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☆ A Senate hearing with top tech CEOs about online child safety had plenty of fireworks
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. In today's big story, we're looking at the grilling tech CEOs got during a contentious Senate hearing, with one notable exception. The big storyTech on trialAnna Moneymaker/Getty ImagesTech CEOs testified in a Senate hearing that turned into the type of fiery debates found on their social-media platforms. Executives for Meta, TikTok, X, Snapchat, and Discord were grilled by US lawmakers during a contentious Senate hearing on online child sexual exploitation. The most shocking moment involved Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, BI's Lauren Steussy reports.

Persons: —, we're, Anna Moneymaker, Aaron Mok, Camilo Fonseca, Mark Zuckerberg, BI's Lauren Steussy, GOP Sen, Josh Hawley, Zuckerberg, Shou Zi Chew, Republican Sen, Tom Cotton, Linda Yaccarino, Alex Wong, Chew, X's Yaccarino, BI's Katie Notopoulos, Yaccarino, Katie, It's, there's, Sen, Lindsey Graham, We've, Jerome Powell, Win McNamee, Troy Rohrbaugh, Jamie Dimon, it's, Jeff chiu, Alyssa Powell, Byron Allen, Dan DeFrancesco, Hallam Bullock, Jordan Parker Erb Organizations: Business, Service, Tech, Getty Images Tech, Meta, GOP, Republican, Chinese Communist Party, Pew, Big Tech, Federal Reserve, Paramount, Getty, Apple Locations: Washington, Washington ,, New York, London

☆ Linda Yaccarino and X got off easy at the Senate hearing
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Katie Notopoulos | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

At the Senate hearing on child exploitation and social media, X CEO Linda Yaccarino wasn't grilled like her peers. Most of the focus was on Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew. Yaccarino said that less than 1% of X users in the US are under the age of 18. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew also was frequently put in the hot seat, but a big chunk of that was over the app's ties to China, not teen safety.

Persons: Linda Yaccarino, Mark Zuckerberg, Shou Zi Chew, Yaccarino, —, Zuckerberg Organizations: Service Locations: China

☆ AI spam is already starting to ruin the internet
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Katie Notopoulos | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Scammers are using AI to spit out web pages and YouTube videos that game Google. AdvertisementA little over a year after the public launch of ChatGPT, we're starting to see one prediction come true of how it could affect the internet: AI spam is flooding the web. First, 404 Media, a new tech blog, wrote about how they've had to modify their website because of AI spam. AdvertisementThe New York Times recently reported on the pain these AI-generated YouTube videos caused a real grieving family. After a college student died accidentally falling onto New York subway tracks, YouTube videos and AI-generated articles quickly appeared.

Persons: —, they've, Jason, Taylor Swift Organizations: Google, Service, Media, Wired, New York Times, New, Times Locations: New York

☆ Women laughing alone with AI-generated content spam
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Katie Notopoulos | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewIn 2011, the small women's interest blog The Hairpin broke new ground in the field of visual journalism with the iconic post "Women laughing alone with salad." This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Kate Knibbs reports:In an attempt to understand the future of media, I tracked down The Hairpin's new owner — a Serbian DJ named Nebojša Vujinović Vujo. Choire Sicha, a cofounder of the Awl Network, which published The Hairpin, told Business Insider that they have sent a letter to the domain's new owner. "This entity or person did not purchase The Hairpin," he told Business Insider.

Persons: —, Edith Zimmerman's, James Nolen, Kate Knibbs, Vujinović Vujo, Vujo didn't, Jia Tolentino, Anne Helen Petersen, Jazmine Hughes, Choire, It's, Vujo, Sicha, they're Organizations: Service, Business, Google, Awl Locations: Serbian

☆ Sure, why not? Now there's a 'Stanley cup' for babies.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Katie Notopoulos | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Goo goo gaga. Baby want Stanley cup. Goo goo gaga! NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Which is why Fisher-Price just came out with a new toy aimed at toddlers designed to look like a Stanley cup.

