DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ How payments giant Mastercard is revamping is work culture to lure developers — from free days to work on passion projects to $200,000 salaries
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Paige Hagy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Mastercard is hiring tech talent across 7 global technology hubs. The payments firm wants software architects and talent in crypto and AI, among others. Mastercard wants to be a firm where technologists are excited to work. The qualifications and responsibilities listed on Mastercard tech job postings are intentionally vague so as to attract a diverse pool of talent with broad skill sets, Cummins said. They can also work remotely from anywhere for up to four weeks per year with the "Work from Elsewhere" benefit.

Persons: Oran Cummins, Cummins, It's Organizations: Mastercard, Mastercard Mastercard Mastercard, LinkedIn, York, Tech, New York, Flatiron District, Employees Locations: New York, Dublin, Sydney, Vancouver, Mastercard's, Flatiron

Artificial intelligence algorithms are increasingly being used in financial services — but they come with some serious risks around discrimination. And the problem of amplifying existing biases can be even more severe when it comes to banking and financial services. As for financial services, Manji said a lot of the backend data systems are fragmented in different languages and formats. "Individuals have little knowledge of how AI systems work and that their individual case may, in fact, be the tip of a systems-wide iceberg. Among the top worries industry insiders expressed are misinformation; racial and gender bias embedded in AI algorithms; and "hallucinations" generated by ChatGPT-like tools.

Persons: Nabil Manji, Manji, they've, we're, You've, Banks, Banking's, Rumman Chowdhury, Twitter's, Chowdhury, Angle Bush, Bush, Frost Li, Li, Niklas Guske, Guske, it's, Goldman Sachs, Kim Smouter, Smouter, ethicists Organizations: Photodisc, Getty, Deloitte, CNBC, Microsoft, Google, Black, Artificial Intelligence, Tokyo University, Apple, New York Department of Financial Services, European Network, United Nations Locations: AMSTERDAM, Worldpay, Amsterdam, Chicago, Loup, United

☆ Beauty and tech company Oddity, which runs Il Makiage, files to go public
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Gabrielle Fonrouge | In Gabrielle-Fonrouge | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Beauty and tech company Oddity, which runs the Il Makiage and Spoiled Child brands, filed to go public Friday as the once-frozen IPO market warms up. In the three months that ended March 31, the company saw $165.65 million in revenue, up from $90.41 million in the year-ago period. In fiscal 2022, Oddity brought in $324.52 million in sales and saw a net income of $21.73 million, or $5.94 a share. In 2020, it saw $110.64 million in sales and a net income of $11.71 million, or $3.45 a share. E.L.F., a multibrand beauty company, saw $144.94 million in sales in fiscal 2014 and a net loss of $2.88 million.

Persons: didn't, Oran Holtzman, Shiran Holtzman, Lindsay Drucker Mann, Goldman Sachs, Child's, Holtzman Organizations: Nasdaq, Goldman, CNBC, Israeli Defense Forces, Technologists Locations: Israel, U.S, Canada, Europe, Australia

☆ Meet the 6 JPMorgan execs tapped to lead a new unit that will shape how the country's largest bank approaches AI
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Bianca Chan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The team, led by Teresa Heitsenrether, will be critical in the bank's AI strategy. The D&A organization pulls together AI leaders from across the bank, from research to data use. JPMorgan is unifying its AI braintrust in a newly created unit that will drive strategy, governance, and adoption of the tech at the country's largest bank. Heitsenrether will have some of the bank's highest tech leaders and their respective teams as her deputies, including the bank's head of AI research and head of AI and machine learning transformation and engagement. The D&A organization will be critical to JPMorgan's AI use and strategy, as AI models and tools are computer-intensive and require vast amounts of data.

Persons: Teresa Heitsenrether, Lori Beer, Jamie Dimon, Daniel Pinto, Goldman Sachs, Heitsenrether, Pinto Organizations: JPMorgan, Wednesday, ChatGPT, Securities Services Locations: Heitsenrether

☆ Founders and VCs are clamoring to get into this $68 million AI hacker house. Here's how the AGI House exploded into a community hub for the red-hot Bay Area AI scene.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Stephanie Palazzolo | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

In February, the AGI House launched as a community hub for the buzzy Bay Area AI scene. Since launching in February this year, it's served as a hacker house and community hub for the Bay's exploding AI scene. Depending on the day, the residence houses between eight to ten AI founders and researchers, including a researcher from AI giant OpenAI. Stephanie PalazzoloFrom flying cars to fireside conversationsThe AGI House wasn't always the AGI House. "It's great to live in a community house where you're naturally connected to the AI founder community," she said.

