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☆ Google Joins Effort to Help Spot Content Made With A.I.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Tiffany Hsu | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Google, whose work in artificial intelligence helped make A.I.-generated content far easier to create and spread, now wants to ensure that such content is traceable as well. The tech giant said on Thursday that it was joining an effort to develop credentials for digital content, a sort of “nutrition label” that identifies when and how a photograph, a video, an audio clip or another file was produced or altered — including with A.I. The announcement follows a similar promise announced on Tuesday by Meta, which like Google has enabled the easy creation and distribution of artificially generated content. Its Bard chatbot is connected to some of the company’s most popular consumer services, such as Gmail and Docs. On YouTube, which Google owns and which will be included in the digital credential effort, users can quickly find videos featuring realistic digital avatars pontificating on current events in voices powered by text-to-speech services.

Persons: Meta Organizations: Google, Adobe, BBC, Microsoft, Sony, Meta, YouTube

☆ CNBC Daily Open: No letup in tech layoffs
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Sumathi Bala | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

This report is from today's CNBC Daily Open, our international markets newsletter. CNBC Daily Open brings investors up to speed on everything they need to know, no matter where they are. Stocks advanceU.S. stocks gained ground on Tuesday as Wall Street tried to rebound from the previous session. Like gold, silver prices tend to have an inverse relationship with interest rates. With expectations that the Federal Reserve could start cutting rates this year, silver may get a boost.

Persons: Dow, Bob Iger, Jason Hsu, Hsu Organizations: CNBC, Nasdaq, Federal Reserve, ESPN, Fox, Warner Bros, Disney, Rayliant Global Advisors Locations: Hong Kong

☆ CNBC Daily Open: Tech layoffs continue to hit
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Sumathi Bala | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

This report is from today's CNBC Daily Open, our international markets newsletter. CNBC Daily Open brings investors up to speed on everything they need to know, no matter where they are. Stocks mostly upAsia markets largely rose on Wednesday tracking Wall Street's advance as investors digested corporate earnings. Like gold, silver prices tend to have an inverse relationship with interest rates. With expectations that the Federal Reserve could start cutting rates this year, silver may get a boost.

Persons: Dow, Arthur Laffer, Laffer, Bob Iger, Jason Hsu, Hsu Organizations: CNBC, DBS Group, Nasdaq, Federal Reserve, ESPN, Fox, Warner Bros, Disney, Rayliant Global Advisors Locations: Asia, Asia's, Hong Kong

☆ This global EV stock could double in price in 3 to 5 years, analyst says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Weizhen Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

But Jason Hsu, chairman and chief investment officer of Rayliant Global Advisors, believes that one stock will come out ahead. Hsu believes that as the EV market consolidates, BYD is "for sure going to emerge a winner." One potential curveball for the Chinese EV market is a U.S. decision to raise tariffs, which is reportedly under discussion . But Hsu believes that the markets have already priced in the possibility that those tariff hikes will be imposed. For global investors who want to buy BYD, its shares are listed on the Hong Kong exchange.

Persons: Tesla, Jason Hsu, CNBC's, Hsu, BYD, CNBC's Tanvir Gill, Evelyn Cheng Organizations: Rayliant Global Advisors, Toyota, Hong, BYD, China Clean Technology, China Growth Locations: That's Hong Kong, BYD, China, U.S, Europe, Hong Kong

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The Democratic mayor of San Francisco is pushing a pair of controversial public safety proposals on the March 5 ballot, including one that would require single adults on welfare be screened and treated for illegal drug addiction or else lose cash assistance. San Francisco is in a struggle to redefine itself after the pandemic left it in economic tatters and highlighted its longstanding problems with homelessness, drugs and property crime. Violent crimes are low in San Francisco, but the city has long struggled with quality-of-life crimes. But she said San Francisco needs to do more. Yet Trent Rhorer, executive director of the San Francisco Human Services Agency, which provides cash assistance and employment services to low-income residents without dependent children, said the current situation is in conflict with the agency's mission: to improve lives.

Persons: she'll, San, Breed, Black, Chris Ballard, Coleman, ”, Trent Rhorer, “, Gavin Newsom, Rhorer, ” Rhorer, Michael Hsu, Hsu Organizations: FRANCISCO, —, Democratic, Mayor London Breed, San Francisco Human Services Agency, Democratic Gov, Department of Public Health, . Police Locations: San Francisco, Francisco, Democratic California

Consumers are happy, the stock market is near record highs, inflation is moderating and the labor market is defying all forecasts. Apparently, very little as the latest reading on consumer sentiment from the University of Michigan confirmed on Friday. The final consumer sentiment survey for January posted a 13% increase to 79, almost a 10-point surge from December’s 69.7 reading, echoing earlier estimates. “This morning’s strong jobs report diminished the chances of the Fed cutting in March,” said Jeffrey Roach, chief economist at LPL Financial. This means businesses are in a good position despite the macro headwinds and uncertainty about growth expectations.”

