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☆ Google workers in London stage walkout over job cuts
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Martin Coulter | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Henry NichollsLONDON, April 4 (Reuters) - Hundreds of Google employees staged a walkout at the company’s London offices on Tuesday, following a dispute over layoffs. Trade union Unite, which counts hundreds of Google’s UK employees among its members, said the company had ignored concerns put forward by employees. “Our members are clear: Google needs to listen to its own advice of not being evil,” said Unite regional officer Matt Whaley. Last month, workers at the company’s Zurich office in Switzerland staged a similar walkout, with employee representatives claiming Google had rejected their proposals to reduce job cuts. We know this is a very challenging time for our employees,” a Google spokesperson said.

☆ AI experts disown Musk-backed campaign citing their research
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Martin Coulter | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Civil society groups in the U.S. and EU have since pressed lawmakers to rein in OpenAI's research. Among the research cited was "On the Dangers of Stochastic Parrots", a well-known paper co-authored by Margaret Mitchell, who previously oversaw ethical AI research at Google. Her research argued the present-day use of AI systems could influence decision-making in relation to climate change, nuclear war, and other existential threats. Asked to comment on the criticism, FLI's Tegmark said both short-term and long-term risks of AI should be taken seriously. Twitter will soon launch a new fee structure for access to its research data, potentially hindering research on the subject.

March 29 (Reuters) - Elon Musk and a group of artificial intelligence experts and industry executives are calling for a six-month pause in developing systems more powerful than OpenAI's newly launched GPT-4, in an open letter citing potential risks to society and humanity. "Powerful AI systems should be developed only once we are confident that their effects will be positive and their risks will be manageable," the letter said. The letter detailed potential risks to society and civilization by human-competitive AI systems in the form of economic and political disruptions, and called on developers to work with policymakers on governance and regulatory authorities. Rather than pause research, she said, AI researchers should be subjected to greater transparency requirements. "If you do AI research, you should be very transparent about how you do it."

March 28 (Reuters) - Elon Musk and a group of artificial intelligence experts and industry executives are calling for a six-month pause in developing systems more powerful than OpenAI's newly launched GPT-4, in an open letter citing potential risks to society and humanity. "Powerful AI systems should be developed only once we are confident that their effects will be positive and their risks will be manageable," the letter said. The letter detailed potential risks to society and civilization by human-competitive AI systems in the form of economic and political disruptions, and called on developers to work with policymakers on governance and regulatory authorities. Co-signatories included Stability AI CEO Emad Mostaque, researchers at Alphabet-owned (GOOGL.O) DeepMind, as well as AI heavyweights Yoshua Bengio and Stuart Russell. Musk, whose carmaker Tesla (TSLA.O) is using AI for an autopilot system, has been vocal about his concerns about AI.

☆ TikTok, Snapchat growing in popularity among UK children, regulator data shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Martin Coulter | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, March 29 (Reuters) - The number of children using TikTok and Snapchat (SNAP.N) rose last year in Britain, according to research published by media regulator Ofcom. “Children of all ages reported choosing to watch ‘dramatic’ content in various forms when selecting TV shows and films to watch," the report said. Ofcom also found the proportion of 3- and 4-year-olds using Snapchat had risen to 17% in 2022, up from 12% the previous year. A TikTok spokesperson said government bans were based on “fundamental misconceptions” around TikTok’s safety protocols. A Snap spokesperson said criticism of its record on underage users misrepresented its efforts, saying it blocks and deletes tens of thousands of attempts by underage UK users to create Snapchat accounts monthly.

The draft needs to be thrashed out between EU countries and EU lawmakers, called a trilogue, before the rules can become law. This led to different AI tools being classified according to their perceived risk level: from minimal through to limited, high, and unacceptable. Almost all of the big tech players have stakes in the sector, including Microsoft (MSFT.O), Alphabet (GOOGL.O) and Meta (META.O). BIG TECH, BIG PROBLEMSThe EU discussions have raised concerns for companies -- from small startups to Big Tech -- on how regulations might affect their business and whether they would be at a competitive disadvantage against rivals from other continents. A recent survey by industry body appliedAI showed that 51% of the respondents expect a slowdown of AI development activities as a result of the AI Act.

