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☆ BT is cutting 55,000 jobs. Its CEO says AI could replace 10,000 of those by 2030.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Aaron Mcdade | Sindhu Sundar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

British telecommunications giant BT said it will cut between 40,000 and 55,000 jobs by 2030. British telecommunications giant BT Group said it's planning to cut as many as 55,000 jobs by 2030 — and at least 10,000 of those jobs could be replaced by some form of artificial intelligence. BT Group CEO Philip Jansen said on an earnings call that the company will be a "beneficiary of AI — unequivocally," according to CNN. Jansen estimated that about 10,000 of the jobs BT will eliminate can be replaced by processes of "digitization and automation," like AI replacements. Now there's also a little research indicating how workers, particularly those in customer service, are interacting with such tools.

INVESTMENT HELPSThe company based in Hove on Britain's south coast was one of 61 firms - most with 25 or fewer employees - to take part in the world's biggest four-day week trial last year. The experience of some companies in the first trial suggests that moving to a four-day week might help, if it prompts firms to spend more on equipment and training. It piloted a four-day week for its 80 New Zealand staff over 18 months, and has since extended it to 500 workers in Australia, a move it hopes will attract new talent. British recruitment agency Reed.co.uk said it had seen a rise in the number of job advertisements offering a four-day week since the start of the year. Allcap, a supplier of industrial components with 36 employees in western England, tried a four-day week after its staff had worked flat out during the pandemic to supply protective equipment and ventilator parts.

☆ UK public sector employers plan to raise pay by most since 2012
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( Suban Abdulla | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, May 15 (Reuters) - British public sector employers plan the biggest pay increases in over a decade and private sector deals are set to remain high, according to a survey published on Monday, potentially adding to worries at the Bank of England. However, the gap between public and private employers' wage expectations remained wide, with those in the private sector expecting to raise pay by 5% in the coming year, unchanged from three months before. Official data showed average private sector wages in the three months to February were 6.1% higher than a year earlier. More than half of survey respondents in the public sector noted struggles with hard-to-fill roles and 45% expected similar problems in the next six months. Four in 10 private sector recruiters reported hard-to-fill jobs while 23% anticipated significant difficulties filling vacancies over the next six months.

Trump was back on CNN primetime during a town hall appearance on Wednesday night. And CNN certainly seemed to be eager for conservative buy-in during the Wednesday town hall, filling the room with a mixture of New Hampshire Republicans and effectively independent voters. The former president's advisor told other outlets that the town hall was an effort to underline Trump's 2016 strategy of reaching beyond the traditional GOP coalition. During the Wednesday town hall, Trump called Carroll a "whack job," echoing the very falsehoods that landed him with a defamation charge this week. "The predictably disastrous @cnn town hall was indeed disastrous," former broadcast exec and current dean of the Lawrence Herbert School of Communication at Hofstra University, Mark Lukasiewicz tweeted.

☆ India builds more hospitals as population surges but doctors in short supply
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Shivam Patel | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

The problem is a lack of doctors, a shortage that is reaching crucial levels as India becomes the world's most populous nation. Inaugurating the first specialised medical institute in northeast India last month, Modi said his government had sought to increase the number of doctors by setting up more medical colleges. The number of public hospitals, excluding specialised institutes, has risen some 9% in Modi’s time at the top, government data shows. The government says there was a near 80% shortage of surgeons, physicians, gynaecologists and paediatricians at community health centres in rural India as of March 2022. Specialist doctors tend to go overseas or join the private sector in metropolitan and other large cities, said Dr K. Srinath Reddy, at the Public Health Foundation of India non-profit.

☆ Just one old tank, and no aircraft, were present at Russia's much-reduced Victory Parade this year, reflecting its major losses in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia's Victory Day celebrations were scaled back this year. Russia's military has been degraded in Ukraine, and experts said it planned smaller celebrations to hide that. Tuesday's military parade in Moscow did not include an air display or any military jets over the capital city. Russia also cancelled its Moscow Victory Day aerial display last year, the first event since it launched its invasion of Ukraine. Russia needs a lot of its equipment in Ukraine that it would usually show off in the parades, the ISW noted.