Persons: “, ”, Joanne Hsu, ” Hsu, –, David Royal, Jeffrey Roach Organizations: University of Michigan, Federal Reserve, Labor Department, Federal Reserve Bank, Atlanta’s, LPL

☆ Companies are hopeful about the economy again — even if they’re nervous
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

New York CNN —Earnings season is in full swing, and that means investors get a chance to hear from multinational companies about the state of the global economy. Some of the United States’ biggest companies are in the hot seat to answer questions about the economy, and where it could be headed. Like the rest of the US, companies are watching whether the economy could still tip into a recession as interest rates hover around a 23-year high. Achieving a soft landing, or a situation in which inflation comes down without an economic downturn, looks likely, some companies said. According to the UK government’s own estimates, the checks — including physical inspections from April — will cost British businesses about £330 million ($419 million) annually and increase food inflation by about 0.2 percentage points over three years.

Persons: it’s, ”, Michael Hsu, Kimberly, Clark, Blackstone, Stephen Schwarzman, Christophe Le Caillec, Jim Vondruska, We’re, Robert Isom, Lorenzo Simonelli, Baker Hughes, Alan Schnitzer, Elisabeth Buchwald, “, Christopher Waller, Waller, Hanna Ziady, Read Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN, United States ’, American, O'Hare Airport, Travelers Companies, ”, European Union Locations: New York, Chicago , Illinois, United Kingdom, Britain

☆ Caitlin Clark: Iowa superstar tallies 35 points to move up to second all-time on NCAA scoring leaderboard
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Samuel Joseph | Sam Joseph | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —College basketball superstar Caitlin Clark continues to make history with each passing game. The reigning consensus National Player of the Year moved up to second place on the all-time NCAA Division I women’s basketball scoring leaderboard on Wednesday night, as her Iowa Hawkeyes eased past the Northwestern Wildcats, 110-74. In yet another dominant performance, Clark racked up 35 points to bring her career total to 3,424, only 103 short of the all-time record held by Kelsey Plum. It was also her 50th career game with at least 30 points, the most in men’s or women’s college basketball over the last 25 seasons. Sophomore forward Hannah Stuelke added 17 points and nine rebounds for Iowa, while guard Kate Martin had 16.

Persons: Caitlin Clark, Clark, Brittney Griner, Jackie Stiles, Kelsey Mitchell, Kelsey Plum, I’ve, ” Clark, Lisa, Ben Hsu, Hannah Stuelke, Kate Martin, Melannie Daley, ”, Lisa Bluder, “ Caitlin Organizations: CNN — College, Iowa Hawkeyes, Northwestern Wildcats, Missouri, Ohio State, ESPN, Iowa, Hawkeyes, Indiana Fever, Northwestern, Big, LSU Tigers Locations: men’s, Iowa

☆ How Does Alcohol Affect the Gut Microbiome?
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Alice Callahan | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

But what does alcohol do to the trillions of microbes living in your gut? As with much of microbiome science, “there is a lot that we don’t know,” said Dr. Lorenzo Leggio, a physician-scientist who studies alcohol use and addiction at the National Institutes of Health. And as scientists begin to explore how drinking may influence your gut, they’re learning that overdoing it could have some unhappy consequences. How does heavy drinking affect your microbiome? Most of the available research on alcohol and the microbiome has focused on people who drink regularly and heavily, said Dr. Cynthia Hsu, a gastroenterologist at the University of California, San Diego.

Persons: ”, Lorenzo Leggio, Cynthia Hsu Organizations: National Institutes of Health, University of California Locations: San Diego

☆ From Opposite Sides of War, a Hunt for Elusive Facts
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Tiffany Hsu | Sheera Frenkel | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

The first reports of the Hamas attack were already fusing with rumors, sweeping into social media feeds and private chat groups in an emotionally charged and largely unverified mass. Mr. Schatz, one of the best-known disinformation researchers and fact checkers in Israel, rushed back home to his computer, knowing he had little time to stop the false claims from metastasizing. In a way, he was already too late. Since the initial attack, disinformation watchdogs in the region have been overwhelmed by unfounded narratives, manipulated media and conspiracy theories. The content has spread in enormous volumes at great speed: video game clips and old news reports masquerading as current footage, attempts to disavow authentic photos as artificially generated, inaccurate translations and false accusations distributed in multiple languages.

