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☆ A Microsoft under attack from government and tech rivals after 'preventable' hack ties executive pay to cyberthreats
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Trevor Laurence Jockims | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +13 min

The decision by Microsoft to link executive compensation to successful cybersecurity performance is another is prompting discussions at other firms. One change the tech giant is making in response: linking executive compensation more closely to cybersecurity. In recent years, many Fortune 500 companies, including Apple, have added bonus pay tied to ESG metrics. The conversations about cybersecurity-linked executive pay have started taking place at other companies since Microsoft made its move, according to Aalap Shah, managing director at executive compensation consultant Pearl Meyer. Madnick's research shows that gaps in corporate culture are often culprits in high-profile hacks, not just the Microsoft example.

Persons: Brad Smith, Charlie Bell, Aalap Shah, Pearl Meyer, It's, I've, Shah, —, Stuart Madnick, Madnick, Ryan Kalember, unavoidability, Jen, Kalember, ransomware, Mike Doonan, Doonan Organizations: Microsoft, U.S, Hill, Google, U.S . Department of Homeland, Initiative, Microsoft Security, Team, Companies, Fortune, Apple, MIT, Infrastructure Security Agency, CNBC, Technology, State Department Locations: China, Russia, cybersecurity, U.S

☆ Generative AI will be designing new drugs all on its own in the near future
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-05 | by ( Trevor Laurence Jockims | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +12 min

An analogy for understanding the development of AI drugs can be found in the mechanisms of ChatGPT. As a result, it's a drug discovery process that has a 90% failure rate. Some of the noted flaws of generative AI, its propensity to "hallucinate" for example, could prove to be powerful in drug discovery. AI is learning to distinguish drugs from non-drugs, and to create new drugs, in the same way that ChatGPT can create sentences, Ellington said. Now, AI models are helping narrow down the possibilities, so scientists more quickly know the optimal modifications to try.

Persons: ChatGPT, Kimberly Powell, Google's, —, AlphaFold, Powell, Rau, Lilly, Eli Lilly, Diogo Rau, It's, Amgen, Andy Ellington, Ellington, Daniel Diaz, Diaz, We've Organizations: Nvidia, CNBC Technology, Summit, University of Texas, Austin, NVIDIA, biosciences, UT's Institute, Foundations of Machine, Cadence Locations: Nature

☆ With day-trip fee 'Disney-fication' of Venice, the world hits its overtourism tipping point
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-28 | by ( Trevor Laurence Jockims | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

In the 1970s, there were about 175,000 residents in Centro Storico, the main island and historic center of Venice. In fact, there are now more tourist beds in Venice than there are residents. Last week, Venice took action on overtourism, introducing a 5€ fee to day trippers who want to access the city. "You can't impose an entrance fee to a city; all they're doing is transforming it into a theme park. Marco Bertorello | Afp | Getty ImagesDespite its many detractors, the day fee is a significant move on the part of Venice's government to confront the challenge of overtourism, which has become a significant global problem since the pandemic.

Persons: Stefano Mazzola, Luigi Brugnaro, Mark —, There's, Matteo Secchi, Marco Bertorello, Antonio Paolo Russo, Russo Organizations: Piazzale Roma, Getty, Venice, Centro Storico, Guardian, Tourists, Afp, Virgili University Locations: Piazzale, Venice, Italy, Centro, Piazzale Roma, Santa Lucia, Tarragona, Spain, Bali, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Europe

☆ How Spotify AI plans to know what's going on inside your head, and find the right track for it
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-14 | by ( Trevor Laurence Jockims | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Over the past decade or more, Spotify has been investing in AI and, in particular, in machine learning. Its recently launched AI DJ may be its biggest bet yet that technology will allow subscribers to better personalize listening sessions and discover new music. The AI DJ combines personalization technology, generative AI, and a dynamic AI voice, and listeners can tap the DJ button when they want to hear something new, and something less-directly-derived from their established likes. Behind the dulcet tones of an AI DJ there are people, tech experts and music experts, who aim to improve the recommendation capacity of Spotify's tools. A Spotify spokesperson said the generative AI tool allows the human experts to "scale their innate knowledge in ways never before possible."

Persons: Y, we've, they're, it's, Julie Knibbe, —, Knibbe, they've, Ben Ratliff, Ratliff Organizations: Spotify, Discover, Technology

☆ How climate change is beginning to be built into employee pay and benefits
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-13 | by ( Trevor Laurence Jockims | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

There are some companies all-in, as a brand, in fighting climate change , such as Patagonia. So-called green perks, also referred to as climate change benefits, could help to bridge that gap. A rising, though still marginal trend in the job market, employee enticement and compensation packages tied to climate change can help to make these abstractions clearer and more actionable in the workplace. "There's a nascent but growing interest in climate change benefits," Schneider said, pointing out that Google searches for commuter benefits, as an example, are trending up. Green perks are a benefits arena where the demand would seem to outstrip supply, and green commuter benefits may be the first indication of a wider adoption wave.

