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☆ GM explores using ChatGPT in vehicles
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 10 (Reuters) - General Motors Co (GM.N) is exploring uses for ChatGPT as part of its broader collaboration with Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O), a company executive told Reuters. "ChatGPT is going to be in everything," GM Vice President Scott Miller said in an interview last week. GM in 2021 partnered with Microsoft to accelerate the commercialization of driverless vehicles. Shares of GM were down about 2% on Friday amid a broader drop. Reporting by Nathan Gomes in Bengaluru and Joseph White in Detroit; Editing by Maju SamuelOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Analysis: Wage catch-up to prolong Europe's inflation battle
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Balazs Koranyi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

"Part of the wage increase is understandable," said Jens Ulbrich, chief economist at Germany's Bundesbank. Yet the rapid wage growth underway now will hamper the European Central Bank's efforts to get inflation back to its 2% target, and possibly force it to keep interest rates high for longer. "We are taking a first step, but much more is needed to reverse the years of lopsided wage growth," Kager added. "The inflation trend, food and especially energy prices are tearing deep holes in our workers' budgets," ver.di Chairman Frank Werneke said. "The high levels of wage growth projected for 2023 and 2024 can be expected to make wages an increasingly dominant driver of underlying inflation in the euro area," Lane says.

☆ OpenAI to enable more customizations for enterprise and individual users
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Krystal Hu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

OpenAI has launched a subscription tier of ChatGPT where users can pay $20 per month for more reliable services. Management consultancy Bain & Company, has struck a global services partnership with OpenAI, enabling Bain to embed AI in its client operations. Individual users should also have more control over how the AI works, Altman added. "We'll launch more things soon that give users additional control on the system to behave this way or that way." Altman acknowledges the AI system cannot achieve 100% accuracy, and he said he expects applications including AI doctors and AI lawyers to emerge on people's phones soon.

☆ In the midst of the AI boom, investors are doubling down on diligence. Here are the five questions VCs are asking every generative AI startup during pitches.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Stephanie Palazzolo | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Buzzy generative AI startups have so far avoided the troubles plaguing the rest of the tech world. Here are the five diligence questions investors are asking generative AI startups, according to VCs. But for generative AI startups, 2023 has been much of the same — and that hasn't been a bad thing. Insider spoke with eight of these VCs about the top five questions they're asking generative AI startups during diligence processes. One hallmark of generative AI startups are their eye-staggering round sizes.

☆ Baidu says its alternative to ChatGPT is coming to the public in March
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Sun Yilei | ReutersBEIJING — Chinese tech giant Baidu said Wednesday its artificial intelligence product Ernie bot is set to open to the public next month. "We will embed Ernie bot into Baidu search first and we'll open it to the public in March," Baidu CEO Robin Li said Wednesday during an earnings call, according to a FactSet transcript. Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon Baidu 12-month share performanceDespite widespread assessments that ChatGPT is transformative for tech, businesses don't have a clear path to monetization yet. For Ernie bot, public partnership announcements include Baidu-backed video streaming platform iQiyi's plans for connecting to the bot for search and AI-generated content. Baidu-backed electric car startup Jidu — which is set to start deliveries this year — also said it plans to incorporate Ernie bot.

Executives across the technology sector are talking about how to operate AI like ChatGPT while accounting for the high expense. What makes this form of AI pricier than conventional search is the computing power involved. Still, footing the bill is one of two main reasons why search and social media giants with billions of users have not rolled out an AI chatbot overnight, said Paul Daugherty, Accenture's chief technology officer. Technology experts also said a workaround is applying smaller AI models to simpler tasks, which Alphabet is exploring. The company said this month a "smaller model" version of its massive LaMDA AI technology will power its chatbot Bard, requiring "significantly less computing power, enabling us to scale to more users."

☆ Walmart sees lower 2023 performance in time of economic uncertainty
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Siddharth Cavale | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

"There's still a lot of trepidation and uncertainty with the economic outlook. "So, that makes us cautious on the economic outlook because we simply don't know what we don't know." Home Depot (HD.N) also forecast weaker-than-expected annual profits on Tuesday as soaring prices hit demand for home-improvement products. They want the allure of savings and Walmart provides that," said McNew, whose firm holds about 350,000 Walmart shares. Walmart signs are displayed inside a Walmart store in Mexico City, Mexico March 28, 2019.