Persons: . Schatz Locations: Israel, metastasizing

☆ New Hampshire officials to investigate A.I. robocalls mimicking Biden.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Tiffany Hsu | More About Tiffany Hsu | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Voters in New Hampshire received robocall messages over the weekend in a voice that was most likely artificially generated to impersonate President Biden’s, urging them not to vote in Tuesday’s primary election, according to the state attorney general’s office. The fake recordings, which told listeners that “your vote makes a difference in November, not this Tuesday,” were manipulated to seem as if they had been sent by an officer of a Democratic committee, the office said. The attorney general’s office stressed that voting in the primary would not rule out voters from also casting ballots in the general election in November. “These messages appear to be an unlawful attempt to disrupt the New Hampshire presidential primary election and to suppress New Hampshire voters,” the office said in a statement. “New Hampshire voters should disregard the content of this message entirely.”

Persons: Biden’s, ”, “ Organizations: Democratic, New, New Hampshire voters, “ New Locations: New Hampshire, “ New Hampshire

☆ Premarket stocks: January’s turnaround could be a good omen for the year
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

New York (CNN) — US stocks rallied powerfully last week after a topsy-turvy start to the month. History indicates that if the market can cling to those gains, that could bode well for the rest of the year. But last week, all three major indexes turned positive for the year as tech stocks led the broader market higher. The January barometer, introduced in the Stock Trader’s Almanac, states that however stocks perform during January, their year-end performance will follow suit. That is good news for the 85 million homeowning households that enjoyed further gains in housing wealth, said Lawrence Yun, chief economist at NAR.

Persons: turvy, bode, Bell, Anna Rathbun, we’re, it’s, we’ve, Bryan Mena, ” Joanne Hsu, Anna Bahney, Lawrence Yun, Read Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, CNN, Dow Jones, Nasdaq, CBIZ Investment Advisory Services, The University of Michigan’s, National Association of Realtors Locations: New York

☆ Americans are feeling much better about the economy thanks to slowing inflation
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Bryan Mena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Washington, DC CNN —Americans’ attitudes on the economy are improving substantially as inflation slows. The University of Michigan’s latest consumer survey showed that sentiment improved greatly this month, soaring 13% from December, according to a preliminary reading released Friday. The university’s latest survey showed that US consumers’ expectations for inflation rates in the year ahead and over the next five years also improved. Americans still have some concernsWhile Friday’s survey showed that consumers are feeling some much needed relief, there are still lots of pain points for many Americans. In addition to high prices, Americans continue to grapple with an impenetrable housing market, persistent income inequality, and rising debt, prompting some to think that the so-called “American Dream” is broken.

Persons: ” Joanne Hsu Organizations: DC CNN, University of Michigan’s Locations: Washington

☆ Consumer sentiment surges while inflation outlook dips, University of Michigan survey shows
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Jeff Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The University of Michigan's Consumer Survey of Consumers showed a reading of 78.8 for January, its highest level since July 2021 and up 21.4% from a year ago. On a two-month basis, sentiment showed its largest increase since 1991, said Joanne Hsu, the survey's director. "Consumer views were supported by confidence that inflation has turned a corner and strengthening income expectations," Hsu said. Along with the improved outlook on general conditions, survey respondents displayed more confidence that inflation is coming down. The outlook for the inflation rate a year from now declined to 2.9%, down from 3.1% in December for the lowest reading since December 2020.

Persons: Joanne Hsu, Hsu, Andrew Hunter, Stocks Organizations: Veteran, The Department of Labor, The University of Michigan's Consumer Survey, Consumers, Republicans, Federal Reserve, AAA, Capital Economics Locations: Long Beach , California

“Consumer views were supported by confidence that inflation has turned a corner and strengthening income expectations,” Hsu added. “Like December, there was a broad consensus of improved sentiment across age, income, education, and geography,” Hsu said. There may, however, be some relief in 2024 as mortgage rates fall in line with reduced interest rates from the Federal Reserve. “Mortgage rates will continue to remain a wild card for home shoppers,” said Danielle Hale, chief economist at Realtor.com. "Mortgage rates are meaningfully lower compared to just two months ago, and more inventory is expected to appear on the market in upcoming months."

