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☆ How working for Big Tech lost 'dream job' status
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-28 | by ( Anuz Thapa | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Despite blockbuster earnings from giants such as Alphabet and Microsoft , layoffs continue to ripple through the tech industry. Layoffs.fyi, a platform monitoring job cuts in the tech sector, recorded more than 263,000 job losses in 2023 alone. Even though mass tech layoffs continue, the labor market still seems strong. Mass layoffs have eroded the shine of the tech industry, which is why workers are questioning whether getting a job in the tech industry should still be regarded as a "dream job." Watch the video to learn about tech workers' sentiments, considerations for aspiring Big Tech employees, and more.

Persons: Jeff Shulman, Dow Jones, Christine Cruzverga, Eric Tolotti Organizations: Microsoft, University of Washington's Foster School of Business, Dow, Big Tech Locations: U.S, Big, Snowflake

☆ The world faces a low-fertility future that will 'completely reconfigure' the global economy
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-24 | by ( Rebecca Rommen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

97% of countries will fall below replacement level fertility rates by the end of the century, according to a new study. Shrinking fertility rates pose economic challenges of workforces shrinking and aging populations. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementBy 2100, over 97% of countries will have fertility rates below the replacement level, a Lancet study forecasts. With the fertility rates expected to fall below the necessary replacement level to sustain population size over time, experts warn we are approaching a "demographically divided world."

Persons: Elon Musk, — Organizations: Service, Institute for Health Metrics, University of Washington's School of Medicine, Business

The tech sector is having a big 2024. Hotter-than-expected inflation data may also keep the Fed from cutting rates as soon as the market expects, a sign that the economy remains strong enough to support tighter monetary policy for longer. It's a different story for tech workers, though. The number of tech sector layoffs in 2024 has been outpacing the number of terminations in 2023. So far, about 42,324 tech employees were let go in 2024, according to Layoffs.fyi, which tracks layoffs in the tech industry.

Persons: Jeff Shulman, There's, haven't, they've Organizations: Nvidia, University of Washington's Foster School of Business, Companies Locations: U.S

☆ Algorithms, bias and hallucinations: 20 important AI terms investors should know
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-04 | by ( Kevin Stankiewicz | In Kevinstankiewicz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +25 min

Generative AI Neural networks are the heart of the increasingly popular type of AI known as generative artificial intelligence , or gen AI for short. Both traditional AI and gen AI systems rely on data and can be used to automate decision-making tasks. Microsoft's AI virtual assistant Copilot — which went live in November — is perhaps the most prominent generative AI feature among our portfolio companies. Bias Bias is another downside to AI systems — and LLMs in particular — that users need to consider. While GPUs have the upper hand in AI training, CPUs are understood to perform AI inference well.

Persons: OpenAI's, —, We've, that's, Chirag Shah, Shah, Mark Riedl, Bruce Springsteen, Einstein, Copilot —, Springsteen, OpenAI, it's, Riedl, Harry Potter, I've, ChatGPT, University of Washington's Shah, there's, he'd, Georgia Tech's Riedl, LLMs that's, Georgia Tech's, Meta, Grace Hopper Superchip, Jim Cramer's, Jim Cramer, Jim Organizations: Broadcom, Microsoft, Meta, Nvidia, Apple, Chirag, University of Washington, Google, Georgia Tech's School of Interactive Computing, YouTube, Netflix, Amazon, Facebook, Reuters, U.S, University of Washington's, OpenAI, New York Times, Club, Jim Cramer's Charitable, CNBC Locations: Silicon Valley, Barcelona, U.S, WhatsApp, Istanbul, Georgia

☆ FTC faces uphill battle in Microsoft/Activision appeal
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Mike Scarcella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

In its appeal, the FTC said Corley's order allowing Microsoft to move ahead with the deal incorrectly held the agency to a legal standard that was too high. Some legal experts said the FTC had made a compelling argument, but also said there was no certainty for success. Antitrust scholar Sean Sullivan, who teaches at University of Iowa's law school, said an appeals court can modify or throw out a lower court opinion based on "errors of law." The appeals court is expected to move quickly. The appeals court "may be less than sympathetic with the argument it needs to hurry up and do something when the blame for the emergency lies entirely with the FTC," Ross said.

