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☆ China walks a tightrope, searching for a Ukraine peace deal that gets around defeat for its ally Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping at a signing ceremony after their talks at the Kremlin in Moscow on March 21, 2023. "Russia is an increasingly important partner for [Chinese President] Xi Jinping. Russian President Vladimir Putin and China's President Xi Jinping leave after a reception following their talks at the Kremlin in Moscow on March 21, 2023. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks with Chinese President Xi Jinping via phone line, in Kyiv on April 26, 2023. As such, China's move to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine is not seen as an altruistic one but motivated by self-interest.

☆ Crypto firm Ripple buys Swiss startup as SEC crackdown forces companies to consider overseas moves
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse speaks during the Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills, California, on Oct. 19, 2021. "This is the largest deal we've seen in the last year," Brad Garlinghouse, CEO of Ripple, told CNBC on a call Tuesday. Garlinghouse said last week that the firm will have spent $200 million in total defending itself against the SEC lawsuit. Numerous crypto industry insiders have been calling for a clear regulatory framework from the U.S. Congress to help give companies clarity over how they can operate in a way that's legally sound. WATCH: Ripple will have spent $200 million fighting SEC lawsuit, CEO says

☆ China doesn't really care who wins the war in Ukraine — it just wants to win the peace, analysts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

There's little doubt that China wants the war between Russia and Ukraine to end, and soon. Political analysts and China watchers note that, ultimately, Beijing doesn't really care who "wins" the war — or what form a peace deal takes. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks with Chinese President Xi Jinping via phone line, in Kyiv on April 26, 2023. Russian President Vladimir Putin and China's President Xi Jinping shake hands during a signing ceremony following their talks at the Kremlin in Moscow on March 21, 2023. Any peace will be hard-wonNo-one is underestimating the challenges any would-be peace broker has before them.

☆ Microsoft economist warns of A.I. election interference from 'bad actors'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

being used by bad actors" than they should about AI productivity outpacing human productivity, Microsoft chief economist Michael Schwarz said at a World Economic Forum event Wednesday. Microsoft first invested $1 billion in OpenAI in 2019, years before the two companies would integrate OpenAI's GPT large language model into Microsoft's Bing search product. Politicians and regulators have expressed growing concern about the potential impact of AI technology as well. Vice President Kamala Harris will meet Thursday with top executives from Anthropic, another AI firm, and Google, Microsoft and OpenAI to discuss responsible AI development, the White House told CNBC Tuesday. "Please remember, breaking is much easier than building," Schwarz noted.

☆ Samsung bans use of A.I. like ChatGPT for employees after misuse of the chatbot
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Samsung is restricting the use of so-called generative artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT for employees after the company discovered such services were being misused. It is a form of so-called generative AI. Samsung does not have its own generative AI product yet. ChatGPT is developed by U.S. firm OpenAI which is backed by Microsoft while other generative AI products include Google's Bard. Inputting sensitive company data into these foreign-owned services could be a concern to companies worried about leaks of crucial information.

☆ Chegg CEO calls 48% stock plunge over ChatGPT fears 'extraordinarily overblown'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Chegg' s 48% stock price plunge on Tuesday, driven by comments in the company's earnings report about the risks of artificial intelligence, was "extraordinarily overblown," CEO Dan Rosensweig told CNBC Tuesday. On Monday's earnings call, Rosensweig said ChatGPT, the suddenly popular chatbot from startup OpenAI, was "having an impact on our new customer growth rate." "I think this is extraordinarily overblown, and I don't normally say that, I don't really talk about the stock price much," Rosensweig said. Rosensweig noted that ChatGPT struggles with delivering accurate answers, a phenomenon known as hallucination, and a problem in the academic world. "ChatGPT is often wrong, and it's not going to be right anytime soon."

☆ Uber CEO reveals 4 ways to boost your rider ratings — and tipping isn't one of them
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Hannah Towey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi revealed the best way for passengers to increase their ratings. Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi shared four pieces of advice for passengers looking to boost their ratings in an interview with CNBC Tuesday morning. He said a only a minority of Uber riders tip. Khosrowshahi's insight is based on his experience going undercover as an Uber driver last fall in order to better understand the issues facing gig workers. He told CNBC he's a 5-star driver and the tips are "pretty good."

