9 great reads from CNET this week: Great resignation, music AI, gaming culture and more

Workplace culture has changed immensely since the start of the pandemic, in large part because that “place” is no longer the office; it’s our homes. Meetings are mostly virtual. Business travel dried up. Instead of rubbing elbows with co-workers and clients, we’re hanging with the kids, spouses, roommates, pets. It’s been a huge adjustment.

And it’s still shaking out. Staffing shortages continue to undermine economic recovery. People are jumping ship to jobs that offer something more, or they’re opting out of the workforce completely, whether for an extended hiatus or for outright retirement. CNET’s Ian Sherr takes a look at what’s widely known as the “great resignation,” while he and Erin Carson also zoom in on millennials and their workplace state of mind.

Those stories are among the many in-depth features and thought-provoking commentaries that appeared on CNET this week. So here you go. These are the stories you don’t want to miss.

The great resignation is changing work in America, and it’s here to stay 

The work world is changing rapidly, thanks to historically low unemployment claims mixed with unprecedented quit rates and millions of baby boomers suddenly retiring. 

How AI is re-creating music as we know it

Producers, musicians and software engineers discuss the making of the next pop artist: a robot.

How gamers want to create better, safer spaces online in 2022 

While the gaming industry faces a reckoning decades in the making, the community is fighting for a better 2022.   

‘Hustle culture’ is facing an existential crisis with millennials

Millennials are wondering whether finding meaning in their job is a fruitless pursuit.

When COVID-19 is no longer a pandemic: How our reality changes

The pandemic won’t last forever, even if it sometimes feels like it. But the virus itself is likely here to stay. Here’s what the new ‘normal’ may look like.

Where the EV revolution goes next 

It may seem like electric and electrified cars are everywhere, but in the grand scheme of things we’re only just getting started.   

Why 2022 could be the year to create your avatar and join the metaverse

Meta, Sony and Apple could reshape the way we think about the metaverse, but they won’t be the only companies working on it. 

Quantum computers are on the path to solving bigger problems for BMW, LG and others  

Steady progress and a burst of new quantum computer types bring these revolutionary systems closer to reality. 

Broadband is on a mission for 2022 led by Starlink, 5G and US infrastructure bill 

The pandemic laid the digital divide bare, but federal funding for new solutions could help us start to bridge the gap in 2022.