☆ The Coronation of King Charles: Order of Service
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +46 min

The Archbishop saysI here present unto you King Charles, your undoubted King: Wherefore all you who are come this day to do your homage and service, are you willing to do the same? Christopher Finney GC saysI here present unto you King Charles, your undoubted King: Wherefore all you who are come this day to do your homage and service, are you willing to do the same? We praise thee, we bless thee,we worship thee, we glorify thee,we give thanks to thee for thy great glory,O Lord God, heavenly King, God the Father Almighty. O clap your hands together, all ye people;O sing unto God with the voice of melody. The King touches the Ring and the Archbishop saysReceive this Ring, symbol of kingly dignity and a sign of the covenant sworn this day, between God and King, King and people.

☆ Russia is using the supposed Kremlin drone strike as an excuse to scale back its Victory Day celebrations and hide its military losses, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia is reducing its large-scale Victory Day parades, which are used to show its military strength. Experts said it is using an alleged Kremlin drone strike as an excuse to scale them back. But Russia likely wants to conceal its military losses in Ukraine, the ISW said. The ISW said the Kremlin "likely hopes to limit typical May 9 events to conceal the degradation of the Russian military." Russian T-90M and T-14 Armata tanks parade through Red Square during the rehearsal of the Victory Day military parade on May 7, 2022.

☆ High-skilled customer service workers given an AI assistant saw 'close to 0' boost in their productivity
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Sindhu Sundar | Madison Hoff | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The study found AI can help lower-skilled workers “communicate more like high-skill agents.”Morning Brew Insider recommends waking up with, a daily newsletter. New research may be showing insight into what generative AI could mean for workers at different skill levels. "But, as you can imagine, it doesn't help the high-skill workers that much, because that's the stuff that they already knew." "I think that we all are beginning to see that generative AI is different from some of the earlier waves," Brynjolfsson said. But he added that generative AI could be helpful for brainstorming ideas, or for creative purposes.

☆ Canada's Justin Trudeau may be struggling but he still commands his party
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Steve Scherer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

OTTAWA, May 4 (Reuters) - Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will kick off what is likely to be the last Liberal Party convention before the next election on Thursday, and though fatigue with his government has deepened there is little question that he is fully in command of his party. Though some cabinet members and former central banker Mark Carney appear to have ambitions to lead the party after Trudeau, no one has come out publicly against him. "Trudeau is the party brand, for better or worse," said Shachi Kurl, president of Angus Reid research group. Conservatives would win 35% of the vote compared to 29% for the Liberals, according to the Angus Reid poll. But in Montreal, the Liberals lead 38% to 15%, and in the suburbs of Toronto the Liberals are ahead 40% to 34%, Angus Reid said.

☆ Workers in a study got an AI assistant. They became happier, more productive, and less likely to quit.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Madison Hoff | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Instead of looking at whether AI will replace workers, a study suggests it could improve work lives. A recent study by Erik Brynjolfsson, Danielle Li, and Lindsey R. Raymond shows that generative AI can actually boost productivity for workers. While their study was about generative AI and its impact on workers at a company, the researchers noted that the purpose of the study isn't to "shed light on the aggregate employment or wage effects of generative AI tools." The paper stated that the AI system used was "designed to augment, rather than replace, human agents." The AI system used by some of the workers in the study consisted of a GPT-based large language model along with machine learning algorithms.

☆ The top 10 buzziest companies Gen Z wants to work for—none of them are in Big Tech, says new report
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Jennifer Liu | In Jljenniferliu | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The graduating class of 2023's desire for stability in an uncertain economy is dictating where they want to work most after college. It's hard to escape unrelenting news of tech layoffs in recent months, including major staff cuts from Meta, Google, Amazon, Microsoft and many others. "They're gravitating toward companies that offer solid benefits, career pathing and a level of stability they've been looking for." Most young professionals plan to pick up new tech skills for their careersThough search interest for major tech companies dropped, Cruzvergara says today's grads are more likely than their predecessors to be interested in jobs that require tech skills. New college grads feel confident they have the skills they need to get the job they want but also plan to develop new tech skills on the job or after hours.

☆ Ambitious genome project shows how humans fit with other mammals
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Will Dunham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The findings in the ambitious Zoonomia Project identified parts of the genome functionally important in people and other mammals and showed how certain mutations can cause disease. The project revealed the genetics of uncommon mammalian traits like hibernation and showed how the sense of smell varies widely. The researchers said the findings on hibernation genetics could inform human therapeutics, critical care and long-distance space flight. The most primitive species was the venomous burrowing insect-eater Hispaniola solenodon, closely related to mammals alive during the dinosaur age. In terms of human differences from other mammals, the study pointed to regions associated with developmental and neurological genes.