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File PhotoFeb 16 (Reuters) - Walmart Inc's (WMT.N) results on Tuesday will provide Wall Street with new details on what items American shoppers are buying as rising grocery prices squeeze their wallets. In December, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said "we do not like" that some suppliers were hinting at raising prices further in 2023. He warned that Walmart would allocate space to private and tertiary brands if prices got too high. KitKat maker Nestle on Thursday said further price hikes were necessary to offset commodity costs. Still, Wall Street expects Walmart sales and revenue to rise in 2023 as its shipping and logistics costs moderate, even as labor expenses go up.

☆ How small-business owners can address pay equity, according to a startup founder trying to build generational wealth for employees of color
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Alexandra York | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Yemi Rose is the founder of OfColor, a startup helping workers of color build generational wealth. Rose shared his insights on how small businesses could reach pay equity for employees of color. Before starting OfColor, Rose spent 16 years workings for financial and consulting firms like Thomson Financial and KPMG. In a conversation with Insider, Rose shared his thoughts on how small-business owners could reach pay equity for their employees of color. Before launching OfColor, Rose wanted to become an expert on the systems dictating wealth across America.

☆ ChatGPT frenzy sweeps China as firms scramble for homegrown options
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Microsoft -backed OpenAI has kept its hit ChatGPT app off-limits to users in China, but the app is attracting huge interest in the country, with firms rushing to integrate the technology into their products and launch rival solutions. OpenAI or ChatGPT itself is not blocked by Chinese authorities but OpenAI does not allow users in mainland China, Hong Kong, Iran, Russia and parts of Africa to sign up. Dozens of bots rigged to ChatGPT technology have emerged on WeChat, with hobbyists using it to make programmes or automated accounts that can interact with users. ChatGPT supports Chinese language interaction and is highly capable of conversing in Chinese, which has helped drive its unofficial adoption in the country. SleekFlow, a Tiger Global-backed startup in Hong Kong, said it was integrating the AI into its customer relations messaging tools.

☆ ChatGPT frenzy sweeps China as firms scramble for home-grown options
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Josh Ye | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/2] A response in Chinese by ChatGPT, an AI chatbot developed by OpenAI, is seen on its website in this illustration picture taken February 9, 2023. OpenAI or ChatGPT itself is not blocked by Chinese authorities but OpenAI does not allow users in mainland China, Hong Kong, Iran, Russia and parts of Africa to sign up. Dozens of bots rigged to ChatGPT technology have emerged on WeChat, with hobbyists using it to make programmes or automated accounts that can interact with users. ChatGPT supports Chinese language interaction and is highly capable of conversing in Chinese, which has helped drive its unofficial adoption in the country. CENSORSHIPReuters' tests of ChatGPT indicate that the chatbot is not averse to questions that would be sensitive in mainland China.

☆ Factbox: Chinese tech firms working on ChatGPT-style technology
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] A response in Chinese by ChatGPT, an AI chatbot developed by OpenAI, is seen on its website in this illustration picture taken February 9, 2023. Like Microsoft and Google，Chinese tech giants such as Baidu and Alibaba (9988.HK) as well as smaller start-ups have been working on AI projects for years. The e-commerce giant said large language models and generative AI have been areas of focus since it formed its research institute Damo Academy in 2017. NETEASEGaming firm NetEase (9999.HK) plans to deploy large language models technology to serve its education business, a source familiar with the company told Reuters on Feb. 8. 360 SECURITY TECHNOLOGY INC360 Security Technology Inc (601360.SS) said on Feb. 8 it possessed language model technology but that it could not give a clear indication on when it would launch any related products.

