#Chris Conover Hudson Valley

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AI Trends to Watch in 2025 and Beyond

Artificial intelligence (AI) is more prevalent than ever in the United States. AI-powered technologies and software are used in virtually every industry. According to a Pew Research Center survey, nearly three out of every 10 American citizens engage with AI multiple times each day, while an additional 28 percent interact with AI about once per day. However, a separate Pew survey found that 52 percent of Americans are more likely to describe their feelings about AI as "concerned" rather than "excited." In 2025 and beyond, Americans will have many new AI products and strategies to engage with and assess.

A major AI trend heading into 2025 involves e-commerce. Several AI products and tools have completely transformed the e-commerce industry in recent years. The latest trends involve personalizing each customer's shopping experience and optimizing operational efficiency.

Specific examples include recommendation engines, AI-powered data filtering devices that use machine learning algorithms to present users with the most relevant content possible. Amazon's AI system sources data not just from a customer's purchase history, but also their browser history and general preferences, allowing the website to make accurate recommendations and boost sales. E-commerce leaders have further increased sales and customer satisfaction by embracing the benefits of AI-powered chatbots for customer care.

Various AI applications are used in the world of education. AI technology has been developed to help educators reach their students and to help students maximize their academic potential. AI education tools often draw on adaptive learning principles, yielding a highly personalized educational experience that has been tailored to meet the unique needs of each student, accounting for any combination of strengths, weaknesses, and preferred methods of learning.

AI automation will play an increasingly significant role across many industries, including education. By automating various administrative tasks, AI tools free teachers to devote more time to their students. An Education Week report found that teachers in 2023 spent less than half of their 57-hour work week instructing students, with the remainder of their time committed to various meetings and planning efforts, much of which can be truncated or eliminated via AI automation.

Simplilearn is one example of the many emerging AI education platforms. The platform consists of algorithms that interpret many aspects of the educational experience. The platform can recommend appropriate courses to students, offer individualized feedback regarding performance, and generally optimize the learning experience for each student.

Considering the widespread use of AI in America, it should come as no surprise that many emerging AI trends and technologies have been used to create lifestyle products. Personal assistants such as Siri and Alexa are perhaps the most obvious example of how AI influences daily living in the US, helping Americans to lead more comfortable and efficient lives. An estimated 86.5 million people in America alone have used Siri, while Alexa supports a global user base of more than 77 million. These and other lifestyle products have been designed to streamline routine tasks, such as managing daily schedules.

Outside of personal assistants, AI systems are used to power various smart technologies, such as thermostats. The Nest thermostat catalogs a user's temperature preferences over the day and will begin to independently replicate those patterns, making adjustments as needed.

These are only a few of the areas in which AI is expected to expand in 2025 and beyond. Other industries to monitor include robotics, natural language processing, and facial recognition technology.

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Youth Sports Trends in America

Sports are an extremely important aspect of American culture, a sentiment supported by 81 percent of the country. The retail sports industry generates upwards of $5.5 billion annually and an estimated 242 million citizens, or close to 80 percent of every American over the age of six, engage in a sport or fitness activity at least once per year. Sports are popular among younger Americans - youth sports participation is around 60 million children and teenagers, according to the National Council of Youth Sports. Several trends are shaping the direction of youth sports in the US.

Youth sports is a diverse field encompassing many athletic activities. Youth soccer ranks among the most popular fitness activities for children in the country, with over 3 million registered players, not including participation at school or home. The sport should remain popular for years to come thanks to a yearly growth rate of 4 percent since 2014. Soccer is also popular due to its accessible nature and minimal need for equipment.

Soccer is one of several youth sports in America with at least 1 million registered participants. The national youth athlete population includes roughly 2.6 million basketball players, about 2.5 million baseball players, over 1.5 million football players, and around 1.1 million softball players. Other popular youth sports in the US include ice hockey and volleyball, while niche sports range from fencing to parkour. However, various trends may shift which sports remain popular in the future.

Although four out of five American youth participate in sports to some degree, sports management service provider Jersey Watch reports that participation is declining among younger age groups. The percentage of youth from the ages of six to 12 who regularly played sports dropped from 38 percent in 2019 to 27 percent in 2021. While COVID undoubtedly had an impact on these numbers, participation levels have yet to recover to pre-pandemic numbers, and participation is down significantly from 45 percent in 2008.

Adding concern is the fact that younger Americans are giving sports a try but are not staying involved. An estimated seven out of 10 child athletes will quit sports by the time they turn 13. Fortunately, children are not quitting out of a lack of interest. On the contrary, many children suffer from burnout caused by overly competitive families. Unqualified coaches can also compel children to prematurely end their youth sports careers. Communities or families interested in improving local participation rates should strive to create an atmosphere that is fun, challenging, and safe for children.