☆ New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu says Trump is 'wimping out' by suggesting that he may skip GOP presidential primary debates
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Chris Sununu suggested Trump was "wimping out" by possibly skipping debates. The former president suggested that he may not attend some or all of the GOP presidential debates. Chris Sununu blasted Donald Trump on Wednesday after the former president strongly suggested that he may skip GOP presidential primary debates. "I mean, we're having debates, but Trump says he ain't showing up," Sununu told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt. It is true that Ryan leads the Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, which operates the museum that will host the debate.

☆ Ukraine stages raids across Dnipro River as counteroffensive looms
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Olena Harmash | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

KYIV, April 25 (Reuters) - Ukrainian forces based on the western side of the River Dnipro are frequently carrying out raids on the eastern bank near the city of Kherson to try to dislodge Russian troops, a regional official said on Tuesday. Yuriy Sobolevskiy, deputy head of the Kherson regional administration, said the raids were intended to reduce the combat capability of Russian troops who have been shelling Kherson city since being forced to retreat. "Our military visit the left (eastern) bank very often, conducting raids. Russia seized the Kherson region soon after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine 14 months ago, and has continued since then to hold all of the region's territory east the Dnipro. Retaking all the Kherson region would be an important step towards achieving this goal.

Hong Kong/New York CNN —Temu and Shein are taking off in the United States, topping app stores and creating a frenzy with consumers. Shein was started in China, while Temu was launched by a Chinese company that now bills itself as a multinational firm. Both firms have enjoyed major success in the United States, noted Nicholas Kaufman, a policy analyst for the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission. Topping the chartsTemu and Shein have taken the world’s largest retail market — the United States — by storm. It has quickly become the most downloaded app in the United States, and continues to expand its user base.

"Wow, the PRC (People's Republic of China) just sanctioned me again, for the second time," Hsiao tweeted in response to the announcement. Taiwan's Foreign Ministry reacted angrily, saying China had no right to "butt in" when it came to Tsai's overseas trips and that Beijing was "deceiving itself" if it thought the sanctions would have any effect. China has also banned the leaders from entering the country, and frozen any properties they have in China, it said. Chinese sanctions will have little practical impact as senior Taiwanese officials do not visit China while Chinese courts do not have jurisdiction in Taiwan. Others on the August sanctions list include Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu; Wellington Koo, Secretary-General of Taiwan's National Security Council; and DPP politicians.

☆ Ukraine pushes for Western warplane 'coalition'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Pavel Polityuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/5] A MiG-29 and F-35 planes are parked on a tarmac during a NATO media event at an airbase in Malbork, Poland, March 21, 2023. During a visit to Warsaw on Wednesday, Zelenskiy said Poland had been instrumental in getting Western allies to send battle tanks to Ukraine and he believed it could play the same role in a "planes coalition". MACRON IN CHINAEuropean Union executive head Ursula von der Leyen and French President Emmanuel Macron are expected to discuss Ukraine during talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Thursday. The U.S. and NATO have said China is considering sending arms to Russia, which Beijing has denied. 'SHOULDER TO SHOULDER'Polish President Andrzej Duda said Warsaw was working to secure additional security guarantees for Ukraine at a NATO summit to be held in Lithuania in July.

☆ Britain's digital tax risks becoming permanent, says tax body
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, April 5 (Reuters) - A levy imposed by Britain on the revenues of big tech companies such as Google, Facebook and Amazon in 2020 as a stopgap measure pending an international tax agreement risks becoming permanent, a group of tax experts said on Wednesday. The levy was introduced after concerns were raised about low levels of tax paid by some major tech companies, and raised 358 million pounds ($447 million) in its first year. Without an agreement on how to allocate taxation rights that all major trading partners could sign up to, there was a real risk that the tax could effectively become permanent, the CIOT said. "A revenue tax such as this is a blunt instrument that cannot accurately represent the tax on the profits generated in the UK," the CIOT's director of public policy, John Cullinane, said. The tax is forecast to raise around 3 billion pounds by 2024-25, it noted.

