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☆ In U.S.-China AI contest, the race is on to deploy killer robots
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +26 min

In this high-tech contest, seizing the upper hand across fields including AI and autonomous weapons, like Ghost Shark, could determine who comes out on top. This could become critical if the United States intervened against an assault by Beijing on Taiwan. Cheap and expendableThe AI military sector is dominated by software, an industry where change comes fast. Still, the available disclosures of spending on AI military research do show that outlays on AI and machine learning grew sharply in the decade from 2010. The Costa-Mesa, California-based company now employs more than 1,800 staff in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.

Persons: America’s, Shane Arnott, Anduril, ” Arnott, Arnott, ”, “, Mick Ryan, Eric Schmidt, hasn’t, Lloyd Austin, –, Stuart Russell, Russell, Kathleen Hicks, “ We’ll, Palmer Luckey, Luckey, ” Arnott didn’t, Biden, Tsai Ing, Frank Kendall, Datenna, Martijn Rasser, Feng Yanghe, Feng, Palmer, ” Anduril, Arnott wouldn’t, David Lague, Edgar Su, Catherine Tai, Peter Hirschberg Organizations: Australian Navy, Ghost Sharks, Sharks, Reuters, Defense, Australian, Chinese Communist Party, Beijing, People’s Liberation Army, PLA, Department of Defense, Pentagon, Australia’s Department of Defence, Australian Defence Force, Technologists, University of California, U.S ., U.S, Teledyne FLIR, Facebook, VR, Military, . Air Force, FH, U.S . Central Intelligence Agency, Department, Statistics, Harvard University, Biden Administration, Special, Command, Ministry of Defense, Veteran Locations: China, Australia, United States, Sydney, Britain, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Europe, Asia, Ukraine, ”, America, U.S, Taiwan, East Asia, Beijing, Russian, Berkeley, Fort Campbell , Tennessee, Kenya, “, Russia, Colorado, Zhuhai, Netherlands, Costa, Mesa , California, United Kingdom, Virginia, Canberra, Washington

☆ North Korean hackers have allegedly stolen hundreds of millions in crypto to fund nuclear programs
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Sheila Chiang | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The FBI claims North Korea-linked hackers were behind a $100 million crypto heist on the so-called Horizon bridge in 2022. Budrul Chukrut | Sopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty ImagesNorth Korea-linked hackers have stolen hundreds of millions of crypto to fund the regime's nuclear weapons programs, research shows. "In recent years, there has been a marked rise in the size and scale of cyber attacks against cryptocurrency-related businesses by North Korea. And this is just obviously a much more efficient way for North Korea to make money. North Korean hackers' exploitsNorth Korea-affiliated hackers exploit vulnerabilities in the crypto ecosystem in a variety of ways.

Persons: Budrul Chukrut, TRM, Chainalysis, Nick Carlsen, Carlsen, cybercriminals, Mavis Organizations: FBI, Getty, TRM Labs, cryptocurrency, Labs, North, United Nations, UN, Democratic People's, CNBC, Korean, Street Journal, Sky Locations: North Korea, North, New York, Democratic People's Republic, Korea, Chainalysis

NEW YORK, Sept 6 (Reuters) - Oil prices settled higher on Wednesday, reversing early declines as traders anticipated further draws on U.S. crude oil inventory following extended production cuts in Saudi Arabia and Russia. Brent crude futures settled up 56 cents to $90.60 a barrel while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude (WTI) futures settled up 85 cents to $87.54. "We have pretty low crude supplies in the U.S., with several weeks of big crude oil draws pushing prices up," said Bob Yawger, director of energy futures also at Mizuho. On Tuesday, Saudi Arabia and Russia extended voluntary oil supply cuts to year end. Oil prices were down early on rate-hike concerns and investor worries about the economy after data showed the ISM non-manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) came in at 54.5, compared with expectations of 52.5.

