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☆ How 'Birkin Bandit' George Mickum Infiltrated NYC Society
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Kate Taylor | Anna Silman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +52 min

"He would know people's weaknesses and what they wanted and somehow always have something to offer," a former close friend said. Another close friend said Mickum once gave her a $1,000 loan "within minutes" when she needed it because of a credit-card crisis. He never "let the truth get in the way of a good story," a former close friend said. Hermès bags, like the Birkin and the Kelly, have always been symbols of unattainable luxury. There wasn't even a dust bag; Mickum claimed his mom's assistant would drop it off later.

Persons: George Mickum strode, Carlyle, Patty Hearst, He'd, Mickum, Birkin, swilling, Patty's, Gillian Hearst, Mr, George Mickum, Gillian Hearst's, George, Sally Painter, who'd, Peter Davis, Jackie O, Barbara Walters, Alessia Fendi, influencer Hannah Stella, Nick Hissom, Steve Wynn, Hearst, they'd, Prince Charles, Anna Delvey, Patty Hearst's, Rumor, he'd, wasn't, Met Breuer, Peter Poopat, George Santos, Trinity, Elisabeth Thieriot, Thieriot, Hermes, —, Painter, Paul Mickum, George Mickum III, Sally, Painter's, Poopat, PJ Pascual, Patrick McMullan, Ramona Singer, Lauren Lawrence, Lawrence, Van Cleef, Nicole Salmasi, Trudy, Mike Vitelli, Eric Schmidt, Schmidt, Eric, R, Couri Hay, They're, Astor, William Randolph Hearst, Orson Welles, Kane, Gillian's, Bill Clinton, Patty, Bernard Shaw, Gillian, Lydia —, Shaw, Maxim, Lydia, Kane we're, Christian Simonds, Pierre, Krista Corl, Dee Dee, Scott Buccheit, Naeem Delbridge, Pascual, who's, We're, buttering, Simonds, Matthew Kehoe, England, — Hearst, Delbridge, Hearst's, Mario Glen Coco, Hearsts, Astrid Stawiarz, Tiger Woods, Ernie Els, Justin Timberlake, Joe Lewis, Buccheit, Mary McCarthy, Lillian Hellman, Mickum's, Christie Grimm, Steve, Kameron Ramirez, Hissom, Ramirez, Nick, Hunt, Damien Hirst, Douglas Elliman, Harry Winston, David Fiszel, invitees, Fiszel, Darian, Winston, Martha Stewart's, Mendel minks, Vacheron Constantin, Tao, Melinda French Gates, Shawn Mendes, Bill, Hillary Clinton, Neiman Marcus, Damien Hirst's, Damien, weren't, Kelly, Alexis Clarbour, Clarbour, Paul Wharton, you've, Wharton, Sean Zanni, Michael Coste, Hannah Stella, Coste's, Stella, Scott Fitzgerald, Coste, Goodman, Courroies Birkin, didn't, Aman, Cartier, Mickum's bluster, skeptically, satchel, Clarbour's, He's, We've, Sider, Philippe, Buccheit texted Pascual, he's, Hay, Café Carlyle, Alexander Hankin, Burisma, Hunter Biden, Mickum hasn't, There's, They've, Amy X, Wang, King Charles, Tracey Amon, Amon, GEORGE MICKUM Organizations: Hearst, Blue, Potomac, Hamptons, East, Met, University of Delaware, Southampton Bathing Corporation, Fields School, Georgetown Law, DC, Town &, New York Daily News, The New York Times, Google, Carnegie, Rockefeller, Cosmopolitan, Symbionese Liberation Army, Hearst Corporation, Vogue, Society of Memorial Sloan Kettering, Stockbridge Golf, New, Tiger, Tottenham, Douglas, Martha Stewart's Hamptons, Mickum, Projects, Madison, Getty, Antibes, Nike, Rue du Faubourg Saint, Couture, US, UN, New Yorkers, Avenue Couture, Hermès, Republican, Justice Department, Blue Star, Town, New York Times Magazine Locations: Bemelmans, Clinton, York, Palm, New, London, Manhattan, Dalton, Bay, Windsor Castle, Haute, Washington , DC, New York, Baccarat, The, San Francisco, Wilton , Connecticut, Side, Wyntoon, California, Buccheit, woodsy Stockbridge , Massachusetts, Stockbridge, Bahamas, Albany, Nobu, Martha, Peking, Paris, Istanbul, St, Georgetown, China, Italy, Hermès, Amalfi Coast, du, Midtown, brunch, Rue, Central Park, Mickum, Turkey, La, Café, Ukrainian, Ukraine