Persons: Steve Jobs, Elon, it's, Demi Guo, Stephanie Palazzolo, wasn't, Andrej Karpathy, Rocky Yu, Karpathy, Sergey Brin, Kelly Peng, Yu, Jeremy Nixon, Tim Shi, Lerer Hippeau, Peng, Guo, There's, Greylock's, Corinne Riley AGI, they're Organizations: AGI, Technologies, Genesis, Foundation Capital Locations: buzzy, Hillsborough, Stanford, Alamo, LA, AGI, New York City, Stanford's

☆ Artificial intelligence is not yet as smart as a dog, Meta A.I. chief says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Chief AI Scientist at Meta Yann LeCun spoke at the Viva Tech conference in Paris and said that artificial intelligence does not currently have human-level intelligence but could do one day. Current artificial intelligence systems like ChatGPT do not have human-level intelligence and are barely smarter than a dog, Meta's AI chief said, as the debate over the dangers of the fast-growing technology rages on. At the same panel, Yann LeCun, chief AI scientist at Facebook parent Meta, was asked about the current limitations of AI. He focused on generative AI trained on large language models, saying they are not very intelligent, because they are solely coached on language. "What it tells you we are missing something really big … to reach not just human level intelligence, but even dog intelligence," LeCun concluded.

Persons: Meta Yann LeCun, Elon Musk, Jacques Attali, Attali, Yann LeCun, LeCun Organizations: Meta, Viva Tech, Facebook Locations: Paris, French, U.S

☆ From rockets to recruitment, Israel's military refocuses on AI
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Dan Williams | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

For the next flare-up, Colonel Eli Birenbaum, chief of the military's operational data and applications unit, has plans to use artificial intelligence aggregation to predict the salvoes. Currently, he said, there are "many hundreds" of personnel dealing broadly with AI-related projects, and who constitute 20% of military technologists. He has government backing, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu increasing the defence budget and pledging to make Israel an AI "powerhouse". During their mandatory service - two years for women, 32 months for men - military technologists earn a monthly $335. For Israel, AI target-acquisition will not spell automated target-destruction, Birenbaum stressed.

Persons: Nir Elias RAMAT, Eli Birenbaum, Birenbaum, Benjamin Netanyahu, Dan Williams, Supantha Mukherjee, Nick Macfie Organizations: IDF, REUTERS, Reuters, Google, Thomson Locations: Ramat Gan, Israel, Gaza, Tel Aviv

☆ The free lunch is over for Wall Street's programmers
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

For as long as I can remember, the safest place on Wall Street for job security was in tech. But according to one Wall Street billionaire, that sentiment won't hold true for much longer. As Insider's Paige Hagy reports, Griffin instead highlighted how programmers need to position themselves to provide the most value to companies in this post-ChatGPT world. In the before times (pre-ChatGPT), no one was really questioning the value programmers were adding. At least that's the take from Wall Street vet Marty Chavez.

Persons: Dan DeFrancesco, Pharrell Williams, we've, BlackRock's, I'm, Wutthichai, Ken Griffin, Griffin, Griffin wasn't, Insider's Paige Hagy, it's, Read, Flo Rida, Drake, Tommaso Boddi, Erica, John Waldron, Kim Kardashian, Marty Chavez, he's, Ray Dalio, Everybody's, Jeffrey Cane, Nathan Rennolds Organizations: Bank of America, Wall Street, BlackRock, Goldman, SKKY Partners, Wall, Bridgewater, LinkedIn Locations: NYC, London, BlackRock, New York

☆ Big banks, please stop trying to be fintechs
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Big banks often try to pitch themselves as being just as innovative as buzzy finance startups. But banks need to realize they are fundamentally different than fintechs, no matter how hard they try. I've been chatting with the rest of Wall Street, and we think it's time you stop pretending you can be a fintech. Big bank then makes XYZ changes to startup to make sure it is a good "fit" within the organization. A lot of these fintechs are going to be looking for homes soon enough.

Persons: I've, We're, You've, Cash, that's Organizations: JPMorgan

ISTANBUL, June 6 (Reuters) - Global airlines called on Tuesday for broad co-operation to reach "very tough" emission targets and pledged to release interim climate targets next year as the industry aims for a goal of net-zero by 2050. Airlines are relying for 62% of their emissions reduction target on the fuel, which is currently between two to four times more expensive than kerosene. Walsh said airlines were not afraid to confront the fact that their share of total emissions will rise as other industries with fewer technological hurdles decarbonise. "Different parts of the world are moving at different paces and for us, representing global airlines, we've got to factor all of that into account." One thing airlines agreed on was frustration at aircraft delays, which have disrupted their schedules, with CEOs asking IATA to lobby planemakers.