Persons: Jacqueline Scott Corley, Brad Smith, Kathleen Bradish, Bradish, Corley, Sean Sullivan, Sullivan, Douglas Ross, Ross, Mike Scarcella, Mark Potter Organizations: U.S . Federal Trade Commission's, Activision, U.S, Tuesday, Biden, San, Circuit, Appeals, U.S ., FTC, Microsoft, American Antitrust Institute, Antitrust, University of, Wild, of Columbia Circuit, Thomson Locations: San Francisco, California, U.S

☆ Boeing and University of Washington deny OceanGate's claim that they helped design the lost Titan sub
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Grace Mayer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

OceanGate's Titan submersible has been missing since Sunday. OceanGate claimed that Boeing, NASA, and the University of Washington helped design the Titan. In a statement sent to Insider, Boeing said the aircraft company was not involved with the development of OceanGate's Titan. The University of Washington also released a statement saying that it wasn't involved in creating OceanGate's Titan submersible. But the collaboration resulted in a "steel-hulled vessel, named the Cyclops 1," not the design for the Titan submersible.

Persons: OceanGate, Victor Balta, Balta, NASA's, Lance D, Davis, NASA's Marshall Organizations: Boeing, NASA, University of Washington, Titan, OceanGate Inc, CNN, Laboratory, University of Washington's School of Oceanography, UW, The University of Washington, NASA's Marshall Space, Space, OceanGate

Google and OpenAI, two U.S. leaders in artificial intelligence, have opposing ideas about how the technology should be regulated by the government, a new filing reveals. Google is one of the leading developers of generative AI with its chatbot Bard, alongside Microsoft -backed OpenAI with its ChatGPT bot. While OpenAI CEO Sam Altman touted the idea of a new government agency focused on AI to deal with its complexities and license the technology, Google in its filing said it preferred a "multi-layered, multi-stakeholder approach to AI governance." "At the national level, we support a hub-and-spoke approach—with a central agency like the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) informing sectoral regulators overseeing AI implementation—rather than a 'Department of AI,'" Google wrote in its filing. "There is this question of should there be a new agency specifically for AI or not?"

Persons: Bard, Sam Altman, Emily M, Bender, Brad Smith, Greg Brockman, Ilya Sutskever, execs, Global Affairs Kent Walker, he's, Helen Toner, OpenAI Organizations: Google, National Telecommunications, Washington Post, Microsoft, National Institute of Standards, Technology, NIST, AI, FDA, University of Washington's Computational, Laboratory, Twitter, International Atomic Energy Agency, Post, Global Affairs, Georgetown's Center for Security, Emerging Technology, CNBC

☆ Ted Lasso's successes show how emotional intelligence can be a leadership superpower
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Tim Paradis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ted Lasso, a fish-out-of-water soccer coach, demonstrates empathy and humility as a leader. Lessons from the TV series "Ted Lasso" can be applied to those leading others in business. That was perhaps one of the most memorable bits of homespun advice from the run of "Ted Lasso." Leaders in business — particularly those thrust into unfamiliar situations — could benefit from adopting the Lasso way: Those in charge can be more successful by showing emotional intelligence and resilience. "We learn the transformative power of positivity, empathy, and teamwork from Ted Lasso.

Persons: Ted Lasso, —, Lasso, Gerald Leonard, Leonard, Bruce Avolio, Jason Sudeikis, Avolio, Ted Organizations: Service, Lasso, University of Washington's Foster School of Business, school's Center, Leadership, Foster Business

"Twitter Blue is a mess. Within the next 48 hours, all but 110 of the most-followed Twitter accounts suddenly had verification through Twitter Blue, indicating Twitter likely gifted the check marks, independent researcher Travis Brown told Reuters. GRADUAL PULLBACKSince the initial rollout of the Twitter Blue service in November, imposter tweets have spread harmful misinformation. Imposter Twitter accounts also tarnished the online reputations of Lockheed Martin Corp(LMT.N) and Nintendo Co Ltd(7974.T). "The volume of imposter accounts seems to depend on several things -- Is the client doing a high profile event that week?