☆ Big Oil rakes in record profit haul of nearly $200 billion, fueling calls for higher taxes
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Exxon Mobil's 2022 haul of $56 billion marked a historic high for the Western oil industry. Chicago Tribune | Tribune News Service | Getty ImagesThe West's five largest oil companies raked in combined profits of nearly $200 billion in 2022, intensifying calls for governments to impose tougher windfall taxes. Altogether, the five Big Oil companies reported combined profits of $196.3 billion last year, more than the economic output of most countries. His comments came shortly after Shell reported its highest-ever annual profit of nearly $40 billion, comfortably surpassing its previous record of $28.4 billion in 2008. watch nowThe CEO of Saudi Aramco, the world's largest energy company, has previously warned about the dangers of pressuring oil companies through higher taxes.

☆ Explainer: Bard vs ChatGPT: What do we know about Google's AI chatbot?
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Feb 7 (Reuters) - Alphabet Inc (GOOGL.O) and rival Microsoft (MSFT.O) are once again locked in a race to rule the internet zeitgeist after the Google owner launched "Bard" in answer to AI chatbot sensation ChatGPT. The artificial intelligence service could change how consumers search for information or create content on command and free up time for white-collar workers. The services that Google's Bard and ChatGPT would offer are similar. Microsoft and Google plan to embed AI tools to bolster their search services Bing and Google Search, which account for a big chunk of revenue. Bard draws on information from the internet, while ChatGPT has access to data until 2021.

☆ Why Hollywood's tech evangelists are bullish on NFTs and Web3 storytelling, even after the FTX scandal tarnished blockchain's rep
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Elaine Low | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Amid the FTX scandal and declining NFT sales, Web3 chatter has grown quieter in Hollywood. But proponents of NFTs and Web3 storytelling are betting on the tech's entertainment potential. Hollywood's evangelists of Web3 — the decentralized, blockchain-based future of the web that includes crypto and NFTs — were out in full force. She has worked to distance the creative and storytelling potential of NFTs and other blockchain-based technologies from the cowboy rep of the digital currency world. "I'm excited about moving Web3, blockchain technologies past sort of the hype cycle that we've seen with digital collectibles and NFTs," Greg Reed, Universal Pictures' VP of technology partnerships, told Variety.

☆ Businesses, not governments, will need to lead the transition to clean energy, executives say
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Josée Rose | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The transition to clean energy isn't a choice, executives told Insider. Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest on the culture & business of sustainability — delivered weekly to your inbox. Motsinger said the move to sustainable business practices, infrastructure, supply chains, and products couldn't wait for the government to mandate such moves. Fitzgerald added that it's key to develop trust among all sides so that businesses could roll out new technology. Once we have safe, reliable, and affordable options in those areas, Fitzgerald said attention might turn to areas considered harder to decarbonize — processes like steelmaking, cement production, and construction.

☆ Health insurer Elevance's strategy is coming into focus as it goes head-to-head with giants UnitedHealth and CVS
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Elevance Health, the major US health insurer formerly called Anthem, said Monday that it plans to acquire Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana in a rare merger between two Blue-affiliated health insurers. It's possible that if the merger goes through, the Louisiana Blue could flip to using Elevance's PBM. While competitors like UnitedHealth, CVS, and Humana are pushing deeper into delivering primary care, Elevance has focused on owning businesses that serve people with serious and chronic illnesses. Carelon's strategy has been to sell its services to both Elevance's own health plans and other Blue-affiliated insurers. Carelon brought in almost $41 billion in revenue in 2022, and 60% of that came from Elevance's own health plans, Boudreaux said Wednesday.

☆ Companies Tap Tech Behind ChatGPT to Make Customer-Service Chatbots Smarter
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Katie Deighton | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +7 min

Businesses hope the artificial-intelligence technology behind ChatGPT can turn ordinary chatbots into impressive fonts of information, potentially transforming customer service. But customer-experience executives said overreliance on such AI models could lead to companies dishing out incorrect information to customers online without knowing they are doing so. Some executives hope the technology that drives ChatGPT might also improve customer-service chatbots. But companies should exercise care when dealing with the new AI, Mr. Truog said. Nice is also working on building OpenAI’s language models into chatbots, Mr. Willcutts said, adding that the company plans to run more tests and fine-tune more models before selling its own take on ChatGPT to clients.