☆ China's slow AI roll-out points to its tech sector's new regulatory reality
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Josh Ye | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/3] An AI (Artificial Intelligence) sign is seen at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, China July 6, 2023. New rules Chinese firms have to comply with range from algorithm vetting to accepting security reviews of data they want to export. They definitely stifle the innovation and slow down the ability of Chinese firms to catch up." A key motivation behind China's reluctance to release AI chatbots is that Beijing fears uncensored chatbots may start influencing societal views in potentially subversive directions, said Mark Natkin, managing director of research firm Marbridge Consulting. "While the U.S. is racing ahead with AI, China is hitting the brakes with more rules."

Persons: Aly, HONG KONG, OpenAI's ChatGPT, Henry Gao, Ernie Bot, Robin Li, Shi, Mark Natkin, Heatherm Huang, Bard, Microsoft's Bing, Xi Jinping, Baidu, Josh Ye, Brenda Goh, Jamie Freed Organizations: Artificial Intelligence, REUTERS, China, Baidu, HK, Ant Group, Western, Singapore Management University, Microsoft, SenseChat, Nomura, Marbridge Consulting, Huawei Technologies, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, HONG, Beijing, Alibaba, Tencent, Hong Kong, U.S

☆ Analysis: China's slow AI roll-out points to its tech sector's new regulatory reality
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Josh Ye | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

☆ Why Japan is lagging behind in generative A.I. — and how it can create its own large language models
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Audrey Wan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

But the nation is lagging behind in the generative AI race and is trying to create its own large language models. Generative AI has been the trendiest topic in tech since OpenAI made waves with its chatbot ChatGPT. Key to generative AI development are large language models which underpin the likes of ChatGPT and Baidu's Ernie Bot, capable of processing vast data sets to generate text and other content. Japanese companies pursuing generative AIBig Tech players have also joined the fray to boost Japan's standing in generative AI. While it has yet to catch up in the generative AI space, Japan is making its first stride with these private sector efforts.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Ernie Bot, Noriyuki Kojima, Kojima, Fumio Kishida, Sam Altman, Masayoshi, Son, Amir Anvarzadeh, Anvarzadeh, CyberAgent, Bloom Organizations: Getty, Japan, Technology, Reuters, Microsoft, Google, Ministry of Economy Trade, Industry, IMD, Nikkei, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tohoku University, Fujitsu, Riken, Japanese, Big Tech, SoftBank Group, SB Energy, Toyota Tsusho, Fortress Investment, Vision Fund, Asymmetric Advisors, NTT, Local Locations: Japan, China, Europe, Nikkei Asia, Government, Tohoku, Hokkaido, SoftBank

☆ Alibaba launches A.I. tool to generate images from text
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Alibaba Group sign is seen at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, China July 6, 2023. Chinese technology giant Alibaba on Friday launched an artificial intelligence tool that can generate images from prompts. Tongyi Wanxiang allows users to input prompts in Chinese and English and the AI tool will generate an image in various styles such as a sketch or 3D cartoon. Generative AI refers to a type of artificial intelligence that is able to generate content based on prompts. And in China, Baidu released Ernie Bot and Alibaba launched Tongyi Qianwen.