Persons: Joanne Hsu, ” Hsu, ”, Danielle Hale, Lawrence Yun Organizations: University of Michigan, Republicans, Federal Reserve, National Association of Realtors, “, Realtor.com, National Association of Home Builders, Federal Reserve Bank of New, Federal Reserve Bank, Atlanta’s Locations: “, Federal Reserve Bank of New York

☆ China investors will be asking these 3 questions in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-09 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

CHONGQING, CHINA - JANUARY 02: People visit the 2nd International Light and Shadow Art Festival at the Fine Arts Park on January 2, 2024 in Chongqing, China. For all the geopolitical risks, the attraction of China as a fast-growing market has waned as the economy matures. Many were disappointed when China's economy did not rebound as quickly as expected after the end of Covid-19 controls in December 2022. Real estate is a clear example of a debt-fueled sector, one that has accounted for about a quarter of China's economy. Machinery, electronics, transport equipment and batteries combined contributed to 17.2% of China's economy in 2020, Citi analysts said.

Persons: it's, Jason Hsu, They're, Liqian Ren, Goldman Sachs, Ding Wenjie, Ding Organizations: Fine Arts, Art, Getty, Visual China, U.S, Citi, People's Bank of, Rayliant, Rayliant Global Advisors, National Bureau, China Asset Management Co, CNBC, Machinery Locations: CHONGQING, CHINA, Chongqing, China, BEIJING, Covid, People's Bank of China, Beijing, WisdomTree

☆ Inflation has created a dark cloud over how everyday Americans view the economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-25 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

There's rising hope that monetary policymakers have successfully cooled inflation without tipping the economy into a recession. Yet closely watched survey data from the University of Michigan shows consumer sentiment, while improving, is a far cry from pre-pandemic levels. Inflation vs. the job marketContinued strength in the labor market is something economists expected to sweeten everyday Americans' views of the economy. While the Michigan index compiles questions focused on financial conditions and purchasing power, the Conference Board's more closely gauges one's feelings about the job market. A hot job market can be a double-edged sword for sentiment, Michigan's Hsu noted.

Persons: Scott Olson, Kyle Connolly, Connolly, she's, Joanne Hsu, we're, Hsu, That's, Camelia, Kuhnen, Michigan's Hsu, UNC's Kuhnen, Karen Dynan, Marissa Lyda, Lyda, She's, there's, There's, Harvard's, Dynan, Jerome Powell, Kevin Lamarque Organizations: Toyota, Facebook, Federal Reserve, University of Michigan, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Labor Department, Conference, University of North, U.S . Treasury Department, Walmart, Federal, Committee Locations: Chicago , Illinois, Florida's panhandle, Michigan, University of North Carolina, Harvard, Phoenix, Portland, Kroger, Washington , U.S

☆ Here's what AI startup founders say recent grads should know to land a job in the field
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( Lakshmi Varanasi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

AI startup CEOs gave Business Insider their top tips for recent grads. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . The speed at which the industry moves can be daunting for anyone trying to land a job in AI . Here are the top tips that founders and CEOs of fast-growing AI startups have for recent grads who want to jump into the field.

Persons: —, Ian Cairns, Cairns, Benji Barash, you've, it's, Henry Scott, Green, David Hsu, Navrina Singh, Sam Altman, Singh Organizations: Business, Service Locations: OpenAI

REUTERS/Loren Elliott/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Australia faces an increased risk of bushfires during the approaching summer, authorities warned on Thursday, with the El Nino weather pattern expected to generate hotter and drier conditions across large swathes of the country. Three years of incessant rain has increased vegetation, but the intense heatwaves common during Australia's December-February summer can quickly turn this into tinder-dry bushland, fuelling fires. Australia declared an El Nino weather pattern - which usually brings below-average rain and above-average daytime temperatures - was under way in September. The Bureau of Meteorology said it was not unusual to have wet weather during El Nino as it increases but does not guarantee drier conditions. Reporting by Renju Jose and Cordelia Hsu in Sydney; Editing by William MallardOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Loren Elliott, Murray Watt, Simon Bradshaw, Renju Jose, Cordelia Hsu, William Mallard Organizations: New South, New South Wales Rural Fire Service, REUTERS, Rights, El, Emergency, Sydney, National Council for Fire, Emergency Services, Climate Council, Meteorology, El Nino, Thomson Locations: New, New South Wales, Arcadia, Sydney, Australia, Turkey, El Nino, Australia's, El

Climate Action Against Disinformation found that, in every month since COP27, the hashtag #climatescam generated more retweets and likes than #climatecrisis and #climateemergency on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. Researchers attributed much of #climatescam’s traction to a small group of influential accounts, which they said tended to be far more vocal about climate denial on X than on platforms like Facebook and Instagram. Some of the sites pushing climate disinformation made money from ads — a revenue stream that researchers said was enabled by more than 150 advertising exchanges owned by some of the largest tech companies. The marketplaces, which largely use automated auctions to buy and sell online ads, placed ads on at least 15 websites known for hosting climate denial content, according to the report. Doing so flouted policies set up by many of the exchanges to block climate denial content and other disinformation from being monetized.