Participation among the 13 to 17-year-old age group remains stable. The accessibility of school programs is a key factor, with 54 percent of high school students playing at least one team sport. Accessibility is not always an issue - an Aspen Institute study found that families with more money are less likely to engage in organized sports. Children from households making between $25,000 and $49,999 comprised 22.3 percent of the youth athlete population, compared to 17.9 percent from families with incomes between $75,000 and $99,999.

Finally, statistics suggest that local communities can take their futures into their own hands when it comes to improving youth sports participation. More than half of Americans believe that public funding can have a positive impact on youth sports and school athletic programs. Without public support, families may have to spend up to $1,000 for each child who wants to play a sport.

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A Look at Bitcoin's Most Substantial Price Swings

Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are investment vehicles that can pay big dividends, but are also prone to volatility. Bitcoin's price, for example, can increase or decrease by as much as 10 percent in a single day due to a myriad of factors, including economic performance, interest rates, world events, and regulatory actions. Cryptocurrency is also a relatively new asset class for which traditional valuation methods do not apply, as it has no cash flow or the ability to pay dividends.

Highlighting its rapid rise and volatility, Bitcoin was traded at one-tenth of one cent when it debuted in late 2009 and reached a peak price of $73,844 on March 15, 2024. That's a massive increase of 7,384,400 percent, although it hasn't been a linear rise, rather one that has had dramatic swings in price, both increases and decreases.

The price of Bitcoin exceeded $1 in February 2011 and, by June, one coin was worth more than $30. However, it finished 2011 with a value of $4.70, down more than 90 percent from the all-time high it achieved earlier in the year. This was due in large part to Mt. Gox, a Bitcoin exchange that filed for bankruptcy in 2014, revealing hackers had stolen millions of dollars worth of the crypto from hundreds of accounts.

Bitcoin's price started climbing again in 2013 due to several factors, including the advent of Bitcoin ATMs that allowed people to exchange fiat money for crypto. It reached $230 in value in April 2013 and peaked for the year at $1,200 before experiencing declines due to Mt. Gox's bankruptcy and China banning financial institutions from using the cryptocurrency.

The period of 2014-16 was relatively uneventful for Bitcoin, but was an important one for decentralized finance, with widespread adoption of smart contracts and the shift to proof-of-stake from proof-of-work, a more labor-intensive transaction processing known as mining.

On December 17, 2017, Bitcoin's price reached a new high of $19,497.40, due to a combination of factors, including greater visibility and trading accessibility and the crypto's third halving in late 2016. Halving is a process in which the rate at which additional coins are generated is reduced, lowering the number of new coins entering the market, which in turn generally increases price and demand for the coins.

The massive price increase didn't alter Bitcoin's volatility. It declined 84 percent year-over-year by December 2018 due to hacks in Japan and South Korea, with both countries also threatening to ban the cryptocurrency. Bitcoin also lost half its value in just two days in the early stages of the pandemic, and declined from more than $10,000 in February to less than $4,000 in March. However, the pandemic and the worldwide shutdown ultimately helped Bitcoin, giving people increased confidence in the feasibility of decentralized finance, particularly Bitcoin.

By the end of 2020, Bitcoin's price had reached $29,000. In April of the following year, it surpassed $60,000 due to an increase in interest among institutional investors and Coinbase, a secure exchange with more than 250 cryptocurrencies going public. However, its price dropped by 53 percent the next month due to new regulations in China, concerns about the environmental impact of mining, and Elon Musk rescinding his promise to allow people to purchase Tesla cars with Bitcoin.

In 2022, Bitcoin's price fell below $16,000, but it has risen significantly in the last year or two in large part due to the SEC allowing investors to trade Bitcoin in exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

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Some of the Best Golf Courses in New York

New York may be predominantly known for cultural landmarks and institutions like the Statue of Liberty, Broadway, and Madison Square Garden, but it is also a popular destination for golfers, with dozens of acclaimed courses throughout the state. Long Island, in particular, is regarded as one of the best golfing areas in the United States due to a combination of its early golf architectural features, ocean proximity, and sandy soil. New York had 17 courses included on Golf Digest's America's 100 Greatest/Second 100 Greatest 2023-24 rankings, second only to California.

Both Golf Digest and Top 100 Golf Courses list Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton as the best course in the state. Designed by Willie Davis in the late 19th century, with updates by renowned architects Seth Raynor and Charles Macdonald, the private club is notable for a number of reasons. It stands as one of the first links courses in the United States; was one of the United States Golf Association's five founding members; and is home to one of the country's first specifically designed clubhouses, a white columned building that overlooks the 300-acre course below.

Shinnecock, which also overlooks the Peconic Bay, is known for its tough prevailing winds and rolling terrain, which prompted Charles Price, in the New World Atlas of Golf, to compare it to "British seaside links." It hosted the US Open for the first time in 1896 and again in 1986, 1995, 2004, and 2018. It is set to host the major championship in 2026.