Persons: Brent, Bob Yawger, Paul Carsten, Mohi Narayan, Arathy, David Evans, Jason Neely, Nick Zieminski, Nick Macfie, David Gregorio Our Organizations: West Texas, Mizuho, American Petroleum Institute, U.S . Energy, Administration, Labor, Saudi, REUTERS, Brent, PMI, IIR Energy, Thomson Locations: Saudi Arabia, Russia, U.S, Volgograd, Iran, Venezuela, Libya, London, New Delhi, Houston

☆ UK's Labour Party has 14-point lead over Conservatives, Opinium poll shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speaks during the Prime Minister's Statements on the Nato Summit at the House of Commons in London, Britain, July 13, 2023. UK Parliament/Andy Bailey/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Britain's opposition Labour Party has a 14-point lead over Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's ruling Conservatives, an opinion poll by market research company Opinium showed on Saturday as lawmakers prepare to return to parliament after the summer break. The Opinium poll, based on a survey of 2,055 British adults carried out between Aug. 30 and Sept. 1, showed support for Labour had risen to 42%, up 1 percentage point since the last poll in July, while support for the Conservative Party rose by 2 points to 28%. Lawmakers return to parliament on Monday, with a general election expected to be held next year. Reporting by Sarah Young Editing by Helen PopperOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Andy Bailey, Handout, Rishi Sunak's, Sarah Young, Helen Popper Our Organizations: British, Nato, REUTERS, Labour Party, Labour, Conservative Party, Thomson Locations: London, Britain

☆ The ruble is failing — and now more Russians are cutting back on buying basic goods like food and toothpaste as prices jump
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The value of the Russian ruble continues to fail, forcing Russians to cut back their spending. A recent survey found that more Russians are reducing their buying of basic goods like food. Earlier this month, the Russian ruble plunged to a 16-month low against the US dollar. "Against the backdrop of the current economic situation and rising prices, Russians are trying to save money," said Romir senior director Ksenia Paizanskaya. Earlier this month, the Russian ruble plunged to a 16-month low against the US dollar, the currency's lowest level since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine February 2022.

Persons: Ksenia Paizanskaya, Vladimir Putin, Janis Kluge, Kluge Organizations: Russian, Service, Russia, German Institute for International and Security Affairs, Washington Locations: Russian, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine

☆ 'Neutral' China is supplying Putin's forces with helicopters, drones, and crucial raw materials, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-20 | by ( Rebecca Rommen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

China is providing Russia with helicopters, drones, and crucial raw materials. China claims it has remained neutral and has repeatedly denied sending military equipment to Russia since it launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. But The Telegraph's investigation found that the country has delivered tens of thousands of shipments to Russian military equipment manufacturers. With the outbreak of the war, the aid ramped up, with Chinese firms Hems999 and Tianjin Huarong Aviation dispatching helicopters to Russia. China's actions provide Putin with a vital lifelineChina has also utilized loopholes to send non-lethal but militarily useful equipment to Russia.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Xie Huanchi, Samson, Qin Gang, Sergey Radchenko, Putin Organizations: Telegraph, Service, Privacy, George's, Getty, Russia, The Telegraph, Tianjin Huarong Aviation, PBS, Politico, New York Times Locations: China, Russia, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, St, Kremlin, Xinhua, Tianjin, Yiwu, Shanghai

Aug 17 (Reuters) - Two prominent former Google (GOOGL.O) researchers, one of whom was a co-inventor of the “transformer” artificial intelligence architecture that paved the way for the generative AI boom, announced on Thursday they had started a new AI company based in Tokyo. Sakana AI, founded by David Ha and Llion Jones, declined to disclose funding details. Ha was previously the head of research at Stability AI and a Google Brain researcher. After the famous paper came out, advances in generative AI foundation models have centered around making the “transformer”-based models larger and larger. Instead of doing that, Sakana AI will focus on creating new architectures for foundation models, Jones told Reuters.

Persons: David Ha, Llion Jones, Jones, Ha, “, ”, Noam Shazeer, Aidan Gomez, Anna Tong, Frances Kerry Organizations: Google, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, San Francisco

☆ Goldman Sachs-backed digital bank Starling to expand in hotly competitive Asia-Pacific market
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

British digital bank Starling is planning its first expansion outside of Europe, targeting a move into Asia-Pacific, CNBC has learned. However, Drewett said the bank Starling is partnering would use the company's software to launch small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) accounts, rather than to provide personal banking services. "It's a different proof point for us: one in Europe, one in Asia-Pacific," Drewett told CNBC in an interview Thursday. Engine is a technology platform that Starling launched in March 2022 and licenses out to other financial technology firms and large banks. Starling is using its Engine core banking platform as a launchpad for international expansion.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Nick Drewett, Starling, Drewett, Anne Boden, Boden, Statista Organizations: CNBC, Qatar Investment Partners, Fidelity Management, Research Company Locations: Europe, Asia, Pacific, Irish, U.K, Qatar

