AI is impacting roles worldwide. Its growing impact is also beginning to shape leadership decisions at some of the world’s largest companies. Two major CEOs — from Coca-Cola and Walmart — have recently said that the rise of AI played a role in their decision to step down. Speaking in separate interviews with CNBC, both leaders pointed to a major shift driven by AI and said the next phase of growth would require new leadership. Their comments offer insight into how top executives are preparing for the next wave of technological change across industries.

Coca-Cola CEO James Quincey says he decided to step down due to AI

In the CNBC interview, Coca-Cola CEO James Quincey said his decision to step down was influenced by the changing business environment and the role AI is expected to play in the future.“My job is also to think who’s the best team to put on the field to get the next wave done,” Quincey told the publication. “And I concluded that, actually, it was time to put someone else on the field for the next wave of growth.”Quincey, who has led the company since 2017, will be replaced by current COO Henrique Braun. He said the company had made progress in a “pre-AI” phase, but a major shift is now underway.“In a pre-AI, a pre-gen-AI mode, we made a lot of progress. But now there’s a huge new shift coming along,” he said.

What Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said on timing his exit

Former Walmart CEO Doug McMillon also linked his decision to step down to the rise of AI and the changes it will bring to the retail sector.“With what’s happening with AI, I could start this next big set of transformations with AI, but I couldn’t finish,” McMillon has said.He further added that the scale of upcoming changes made him feel it was the right time to hand over leadership.“About a year ago, I really started feeling like this next run, you could see what agentic commerce was going to look like, the vision for AI shopping, and I started thinking about everything that needs to happen over the next few years, and it really caused me to think that now was the right time [to step down],” he said.

MUMBAI: Honorary consul for Maldives in Mumbai, Bobby Mohanty (57), filed a complaint with the Juhu police on Wednesday alleging that cyber fraudsters used a credit card he held, issued by a foreign bank, to carry out a fund transfer of Rs 4.59 lakh in Jakarta in Oct 2025.Mohanty alleged that despite timely alerts and complaints to the bank, no action was initiated. He further alleged that the bank harassed him with finance charges and penalties for transactions not executed, which he said tarnished his CIBIL score credentials.Juhu police registered an FIR against an unknown person based on Mohanty’s complaint. Mohanty has asked police to interrogate bank staff whose role he suspected in his card data being compromised.The fraud occurred in Indonesia when Mohanty was on board a Delhi-Mumbai flight. “The transaction was immediately reported to the bank by my wife, Sanghamitra Mohanty, upon receipt of the email alert, and subsequently reconfirmed by me upon landing at Mumbai airport, with clear instructions to block the transaction,” Mohanty said.The bank failed to act, he said. “Despite timely reporting and the suspicious nature of a high-value international transaction, the bank failed to verify, flag, or halt the transaction,” Mohanty told TOI.A Juhu police officer said police have filed a case for cheating and forgery and under the IT Act for identity theft and impersonation against an unknown person. The cyber team will summon bank staff to get more details. “Mohanty has submitted the flight ticket which he used in Oct to fly to Delhi along with the complaints he has submitted to the RBI ombudsman. The cyber team is gathering details from the bank to find out why they did not flag off the transactions when complaints were made and they were asked to block them,” the officer said.Mohanty said after repeated correspondence with the bank, it reversed 50% of the transaction amounting to Rs 2.29 lakh about 40 days after the incident, which he said was an admission of fraud. “Possibility of internal involvement and collusion of employees with external fraudsters cannot be ruled out and warrants an independent investigation,” he said.“Correspondence has been made with the RBI ombudsman and the RBI Governor, but in vain. The bank has wrongfully fastened liability on the cardholder, including levying charges on the disputed amount and issuing threats of adverse reporting to CIBIL for non-payment,” he said.

In a week marked by travel disruptions, regional uncertainty amid Iran vs US-Israel war and emotional departures, something unexpected unfolded at Dubai International Airport, one of the world’s busiest airports and it had nothing to do with flights. At DXB (as Dubai International Airport is commonly known), passengers leaving the city were met not just with boarding calls and security checks but with small, heartfelt gifts.The gesture has gone viral, turning routine departures into deeply emotional moments.

When Dubai International Airport became more than a transit point

Airports are usually associated with efficiency, urgency and movement but in recent days, DXB has quietly transformed into something else. It is currently a space of reassurance and emotional connection. Amid ongoing disruptions linked to regional tensions and unstable travel conditions due to Iran vs US-Israel war, airport staff began distributing souvenir packs to departing passengers.The initiative was not announced with fanfare. There were no grand campaigns. Instead, it appeared organically at boarding gates, just as travellers prepared to leave and that timing made all the difference.