☆ Kamala Harris to discuss A.I. in meeting with Google, Microsoft, OpenAI and Anthropic CEOs
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Ashley Capoot | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Vice President Kamala Harris will meet with the chief executives of Google , Microsoft , OpenAI and Anthropic Thursday to discuss the responsible development of artificial intelligence, the White House confirmed to CNBC Tuesday. Harris will address the need for safeguards that can mitigate AI's potential risks and emphasize the importance of ethical and trustworthy innovation, the White House said. Generative AI has exploded into public consciousness after OpenAI released its viral new chatbot called ChatGPT late last year. In the months since, Microsoft has been integrating OpenAI's generative technology across many of its products as part of its multi-year, multi-billion-dollar investment in the company. While many experts are optimistic about the potential of generative AI, the technology has also inspired questions and concerns from regulators and tech industry giants.

☆ 'Other problems might be lurking': Strategist is unconvinced by Jamie Dimon's bank crisis comments
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Workers are seen inside of a First Republic Bank office on May 01, 2023 in San Francisco, California. Justin Sullivan | Getty Imageswatch nowDavid Pierce, director of strategic initiatives at Utah-based GPS Capital Markets, told CNBC Tuesday that the financial sector's frailties may be more profound than the messaging from bankers and policymakers suggests. Could they have funded them and given them additional capital, provided loans that would have gotten them through this hard time?" The World Economic Forum's Chief Economists Outlook, published Monday, showed chief economists by and large do not currently see large-scale systemic risk from the recent banking chaos, but they do think it will have some economic impact. "Although the chief economists are broadly sanguine about the systemic implications of the recent financial disruption – 69% characterize it as isolated episodes rather than signs of systemic vulnerability – they point to potentially damaging knock-on effects," the report said.

☆ Crypto exchange owned by embattled conglomerate Digital Currency Group loses top global exec
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

DCG, Luno's parent company, has been grappling with the ongoing fallout from last year's plunge in token prices and the collapse of FTX. Vijay Ayyar, a senior executive at cryptocurrency exchange Luno and one of its earliest employees, is leaving the company. It comes after the company, which is owned by Digital Currency Group, announced the closure of its operation in Singapore, where Ayyar is based. "I'll be leaving Luno after 7 years at the company," Ayyar said in a WhatsApp message. In addition to his corporate responsibilities at Luno, Ayyar also serves as something of a crypto market guru, providing frequent commentary to the press on moves in markets.

☆ A 'tinderbox' with no easy off-ramps: What the Sudan conflict means for the world
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

Smoke rises during clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Khartoum, Sudan on April 19, 2023. "We urge the Sudanese army to respect the ceasefire and its conditions to alleviate the suffering of innocent civilians. - | Afp | Getty ImagesNotorious Russian mercenary force Wagner Group has been linked to various commercial and military operations in Sudan. Italian citizens are boarded on an Italian Air Force C130 aircraft during their evacuation from Khartoum, Sudan, in this undated photo obtained by Reuters on April 24, 2023. "The RSF is likely to target oil infrastructure linking South Sudan with Khartoum and the export terminal at Port Sudan," Verisk Maplecroft's Hunter suggested.

☆ Americans could see their student debt, car, and mortgage payments surge because of Republicans' 'flirtation with the default,' top Democrat Hakeem Jeffries says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Rep. Hakeem Jeffries said a default on the US debt could cause student debt, car, and mortgage payments to surge. Republicans plan to bring a debt ceiling bill to the House floor next week, but it's unclear if it will get enough support. Biden has refused to meet with Republicans over debt ceiling negotiations. "Even the flirtation with the default is going to hurt everyday Americans," Jeffries said. "It risks raising car payments, it risks raising home mortgage payments, it risks raising student loan debt payments," he continued.

☆ Coinbase CEO says the crypto exchange is preparing to go to court with the U.S. SEC
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Last month, the SEC issued Coinbase with a Wells notice, which is often one of the final steps before the regulator formally issues charges. Brian Armstrong, CEO of Coinbase, called the issuing of the Wells notice "unfortunate" and said the company has not got any more information on the specific issues the SEC has. When asked by CNBC if Coinbase is prepared for a years-long battle with the SEC, Armstrong replied, "Absolutely." Brian Armstrong, CEO of Coinbase, slammed the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Barclays said in a note this month that "regulatory overhang" on Coinbase's stock "increased meaningfully" when the SEC issued the Wells notice.