☆ Pfizer's Covid drug Paxlovid may reduce the risk of developing long Covid, study says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

(Photo by Rachel Wisniewski/For the Washington Post)People who take Pfizer 's Covid antiviral treatment Paxlovid shortly after infection may reduce their risk of developing long Covid, regardless of their age, vaccination status or infection history, new research suggests. The study, published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine on Thursday, found that people who took Paxlovid within five days of a positive Covid test saw a 26% lower risk of long Covid compared with those who didn't receive it. The new study comes as researchers work to fill the knowledge gap about long Covid, an often debilitating condition with limited data and no proven treatment available. Long Covid refers to new, returning or ongoing health issues more than four weeks after an initial Covid infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She called the new study "very exciting and promising" because it's the first to show an association between Paxlovid and a decreased risk of long Covid.

☆ Infected in the first wave, they navigated long COVID without a roadmap
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( Julie Steenhuysen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Three years later, at least 65 million people worldwide are estimated to have long COVID, according to an evidence review published last month in Nature Reviews Microbiology. An analysis of thousands of health records by the RECOVER trial found that non-Hispanic white women in wealthier areas were more likely than others to have a long COVID diagnosis. Researchers said that likely reflected disparities in access to healthcare, and suggests that many cases of long COVID among people of color are not being diagnosed. She has since been diagnosed with long COVID and can no longer work. Other infections such as Lyme disease can result in long-term symptoms, many of which overlap with long COVID.

☆ Fact Check-No evidence COVID-19 Omicron XBB variant has higher mortality rate, or is five times more ‘toxic,’ than Delta
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Social media users in Singapore are copy-pasting a text post which warns that the COVID-19 Omicron XBB variant, first discovered in August, is five times more “toxic” and has a higher mortality rate than the Delta variant. However, there is no evidence to support this, according to Singapore’s Ministry of Health. Likewise, the World Health Organisation (WHO) says current data does not suggest XBB is more deadly than Omicron, which itself is less lethal than Delta. There is, however, early evidence pointing at a higher reinfection risk, as compared to other circulating Omicron sublineages.”VERDICTFalse. There is no evidence the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron XBB variant is more deadly or causes more severe COVID-19 than the Delta variant.

The public health emergency was initially declared in January 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic began, and has been renewed each quarter since. "That is not the moment you want to pull down the public health emergency." The officials said a lot of work remained to be done for the transition out of the public health emergency. The government has been paying for COVID vaccines, some tests, and certain treatments, as well as other care under the public health emergency declaration. When the emergency expires, the government will begin to transfer COVID healthcare to private insurance and government health plans.

☆ Global COVID cases will increase in coming months, but at a slower pace, analysis says
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Oct 25 (Reuters) - Daily global COVID-19 infections are projected to rise slowly to about 18.7 million by February from the current 16.7 million aveage daily cases, driven by the northern hemisphere's winter months, the University of Washington said in an analysis. The increase in cases is not expected to cause a surge in deaths, the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) said. It forecast that global daily deaths would average 2,748 people on Feb. 1, compared with around 1,660 currently. IHME estimates that daily infections in the United States will increase by a third to more than a million, driven by students back in schools and cold weather-related indoor gatherings. A rapid increase in hospital admissions in Germany – the highest since the COVID outbreak in 2020 - remains an area of concern, it said.

☆ Global COVID cases will increase in coming months, but at a slower pace -report
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Oct 25 (Reuters) - Daily global COVID-19 infections are projected to rise slowly to about 18.7 million by February from the current 16.7 million aveage daily cases, driven by the northern hemisphere's winter months, the University of Washington said in an analysis. The increase in cases is not expected to cause a surge in deaths, the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) said. It forecast that global daily deaths would average 2,748 people on Feb. 1, compared with around 1,660 currently. A surge in Germany has peaked already, it said in its report on Oct. 24. A rapid increase in hospital admissions in Germany – the highest since the COVID outbreak in 2020 - remains an area of concern, it said.

☆ Biden's comments about pandemic widen public health split over how US should respond to Covid-19
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-19 | by ( Brenda Goodman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Some public health experts worry that political motives are driving the President's desire to declare the pandemic over, rather than protection of the public's health. It's a 9/11, week after week after week," said Gregg Gonsalves, an epidemiologist at the Yale School of Public Health. The World Health Organization recognizes a global health threat as something different: a public health emergency of international concern, or PHEIC. The US also recognizes a public health emergency. Covid-19 is still considered to be a public health emergency both domestically and around the world.

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