What’s inside the now-viral “DXB gift pack”?

At first glance, the contents are simple:

However, it is the message behind the items that has resonated most. The note expresses gratitude for passengers’ patience during disruptions and reassures them that their safety and wellbeing remain a top priority.Some versions include iconic imagery like the Burj Khalifa, turning the pack into a symbolic keepsake of the city. What might seem like a small token has, in reality, became something far more meaningful.

Why passengers are getting emotional at the viral “DXB gift pack”

The response has been overwhelming and deeply personal. Travellers across nationalities have shared stories of breaking down in tears at the boarding gate, feeling unexpectedly “seen” and valued and experiencing comfort during already emotional goodbyes. One resident described the moment as something that “broke open” her emotions, saying that the gesture arrived exactly when she needed reassurance. Another shared how her parents initially thought the pack was official paperwork, only to realise it was a gift of appreciation, transforming a routine farewell into a memorable moment. In a place defined by movement, DXB managed to create stillness, even if just for a moment.To understand why this initiative has struck such a chord, you have to look at the broader backdrop. The UAE and the wider region has recently experienced airspace disruptions, flight delays and cancellations and heightened geopolitical tensions amid Iran vs US-Israel war. These factors have made travel more stressful than usual, with uncertainty becoming a constant companion for many passengers.In that context, the DXB gesture serves a very specific purpose and that is to humanise the travel experience during a time of instability. Even small acts of empathy can carry disproportionate weight when people are already navigating anxiety, delays and emotional farewells.

“Uniquely Dubai”: The brand beyond infrastructure

Dubai has long built its global reputation on scale, speed and spectacle but this moment highlights another dimension and that is of intentional hospitality. Passengers and residents alike have described the gesture as “Uniquely Dubai”, a reflection of the city’s warmth and proof that the city prioritises people, not just systems.Frequent travellers have noted that despite passing through airports worldwide, they had never experienced something similar. This is where Dubai’s soft power comes into play, not through skyscrapers or luxury but through emotional intelligence in public spaces.What started as a simple initiative quickly gained traction online. Social media platforms have been flooded with photos of the souvenir packs, videos capturing passengers receiving them and emotional testimonials from residents. One recurring theme in these posts has been, “This is why Dubai feels like home.” The virality of the posts reflect a global appetite for positive, human-centred narratives, especially during times dominated by crisis headlines. The small gesture created such a big reaction because it taps into three powerful emotional triggers. The gifts were handed out at the most emotional point of travel, goodbye. Passengers did not expect anything, making the gesture feel more genuine. The message acknowledged travellers’ patience and presence, something that people rarely feel in large systems.In essence, DXB turned a transactional experience into a relational one. Globally, airports are evolving but mostly in terms of technology, efficiency and luxury. What DXB has done is different. It has introduced emotional design into travel infrastructure. Instead of asking,“How can we move people faster?” the airport, in this moment, asked, “How can we make people feel better?” That shift, however temporary, is significant.For many UAE residents, especially expatriates, airports are deeply emotional spaces. They are where families reunite and separate, lives transition between countries and identities stretch across borders. By inserting empathy into that space, Dubai has effectively redefined what a departure can feel like. As one traveller put it, the gesture turned a routine moment into a “core memory”, something that lingers long after the flight takes off.Beyond the viral moment, this story signals a broader trend that cities are increasingly being judged, not just by infrastructure but by how they treat people during moments of vulnerability. In this case, the gift cost is minimal but the emotional return is immense. It is a reminder that in high-functioning systems, human touch is still the ultimate differentiator.At a time when travel has become more unpredictable and emotionally charged, Dubai International Airport has managed to do something rare. It made people pause, made them feel and in some cases, it made them cry, not out of stress but gratitude because sometimes, the most powerful journeys are not defined by where you go but by how a place makes you feel when you leave.

NEW DELHI: Union petroleum and natural gas minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Friday said the government chose to cut excise duties on petrol and diesel to shield consumers from surging global energy prices amid the ongoing US-Israel-Iran war and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. He said the move, reducing petrol duty to Rs 3 per litre from Rs 13 and diesel to zero from Rs 10, was taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as part of a conscious decision to absorb the financial burden rather than pass it on to citizens.The fuel minister said that the decision was taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in an effort “to safeguard the Indian citizen” by taking a “hit on its own finances”.