☆ Mushrooms are flourishing in the Abu Dhabi desert
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Sarah Lazarus | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Now, a startup in Abu Dhabi has found a way to grow them in the middle of the desert. Below Farm is producing “specialty mushrooms” such as oyster, king oyster, shiitake and lion’s mane. Managing director Bronte Weir says the indoor farm, about 45 minutes’ drive from downtown Abu Dhabi, is the first in the region to grow and sell high-end mushrooms. He now orders 20 kilograms (44 pounds) of oyster mushrooms a week from the company. Neighborhood pizzeria Marmellata uses Below Farm's produce on one of its most popular dishes: the kale and mushroom pizza.

Persons: Bronte Weir, ” Weir, Liliana Slowinska, Wojciech Slowinski, Weir, isn’t, Abu, we’ve, ”, “, we’re, Dagstani Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, CNN Business, Business Research Company Locations: Hong Kong, Abu Dhabi, Europe, United States, UAE

☆ China's heading for another real estate crisis — but it's on a whole different scale than what it's seen before
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Nidhi Pandurangi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Country Garden, a massive Chinese property developer, missed interest payments on two dollar bonds this week. However, it's the scale of Country Garden's projects that is a big warning signal for the Chinese real estate sector and the wider economy. Evergrande faced a liquidity crisis in 2020, prodding it to try to halve its around $100 billion debt by mid-2023. These efforts were scuppered by a slowdown in China's property sector and regulators' efforts to put brakes on property developers borrowing excessively. However, putting the brakes on borrowing started sending the property sector into a crisis.

Persons: Kristy Hung, Yang Guoqiang, Yang Huiyan, Yang, Moody's, Sandra Chow, Evergrande, Huileng Tan Organizations: Service, Bloomberg Intelligence, Hong Kong Stock Exchange, CNN, China Index Academy, Reuters, Pacific Research, New York Times, Caixa Bank Locations: Beijing, Wall, Silicon, China, Evergrande, Foshan, Asia, Pacific, CreditSights

☆ Coffee chains are betting big on cold drinks as Gen Z turns its back on old-school coffees
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Cold drinks tend to cost more, but they can also cause headaches for staff. Cold drinks account for 75% of Starbucks' beverage sales. "The team is making good progress with its efforts to become a bigger player in the high-growth cold beverage category and saw cold beverage sales grow 16.6% year-over-year," Restaurant Brands International CEO Josh Kobza said. Tim Hortons' cold drinks menu looks remarkably like Starbucks' – especially in the US. Cold drinks can potentially reap higher profits for coffee chains because they tend to cost more and some customers opt for costly modifications.

Persons: Tim Hortons, Laxman Narasimhan, Josh Kobza, Kobza, Tim Hortons execs, Howard Schultz, Brady Brewer, Brewer, Baristas Organizations: Starbucks, Service, Brands Locations: Wall, Silicon, Canada, Maryland, Nebraska

☆ India's rice export ban to hurt millions globally. These countries will be the worst hit
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

20 Xinhua News Agency | Xinhua News Agency | Getty ImagesIndia's rice export ban could ripple across global rice markets — and millions are expected to be impacted, with Asian and African consumers set to bear the biggest brunt. The scale of people impacted by Indian rice ban will be in millions. Other affected regionsAsia is not the only region hit by India's rice export ban, many African and Middle East nations are also vulnerable. That means up to 40% of India's rice exports are now offline, according to BMI forecasts. India's rice export ban is expected to ripple across global rice markets.