Persons: Baby, Stanley, —, Fisher, Price Organizations: Service

☆ Why do boomers and Gen Xers love Temu so much? I truly want to know.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Katie Notopoulos | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A research firm reports that boomers and Gen Xers are among Temu's most highly engaged shoppers. Boomers and Gen X shopped on the Chinese discount app more often and spent more than other generations. AdvertisementWhy, exactly, are boomers and Gen X loving Temu so much? Millennial shoppers purchased 3.3 orders on average, Gen X purchased 4.5, and baby boomers bought a whopping 5.6. That means among people who shopped at Temu, the average boomer placed twice as many orders as the average Gen Z shopper.

Persons: Gen Xers, Gen X, I'm, —, Gen, Z, boomer, boomers, Temu, cheapo, Stanley, Xer Organizations: Boomers, Service, Facebook, Bloomberg, Gen X

☆ This MIT study says AI won't take my job. But it doesn't make me feel too sure that AI won't take my job.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Katie Notopoulos | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The study looked at jobs where AI could be used for some sort of computer vision to replace regular human vision. Pretty much across the board, even for big companies like Walmart, they found that it would rarely be worth replacing workers with AI visual detection. From the paper:We find that the median employee works in a firm where close to none of the vision tasks are cost-effective to automate. Here's the bad news: This is only a study for jobs that could be replaced by computer vision, which is a pretty specific thing. AdvertisementFor me, I'm not so worried about computer vision taking over my job writing this article, but uh … well … you know.

Persons: I'm, —, 😬 Organizations: MIT, Service, Walmart Locations: United States

☆ Having your shelves filled with Stanley tumblers is not the point of the cup
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-21 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

America's hottest reusable water container has a sustainability problem. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. On TikTok, influencers are showing off their shelves full of Stanley Tumblers, each in different colors. For one, as CBC News pointed out, Stanley does not offer any product recycling options. PMI Worldwide, the parent company of Stanley, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider sent outside regular business hours.

Persons: Stanley tumblers —, Stanley Quencher H2.0, Stanley, Stanley Tumblers, Katie Notopoulos, Jessica Heiges, WSP, Heiges, Myra Hird, " Hird, Kathryn Coduto Organizations: Service, Business, CNBC, Wired, CBC, Queen's University, Boston University, PMI, Business Insider

☆ Stanley cups are tearing apart middle schools
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Katie Notopoulos | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewI'm not sure it's hyperbole to say that Stanley cups — the colorful 40-ounce water vessels — are tearing apart the fabric of our society. The Cut reports that Stanleys have become the new status symbols for middle school girls. AdvertisementLewis's prediction seems spot-on: The cup is now the hot item for middle school girls — a demographic not exactly known for kind behavior if you deviate from the norm. Middle school is when kids can be ruthless about who has or doesn't have some arbitrary status symbol, whether it's Uggs or folding the waistband of your gym shorts the right way. (Back in MY day, we — gasp — used the school water fountain).

Persons: —, Stanley, Julia Reinstein, Stanley Quenchers, Gen Alpha, Matt Fowler KC, Z, Casey Lewis, Gen Zers, Jamie Sherman, Sherman, it's, Gen, 🥶🥶 Organizations: Service, Business, Target, Stanley, Gen, Gen Alpha Locations: New Hampshire, Dallas

☆ Apple Vision Pro has an iPhone-sized battery pack — and there are already belt holsters for sale
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Katie Notopoulos | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Apple's Vision Pro headset is taking preorders. AdvertisementThe Apple Vision Pro headset for spatial computing (do NOT call it "virtual reality") is almost finally here. Apple Vision Pro 2024 pic.twitter.com/qX9BJM7eDN — Marques Brownlee (@MKBHD) January 16, 2024Wired noticed that this tactic allowed Apple to obscure a sort of not-so-cool aspect of the headset: the bulky battery pack. The Vision Pro battery, which supposedly is pocket-sized. Apple is selling a $49 Belkin case for the battery pack that clips onto your belt.