Persons: Willie Walsh, Walsh, Jo Dardenne, Tim Clark, Clark, we've, Joanna Plucinska, Tim Hepher, Andrew Heavens, Sriraj Kalluvila, Alexander Smith Organizations: Aviation, International Air Transport Association, Sustainable Aviation Fuel, SAF, Transport, Environment, Dubai's Emirates, Reuters, Thomson Locations: ISTANBUL, Istanbul, planemakers, United States, Dubai

☆ Elon Musk disclosed a missed opportunity, said he hates firing people, and revealed a desire to meet Warren Buffett in a 2008 profile that's resurfaced
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-04 | by ( Theron Mohamed | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Elon Musk bemoaned a missed opportunity and said he wanted to meet Warren Buffett in a 2008 profile. The Tesla, SpaceX, and Twitter CEO said he hated firing people and struggled to move to Los Angeles. The Tesla, SpaceX, and Twitter CEO could have invested in SunPower at a $15 million valuation but didn't do so, he said. However, its stock price has basically flatlined over the past 15 years, meaning Musk hasn't missed out on much since his interview. The electric-vehicle and space-transportation pioneer also disclosed the people he was most interested in meeting at the time: Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger.

Persons: Elon, Warren Buffett, Musk, —, Elon Musk, hasn't, Charlie Munger, Berkshire Hathaway, he'd, Buffett Organizations: SpaceX, Twitter, Service, Privacy, San Francisco Business Times, Berkshire, Tesla Locations: Los Angeles, SunPower, Texas

☆ Opinion | Fareed Zakaria on Where Russia’s War in Ukraine Stands — and Much More
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( The Ezra Klein Show | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +96 min

Obviously, the line is not perfect, but I think that’s a very sensible line. And I don’t think that’s all about absorption capability. But I don’t think it’s fair to say that the Russians have done everything they can. fareed zakaria[LAUGHS] And by the way, I think that’s some key to understanding the alliance is a personal one. I think India, Israel, and Poland — usually, in the 70 percent-plus say they like — have a favorable view of America.

Persons: ezra klein, it’s, Fareed Zakaria, Zakaria, “ Fareed Zakaria, fareed zakaria, Ezra, Putin, They’ve, there’s, fareed zakaria It’s, they’re, It’s, Fidel Castro, Sean Penn, haven’t, you’re, won’t, Biden, They’re, Washington, Winston Churchill, Merkel, wouldn’t, —, Nancy Gibbs, Khomeini, Macron, Ron DeSantis, YouGov, fareed zakaria I’m, that’s, DeSantis, Lindsey Grahams, Mitch McConnell, Xi Jinping, ezra klein Yes, Xi, Gorbachev, Zelensky, Trump, Obama, Bush, United States —, McCarthy’s, I’ve, they’d, doesn’t, didn’t, ezra klein They’re, fareed zakaria They’re, we’ve, Simpson, I’m, Janet Yellen, Colin Powell, unquote, That’s, Jonathan Haidt, We’ve, he’s, fareed zakaria That’s, they’ve, fareed zakaria Well, gee, TikTok, we’re, George Kennan, Mike Gallagher, klein, Nirupama Rao, Bob Kagan, can’t, — fareed zakaria, Lord Mountbatten, Gandhi, Franklin Roosevelt, Ho Chi Minh, fareed zakaria Right, narratively —, Modi, you’ve, China’s —, fareed zakaria Modi, India’s, Advani, Vajpayee, you’d, There’s, India, Joe Biden, fareed zakaria I’ve, Benedict Anderson’s “, Orville Schell, John Delury, Sunil Khilnani, ezra klein Fareed Zakaria Organizations: CNN, The Washington Post, Putin, Starbucks, Russia, Revolutionary Guard, NATO, Ukrainian, Communist, European Union, U.S, Republican Party’s, Republican Party, Republicans, ASEAN, Trump, Defense, United, U.S ., Democrats, Chinese Communist Party, State, Facebook, Google, Soviet Union, Huawei, Twitter, South China Seas, Foreign Affairs, Yale Law, International Criminal, South China, . Security, Trade Organization, Pax Americana, Americana, New York Fed, America, Republican, Fox, Beijing Locations: ezra klein Russia, Ukraine, Russia, America, Europe, China, India, Russian, United States, Relatedly, Japan, Turkey, Holland, South Korea, Singapore, Iran, Venezuela, Central America, Southeast Asia, Washington, Britain, ‘, U.S, United Europe, Germany, Soviet Union, Vietnam, Beijing, Trump, Asia, Iraq, Hainan, Montana, Republic, Soviet, weirdly, South, Taiwan, Pakistan, New Delhi, South Africa, Kuwait, Russia’s, Eden, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Kashmir, it’s, Cuba, Pax, American, Mumbai, Shanghai, Israel, Poland, Indian, Nigeria