Persons: Tongyi, Baidu, Ernie Bot, Alibaba Organizations: Artificial Intelligence, Google Locations: Shanghai, China, U.S

☆ T.J. Maxx's small presence on the web is giving Shein and Temu a big advantage
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Yeji Jesse Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Analysts said that rivals like Shein and Temu pose "major threats" to brands like T.J. Maxx. Certain brands can't be searched for directly by name on T.J. Maxx's online store. E-commerce is just a small part of TJX's businessShein and T.J. Maxx share a similar customer base. A representative for TJX declined to comment when Insider asked about the growing competition from companies like Shein and Temu and whether TJX plans to expand its online presence. Customers said that they liked shopping at T.J. Maxx because the brand offers good value for money and a chance to hunt for good deals.

Persons: Maxx, —, John Klinger, Calvin Klein, Gucci —, Ernie Herrman, TJX's Herrman Organizations: Service, UBS, TJX's, Nike, TJX, Customers, Maxx Locations: Maxx, Sierra, COVID

☆ The Match 2023: Learning on YouTube, trash talk and charity: it’s NBA vs. NFL this year
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

“I try not to overcomplicate things, especially this close to The Match, you just want to play your game,” Thompson explained to reporters. “Last night I watched Dustin Johnson and Rory McIlroy’s tutorial on the scoring shots, so I learned some things. Michael Reaves/Getty ImagesAnd like previous editions of The Match, there has been plenty of trash talking between the two parties already. “Getting real inspired by what I see on the TV, Pat,” a laughing Curry says while swinging a golf club. Carmen Mandato/Getty Images“As far as the pace of play, it’s perfect for Travis because that’s how, that’s how he usually plays anyways.

Persons: Klay Thompson, Steph Curry –, Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, “, ” Thompson, I’ve, Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy’s, teeing, Ernie Johnson, of Famer Charles Barkley, Trevor Immelman, Draymond Green, Von Miller, Mahomes, Curry, Michael Reaves, ”, “ It’s, Kelce, Steph, Klay, Pat, that’s, “ We’ve, we’ve, I’m, Wynn, “ I’m, ” Mahomes, he’s, Carmen Mandato, Travis Organizations: CNN, Golden State Warriors, Kansas City Chiefs, NFL, Wynn Golf Club, of Famer, Golden Bear, Club, YouTube, Chiefs, Super, “, Raiders, Pro, NBA, Coors, TNT, Warner Bros, HBO, TBS Locations: Las Vegas, Vegas, United States

☆ A.I., rate cuts and Japan's rebound: Asia stocks are looking 'much more promising' than U.S. peers
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

The Japanese flag flutters over the Bank of Japan (BoJ) head office building (bottom) in Tokyo on April 27, 2022. At first glance, Asian stocks as a whole have more modest gains so far this year compared with their U.S. and European counterparts. But Asia is more economically diverse than Europe and the U.S., and there are still bright spots in the region, especially in Japan and South Korea. In April, the BOJ announced it will conduct a "a broad-perspective review of [its] monetary policy," which could span 12-18 months. But Lombard Odier still expects the BOJ to end the yield curve control policy before this review is over.

Persons: Kazuhiro Nogi, Nomura, Daniela Gombert, bode, Gombert, Kazuo Ueda, Ueda, Lombard Odier, Morgan Stanley, Google's Bard, Ernie Bot, Lombard, Marco Barresi, Barresi Organizations: Bank of Japan, Afp, Getty, U.S, Asia, Nomura, Nikkei, Bank of, Private, U.S . Federal, Chips, Lombard Odier Locations: Tokyo, Asia, Europe, U.S, Japan, South Korea, India, Southeast Asia, Bank of Japan, Indonesia, A.I, OpenAI, Taiwan, China

☆ China's Baidu says its new AI beat ChatGPT on some metrics
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Josh Ye | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Baidu said in a statement on Tuesday that Ernie 3.5, the latest version of its Ernie AI model, had surpassed "ChatGPT in comprehensive ability scores" and outperformed "GPT-4 in several Chinese capabilities". The Baidu announcement comes amid a global AI buzz kicked off by ChatGPT that has spread to China, prompting a flurry of domestic companies to announce rival products. Baidu was the first big Chinese tech company to debut a AI product to rival ChatGPT when it unveiled its language AI Ernie Bot in March. Ernie Bot, built on Baidu's older Ernie 3.0 AI model, has been in invite-only tests for the past three months. Other big Chinese tech firms, including Alibaba Group (9988.HK) and Tencent Holdings (0700.HK), have all since revealed their respective AI models.