Persons: Belkin, —, qX9BJM7eDN — Marques Brownlee, Apple Lauren Goode, Goode Organizations: Service, Apple, Wired, Vision

Fishwife, a trendy tinned seafood company, was valued at around $5 million on Shark Tank. Millstein said on the ABC program that her premium preserved fish company has grown to about $5.8 million in annual sales. "I don't know these people, I don't eat tinned fish, and I am here for this drama," one viewer commented. The Shark Tank episode aired this month, but it was filmed in the summer of 2023, per an ABC spokesperson. On Shark Tank, Millstein reeled in Nelson and Greiner, receiving $350,000 in exchange for 6% to 8% of the company.

Persons: Becca Millstein, Caroline Goldfarb, —, Rebecca Millstein, Condé, Goldfarb, Fishwife, Millstein, Lori Greiner, Candice Nelson, Casey Lewis, Lewis, Greiner, we're Organizations: Service, Vogue, The New York Times, ABC, Fishwife, Google, Securities and Exchange Commission Locations: writeups, The, Millstein, Nelson

Senior correspondent Katie Notopoulos breaks down why toy prices are at an all-time low, and how cheaper toys are making millennial parents so miserable. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now. Have an account?

Persons: Katie Notopoulos Organizations: Business

☆ Posting a TikTok video of yourself getting laid off is good, actually
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Katie Notopoulos | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A video of a woman filming herself getting laid off from Cloudflare went viral on Tiktok. Over the last year, we've seen similar TikToks of people filming themselves getting laid off. AdvertisementA trend on TikTok that's been simmering for a while but really went mainstream this week has been people (mostly young women) filming themselves getting laid off from their corporate tech jobs. Last week, one in particular made headlines as the young woman getting laid off from CloudFlare pushed back at the HR rep leading the call. It won't necessarily stop you from getting laid off if the ax falls on your department, but demystifying the process is good for workers.

Persons: we've, —, Mickella Simone Miller, Miller, that's, CloudFlare, doesn't, Chloe Shih, it's, Shih Organizations: Service, DMs Locations: Salt Lake City

☆ It's not just you — the TikTok Shop will show you literally anything
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-11 | by ( Katie Notopoulos | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

TikTok appears to heavily promote videos and livestreams that use Shop — even if what's on sale is junk. AdvertisementIf you've noticed your "For You" page on Tiktok has become overrun with posts and livestreams of TikTok Shop items you have little interest in, you're not alone. The TikTok Shop hard launched this fall. And unlike the regular FYP, which has an uncanny ability to predict what content you'll love, the TikTok Shop has a way of showing you stuff you don't love. That explains a lot about why your feed may be flooded with live streams and Shop posts for stuff as junky as a used pencil.

Persons: TikTok, —, John Herrman, Herrman Organizations: Service, New York Magazine

☆ Substack takes a halfsies approach to banning Nazis
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-10 | by ( Katie Notopoulos | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. In December 2023, The Atlantic reported that it had seen a handful of Nazi-affiliated or white supremacist blogs on the platform, some of them with paying subscribers. Last week, Newton wrote in the newsletter that he was meeting with Substack to discuss the issue and was considering taking his popular newsletter to another service if Substack wouldn't budge. AdvertisementNewton and Schiffer flexing their power worked: Substack is removing five out of the 14-plus newsletters with Nazi or white supremacist content. But Substack will continue to remove any material that includes "credible threats of physical harm," it said.