Persons: Mohanty, Samarendu Mohanty, Narendra Modi Organizations: Xinhua News Agency, Getty, Barclays, El Nino, BMI, Fitch Solutions, Workers, International Potato Center, CIP Locations: Nagaon district, India's, Assam, India, Malaysia, Asia, Singapore, Thailand, Pakistan, Vietnam, Philippines, Saharan Africa, East, North Africa, Djibouti, Liberia, Qatar, Gambia, Kuwait, Cambodia, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Nepal

☆ Jeff Bezos is ripped now. Here's how the Amazon founder went from scrawny to brawny — even though he still cheats with pancakes
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Jyoti Mann | Lakshmi Varanasi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has had a "glo-up" in recent years since stepping back from the company. He went from eating a tin of biscuits for breakfast every morning to putting in hours in the gym. Jeff Bezos was a pretty scrawny guy when he founded Amazon in 1994. She said that Bezos "stole" her personal trainer, Wes Okerson, who has also trained celebrities like Tom Cruise and Gerard Butler. Beyond his personal diet and fitness regimen Bezos has reportedly also invested in anti-aging research company Altos Labs.

Persons: Jeff Bezos, Lauren Sanchez, Sanchez, Wes Okerson, Tom Cruise, Gerard Butler, Jeff, Bezos, Bezos's, MacKenzie Scott, Betty Crocker Organizations: Amazon, Wall Street, Pillsbury, Altos Labs

☆ Samsung shows off its fifth generation foldable smartphones
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Samantha Murphy Kelly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Samsung is doubling down on its foldable smartphones with a range of new features, but it’s not updating what’s arguably been the single biggest deterrent for customers: the high price tag. At its annual Unpacked event on Wednesday, held in Samsung’s home country of South Korea for the first time, the company announced updates to its tablets, smartwatches and foldable devices. The event focused on the arrival of Samsung’s fifth generation foldable smartphones: the 6.7-inch Z Flip5, which folds into a 3.4- inch device; and the 6.2-inch Galaxy Z Fold, which opens like a book into a 7.6 inch device. Drew Blackard, vice president of mobile product manager at Samsung, said he believes prices will fall and foldable devices will one day become flagship devices. The Samsung Galaxy Fold5.

Persons: What’s, Drew Blackard, ” Organizations: CNN, Samsung, Samsung Samsung, Counterpoint Research, iDC, Samsung Galaxy, Galaxy Locations: South Korea, foldables

☆ Goldman: The market is missing these 'highly compelling' global stocks — and 2 are on its conviction list
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Lucy Handley | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Goldman Sachs has named a number of European renewable energy stocks it says the market is missing — and says it expects the sector to bounce back after a period of declining returns. The growth in renewable energy is "highly compelling," the bank said, owing to the European energy crisis, a decline in costs for wind and solar energy, and the European Union's focus on mitigating climate change. "RWE is among the best-placed [renewable energy storage] developers to capture the expanding addressable market in the US, Germany and the rest of Europe," the analysts stated. As the pipeline builds we expect the company to unlock further value," the analysts stated. Conviction list stocks Two of Goldman's stock picks are on its conviction list of most favored stocks.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Alberto Gandolfi, Goldman, Enel, — Organizations: EDP Renewables, ENEL, Scottish, Renewables, LevelTen Energy Locations: Orsted, US, Germany, Europe

3M posted $7.99 billion in revenue, beating analysts' estimates of $7.87 billion, according to Refinitiv. Elsewhere, RTX reported second-quarter earnings that topped Wall Street expectations, posting $1.29 in adjusted earnings per share on $18.32 billion in revenue. The home appliance company posted revenue of $4.79 billion, lower than the consensus estimate of $4.82 billion, according to Refinitiv. It did beat on earnings expectations, reporting adjusted earnings of $4.21 per share, higher than the $3.76 estimate. The company notched adjusted earnings per share of $3.29, while analysts estimated $2.70 per share.

Persons: Refinitiv, RTX, it's, Biogen, Morgan Stanley, FactSet, General Motors, Invesco, Andrew Schlossberg, BTIG, Sherwin, Williams, Yun Li, Samantha Subin, Sarah Min, Tanaya Macheel, Brian Evans, Alex Harring Organizations: Spotify, Alaska Air, Pratt & Whitney, Airbus, General, GE, Whirlpool, Revenue, LG Electronics, LG Energy, GM, Refinitiv, UPS, Teamsters, Xerox –, Xerox, Packaging Corp, America, Secure

☆ As Russia Strikes on Ukraine's Ports, White House Warns Ships May Be Next
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Safak Timur | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +7 min

Russia’s moves have profound implications for the export of Ukraine’s grain, a commodity vital for its own economy and world grain markets. How have Russia’s attacks on Ukrainian ports affected the situation? Since Monday’s announcement, Russia has launched a series of nightly aerial attacks on Ukrainian ports, killing and wounding civilians. Six nations have a Black Sea coastline and it is a main conduit for Russia’s grain exports. Last summer, the European Union took steps to smooth a path for Ukraine’s overland grain exports, given the Russian Black Sea blockade.