National Golf Links of America, also located in Southampton, adjacent to Shinnecock, is widely regarded as the second-best course in the state. Raynor and Macdonald also collaborated on this private course, which incorporates design features from historic British golf holes. Many holes are directly inspired by iconic holes at UK golf courses, including No. 2, "Sahara," which is similar to No. 3 at Royal St. George's, and No. 4, "Redan," which emulates the angled No. 15 green at North Berwick.

The 6,935-yard course opened in 1911 and was ranked seventh in Golf Digest's list of America’s 100 Greatest Courses for 2023-24. Situated on more than 250 acres of rolling landscape, with varied topography and massive challenging greens, it hosted the inaugural Walker Cup in 1922 and again in 2013.

Golf Digest and Top 100 Golf Courses both rank Fishers Island, Winged Foot (West), and Friar's Head as the next three best courses in New York, although in different orders. Another Raynor design, Fishers Island opened in 1926, just after Raynor passed away. The course offers panoramic views of the Long Island Sound and Atlantic Ocean. Golf Digest has listed it as a top-five course in the state in all of its rankings since 2005 and had it as the ninth-best course in the country for 2023-24.

Friar's Head, meanwhile, is also located near Shinnecock. A more modern course designed by Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore, it opened on 350 acres of rugged landscape in 2003. It is unique in that it doesn't have yardage markers, and players must use caddies at all times. Greens vary from 3,000 to 18,000 square feet, and some are protected by massive bearded bunkers.

The West course at Winged Foot Golf Club, ranked No. 4 in New York by Golf Digest, is known for its impressive green contours and open fairways. It has 10 par-4s that are longer than 400 yards and a fairly difficult final six holes, including a 210-yard par-3. Bryson DeChambeau won the 2020 US Open at the West course.

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The Importance of Accessible, Quality Youth Sports Programs in America

Sports represent a major aspect of American culture. In 2023, the value of the North American sports market increased to more than $83 billion. That year, close to 80 percent of the nation, or about 242 million people, engaged in at least one sport or athletic activity. This stands as a record high for the nation, according to fitness activity service provider Sports Destination Management.

Unfortunately, most Americans do not take part in the recommended amount of weekly physical activity, including 75 percent of high school students. American youth deal with many distractions, ranging from an influx of screens to declining budgets for physical education programs at schools. The national average for sports participation is roughly 51 percent, with Massachusetts and Minnesota leading the way with participation rates approaching 63 percent.

Several sports continue to draw high participation numbers, though many programs continue to recover from COVID-19 disruptions during the 2019 and 2020 school years. Individual sports are slightly more popular than team sports for youth aged 13 to 17. Basketball draws the most participation overall, at 3.44 million, followed by baseball and soccer.

There are complications when it comes to promoting the importance of youth sports. A Boston Globe report from 2022 found that 59 percent of parents with children playing fall sports said the cost of athletics is a financial strain on the household. More than half of six-figure income households participating in the report said they had a child playing baseball that autumn, compared to a quarter of families making $35,000 or less.

To close this gap, school districts and municipal governments should carefully consider the benefits of maintaining quality youth sports programs and the importance of accessibility. Athletes who participate in youth sports enjoy many advantages, according to data collected by the Aspen Institute’s Project Play initiative.

To start, studies indicate that physically active adolescents have a lower risk for obesity. Childhood obesity is a serious health concern in the US. Nearly 13 percent of children from the ages of 2 to 5 qualify as obese and the prevalence increases at every age group; over 22 percent of adolescents from 12 to 19 live with obesity and the myriad health complications the condition entails. This does not account for children who do not qualify as obese but are living at unhealthy weights. Altogether, roughly 14.7 million American children live with obesity and 41.5 percent of Americans ages 2 to 19 are overweight, obese, or severely obese.

Youth sports can also mitigate a child’s chances of developing clinical depression, another serious crisis among American youths. The prevalence of diagnosed depression among American children is 3.2 percent, to say nothing of undiagnosed cases. Previously considered a psychological issue exclusively impacting adults, depression has been diagnosed in individuals as young as 2 years old. The consequences of untreated clinical depression can be fatal. There are many approaches to treating depression, including spending time outdoors, taking part in sports and exercise, and engaging in social activities, all opportunities provided by youth sports leagues.

Children and adolescents who play youth sports are less likely to use illegal drugs, tobacco products, or alcohol. Youth athletes perform better in school, score higher on tests, and are more likely to attend college and secure gainful employment. Unsurprisingly, youth athletes typically demonstrate higher levels of confidence and self-esteem. These are only a few of the reasons for a school or district to consider investing in their youth sports programming.