☆ SEC's Gensler in congressional hot seat today over climate change and crypto
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Bob Pisani | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

The House Financial Services Committee will hold a hearing on oversight of the Securities and Exchange Commission this morning. That's because SEC Chair Gary Gensler has aroused the ire of many in corporate America over his 50+ list of new regulatory proposals the SEC is scheduled to vote on this year. "Chair Gensler has identified a range of 50-55 regulatory priorities since the start of his tenure, and has already proposed twice as many rules as his predecessor in just half the time." "The vast majority of crypto tokens are securities," Gensler declared in his written testimony to the House Financial Services Committee. "SEC Chair Gensler is long overdue to testify before the House Financial Services Committee," Rep. French Hill (R.-Ark), Vice Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, said in a statement released to CNBC.

Nvidia also detailed a set of cloud services that make it easier for companies to build bespoke AI models for their respective businesses. The huge gains have prompted a debate on Wall Street about whether Nvidia bulls are overhyping the company's AI opportunity. Nvidia also detailed a set of services, known as Nvidia AI Foundations , which will be available through DGX Cloud. These provide companies with the tools needed to customize AI models. Secondly, Nvidia's software expansion makes its AI leadership directly applicable to more industries because its best-in-class technology will be easier to access.

☆ Canada is aiming to beat China in the critical race for rare earth metals
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Silvia Amaro | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Canada is positioning itself as a solution for the many European governments that are looking to rely less on China for critical raw materials — which are essential for the manufacture of goods like electric cars. The G-7 member announced in December a plan to ramp up the production of these minerals, with Canada having one of the largest deposits. The European Union, and other parts of the world, are trying to be less dependent on China while also accelerating plans for a more sustainable economy. More broadly, there's a growing recognition by several governments that minerals and other raw materials are now a matter of national security. This has become a reality in the European Union, with Russia's invasion of Ukraine highlighting that the bloc had become solely reliant on one huge supplier.

☆ Canada trade minister says trade talks with Taiwan are part of a larger Indo-Pacific strategy
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Sumathi Bala | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Canada's decision to enter formal bilateral trade talks with Taiwan is part of a broader strategy for the Indo-Pacific region, its minister of international trade told CNBC Tuesday. The two sides agreed on Feb. 7 to begin formal negotiations on a trade agreement in order to strengthen trade and investment. Bilateral trade between Canada and Taiwan reached $5.82 billion in 2022, according to Taiwan's official statistics. Taiwan is Canada's 13th largest trading partner globally, and its 5th largest trading partner in Asia. Taiwan's exports to Canada amounted to $3.3 billion last year, and Canada exports to Taiwan amounted to $2.52 billion in the same period, according to that data.

☆ Goldman-backed battery firm Northvolt earmarks next quarter for U.S. factory announcement
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Silvia Amaro | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A Northvolt building in Sweden, photographed in February 2022. Mikael Sjoberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesSKELLEFTEA, Sweden ꟷ Battery firm Northvolt will outline details of a new manufacturing plant in the U.S. before the start of the summer, CEO Peter Carlsson told CNBC Tuesday. The Swedish company has been reevaluating some of its investment decisions in light of the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act — often referred to as IRA. "I would be surprised if we have not done an announcement by latest in Q2 [second quarter]," he said. A worker walking past the coating ovens section at the Northvolt Ett factory in Skelleftea, north Sweden.

☆ Zelenskyy completes a tricky charm offensive in Europe as Ukraine prepares for next phase of war
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Silvia Amaro | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine's president, visited the European headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. Weapons, weapons, weaponsZelenskyy was direct in his message to European leaders asking for long-range artillery and ammunition, air defense systems, missiles, fighter jets and battle tanks. He pressured EU leaders to start the process this year. He has a sharp focus and is committed to the Ukrainian cause — he is a very sensible man," one EU official said regarding the Ukrainian president. The official working for a Nordic nation said: "Seeing him in person made [an] impact after a year of video addresses."