Persons: China's, Baidu, Ernie, OpenAI, ChatGPT, Ernie Bot, Josh Ye, Himani Sarkar Organizations: Baidu Inc, HK, Microsoft, China Science Daily, Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent Holdings, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, Beijing, China

☆ China's Baidu claims its Ernie Bot beats ChatGPT on key tests as A.I. race heats up
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

In this article BIDU Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTChinese technology giant Baidu has launched its own ChatGPT rival, Ernie bot. The chatbot is based on Baidu's foundational AI model called Ernie. Citing the China Science Daily journal, Baidu said Ernie 3.5 surpassed ChatGPT in a number of benchmark tests. ChatGPT is based on OpenAI's GPT 3.5 model. Ernie 3.5 also beat GPT 4, OpenAI's latest and more advanced model, in Chinese language tests, according to the science journal.

Persons: Ernie bot, Baidu, Ernie Bot, Ernie, that's Organizations: Baidu, Getty, China Science, Microsoft Locations: China, U.S, ChatGPT

☆ Morgan Stanley says A.I. in China is at an inflection point — and names 3 stocks to play it
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Weizhen Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

China's artificial intelligence evolution is at an "inflection point" — and the country is catching up with the U.S., according to Morgan Stanley. Morgan Stanley, in a separate note, flagged Baidu in particular as the best AI play in China, and the "most obvious beneficiary" of the $7.4 trillion AI opportunity in China. Baidu, China's largest search engine, owns the most extensive proprietary search data — and it's essential for the development of AI-generated content, Morgan Stanley noted. Morgan Stanley predicts that growth will be close to 50% in the next three to five years. Morgan Stanley gave Baidu a target price of $190, or 35% potential upside.

Persons: Morgan Stanley, Alibaba, Tencent, Ernie, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: U.S, Stock, Baidu Locations: China, United States

☆ MLB roundup: Giants walk it off vs. Padres again
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +10 min

[1/5] Jun 20, 2023; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants celebrate with designated hitter Joc Pederson (23) after winning the game against the San Diego Padres on a walk off walk at Oracle Park. Stroman (9-4) gave up five hits, struck out five and walked one. Raisel Iglesias allowed one run in the ninth inning yet still earned his 10th save. Blue Jays 2, Marlins 0Ernie Clement broke a scoreless tie in the eighth inning by lofting a soft RBI single to center, helping Toronto beat host Miami. Cole (8-1) allowed four hits, struck out eight and walked one.