Persons: —, Hamish McKenzie, Casey Newton, Zoë Schiffer, Newton, Substack, Schiffer, it's, Hitler, Bari Weiss, Richard Dawkins Organizations: Service, Nazi, Business

☆ The Best Speed for Podcasts Is 1.2X. Trust Me.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-05 | by ( Katie Notopoulos | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Listening to audiobooks and podcasts at 1.2x speed is ideal. And that thing is listening to podcasts or audiobooks at 1.2x speed. AdvertisementSpotify provided exclusive data to Business Insider on listening speeds for podcasts for November 2023. The next most popular speed was 1.2x — but only 2% of people actually listened at this speed. Once you've entered the world of 1.2x speed, you'll never go back to listening at simply the normal speed.

Persons: —, you've, you'll, that's Organizations: Service, Business

☆ Here is one really great sentence about Taylor Swift after she got No. 5 on a 'Most Powerful Women' list
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Katie Notopoulos | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

5 on its list of most powerful women for 2023. 5 on their list of The World's Most Powerful Women — totally reasonable, totally normal! I mean, you just need to see it:AdvertisementAs formidable as Swift is, she is not, however, the most powerful woman in the world. That title goes to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, whose policy and budgetary decisions affect Europe's 450 million people. Good luck holding onto the title next year, Ursula von der Leyen.

Persons: Taylor, Taylor Swift, —, Swift, she's, Forbes, Ursula von der Leyen, Ursula von der, Taylor's Organizations: Forbes, Service, Kansas City Chiefs

☆ How a violent 1800s uprising against machines could foreshadow our future with AI
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Katie Notopoulos | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

AdvertisementI asked Merchant for his perspective on how history informs how we should think about AI and labor. AdvertisementTake the clothworkers: skilled weavers made really high quality cloth and framework knitters made stockings that were nice and durable. Just about everyone loses except the factory owners, who profit from churning out more shoddily made stuff at a rate that the skilled workers can't compete with. AdvertisementBased on your understanding of history, what are the chances that AI helps people by lowering the gap between lower skilled and higher skilled workers? Now, as then, the vast, vast majority of the time, AI absolutely cannot replicate a good writer or worker's output.

Persons: —, Insider's Aki Ito, Brian Merchant, Merchant, Aki Ito, Aki, coders, Ian, it's Organizations: Big Tech, Service Locations: England

☆ The kind of 'free speech' Elon Musk says he wants would be terrible
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Henry Blodget | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

AdvertisementEveryone has theories about why Elon Musk publicly insulted and threatened Twitter/X advertisers last week. (And anyone who works there — or at any other company — would be fired for saying what Elon said last week). I also think Elon wants to suggest that we should be able to say whatever we want without any consequences—and even that there is a Constitutional right for us to do this. I also, respectfully, don't think Elon really thinks that. I don't think even Elon would enjoy that!

Persons: —, Elon Musk, Katie Notopoulos, Katie doesn't, Elon, Tesla Organizations: Service, Elon, Twitter, Business, Tesla

☆ Gen Z is opting out of working for the man. One out of 3 say they want to work for themselves instead.
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Katie Notopoulos | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

One of out three Gen Z'ers say the best way to "build wealth" is to be self-employed. This spring, Business Insider wrote about how "Gen Z is the hustle generation":Like the generations before them, Gen Z was sold the idea that if you found a good job and worked hard, you'd reap the rewards. But after watching that dream die for millennials, Gen Z isn't buying into what they view as a broken social contract. AdvertisementMeta didn't disclose how many people it surveyed for its Gen Z survey, and it also didn't say how it collected the data, though it said the Gen Z survey covers the US, UK, Brazil, India, and South Korea. "So we're Gen Z, we're going to pivot, and this is how we're going to pivot."

