{
  "id": 6937020,
  "title": "Mark Penn: How to save a billion and a half hours",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/12/mark-penn-how-to-save-a-billion-and-a-half-hours",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-09-12T14:23:45.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Fortune",
    "slug": "fortune",
    "url": "https://fortune.com/2026/09/12/mark-penn-how-to-save-a-billion-and-a-half-hours/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In a world where technology promises to streamline our lives, legal complexities continue to consume an excessive amount of time and energy. With ChatGPT and Claude becoming increasingly integrated into our daily routines, we risk further exacerbating this issue. The root cause lies in the excessive use of consent banners and agreement paragraphs by lawyers and politicians, which have infiltrated every digital platform. These unnecessary barriers force users to waste countless hours clicking through redundant prompts.\n\nTo combat this waste, five potential solutions should be implemented. Firstly, a universal consent dashboard should be established, allowing users to set their preferences once and apply them across all websites on their device. Secondly, two-factor authentication should be streamlined to a single, biometric system, eliminating the need for repetitive codes and confirmations. Thirdly, CAPTCHAs should be replaced with more intuitive and user-friendly alternatives, such as identifying common objects like fire hydrants or traffic lights. Fourthly, the terms and conditions should be rewritten in plain language, accompanied by an independent rating system to help users make informed decisions about their consent.\n\nBy addressing these common issues, we can collectively save billions and half a million hours that are currently wasted on legal nonsense. It is time for lawyers and policymakers to employ common sense and work towards a more efficient digital landscape.",
  "summary": "AI promises convenience, but the internet is still clogged with cookie banners, CAPTCHAs, passcodes and unreadable fine print. It’s time to replace it.",
  "key_points": [
    "Establish universal consent dashboard to streamline user preferences",
    "Streamline two-factor authentication to single biometric system",
    "Replace CAPTCHAs with intuitive alternatives like identifying common objects"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}