Persons: Joc Pederson, Stan Szeto, Josh Hader, Hader, Nick Martinez, Luis Matos, Patrick Bailey, Casey Schmitt, David Villar, Pederson, Tyler Rogers, Fernando Tatis Jr, Elly De La Cruz, TJ Friedl, Nolan Jones, Christian Arroyo, Adam Duvall, Masataka Yoshida, Kutter Crawford, Corey Kluber, Bailey Ober, Clayton Kershaw, Reid Detmers, Michael Busch's, Chris Devenski, Will Smith, Kershaw, Evan Phillips, Detmers, Tucker Barnhart, Mike Tauchman, Marcus Stroman, Mark Leiter Jr, Adbert Alzolay, Johan Oviedo, Framber Valdez, Alex Bregman, Jose Altuve, Ryan Pressly, Justin Verlander, Austin Riley, Matt Olson, Eddie Rosario, Ronald Acuna Jr, Spencer Strider, Raisel Iglesias, Brandon Marsh, Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Realmuto, Ranger Suarez, Ernie Clement, George Springer, Yimi Garcia, Jordan Romano, Tanner Scott, Miami's Luis Arraez, Daniel Lynch, Lynch, Scott Barlow, Matt Beaty, Michael Lorenzen, Kerry Carpenter, Zach McKinstry, Aaron Hicks, Hicks, Anthony Santander, Kyle Bradish, Isaac Paredes, Dylan Carlson, Jordan Montgomery, Louis, MacKenzie Gore, Gore, Gerrit Cole, Anthony Rizzo, Cole, Billy McKinney, Jarred Kelenic, George Kirby, Kirby, Andres Gimenez, Amed Rosario, Jose Ramirez, Enyel De Los Santos, Tony Kemp, Trevor May, William Contreras, Bryse Wilson, Joel Payamps, Devin Williams, Ketel Marte, Colin Rea, Austin Adams, Zach Remillard, Elvis Andrus, Eloy Jimenez, Andrus, Corey Seager, Adolis Garcia, Grant Anderson Organizations: San Francisco Giants, San Diego Padres, Oracle, Giants, The Padres, Reds, Cincinnati, The Reds, Tampa Bay Rays, Rockies, Red Sox, Twins, Boston, Dodgers, Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Angels, Cubs, Pirates, Chicago, Pittsburgh, The Pirates, Astros, Mets, Houston, New York, Braves, Phillies, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Blue Jays, Marlins, Toronto, Miami, Former Marlins, Royals, Tigers, Kansas City, Detroit, Rays, Baltimore, ORioles, Tampa, Cardinals, Nationals, Washington, The Cardinals, Montgomery, Yankees, Mariners, Cleveland, Oakland, Guardians, Brewers, Diamondbacks, Milwaukee, The Brewers, White Sox, Rangers, Texas, The Texas, Thomson Locations: San Francisco , California, USA, San Diego, Colorado, Boston, Minneapolis, Anaheim , Calif, Kershaw, Chicago, Valdez, Houston, Kansas, St . Petersburg, Fla, Seattle, Rye, N.Y, Arizona

☆ Carvana short sellers suffer $1 billion loss after the used-car dealer's stock surged more than 400% this year
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Zahra Tayeb | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Carvana short-sellers have suffered losses of more than $1 billion this year, according to Bloomberg. That's after the company's stock surged 56% on Thursday alone on the back of improved second-quarter results. The used-car dealer's shares have jumped over 400% this year thanks to its successful cost-cutting measures. Carvana said it expects total gross profit per unit to hit above $6,000 in the second quarter of 2023. The company's stock traded up 4.75% at $25.38 at last check on Friday.

Persons: —, Carvana, Ernie Garcia Organizations: Bloomberg, That's, Service, Partners Locations: Arizona

MiniMax was founded in 2021 by some former employees of SenseTime (0020.HK), including Yan Junjie - a former vice president at the Chinese AI firm, two other people said. Wang Huiwen, co-founder of on-demand service giant Meituan (3690.HK), said he has founded a new AI company called Beijing Lightyear Technology with $50 million from investors. Google China's former chief, Kai-Fu Lee, has unveiled his new startup - Project AI 2.0. Wang Xiaochuan, founder of China's No.2 search engine Sogou, said in April that he had founded Baichuan Intelligence with a startup capital of $50 million. Its other early investors include China's Yunqi Partners and Future Capital, statements from the venture capital funds show.

Persons: MiniMax, Yan Junjie, Wang Huiwen, Kai, Fu Lee, Wang Xiaochuan, China's, MiHoYo, Charlie Chai, ERNIE Bot, Chai, Roxanne Liu, Josh Ye, Himani Sarkar Organizations: Microsoft, HK, Huawei, Baidu, Beijing Lightyear Technology, Google, Baichuan Intelligence, China's Yunqi Partners, Future, 86Research, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, HONG KONG, China, Beijing, miHoYo, Hong Kong