☆ Microsoft layoffs are not enough to shake our cautious view of the tech giant
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Kevin Stankiewicz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Microsoft 's (MSFT) layoff announcement Wednesday doesn't shake our guarded view of the stock. MSFT 1Y mountain Microsoft's stock performance over the past 12 months. While the Club wrote about ChatGPT's impact on Microsoft in December , the chatbot has continued to capture Wall Street's attention. Bottom line Layoffs at Microsoft are yet another sign of the tech industry's challenges and demonstrate why the Club has been cautious on the company's stock as of late. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade.

☆ 2 top executives at consulting giant McKinsey broke down 3 ways Gen Z is transforming the workplace
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( Cadie Thompson | Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Gen Z is starting to transform the workplace, according to two McKinsey executives at Davos. They told Insider how Gen Zers are more open to collaborate than millenials, but still have strong values. "The millennial generation was like 'Let's blow up all the institutions and start from scratch'," she said, noting that Gen Z takes a more "pragmatic" approach. George told Insider how the company has changed its talent model to accommodate this. McKinsey is working hard to be "more open about who we are, and what we do, because that's how Gen Z sees the world," she added.

☆ Strikes in Britain set to intensify as teacher ballot results due
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( William James | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Rail workers that are members of the ASLEF union stand at a picket line outside Euston station while on strike, in London, Britain, January 5, 2023. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls/File PhotoLONDON, Jan 15 (Reuters) - Strikes disrupting swathes of the British economy look likely to intensify this week, with teachers ready to announce industrial action, according to the Sunday Times, and nurses warning their strikes could double in size next month. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's government, which sets pay levels in the publicly-funded health and education services, is already dealing with strikes in rail and other industries as wages increases fall behind rapidly rising prices. Last week, a strike ballot by a different teachers' union fell short of the required turnout threshold. Transport minister Mark Harper told Sky News on Sunday that any decision to strike by teachers would be regrettable.

A gay couple hugging in front of a church in Mexico was sprayed with what appeared to be "holy water" by a woman who accused them of spreading immorality to the country’s youth. I’m going to call the police,” the woman said in Spanish while spraying the couple and making the sign of the cross. Posted over the weekend, the video had nearly 400,000 views as of Wednesday afternoon. Leonardo Hernandez, who posted the video, can be heard telling the woman in Spanish, “It is bad to hate, lady.”A bystander intervened to defend the couple, telling the woman, “They are not doing anything. Love is love.”

The U.S. Commodities Futures Trading Commission has estimated missing customer funds at more than $8 billion. The affiliates -- LedgerX, Embed, FTX Japan and FTX Europe -- are relatively independent from the broader FTX group, and each has its own segregated customer accounts and separate management teams, according to FTX court filings. In part to preserve the value of its businesses, FTX also sought Dorsey's approval to keep secret 9 million FTX customer names. Dorsey allowed the names to remain under wraps for only three months, not six months as FTX wanted. In addition to customer funds lost, the collapse of the company has also likely wiped out equity investors.

☆ Gold little changed ahead of key U.S. inflation data
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Gold prices were hemmed into a narrow range on Wednesday as investors held back from making large bets ahead of key U.S. inflation data due later this week. Spot gold was little changed at $1,875.68 per ounce as of 0242 GMT, hovering near the eight-month high hit on Monday. U.S. gold futures rose 0.2% to $1,879.30. "If the data shows that inflation is softer, then gold might go north of the $1,900 level. Gold is considered an inflation hedge but is highly sensitive to rising interest rates, which increases the opportunity cost of holding the non-yielding bullion.

Parafin, launched in 2020, works with so-called platform partners, or companies that other small businesses sell their products through. All the cofounders knew was that they wanted to build technology that would help small businesses. And they may not get their first contract payment from the government for as long as 120 days," Reed, the startup's CEO, told Insider. Helping small businesses manage their taxesComplYant's founder Shiloh Jackson wants to help people be present in their bookkeeping. HoneyBookWhile countless small businesses have been harmed by the pandemic, self-employment and entrepreneurship have found ways to blossom as Americans started new ventures.

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