☆ BlackRock is spending 'a huge amount of time' on AI, CEO Larry Fink says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Rebecca Ungarino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

BlackRock CEO Larry Fink said the firm is spending a lot of time analyzing artificial intelligence. The firm's experts believe AI will increase productivity by 30%, Fink said on Wednesday. A BlackRock team called AI Labs that works on natural language processing and other areas. If AI can meaningfully increase productivity, Fink said, then "you don't have to own just these AI companies. Bank of America research analysts have called AI a "baby bubble" for the investment mania around the tech.

Persons: Larry Fink, Fink, " Fink, He's, Deutsche Bank CEO Christian Sewing, OpenAI's ChatGPT, ChatGPT, Catalyst, Andreessen Horowitz Organizations: BlackRock, Deutsche Bank, Deutsche Bank CEO Christian, of America Locations: BlackRock, New York, Palo Alto , California, Edinburgh, Scotland

☆ Experts are warning A.I. could lead to human extinction. Are we taking it seriously enough?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

should be a global priority alongside other societal-scale risks such as pandemics and nuclear war,” said the letter, signed by many of the industry’s most respected figures. These industry leaders are quite literally warning that the impending A.I. revolution should be taken as seriously as the threat of nuclear war. It is, however, precisely what the world’s most leading experts are warning could happen. researcher at Duke University, told CNN on Tuesday: “Do we really need more evidence that A.I.’s negative impact could be as big as nuclear war?”

Persons: Sam Altman, Demis Hassabis —, ”, Dan Hendrycks, Robert Oppenheimer, ‘, ’, ” Hendrycks, Newsrooms, Cynthia Rudin Organizations: CNN, Google, Center, A.I, Duke University

☆ Nvidia is up 165% in 2023. Here's why its the clear winner in the AI race so far.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( Matthew Fox | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Nvidia stock has soared 165% in 2023 as investors wake up to the potential of artificial intelligence. Nvidia appears best positioned for AI growth as companies rely on its high-tech GPUs to power chatbots like ChatGPT and Bard. The stock is up 165% so far in 2023, and some analysts think there's still plenty of room for growth. "They have the entire AI silicon stack. They own over 95% of market share of the GPU market within the data center space," Zino said.

☆ A.I. poses existential risk of people being 'harmed or killed,' ex-Google CEO Eric Schmidt says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-24 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt said he sees "existential risks" with artificial intelligence as the technology gets more advanced. Artificial intelligence could pose existential risks and governments need to know how to make sure the technology is not "misused by evil people," former Google CEO Eric Schmidt warned Wednesday. Speaking at The Wall Street Journal's CEO Council Summit in London, Schmidt said his concern is that AI is an "existential risk." "And existential risk is defined as many, many, many, many people harmed or killed," Schmidt said. Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI which developed ChatGPT, admitted in March that he is a "little bit scared" of artificial intelligence.

☆ Banks are all-in on AI, but there's one problem: They can't hold on to the talent. Here's why.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-23 | by ( Paige Hagy | Bianca Chan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Big banks are hiring a lot of AI talent, but are having a tough time holding on to it. The difficulty banks have retaining AI talent, however, isn't due to poaching among peers. Banks can lure in AI talentIt's true that big banks have the wherewithal to hire and capitalize on top AI talent and are attractive at the outset to those looking for a new shop. "The AI talent coming to the financial-services industry is almost like supporting the tech talent, if you will," Hirsch said. Big Tech has its own problems right nowTo be sure, banks are snagging from Big Tech too.