☆ Explainer: What is the European Union AI Act?
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Apart from uses of AI by companies, it will also look at AI used in public sector and law enforcement. A GPAIS (General Purpose AI System) is a category proposed by lawmakers to account for AI tools with more than one application, such as generative AI models like ChatGPT. The proposals say those found in breach of the AI Act face fines of up to 30 million euros or 6% of global profits, whichever is higher. WHEN WILL THE AI ACT COME INTO FORCE? The Act is being discussed by parliamentarians, and after they reach common ground, there will be a trilogue between representatives of the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission.

Virgin Money (VMUK.L), Britain's sixth largest bank, said in a statement it had also seen "net business deposit inflows in recent days". That means SVB UK's customer deposits are safe and their loans supported, HSBC's top bosses have said. Franklin told Reuters a number of CEOs and startup execs had started researching other banks with which to park cash in addition to SVB UK this week, citing Barclays as a favourite among some. But the collapse of SVB has intensified scrutiny of the business models of all lenders, including specialists with smaller balance sheets to fall back on. "The UK banking system remains safe and continues to operate as normal."

☆ Google workers stage walkout at Zurich office as job cuts hit Europe
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Martin Coulter | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 15 (Reuters) - Hundreds of Google employees staged a walkout on Wednesday at the company's office in Zurich, Switzerland, after more than 200 workers were laid off. In January, Google's parent company Alphabet (GOOGL.O) announced plans to cut 12,000 jobs around the world, equivalent to 6% of its global workforce. The decision came amid a wave of job cuts across corporate America, particularly in tech, where companies have shed more than 290,000 workers since the start of the year, according to tracking site Layoffs.fyi. Workers at Google's Zurich office, home to around 5,000 employees, already staged a walkout last month, protesting the impending layoffs. "Our members at Google Zurich and all employees joining the walkout are showing solidarity with those laid off," a Syndicom spokesperson said.

☆ Swiss Google workers stage walkout as job cuts hit Europe
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Martin Coulter | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 15 (Reuters) - Hundreds of Google employees staged a walkout on Wednesday at the company's office in Zurich, Switzerland, after more than 200 workers were laid off. Workers at Google's Zurich office, home to around 5,000 employees, had staged a walkout last month, protesting against then impending layoffs. "Our members at Google Zurich and all employees joining the walkout are showing solidarity with those laid off," a Syndicom spokesperson said. A Google spokesperson said the company had made cuts to ensure the number of roles remained aligned with its highest priorities. "The consultation process has now concluded in Switzerland and employees whose roles were impacted have been notified,”.

☆ How Silicon Valley Bank's collapse ripped through global tech
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Martin Coulter | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

March 14 (Reuters) - Not long after California startups started pulling money out of troubled Silicon Valley Bank, entrepreneurs in other parts of the world woke up to the news. While the global effects of Silicon Valley Bank's collapse are just emerging, one thing is clear: tech startups, no matter how far apart, are intertwined. FOUNDERS WARYQuincy Lee, founder of Seattle-based EV charging startup Electra Era, tried to move millions of dollars from Silicon Valley Bank on Thursday afternoon as warning signs multiplied. European stocks fell on banking industry concerns, though, and even startups that did not bank with SVB were scrambling. CHINESE STARTUPS MOVING MONEYSVB's Shanghai-based joint venture, SPD Silicon Valley Bank (SSVB), said it had a sound corporate structure and an independent balance sheet.