☆ China's Baidu launches $145 million venture capital AI fund
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SHANGHAI, May 31 (Reuters) - Chinese search giant Baidu Inc (9988.HK) will set up a venture capital fund of 1 billion yuan ($145 million) to back start-ups focused on content generated by artificial intelligence applications, it said on Wednesday. The company will also launch a competition for developers to build applications off its ERNIE large language model (LLM) or integrate the model into their existing products, it added. E-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (9988.HK) was among the other Chinese companies that followed quickly. In response to the surge of LLMs, China published draft regulations in April on the use of generative AI. ($1=6.9121 Chinese yuan renminbi)Reporting by Josh Horwitz, Samuel Shen and Jason Xue; Editing by Clarence FernandezOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ernie Bot, Josh Horwitz, Samuel Shen, Jason Xue, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: Baidu Inc, HK, Baidu, Alibaba, Holding, Thomson Locations: SHANGHAI, China, United States

☆ Baidu will 'very soon' officially launch generative AI model, says CEO
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BEIJING, May 26 (Reuters) - Chinese search engine giant Baidu's (9888.HK) CEO Robin Li said on Friday that the company will "very soon" officially launch Ernie 3.5, a generative AI large-language model that will power Baidu's ChatGPT-like app Ernie Bot and upgrade its search engine. Li made the announcement at the Zhongguancun Forum, one of China's most well-known techology forums, around two months after Ernie Bot was first shown to the public to mixed reviews. Since then, Ernie Bot and other products powered by the company's generative AI large-language model have remained in trial mode, with a select number of companies and users invited to test the products and provide feedback. Reporting by Eduardo Baptista; Editing by Muralikumar AnantharamanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ China's internet giants bet big on A.I. as Beijing looks to rival U.S. on tech 'paradigm shift'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-23 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

"This kind of computing power needs to be provided as a kind of public service or infrastructure. China, specifically, "has some of the most advanced AI tech in the world," he added. "We believe this is a Game of Thrones also playing out in the China Tech market as the gloves are on for this battle," Ives said. Many innovative vendors are going after this market and China tech is now in the midst of a secular shift around AI." The comments from some of China's top tech companies last week hint at how Beijing is seeking to ramp up its rivalry with the U.S. on AI.

Persons: BABA BABA, Robin Li, Baidu, Ernie Bot, OpenAI's ChatGPT, Tencent, Martin Lau, Lau, Alibaba, Daniel Zhang, Dan Ives, Ives, Hao Hong, CNBC's, —, Tencent's Lau, Baidu's Li, Didi, Meituan Organizations: HK, Microsoft, Google, Wedbush Securities, CNBC, China Tech, Big Tech, Baidu, U.S, Nvidia, chipmaker Micron, Grow Investment Locations: China, Beijing, U.S, Alibaba

☆ Kansas farmers abandon wheat fields after extreme drought
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Tom Polansek | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/4] Romulo Lollato, a wheat agronomist for Kansas State University, examines wheat in a field, as part of an annual crop tour, near Clay Center, Kansas, U.S., May 16, 2023. REUTERS/Tom PolansekWICHITA, Kansas, May 22 (Reuters) - Farmers in Kansas, the biggest U.S. producer of wheat used to make bread, are abandoning their crops after a severe drought and damaging cold ravaged farms. Kansas farmers are expected to abandon about 19% of the acres planted last autumn, up from 10% last year and 4% in 2021, according to the report. Soaring prices for hay also pressure wheat farmers not to harvest their fields for grain so they can be fed to cattle, Gilpin said. Kansas farmers are expected to produce just 191.4 million bushels of wheat this year, the smallest since 1963, according to the latest monthly government forecast.

☆ China's chatbot 'Ernie' is strongly regulated
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailChina's chatbot 'Ernie' is strongly regulatedCNBC’s Eunice Yoon joins 'Power Lunch' to report on China's response to ChatGPT 'Ernie'.

