FIFA's official partner Adidas came up with an undoubtedly original idea for this year's ball. Their priorities were definitely to implement this year's buzzwords – technology, IoT, AI, and machine learning, but at the same time to include sustainability and upcycling. Now, were these trends used for a purpose and how were they justified? The ball is designed as an homage to Qatar's architecture, national flag, and traditional boats, while the name itself translates as'Journey'. The main feature of this ball is its lightness and speed. More precisely, "the highest level of accuracy" when compared to previous balls.

This week Adidas is launching personality-based avatars where the characters are generated using artificial intelligence (AI). Adidas has partnered with the cross-app avatar platform Ready Player Me for this project, allowing digital characters to travel the metaverse across 1500 apps and games. The initiative is part of the marketing strategy for Adidas' new Ozword footwear collection based on self-expression and individuality. When users create an avatar on the Digital Ozworld Experience, they have to answer a series of questions. These include their favorite item of the Ozworld collection.

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For the past three years, the world of running has been obsessed with one technology: carbon-fiber plates. The springy plates that help to push runners forward are now used by almost all running shoe manufacturers in their top-end shoes. But as sports companies have raced to embed the carbon plates in their running shoes, the foot-hugging fabric material that sits on the top of trainers has been neglected. This story originally appeared on WIRED UK. Adidas has revealed that for the last four years its computer and sports scientists have been secretly working on a brand new way to create a shoe's upper.

Adidas' Futurecraft division has been running for a few years now, trying to find new ways to build footwear. Its 4D midsole demonstrates how 3D-printing could revolutionize the way footwear is made, while its Loop is made from entirely-recyclable materials. Now, the sports company thinks that it's found an even smarter way to make uppers that are lighter and stronger than ever before. The Futurecraft.Strung (sorry, STRUNG), is a proof-of-concept sneaker with an upper made from individually-wound threads. Adidas says that it has developed a custom-built robot that can weave threads diagonally across the midsole.

Microsoft Corp. said it won't sell facial-recognition technology to U.S. police until there is a national law regulating its use, echoing similar commitments from Amazon.com Inc. and International Business Machines Corp. made this week. The trio of technology companies have called for clearer federal rules around the surveillance technology amid widespread concern about its potential for racial bias. Meanwhile, the popular fantasy card game, "Magic: The Gathering," removed several cards it deemed racist or culturally offensive from its database, including one depicting figures in pointed hoods. The Hasbro-subsidiary behind the game also pledged to review all cards for material deemed inappropriate. The moves are the latest public actions by businesses lining up to show their commitment to racial equality.

You don't need new sneakers if you can't go outside. Associated Press Adidas is making a strategic shift to a more focused online presence to cope with falling sales as the coronavirus pandemic stops customers from being able to visit stores The sportswear brand aims to digitize its entire value chain and revamp its'Creating the New' business plan first introduced in 2015. From using AI in its supply chain to 3D printing sneakers, here's what we know about Adidas' digital acceleration plan.

Overconsumption and poor resource efficiency are damaging natural ecosystems, causing biodiversity loss and the depletion of basic resources. Sustainable, circular initiatives support sustainable growth by aiming to keep the value of resources for as long as possible and eventually bring them back to the economy at the end of their life, producing zero waste and making cash from waste. With the commitment to green values, major players in the retail and fashion industry are taking the lead in sustainable, circular initiatives. Businesses are responding to customers' green values, as they become increasingly aware on how their purchases effect the environment. In taking the lead for a sustainable, circular economy, leading brands provide products and services that allow customers to enjoy a guilt-free ethical shopping experience.

Retailers are getting smarter about artificial intelligence (AI), and the latest example of that innovative effort comes from Walmart. According to a new report, the retail chain, hoping to reduce checkout theft, is turning to cameras powered by AI, with deployments underway in some 1,000 stores. "The retailer began investing in the surveillance program, dubbed Missed Scan Detection, several years ago in an effort to combat shrinkage -- loss due to several causes including theft, scanning errors, waste and fraud," the report stated. "The AI-powered cameras were rolled out to more than 1,000 stores about two years ago and the retail giant has seen positive results since then, according to Jenkins, who said shrinkage has reduced in stores where the cameras have been added." Artificial intelligence is moving from theory to reality, and that holds true for the world of retail as well.

Editor's Note: SHRM has partnered with Harvard Business Review to bring you relevant articles on key HR topics and strategies. It was going to be the factory of the future. Dubbed the "Alien Dreadnought," Tesla's new manufacturing facility in Fremont, California, was designed to be fully automated -- no humans need apply. If all went well, AI-powered robots would enable the company to achieve a weekly production of 5,000 Model 3 electric cars to keep up with burgeoning demand. But Tesla fell far short of that mark, manufacturing just 2,000 vehicles a week.