Persons: Sal Gilbertie, Oleksandr Gimanov, Volodymyr Zelensky, António Guterres, Chris Mcgrath, Vladimir V, Putin, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Reni, Benoît Fayaud, Arif Husain, ”, Maciek, Mateusz Morawiecki, ” Monika Pronczuk Organizations: Ministry of Defense, Initiative, World Food, ., Agence France, United Nations, Getty, Strategie, European Union, The New York Times Ministers Locations: Kushuhum, Ukraine’s, Zaporizhzhia, Russia, Moscow, Ukraine, U.S, Chornomorsk, Odesa, Turkey, Istanbul, China, Poland, Izmail, Romanian, Constanta, Russian, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia

☆ Can Men Wear Baseball Caps to the Office? Our Poll Results May Surprise You
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Jamie Waters | Illustrations Paul Tuller | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Office dress-codes have skewed more casual postpandemic, but opinions on what constitutes too casual vary greatly—including between generations. To determine which laid-back items the public deems acceptable deskside, we hit up global research company Ipsos. Between June 30 and July 2, it surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1,020 U.S. adults. And no, it’s not always a young vs. old face-off: Gen Zers can be stricter, and boomers less formal, than one might think. Here, the 411 on the most contentious items.

Persons: it’s

☆ In this economy, the winner is weather apps
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Sirena Bergman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Weather apps are tech's sleeper hit. The Guardian is rather boldly reporting that weather apps have become an "addiction." At best, weather apps "perform about as well as meteorologists, but some of the most popular ones fare much worse," Charlie Warzel recently wrote in The Atlantic. Still, there's a weather app for everyone: Sassy weather apps, irreverent weather apps, fashion-conscious weather apps, practical weather apps, and aesthetic weather apps. A weather app can use US government data (and many do, The Guardian reported) which is free to use for any purpose, according to the National Weather Service's website.

Persons: haven't, who's, it's, Eric Floehr, Charlie Warzel Organizations: Morning, Guardian, View Research Locations: monetization

☆ Ford’s electric F-150 Lightning just got much cheaper
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Eva Rothenberg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Ford announced on Monday that it is slashing prices significantly for its electric F-150 Lightning pickup truck. Since the F-150 Lightning’s release in mid-2021, the auto manufacturer has raised prices several times, citing in part “significant material cost increases” for key electric vehicle battery components like lithium, cobalt, and nickel. The Platinum Extended Range, its most expensive model, is down more than $6,000 to about $92,000. These models are also eligible for a tax credit of up to $7,500 under the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, according to Ford. Customers can expect these cheaper cars to become available as early as October.

Persons: CNN — Ford, Kelley, Ford, “ We’ve, ”, Marin Gjaja Organizations: CNN, Kelley Blue, Ford Locations: Michigan

☆ Women React to News About an Over-the-Counter Birth Control Pill
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Alisha Haridasani Gupta | More About Alisha Haridasani Gupta | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

An over-the-counter pill would eliminate a lot of barriers, she said. For young people, accessing birth control can be “really challenging,” she said. The New York Times interviewed 18 women and girls about the F.D.A. “My mom does not approve of birth control” because of her more conservative Sri Lankan heritage, said Tharushi Samarasinghe, a 19-year-old student at Hunter College. “I took birth control once for hormonal issues as I was going through puberty.

Persons: greenlight, Elise Berlan, ”, KFF, Tharushi Samarasinghe, “, ’ ” Elizabeth, I’m Organizations: Nationwide Children’s Hospital, New York Times, Hunter College Locations: United States, Columbus , Ohio, Sri Lankan

☆ From Taylor Swift to the World Cup, travelers are paying big bucks to catch overseas games and shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Monica Pitrelli | Evelyn Chen | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

When Taylor Swift's Eras tour rolls into Singapore next year, Rjay Ignacio said he'll be there — whether he has a ticket or not. "If I'm not able to get a ticket, I'm still going to Singapore," he said. He said he would only travel "for Taylor … I'm a big fan." Swifties, or Taylor Swift fans, spend an average of $1,330 on tickets, food and travel, according to the research company QuestionPro. To avoid facing an "astronomical price surge," Jakarta resident Wid said one of his friends booked a hotel in Singapore before Swift's tour tickets even went on sale.