☆ China's ChatGPT rival reportedly bans users if they compare President Xi Jinping to Winnie the Pooh
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Aaron Mok | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

China's ChatGPT rival Ernie reportedly bans users asking it to compare Xi Jinping to Winnie the Pooh, CNBC reports. The Chinese chatbot was also found to deflect when asked about the origins of COVID-19. Queries that pertain to the government —one of which pertained to Winnie the Pooh — were reportedly found to be off-limits. When the reporter asked Ernie, "What is the relationship between President Xi Jinping and Winnie the Pooh?" The chatbot reportedly declined to answer "Will Xi Jinping rule China for life?"

☆ TJX Companies is taking note of what consumers are shopping for at closing Bed Bath & Beyond stores, as it looks to lure customers for its HomeGoods chain
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Mary Hanbury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

It is looking at what categories were successful at nearby – and closing – Bed Bath & Beyond stores. The off-price giant has been called out frequently by analysts as being one of the key beneficiaries of Bed Bath & Beyond's recent demise. Herrman said it is "re-ranking" its assortment only at its HomeGoods stores that are located near to any closing Bed Bath & Beyond locations, rather than making broad changes across all of its network. It's not just TJ Maxx and HomeGoods that are teeing up for a Bed Bath & Beyond-related windfall, however. Amazon, Walmart, and Target are also in line to capitalize from these closures and have been slowly chipping away at Bed Bath & Beyond's market share for many years.

☆ China's Baidu beats earnings estimates as chatbot awaits government approval
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Search engine giant Baidu beat first-quarter revenue and profit estimates on Tuesday as businesses spent more on advertising amid China's post-Covid reopening, and said it was awaiting regulatory approval to launch its ChatGPT-like Ernie bot. Business momentum in China is building after it dropped most of its strict Covid-19 curbs late last year, with consumers and companies reviving spending. China's economy grew a faster-than-expected 4.5% year-on-year in the three months through March, according to the latest official data. Baidu CEO Robin Li said on Tuesday that after the Lunar New Year in late January, there was a quick economic recovery that especially benefited the company's advertisers in offline sectors such as travel and healthcare. "Some of these verticals have already rebounded to above pre-pandemic levels, indicating solid signs of recovery," Li said.

☆ Meet the Pro Athlete Who Is Thrilled to Be in His 50s
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Alan Blinder | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

THE WOODLANDS, Texas — Just past a Dairy Queen near Houston last month, Steven Alker’s new status was aloft: His name and face were on a lamppost banner. Championship tee box as the man who surged from nearly-never-in-first to toast of the PGA Tour Champions, as the senior circuit is known. He is not exactly the betting favorite, not in a field largely headlined by men in their 20s and 30s. He knows he may not even make the cut and finish the tournament, where a victory would make Alker, 51, the oldest major champion in history. But Alker has been defying the clock that has often been the etiology of agony for professional athletes.

Baidu's revenue rose 10% to 31.14 billion yuan ($4.54 billion) in the quarter to March 31, surpassing analysts' estimates of 29.97 billion yuan, according to Refinitiv data. Revenue from Baidu Core, which includes search-based ad sales, cloud offerings and its autonomous driving initiatives, grew 8% to 23 billion yuan. Baidu reported net income of 5.83 billion yuan, compared to net loss in the year-ago quarter. The company's much-touted rival to ChatGPT, Ernie bot, has yet to be officially launched, despite having been partially unveiled to the public in mid-March. "During our testing of Ernie bot, we have engaged in close discussions with the regulators," Li said.

BEIJING, May 16 (Reuters) - Baidu Inc's (9888.HK) experience in tailoring its search engine to Chinese regulatory requirements makes it confident its AI-driven chatbot won't make mistakes on "important and sensitive topics", the company said on Tuesday. "For important and sensitive topics, we have to make sure artificial intelligence will not hallucinate," Li said, using the industry term for when AI models generate outputs different from what is expected. Li said industry regulation was not final yet, and the company would continue to update its strategy as it evolves. "Baidu has been operating search in China for more than 20 years and has extensive experience with Chinese culture and the regulatory environment," he said. Reporting by Eduardo Baptista in Beijing, Yuvraj Malik in Bengaluru Editing by Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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