☆ Payments firm Wise says it has 'minimal' exposure to Silicon Valley Bank
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-12 | by ( Martin Coulter | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, March 12 (Reuters) - Payments firm Wise became the biggest European company to reveal it held funds in Silicon Valley Bank on Sunday, but a spokesperson said the firm faced "minimal exposure". London-based Wise, formerly known as TransferWise, processes more than 9 billion pounds ($10.83 billion) in cross-border transactions every month. A company spokesperson told Reuters the firm held a small cash balance in a corporate account with SVB. More than 250 UK tech firm executives signed a letter addressed to Hunt on Saturday, calling for government intervention and warning of an "existential threat" to the UK tech sector. ($1 = 0.8314 pounds)Reporting by Martin Coulter; Editing by Hugh Lawson and Frank Jack DanielOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Payments firm Wise says exposure 'minimal' to Silicon Valley Bank
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-12 | by ( Martin Coulter | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, March 12 (Reuters) - Payments firm Wise has "minimal exposure" to the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, according to a spokesperson. London-based Wise, formerly known as Transferwise, said it held a small cash balance in a corporate account with SVB. "We have minimal exposure to SVB via a credit facility they are part of together with six other major banks, and a small cash balance in an operational corporate account," a spokesperson said. More than 250 UK tech firm executives signed a letter addressed to Hunt on Saturday, calling for government intervention and warning of an "existential threat" to the UK tech sector. Reporting by Martin Coulter; Editing by Hugh Lawson and Frank Jack DanielOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ TikTok unveils new European data security regime
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Martin Coulter | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, March 8 (Reuters) - TikTok has announced out a new data security regime, nicknamed “Project Clover”, amid growing pressure from lawmakers on both sides of the Atlantic. The European Parliament, European Commission and the EU Council recently banned TikTok from staff phones due to growing concerns about the company, which is owned by Chinese firm ByteDance, and whether China's government could harvest users' data or advance its interests. At a news briefing on Wednesday, TikTok said it would begin storing European user data locally this year, with migration continuing into 2024. That’s been our approach in the U.S., that’s been our approach everywhere,” said Theo Bertram, VP of government relations and public policy. TikTok has engaged a similar strategy in the U.S., nicknamed “Project Texas”, in an attempt to placate hostile lawmakers.

☆ UK opposition calls for better online protections for children
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Martin Coulter | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, March 6 (Reuters) - Britain's opposition Labour Party has called on the government to enact its long-delayed Online Safety Bill, after Reuters revealed how few underage children Snapchat (SNAP.N) was removing from its platform. Britain, like the European Union and other countries, has been grappling with how to protect social media users, and in particular children, from harmful content without damaging free speech. "Parents are crying out for better protections for children online and especially on social media," said Lucy Powell, Shadow Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport in a statement issued in response to Reuters' report. In the same period, Snapchat told the watchdog it had removed approximately 60 accounts per month, or just over 700 in total. A Snap spokesperson told Reuters the figures misrepresented the scale of work the company did to keep under-13s off its platform.

☆ Exclusive: Snapchat kicks few children off app in Britain, data given to regulator shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Martin Coulter | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

These restrictions are intended to protect the privacy and safety of young children. The regulator also found Snapchat was the most popular app for underage social media users. RISKS TO YOUNG CHILDRENSocial media poses serious risks to young children, child safety advocates say. Richard Collard, associate head of child safety online at the NSPCC, said it was "incredibly alarming" how few underage users Snapchat appeared to be removing. Britain, like the European Union and other countries, has been seeking ways to protect social media users, in particular children, from harmful content without damaging free speech.

Satellites can help secure telecom connections when normal networks are disrupted by wars or natural disasters. Veon and OneWeb declined to comment. Veon and Starlink are negotiating fees for the coming year, after governments and other entities paid for the service through spring 2023. SpaceX activated Starlink over Ukraine following the Russian invasion last year, providing internet access to millions of civilians and military personnel. The merged companies are racing to build a constellation of low-orbit satellites to challenge Starlink and Amazon's (AMZN.O) Project Kuiper.

BARCELONA, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Ericsson's (ERICb.ST) CEO says the company is still in the market for more acquisitions, albeit smaller ones, after splurging over $7 billion to buy networking company Cradlepoint and communication platform Vonage. In contrast with Nokia, which announced a new strategy focused on enterprise, Ericsson expects to continue to focus on its business of selling to communications service providers (CSPs) or telecom operators along with adding to its enterprise offerings. While the global enterprise business, which revolves around private 5G and automating factories, has yet to grow significantly, it has been a melting pot of partnerships between equipment makers, mobile operators and big technology companies. “We will need to add to our enterprise offerings, so you will see smaller acquisitions,” CEO Borje Ekholm told Reuters on the sidelines of the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona on Monday. "We have 90% plus of sales from CSPs... we need to build on that strength that is always central [to the business]."