Persons: Taylor, Rjay Ignacio, he'll, Taylor Swift, I'm, Ignacio, Taylor …, Farhan Abrol, Kanyarat Teawprasong, Swift, Armando L, Sanchez, Lionel Richie, Harvey Cohen, Wid, Nan Palmero, I'd Organizations: Deloitte, Wimbledon, CNBC Travel, Austin City Limits Music, Chicago Tribune, Tribune, Service, Swift's, Qatar Airways, FIFA, Accor Locations: Singapore, Asia, Pasig City, Philippines, YOLO, Francisco, Bangkok, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Southeast Asia, Las Vegas, Chicago's Grant, Bahamas, United States, Navan, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Jakarta, Doha

☆ Avid Taylor Swift fans are flashing their dollars to attend the Eras Tour, with some spending up to $20,000 to see her as many times as possible
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-08 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Taylor Swift's Eras Tour has taken the US by storm as Swifties do all that they can to see it. He's been to the Eras Tour eight times and sat in the front row for five of those shows. "I remember sending a text in 2019 to someone saying if there was ever a Taylor Swift best-of tour, money becomes no object," he said. QuestionPro, a research company, found that the Eras Tour could result in $4.6 billion in consumer spending in the US. That means she's putting upwards of $10,000 towards the Eras Tour, and might spend even more at future dates.

Persons: Taylor, Swifties, Jake, he's, Swift, He's, Taylor Swift, I've, Bridget Doyle, Doyle, —, Christy G, Lindsey Lisalda, Louis, Lisalda, Lindsey Lisalda Megan Crowley, jetting, Swift's, Megan Crowley, Clara Cummings, Megan Crowley Swifties, Kat, She's, Moira Rodriguez, Crowley Organizations: Service, Nashville, Roll Hall of Fame, National Underground Railroad Freedom, Swift's Los, Gillette Locations: Wall, Silicon, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Nashville , Tennessee, Nashville, Denver, St, Swiftcation, Glendale , Arizona, Chicago, Kansas City , Missouri, Salt Lake City, Phoenix, Swift's Los Angeles, Arizona, Foxborough , Massachusetts, Glendale, Nebraska, Minneapolis —, HAM

☆ Zoom is 'extremely optimistic' about growth in Asia-Pacific despite weaker outlook
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Goh Chiew Tong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

watch nowZoom is "doubling down" on its technical investments in the Asia-Pacific region as it seeks to strengthen growth, said the video communications company on Friday. We made a strong commitment about two years ago to really turn on the speed and step on the gas," Abe Smith, Zoom's head of international, told "Squawk Box Asia." watch nowHowever, Smith said Zoom is "extremely optimistic" about the growth of its phone product in Asia Pacific. Zoom's A.I. Zoom's big bet on AI also includes an investment in Anthropic, an AI safety and research company, back in May.

Persons: Abe Smith, Zoom's, Smith Organizations: Microsoft Locations: Asia, Pacific, Singapore, India, Chennai, Bangalore, Asia Pacific, Anthropic

☆ Authors sue OpenAI, allege their books were used to train ChatGPT without their consent
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Ashley Capoot | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Two authors filed a lawsuit against OpenAI last week alleging that their copyrighted books were used to train the company's artificial intelligence chatbot, ChatGPT, without their consent. They allege the summaries are "only possible" if ChatGPT was trained on their books, which would be a violation of copyright law. OpenAI doesn't reveal what precise data was used for training ChatGPT, but the company said it generally crawled the web, including the use of archived books and Wikipedia. The complaint references exhibits of the summaries that ChatGPT generated, and it notes that the chatbot gets some things wrong. "At no point did ChatGPT reproduce any of the copyright management information Plaintiffs included with their published works," the complaint said.

Persons: OpenAI, Paul Tremblay, Mona Awad, ChatGPT, Tremblay, Awad, Sam Altman Organizations: Microsoft, San Locations: San Francisco, San Francisco federal

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