Stop Building AI Features Nobody Asked For By Daniel Lambo, Blaze Group In July 2025, the Commonwealth Bank of Australia told 45 customer-service workers that an AI voice bot would replace them. Within weeks, the Finance Sector Union reported surging call volumes, overtime offers, and team leaders answering phones. On August 21, the bank reversed the layoffs and apologized, admitting its review failed to weigh "all relevant business considerations.” The bot didn’t fail. The

My Blaze Capital investment decisions throughout September 2026 were guided by a belief that entrepreneurs deserve access to the resources they need to turn their ideas into sustainable businesses. For me, investing is about more than financial returns. It is also about understanding the people behind a business, their motivations, the obstacles they face, and the opportunities that funding can create. This perspective is personal. I watched my mom spend five years building

Updated for Black Business Month 2026 Every August, Black Business Month gives us an opportunity to celebrate Black entrepreneurship. To pay homage, we are making it clear where entrepreneurs, business owners, and families can find Black-owned and Black-led banks and credit unions across the United States. Banks and credit unions are crucial to communities. They hold our deposits, process our payments, extend credit, finance homes and businesses, and help capital circulate in