Being a highly functional morning person has to do with variants of Neanderthal genes we’ve been passed down: New research published in the Genome Biology and Evolution journal theorizes that DNA inherited from Neanderthals increases the likelihood of being “a morning person.” Humans who evolved in what eventually became Africa, where the sun would be in the sky for a good 12 hours, did not need to be up early in the day to go out and hunt. This contrasts with our Neanderthals, who spent most of their days in cold weather with less sunshine, and where food was scarce.

As a result of Homo sapiens’ migration, up to 4% of modern humans’ genes are inherited from Neanderthals, particularly among people of modern European and Asian descent. The study compared genes from modern humans to DNA from Neanderthals and Denisovans, another extinct relative, and indicates that ancient interbreeding between these groups helped our ancestors adapt to new environments.

Don’t give up hope, night owls:Whether you are the carrier of the ‘early bird’ gene or not, there are a lot of outside factors that can influence sleep patterns like routine and light exposure, meaning our genetics are not the sole determinants of our ability to get up earlier or later in the morning, The Guardian notes.

Human guidance will still be needed but it looks like AI will probably replace task-based work, according to a report from Resume Builder that surveyed 750 business leaders who currently or plan to use AI.Some have already replaced human employees with AI, with37% of respondents saying AI hasreplaced workers in 2023 and 44% predict even more layoffs in 2024.

These numbers don’t speak for traditional and small businesses, though, says resume and career strategist at ResumeBuilder, Julia Toothacre. In fact, there’s no evidence that it will cause mass unemployment, we just need to look back at labor’s historical flexibility.

There are also the regions that don’t even have internet access,and AI may come as the last of their worries, the article adds.

Now is not a time to ponder getting laid-off as opposed to what can be done to use AI at work. For example, as chief product officer at software company Asana, Alex Hood, contends that much of the time at work is spent doing “work about work” such as meetings, appraisals, and updates. He further suggests that AI can tackle task-based work to increase efficiency and allow humans to focus on self-development and refining their work processes. How? For starters, defining what tasks AI can perform, says Marc Cenedella, founder of Leet Resumes and Ladders.

This is for HR: Employees need to train on using AI as a part of their professional development + employers should consider providing that chance. Toothacre, even though she isn’t convinced of the severity of structural layoffs, she recommends that people study how AI could impact employees’ positions in their industry to make sure to know what to expect. In the report, she advised workers to, “figure out what part of your position can’t be taken over by AI or where AI might need human intervention and become the go-to person for those tasks.”

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