Persons: Bean, ” Organizations: Twitter, Facebook Locations: Russia, China, United States

Suspicious videos that began circulating in Taiwan this month seemed to show the country’s leader advertising cryptocurrency investments. Her mouth appeared blurry and her voice unfamiliar, leading Taiwan’s Criminal Investigation Bureau to deem the video to be almost certainly a deepfake — an artificially generated spoof — and potentially one created by Chinese agents. For years, China has pummeled the Taiwanese information ecosystem with inaccurate narratives and conspiracy theories, seeking to undermine its democracy and divide its people in an effort to assert control over its neighbor. Now, as fears over Beijing’s growing aggression mount, a new wave of disinformation is heading across the strait separating Taiwan from the mainland before the pivotal election in January. Perhaps as much as any other place, however, the tiny island is ready for the disinformation onslaught.

Persons: Tsai Ing Organizations: Criminal Locations: Taiwan, China

X, the social media company formerly known as Twitter, could lose as much as $75 million in advertising revenue by the end of the year as dozens of major brands pause their marketing campaigns after its owner, Elon Musk, endorsed an antisemitic conspiracy theory this month. They list how much ad revenue X employees fear the company could lose through the end of the year if advertisers do not return. On Friday, X said in a statement that $11 million in revenue was at risk and that the exact figure fluctuated as some advertisers returned to the platform and others increased spending. The company said the numbers viewed by The Times were either outdated or represented an internal exercise to evaluate total risk. X is also running ad campaigns during the holiday period to try to make up for revenue shortfalls.

Persons: Elon Musk, Musk, X, Musk’s, Linda Yaccarino, ” Leesha Anderson, ”, Uber, Jack, Netflix’s, Chris Christie, it’s Elon Musk, Yaccarino, ” X, “, ’, Ms, “ Lean, Tiffany Hsu Organizations: The New York Times, IBM, Apple, Disney, X, Microsoft, The Times, Twitter, Netflix, Google, NBC Universal, NBC, Press, Republican, Media, National Football League, New York Times, Athletic Locations: ”, Gaza, Israel

☆ US consumers worry inflation will pick up again, UMich survey finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"These expectations have risen in spite of the fact that consumers have taken note of the continued slowdown in inflation," survey Director Joanne Hsu said in a statement. But progress this year has been inconsistent, and Fed officials remain wary of the potential for a reversal. That said, the University of Michigan survey results are at odds with other measures of inflation expectations that have shown they have in fact been moderating. A New York Fed survey of consumers last week, for instance, showed inflation expectations over both one-year and five-year horizons eased in October even as the Michigan survey showed them accelerating. Market-based measures of inflation expectations are also declining.

Persons: Joanne Hsu, Quincy Krosby, Dan Burns, Chizu Organizations: Federal Reserve, University of Michigan's, Fed, Global, LPL, University of Michigan, New York Fed, . Treasury, Securities, Thomson Locations: Michigan

Consumer sentiment edged down in November with expectations for future business conditions taking a sharp tumble. The University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment index ended the month at 61.3, a 3.9% drop from the 63.8 in October. The current conditions index fell 3.3% to 68.3, while the future expectations index declined 4.2% to 56.8. Political Cartoons on the Economy View All 610 Images“Long-run inflation expectations rose from 3.0% last month to 3.2% this month, a reading last seen in 2011,” Hsu noted. Sentiment also has been divided by political affiliation with Republicans far more critical of the economy than Democrats.

Persons: “ Younger, ”, Joanne Hsu, “, ” Hsu Organizations: University of, Republicans, Federal Reserve, Wednesday, Dow Jones

☆ FDIC Chairman Martin Gruenberg Won’t Oversee Misconduct Probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Rebecca Ballhaus | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Martin Gruenberg, the FDIC’s chairman, won’t serve on a special committee that will oversee an independent review the agency’s workplace culture. Photo: Tierney L. Cross/Bloomberg NewsThe Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. board is forming a special committee to oversee an independent review of the agency’s workplace culture, the agency said Tuesday, restricting the ability of the rest of the board—including the chairman—to influence the investigation. The special committee, created by a unanimous vote of the board, will be led by Republican Jonathan McKernan, who was confirmed to the board by the Senate late last year, and Democrat Michael Hsu, who has served as acting comptroller of the currency and an FDIC board member since 2021.

Persons: Martin Gruenberg, won’t, Tierney L, —, Republican Jonathan McKernan, Michael Hsu Organizations: Bloomberg, Federal Deposit Insurance Corp, Republican, Senate

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