Persons: enticement, WTW, Caroline Mangiardi, Mangiardi, Lauren Schneider, it's, Schneider, Mercer, Lizzy Kolar, Kolar, Kolar's Organizations: Walmart, Apple, Bank of America, Compt, CSR, employee's CSA, Fortune Locations: Bentonville , Arkansas, Patagonia, Bentonville —, Bentonville, employee's

☆ Economist: This is the No. 1 best and worst money I ever spent
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Laurence J. Kotlikoff | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

My goal has always been to make the subject as accessible as possible for everyone, on both a personal and global level. One of the biggest lessons I share with my students — and people who ask me for personal finance tips — is that not all money we spend has to produce an immediate return on investment. Some purchases are just meant to make you happy, and that's okay. On the other hand, no matter how well you plan, even the most well-reasoned, well-intentioned choices can turn out to be more financial trouble than they are worth. To that end, here is the best and worst money I ever spent:

Persons: I've

☆ The plane ticket upgrade option most U.S. airlines don't offer
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-27 | by ( Trevor Laurence Jockims | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Now on many international air carrier flights there is a more civilized way to compete with fellow passengers: a seat upgrade auction. How it works is fairly simple: a week or so before a flight, passengers receive an email letting them know about potentially available seat upgrades. But no other major U.S. carriers offer upgrade auction programs. "Most major U.S. airlines offer a few ways to upgrade your flight experience, whether you're looking for extra-legroom, premium economy or business-class seats. From the airline's perspective, there will be a highest bidder, and those who don't win the auction are no worse off than before.

Persons: Zack Griff, Guy, Griff, doesn't Organizations: Spirit Airlines, Major Locations: U.S, Major U.S, Delta

☆ A.I. human-voice clones are coming for the Amazon, Apple, Google audiobook
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-17 | by ( Trevor Laurence Jockims | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +14 min

"For many publishers, audiobook production can be a major investment," said Judy Chang, director of product management for Google Play Books. Even with AI voice, there is nominally a voice actor somewhere in the process. What voice actors sayFor some voice actors, the choice is being made to stay away. Kinsella noted that AI voice played a foundational role in the integration of AI into daily life at an earlier point. But he added, "I've yet to find a client who tells me they've chosen an AI voice over hiring me.

Persons: Ciccarell, Ciccarelli, David Ciccarelli, Alexa, Judy Chang, It's, it's, Bret Kinsella, Brad Ziffer, Michele Cobb, Cobb, Siri, OpenAI's ChatGPT, Kinsella, … Siri, ChatGPT, Ziffer, Andrea Collins, Collins, John Kubin, I've, Kubin Organizations: Google, Apple, Audio Publishers Association, Alexa Locations: U.S

☆ How Ford, GM auto dealers are thinking about Detroit's EV transition and their future
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-03 | by ( Trevor Laurence Jockims | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +12 min

If consumers are to be sold on the mass adoption of battery-powered electric vehicles, car dealers are going to be essential to the pitch. But she expects more Ford dealers will opt in at a future date, once they observe a meaningful consumer shift to EVs. "Despite significant increases in EV sales in 2023, dealers are largely skeptical about the OEM's timeframes on the EV rollout," Kerrigan said. A dealer in Santa Monica may decide more quickly, "I need to be all-in on EVs," Maas said. It also caps their total EV sales at 25% of inventory.

Persons: Robb Hernandez, Hernandez, Brian Maas, Maas, EVs, Kerrigan, Ford, Erin Kerrigan, Kelley, BEV, Dealers, Jim Farley, Farley, Tesla, Tesla's, Ford's Organizations: Ford, Bloomberg, Getty, EV, GM, Camino Real Chevrolet, Car Dealers, California Air Resources Board, Kerrigan Advisors, Toyota, ICE, CNBC, Auto Locations: Colma , California, Monterey Park, Calif, California, U.S, Santa Monica, EVs, Eureka

☆ How ChatGPT and generative A.I. are already changing the way we book trips and travel
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Trevor Laurence Jockims | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Already, generative AI is being experimented with inside the travel sector, albeit with mixed results. "Travel is fundamentally about connecting people and communities, and that human connection will always play a crucial role in the travel experience," Fogel said. It described ChatGPT "as a virtual travel assistant," allowing for more conversational interactions with Kayak's search engine. There may be not better example today of travel plan disruption than the airport experience. Breed predicts that at least some of the anxiety can be eliminated or mitigated by focused use of AI and generative AI tools like ChatGPT.

