Palantir's Anti-College Fellowship, KPMG's AI Agents, and the Death of the 9-to-5

November 4, 2025:  The traditional systems of education, work, and performance are being upended. Across industries, new signals are emerging that point to a radically different future of work: Palantir's "Meritocracy Fellowship" gives high school graduates a paid, fast-track alternative to college. Microsoft's latest Work Trend Index reveals that the 9-to-5 is dead as the "infinite workday" expands. KPMG is replacing entry-level consulting work with teams of AI agents, redefining what early careers look like. Michael Burry is betting against Palantir and Nvidia, calling out an overheated AI market. The Wall Street Journal traces the century-long evolution of performance reviews—and why AI won't fix them without trust. These stories illustrate how technology, talent pipelines, and performance systems are converging to reshape how people learn, work, and grow. ________________ Quick heads-up: my new book, The 8 Laws of Employee Experience, is a practical playbook for building an environment where people do their best work—preorder a copy here: 8EXLaws.com