☆ Russia is trying to cover up the decline of a once elite unit that was rendered 'combat ineffective,' UK intel says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia is trying to fix the reputation of a once elite brigade hammered in Ukraine, the UK MOD said. The military is worried the brigade's reputation reflects how military leaders are seen, it said. In an update published Monday, the UK Ministry of Defence said the once celebrated 155th Naval Infantry Brigade of the Pacific Fleet had been rendered "combat ineffective" multiple times when fighting in Ukraine. Experts told Insider that the brigade once had an elite reputation, but that this had been eroded by repeated defeats. Russia's military overall has experienced the same issues.

☆ South Sudan president appoints own defence minister, breaching peace deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Waakhe Wudu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

JUBA, March 30 (Reuters) - South Sudan's President Salva Kiir has appointed a member of his own party as defence minister, according to a decree read on state media, breaching a peace deal in which the role should be selected by the party of opposition leader Riek Machar. Kiir fired defence minister Angelina Teny, who is also First Vice President Machar's wife, along with the interior minister this month, re-igniting long-standing disagreements over how the two war veterans share power. Implementation of the deal has been slow, and bouts of fighting have continued to kill and displace large numbers of civilians. "The appointment of Chol Thon as a minister of defence is unilateral and a new blatant violation of the peace agreement," said Puok Both Baluang, Machar's spokesperson, calling for Teny to be reinstated. The stalemate is likely to cause paralysis in the implementation of the peace deal, which is meant to culminate in a national election at the end of 2024, said Boboya James, a policy analyst at the Juba-based Institute of Social Policy and Research.

☆ Elon Musk and more than 1,000 people sign an open letter calling for a pause on training AI systems more powerful than GPT-4
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Its signatories called for a 6-month pause on the training of AI systems more powerful than GPT-4. The letter, issued by the non-profit Future of Life Institute, called for AI labs to pause training any tech more powerful than OpenAI's GPT-4, which launched earlier this month. The non-profit said powerful AI systems should only be developed "once we are confident that their effects will be positive and their risks will be manageable." Stability AI CEO Emad Mostaque, researchers at Alphabet's AI lab DeepMind, and notable AI professors have also signed the letter. The letter accused AI labs of being "locked in an out-of-control race to develop and deploy" powerful tech.

☆ How an elite brigade of Russian marines was repeatedly mauled in Ukraine and became an emblem of the invasion's failures
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

An elite brigade within Russia's military is a shadow of itself after taking huge losses in Ukraine. In many ways, the journey of the 155th reflects the larger struggles of the Russian military, which entered Ukraine expecting a quick victory but has instead suffered embarrassing setbacks. Baev said that its members are supposed to be better trained and more professional than other parts of the Russian military, which can rely on conscripts. And, as the fighting dragged and more marines died, the Russian military kept reinforcing the 155th with fresh recruits, which brought its own problems. Yet earlier this month Ukraine claimed that commanders in the brigade were refusing to fight near the city of Vuhledar.

☆ NATO slams Putin rhetoric on nuclear weapons in Belarus
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Dan Peleschuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

KYIV, March 27 (Reuters) - NATO castigated Vladimir Putin over his nuclear rhetoric a day after the Russian president said he planned to station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, escalating a standoff with the West. "Russia's nuclear rhetoric is dangerous and irresponsible," NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu said on Sunday. We have not seen any changes in Russia's nuclear posture that would lead us to adjust our own." Tactical nuclear weapons refer to those used for specific gains on a battlefield rather than those with the capacity to wipe out cities. Analysts at the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War said the risk of escalation to nuclear war "remains extremely low."

☆ Ukraine slams Putin plan to station Russian nuclear weapons in Belarus
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( Dan Peleschuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

"Making a statement about tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, he admits that he is afraid of losing & all he can do is scare with tactics," Mykhailo Podolyak tweeted. Washington, the world's other nuclear superpower, played down concerns about Putin's announcement and the potential for Moscow to use nuclear weapons in the war in Ukraine. The official noted that Russia and Belarus had been speaking about the transfer of nuclear weapons for some time. However, the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons called Putin's announcement an extremely dangerous escalation. Sharing nuclear weapons makes the situation much worse and risks catastrophic humanitarian consequences," it said on Twitter.

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