☆ Investors rush into A.I. stocks — Most of their top buys have already doubled this year
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Michelle Fox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Retail investors are pilling into artificial intelligence stocks, the latest craze to hit Wall Street, according to Vanda Research. Overall, aggregate inflows from retail investors over the past five trading days (ending Wednesday) have reached levels not seen since 2020-2021, the firm said. "We believe FOMO and momentum remain the main drivers of flows, meaning that retail investors remain susceptible to negative catalysts. However, interest in AI remains high as retail investors rotate into other AI-related small-cap stocks, he noted. Microsoft and Nvidia, already seeing a growing interest from retail investors, may also see investments pick up, according to Vanda.

☆ Russian forces are closing in on the strategic city of Bakhmut, giving Ukraine a tough choice to make
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Ukrainian military vehicles drive along a road outside of the strategic city of Bakhmut on January 18, 2023 in Bakhmut, Ukraine. Ukrainian soldiers outside the strategic city of Bakhmut on Jan. 18, 2023, in Bakhmut, Ukraine. Ukrainian servicemen of the artillery unit of the 80th Air Assault Brigade talk near Bakhmut, Ukraine, on Feb. 7, 2023. On Wednesday, Russian media reported comments from a Russian special forces commander, who claimed Russian units were advancing into Bakhmut. Ukrainian security forces talk to an elder woman while the first anniversary of Russia-Ukraine war approaches in Bakhmut, Ukraine on January 25, 2023.

☆ Mark Mobius: Adani had 'big problems' that put me off, but India still looks appealing
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Investor Mark Mobius was put off Adani's massive planned share sale because of concerns about the group's debt pile and exposure to political risk, he told CNBC Tuesday. So that's one of the big problems that I had," Mobius said. His firm, Mobius Capital Partners, focuses on emerging markets and India is one of its top allocations. Companies including Adani Enterprises, Adani Transmission, Adani Green Energy, Adani Power and Adani Total Gas have plummeted in value since then, with the group shedding more than $113 billion from its market value. On Feb. 1, Adani called off a fully subscribed $2.5 billion sale of Adani Enterprises shares, citing the stock price movements.

☆ Billionaire investor and Tesla bull Ron Baron poured $100 million into Elon Musk's Twitter takeover
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Morgan Chittum | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Billionaire investor Ron Baron has poured $100 million into Elon Musk's Twitter deal. The Tesla bull was promised to make "two to three times" his money, he told CNBC. Baron said the bet on Twitter was predicated by his faith in Musk's leadership abilities. "He's the best-known man in the world, I guess," Baron told CNBC. "We have made a lot of money with [Elon]," Baron told CNBC in early November, adding that Tesla holdings make up 40% of his Baron's Partners fund.

☆ Britain sets out plans to regulate crypto industry in wake of FTX collapse
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

In a widely-anticipated industry consultation launched Tuesday, the government proposed a number of measures aimed at bringing regulation of crypto asset businesses in line with that of traditional financial firms. A big theme that emerged in 2022 was the rise of risky loans made between multiple crypto firms and a lack of due diligence done on the counterparties involved in those transactions. The collapse of FTX has added urgency to global regulators' attempts to govern the regulation-averse crypto space. The regulatory move comes as crypto firms in both the U.K. and beyond are feeling the chill of a deep downturn known as "crypto winter." Global crypto hub ambitionsThe U.K. wants to become a leader in crypto and blockchain technology on the global stage.

☆ Russia, South Africa and a 'redesigned global order': The Kremlin's hearts and minds machine is steaming ahead
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov visited Pretoria as part of an African tour, his second since the invasion, which will also reportedly take him to Botswana, Angola and Eswatini. On Feb. 24 2022, shortly after the Ukraine invasion, South Africa urged Russia to immediately withdraw its forces from Ukraine. South Africa was one of 15 African nations to abstain from the subsequent U.N. vote in March to condemn Russia's war of aggression. watch nowShe emphasized the multilateral responsibilities of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) bloc of leading emerging economies in a changing global landscape. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Monday that "the United States has concerns about any country … exercising with Russia as Russia wages a brutal war against Ukraine."

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