, and communicate effectively—all on the go. It’s about making you a more thoughtful, compassionate global citizen, bridging divides and fostering meaningful connections.

In a world where AI often replaces human tasks, AJ is different. It’s built to enhance humanity, not replace it. Whether you’re prepping for a business trip to Tokyo or navigating social norms in Paris, AJ is your partner in creating psychological safety and trust. Sign up now for early access, and join us in building a smarter, more connected future.

Join Us on This Journey

Here’s how you can get involved with JAM CQ as we step into an exciting 2025:

1. Suggest Topics for Us to Explore

Have a cultural, business, or global trend you’re curious about? We’d love to hear from you. Email us your suggestions at info@jamglobalstrategies.com.

2. Become a Sponsor

If you want to support JAM CQ and align with our mission, let’s collaborate. Sponsors can reach us at info@jamglobalstrategies.com.

3. Get Early Access to AJ

AJ, our culturally intelligent AI, is launching in 2025. Join the waiting list by clicking this link and signing up. You don’t want to miss this tool!

4. Sign Up for Training and Courses

We’re offering online courses to help individuals and teams grow their cultural intelligence. Email us at info@jamglobalstrategies.com to learn more and reserve your spot.

5. Share JAM CQ With Two Friends

Help us grow the JAM CQ community. Share this newsletter with two friends who would enjoy our content.

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6. Lock in Your Membership at the Current Rate

Starting next year, more of our content will move behind a paywall to sustain the publication. Lock in your discounted rate now and enjoy uninterrupted access to the insights you love.

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7. Tell Us What You Think

We love hearing from you! Share your thoughts, what you loved, what you didn’t, and what you’d like to see more of. Leave a comment or email us at info@jamglobalstrategies.com.

Attention Investors: Don’t Miss Out

At JAM CQ, we’re not just responding to change—we’re shaping it. Cultural intelligence is the future of work, and we’re at the forefront of merging global trends with skill-building and leadership development. With AJ, our culturally intelligent AI, launching in 2025, we’re redefining how people work, connect, and lead in a globalized world.

This isn’t just a company; it’s a movement. AJ isn’t replacing humanity—it’s enhancing it, equipping individuals and teams with the tools to navigate the complexities of a changing world with empathy and adaptability. If you want to be part of shaping the future, this is your moment.

Here’s the truth: We’re raising in January. Investors who see where the world is headed understand the urgency of getting in on the ground floor. You’ll look back on this and know you were part of something monumental—or regret that you weren’t.

Email us at info@jamglobalstrategies.com with the subject line INVESTOR, and let’s shape the future together.

Thank You and See You in 2025

At JAM CQ, we’re building a company culture that values time with loved ones and creating space for special moments. That’s why we won’t be publishing newsletters on Christmas Day or New Year’s Day or in between. We’re taking this time to recharge, spend time with our families, and embrace the kind of balance we believe is essential for a thriving startup.

You’ll hear from us again on January 8th, refreshed and ready to dive into an exciting and transformative 2025.

From all of us at JAM CQ, thank you for being part of this journey. Have a wonderful holiday season, and here’s to a globally connected and inspiring new year!

I was pumped. I had just handed off my detailed product requirements to our Chief Technology Officer (CTO) who added his technical specifications, and passed them along to our offshore engineering teams in Brazil and Serbia. The plan seemed brilliant: our Serbian engineers, six hours ahead, would kick off the work while we slept, and by the time our Brazilian team came online—just a couple of hours ahead of us—they’d take over, providing nearly seamless coverage. It sounded perfect... on paper.

But when the updates arrived, my excitement turned to confusion. Features were misplaced, priorities misaligned. It was like ordering a custom birthday cake and getting a loaf of bread with sprinkles. “How did this happen?” I wondered. Thinking this was a one-off, I gave my feedback on changes that needed to be made. When this happened a few more times, frustrated, I rolled up my sleeves, and addressed the engineers directly.

“Here’s what we’re building, and here’s why it matters to our users,” I explained.

Their response surprised me. It was the first time they grasped the bigger picture. They excitedly offered alternative solutions that were not only resource-efficient but also user-focused.

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Startups, driven by cost pressures and a hunger for agility, increasingly rely on offshore talent. But I learned you can’t save money with a global team if you don’t understand how to navigate cultural complexities and bridge gaps in communication. Those essentials can make or break a project. Coding might be universal, but work styles and communication norms are not.

Click 👉🏻 Subscribe now for a special holiday rate of just $7 a month!

This reliance on offshore talent has given birth to a new norm, global teams, that have transformed the tech industry.

The rapid growth of platforms like Deel and Oyster, companies that hire and manage global teams, highlights a significant shift toward global team structures. Deel, for instance, achieved a valuation of $12 billion in just three years, underscoring the increasing demand for solutions that facilitate international hiring.

How Understanding Culture Enhances Collaboration

But getting your money’s worth out of a global team can be challenging. In Serbia, engineers worked well with structured, direct guidance but were hesitant to suggest changes without being asked. Meanwhile, in Brazil, collaboration thrived on personal connection and trust. These dynamics required more than just a well-written brief—they needed proactive, tailored communication.

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