☆ Airlines can price climate change into your plane ticket. There are reasons to not buy it
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-17 | by ( Trevor Laurence Jockims | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

United Airlines , for example, has committed to net zero carbon by 2050 without any contribution from traditional carbon offsets. Southwest Airlines ' "Wanna offset carbon?" Consumer psychology and the environmentIt's not just about the dollar amount of the carbon offset purchase in the consumer psychology. If airline travelers want to stay environmentally conscious without paying carbon offset fees, Keyes recommends choosing cheaper airlines when traveling. "It's true that we all have a part to play in reducing carbon emissions.

☆ Is Patagonia the end game for profits in a world of climate change?
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( Trevor Laurence Jockims | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

As far back as 1985, Patagonia deployed portions of its profits to the environment, via an "Earth tax." "The Patagonia model is a little more sophisticated." It often is very attractive from a corporate tax perspective, too, which has been noted of both the Ikea and Patagonia business models. One hundred percent of Patagonia profits are now committed to its new non-profit Holdfast Collective — which owns all of the company's non-voting stock (98% of the total stock). "What people fail to understand about Patagonia, both the past and the future, is that we are unapologetically a for-profit business, and we are extremely competitive," Ryan Gellert said.

☆ Dr. Oz accused of 'money grab' as settlement talks fail in ugly inheritance battle
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-06 | by ( Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Dr. Oz is fighting his Istanbul-based sister over the rental income from two Manhattan apartments. The TV doctor-turned-Senate candidate is making a 'money grab,' his sister's lawyer said Thursday. "While Nazlim claims that Dr. Oz has cut off her distributions, it in fact appears that she was never receiving any distributions," Cohen said. "The discussions were preliminary," the lawyer for Nazlim Oz said when asked about the settlement talks. The lawyer for Dr. Oz did not respond to a request for comment.

☆ Why Mark Cuban keeps working, even though he wanted to retire at 35: ‘I’m too competitive’
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-25 | by ( Megan Sauer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Almost four decades ago, a 25-year-old Mark Cuban had a goal: He wanted to retire within 10 years. "I'm too competitive," Cuban said, adding that this mindset it exactly what's propelled him to a long and successful career. "I wanted to retire by the time I was 35, and so that drove the decisions that I made." Nearly two-thirds of people from ages 57 to 66 retire early, even though the average wealth for that age bracket is $144,000. "If I'm 25 and I'm doing this again, I'm probably [thinking], 'Okay, what can I do to get acquired?'"

☆ How the airline industry plans to wean itself off one billion tons of carbon emissions
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-24 | by ( Trevor Laurence Jockims | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

But Taylor has nothing on the airline industry, whose annual CO2 emission is pushing one billion metric tons. Airlines have completed test flights with sustainable aviation fuels, and the deals with sustainable aviation fuel producers have started to accumulate. American is the first airline globally to receive validation from the Science Based Targets initiative for its intermediate GHG emissions reduction targets and the only U.S. airline to report using more than 1 million gallons of sustainable aviation fuel in 2021. From ethanol, Gevo then processes further into a product that is chemically identical to standard aviation fuel. Judged against the standards of its own industry, American remains a leader in carbon reduction efforts.

☆ A Harvard-trained economist says 'early retirement is one of the worst money mistakes'—here's why you'll 'regret' it
▼ + stars: | 2022-02-01 | by ( Laurence J. Kotlikoff | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

So, I'll be blunt: For most Americans, early retirement isn't just a decision to take the longest vacation of their lives — it's one of the biggest money mistakes that they will regret. The reason is simple: We are, as a group, lousy savers, making early retirement unaffordable. According to a Boston College Center for Retirement Research report, half of today's working families risk a major living standard decline in retirement. Still, almost two-thirds of people — between ages 57 and 66 — choose to retire early out their own volition, despite having saved next to nothing. If she continues to do so, her post-retirement living standard will be half her pre-retirement living standard!

☆ A Harvard-trained economist shares his top 21 money rules: 'Own your home' and 'try to buy in cash'
▼ + stars: | 2022-01-05 | by ( Laurence J. Kotlikoff | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Having more of your money packed in your home is a way to shelter it from federal and state asset-income taxation. As an economist, here are the top 21 money rules that I live by and teach:For sure, they won't all just stick in your brain. Or it may be someplace with no state income tax, no state estate tax, and no state inheritance tax. Or, in other words, don't put more money into the stock market until your initial bets are safe from losses. Laurence J. Kotlikoff is an economics professor and the author of "Money Magic: An Economist's Secrets to More Money, Less Risk, and a Better Life."

Persons: —, It's, Sam, I've, they'll, you've, Laurence J, Kotlikoff Organizations: Social, Security, Social Security, Harvard University, New York Times, Bloomberg, The Financial Times, Twitter Locations: New Hampshire, Massachusetts

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