☆ Welcome to the final phase of software eating the world. SaaS companies beware, you're on the menu this time.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Stephanie Palazzolo | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

This could disrupt the way software is created, distributed, and used, VCs and startup founders say. This outcome would flip the traditional software industry on its head, calling into question the value of SaaS companies in a world where everyday people can build software themselves. "This is the final chapter of software eating the world, where a bunch of people can create enterprise software within the enterprise." A 'healthy pressure' for traditional SaaS providersTo be sure, the death of the traditional software company still seems a long way off. However, even skeptics admit that the threat of generative AI to traditional SaaS will push established software companies to prove their worth.

☆ Wall Street can't seem to agree on how it oversees AI usage. Meet the 12 execs leading strategy for the tech at the biggest US banks.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Bianca Chan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Banks are accelerating their AI research and use cases due to the rise of ChatGPT and generative AI. While all six big banks have dedicated AI leaders, no two banks have the same org structure. This year is shaping up to be all about artificial intelligence, and Wall Street is no exception. Banks' priorities and tech strategies can also be gleaned from which divisions have dedicated AI leaders and which don't. Here's a list of 12 of the top AI executives to know at the nation's six biggest banks.

☆ Reddit cofounder says the US government is not equipped to regulate AI and must get 'up to speed quickly'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Sawdah Bhaimiya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Reddit's cofounder Alexis Ohanian said the US government is not equipped to deal with AI. Vice President Kamala Harris recently invited tech leaders to the White House to discuss AI safety. Alexis Ohanian, a cofounder of Reddit alongside Steve Huffman and Aaron Swartz, spoke with CNN's Chris Wallace in an interview about AI. Wallace played a montage of clips showing senators interrogating tech leaders about the technology they develop with little information or education about how it works. He added: "I give credit to the White House for convening all of these AI leaders to get them in the loop.

☆ Meet the 12 execs leading the AI strategy at top US banks like Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, and Morgan Stanley
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Bianca Chan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

☆ OpenAI’s Sam Altman Urges A.I. Regulation in Senate Hearing
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Cecilia Kang | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The tone of congressional hearings involving tech industry executives in recent years can best be described as antagonistic. Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos and other tech luminaries have all been dressed down on Capitol Hill by lawmakers upset with their companies. But on Tuesday, Sam Altman, the chief executive of the San Francisco start-up OpenAI, testified before members of a Senate subcommittee hearing and largely agreed with them on the need to regulate the increasingly powerful A.I. The boyish-looking Mr. Altman traded in his usual pullover sweater and jeans for a blue suit and tie as he offered a loose framework to manage what happens next with the fast-developing systems that some believe could fundamentally change the economy. In his first testimony before Congress, Mr. Altman implored lawmakers to regulate artificial intelligence as members of the committee displayed an understanding of the technology, underscoring the deep unease felt by technologists and government over A.I.’s potential harms.

☆ Europe takes aim at ChatGPT with what might soon be the West’s first A.I. law. Here's what it means
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The law, known as the European AI Act, is the first law for AI systems in the West. The AI Act categorizes applications of AI into four levels of risk: unacceptable risk, high risk, limited risk and minimal or no risk. But AI technology has been around for years and is integrated into more applications and systems than you might think. "The European Commission's original proposal for the AI Act takes a risk-based approach, regulating specific AI systems that pose a clear risk," de Champris added. "MEPs have now introduced all kinds of amendments that change the very nature of the AI Act, which now assumes that very broad categories of AI are inherently dangerous."

☆ What you need to know if you want a job at an elite firm like Point72, Citadel, or Millennium
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The biggest hedge funds are battling it out to attract and retain top talent and outperform peers. Insider has talked to a number of hedge funds to get a peek into their recruiting strategies. Shaw, and Bridgewater are in constant competition for the best and brightest to help them gain an edge in the cutthroat investment industry. Internships and fellowshipsThe opaque and secretive world of hedge funds might not necessarily be an obvious choice for many college graduates. Investment training programsTypically, hedge funds acquired their investment talent after a few years of working at an investment bank.

☆ Autonomous agents are Silicon Valley's latest AI obsession. Here's why pizza-ordering bots may be coming to a computer near you soon.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Stephanie Palazzolo | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

"Autonomous AI agents" are AI bots that can plan and prioritize to achieve user-provided goals. However, the rise of AI agents has sparked concerns around safety and the potential for AGI. From assistants to digital friendsHowever, AI doomsdayers don't have to be too worried yet — the performance of these AI agents have often been less than stellar. Without the proper guardrails, AI agents with unrestricted access to the Internet may similarly take unanticipated steps to complete its goals, like transferring money from a bank account. And sometimes, the misuse of AI agents is intentional, rather than accidental.

Search resuls for: "Technologists"

25 mentions found