BARCELONA, Feb 26 (Reuters) - A clash between Big Tech and European Union telecoms firms over who will underwrite network infrastructure is set to dominate discussion at the world's largest telecoms conference this week. More than 80,000 people, including tech executives, innovators, and regulators, are set to descend on this year's Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona. EU industry chief Thierry Breton on Thursday launched a 12-week consultation on its "fair share" proposals, under which Big Tech platforms would bear more of the costs of the systems which give them access to consumers. By contrast, Deutsche Telekom (DTEGn.DE), Orange (ORAN.PA), Telefonica (TEF.MC) and Telecom Italia (TLIT.MI) have been actively lobbying for Big Tech to pay the fees. "This discussion around 'fair share', or what we sometimes call the 'investment gap', is going to be a threshold question," said John Giusti, GSMA's chief regulatory officer.

BARCELONA, Feb 26 (Reuters) - Microsoft has unveiled previews of two AI-powered services designed to manage telecom networks, drawing on the same capabilities used to manage the tech giant's Azure cloud platform. Microsoft first entered the 5G arena after its acquisition of cloud networking companies Affirmed Networks and Metaswitch in 2020. “What we’re doing is taking our native cloud work and making it specific to this telecom operator network space. I think a really great example of that is all the AI ops work that we are introducing into the system," said Jason Zander, executive vice president of strategic missions and technologies at Microsoft. Monica Zethzon, a vice president at Ericsson, said the developments would allow operators to "transform their core networks while improving customer experiences".

The bloc's highly-anticipated AI Act is widely expected to be put to a vote at the European Parliament at the end of March, at which point individual nations will begin negotiating final terms of the legislation. Following a crunch five-hour meeting in Brussels on Wednesday, however, MEPs had yet to agree to a set of basic principles. One of the most controversial areas of debate is deciding which AI systems would be categorised as "high risk", such as those affecting a person's safety or infringing fundamental rights. “The obvious tension here is between the focus on fundamental rights, on the one hand, and those who say these necessarily conflict with innovation,” said Greens MEP Sergey Lagodinsky. A source at the European Parliament said negotiations were ongoing with a view to agreeing a strong text.

☆ Google to soon add generative AI features in search results
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Benoit TessierSTOCKHOLM, Feb 8 (Reuters) - Google (GOOGL.O) said on Wednesday it would soon integrate artificial intelligence (AI) capable of generating text and other content in search results, as it battles to answer the challenge of Microsoft's (MSFT.O) popular AI chatbot ChatGPT. At a launch event in Paris on Wednesday, Google executive Prabhakar Raghavan said so-called generative AI would enable users to interact with information in "entirely new ways". "As we continue to bring generative AI technologies into our products, the only limit to search will be your imagination." Generative AI is used to make human-like creations through code, drawing on vast amounts of data to produce new pieces of text, video, or audio. Google said it would soon allow more developers and partners to test Bard.

☆ Google says to soon add generative AI features in search results
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

STOCKHOLM, Feb 8 (Reuters) - Alphabet's (GOOGL.O) Google on Wednesday said it will soon integrate generative AI features in search results that will help users organise complex information and multiple viewpoints. The company on Monday unveiled its chatbot service called Bard and plans to add AI features to its search engine, as it seeks to answer Microsoft's (MSFT.O) challenge to its ads business through its wildly popular AI chatbot ChatGPT. Reporting by Supantha Mukherjee in Stockholm and Martin Coulter in London; editing by Jason NeelyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Google AI chatbot Bard offers inaccurate information in company ad
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Martin Coulter | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Feb 8 (Reuters) - Google published an online advertisement in which its much anticipated AI chatbot Bard delivered an inaccurate answer. The tech giant posted a short GIF video of Bard in action via Twitter, describing the chatbot as a "launchpad for curiosity" that would help simplify complex topics. loadingIn the advertisement, Bard is given the prompt: "What new discoveries from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) can I tell my 9-year old about?" The first pictures of exoplanets were taken by the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) in 2004, as confirmed by NASA. At the time of writing, the ad had been viewed on Twitter more than 880,000 times.

☆ STMicroelectronics posts fourth-quarter sales rise
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Martin Coulter | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Jan 26 (Reuters) - European chipmaker STMicroelectronics on Thursday beat fourth-quarter sales expectations, despite challenging economic conditions, benefiting from strong customer demand. Net revenue rose to $4.42 billon from $4.32 billion the previous quarter. Analysts had on average expected sales of $4.32 billion, IBES data from Refinitiv Eikon showed. Citing strong demand and increased manufacturing capacity, Chery said the company expects full-year revenue of $16.8 billion to $17.8 billion. The company has previously targeted full-year revenue of $20 billion by 2027.

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