Persons: Z'ers, Z, —, Gen Z, there's, Gen, they're Organizations: Service, Meta, Business, Deloitte Locations: Instagram, UK, Brazil, India, South Korea

☆ Gen Z doesn't trust a traditional job will make them wealthy. One out of 3 say they want to work for themselves instead.
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Katie Notopoulos | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

One of out three Gen Z'ers say the best way to "build wealth" is to be self-employed. This spring, Business Insider wrote about how "Gen Z is the hustle generation":AdvertisementLike the generations before them, Gen Z was sold the idea that if you found a good job and worked hard, you'd reap the rewards. But after watching that dream die for millennials, Gen Z isn't buying into what they view as a broken social contract. Meta didn't disclose how many people it surveyed for its Gen Z survey, and it also didn't say how it collected the data, though it said the Gen Z survey covers the US, UK, Brazil, India, and South Korea. One key point it also didn't disclose: how Gen Z attitudes differ — if they do — from other generations.

Persons: Z'ers, Z, —, Gen Z, there's, Gen, Meta, they're Organizations: Service, Meta, Business, Deloitte Locations: Instagram, UK, Brazil, India, South Korea

☆ We now have more details on what the heck happened at OpenAI
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Katie Notopoulos | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A new report described in more detail why the OpenAI board initially pushed out Sam Altman. Altman reportedly tried to get a board member, Helen Toner, kicked out, but it backfired. The report cited an unnamed source who said Altman tried to play board members against each other. Here's what the outlet wrote in part (emphasis added):Some members of the OpenAI board had found Altman an unnervingly slippery operator. Read here: The Inside Story of Microsoft's Partnership With OpenAI (The New Yorker)

Persons: Sam Altman, Altman, Helen Toner, —, Sam Altman —, Kevin Scott, Mira Murati, he'd, OpenAI, Toner Organizations: Service, Yorker, Microsoft, New York Times, Center for Security, Emerging Technology, Georgetown University, Microsoft's Locations: Turkey, New, Yorker

☆ Elon Musk still didn't answer the biggest question about X
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Katie Notopoulos | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Elon Musk said on Wednesday that advertisers who are abandoning X can go "fuck" themselves. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Musk didn't directly answer, but said "If the company fails because of advertiser boycott, it will fail … and it will be gone." AdvertisementMusk didn't answer the other key question he was asked: "Is there any part of you that says, 'Maybe I should sell [X] or give it away?" What we don't know — and Musk wouldn't really answer — is how this final stage could play out.

Persons: Elon Musk, —, Musk, Andrew Ross Sorkin, Linda Yaccarino, Yaccarino, @elonmusk, Tesla, there's, I'm Organizations: Twitter, Service

☆ Car dealers are worried about an EV reckoning. I asked our transportation reporter what's going on.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Katie Notopoulos | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Car dealers sent a letter urging Biden to "tap the brakes" on an electric vehicle mandate. Two-thirds of new cars must be EVs by 2032 — but dealers say EV sales are slumping, and hurting them. Local car dealers have a lot of political influence; Biden could look to expand tax incentives. AdvertisementCar dealers aren't happy with President Joe Biden's mandate to have two-thirds of all new cars be electric vehicles by 2032. I was surprised to hear about this letter from car dealers, because I thought that electric vehicles were in hot demand.

Persons: Biden, —, Joe Biden's, Axios, Nora Naughton, Biden —, Tesla, There's, Bolt, That's Organizations: Local, Service, EV, Business, Government, National Automotive Dealers Association, Car, Tesla, Ford Locations: Detroit, Washington ,

☆ Companies wanted to make Instagram-worthy offices. Instagram commenters roasted them.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Katie Notopoulos | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The New York Times reported on the latest trend: an Instagrammable office. A recent article in The New York Times highlighted bosses who want to woo workers back to the office with spaces designed to be Instagram-worthy. The company wanted an office design that would entice young workers to come in — as in to the actual office. Companies now want their office design to be visible not just to employees, but also to everyone on social media…And apparently, it worked. (Apparently unrelated to the office design, which she said friends commented was "so sick" when she posted it to Instagram.)

Persons: —, they're Organizations: New York Times, Service, Times, Employers, Companies Locations: New York City, —

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