DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Universal basic income pros and cons —according to experts
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-26 | by ( Allie Kelly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

BI broke down the pros, cons, and frequently asked questions about basic income. Universal basic income and guaranteed basic income could fill gaps in the existing US social safety net, experts said. A benefit of basic income is the element of choice, according to Shafeka Hashash, associate director of guaranteed income at the Economic Security Project. Private donors often fully or partially fund basic income programs, lessening the cost burden on local governments. US states with active basic income programs include California, Illinois, Colorado, New York, Georgia, Louisiana, and more.

Persons: —, Melvin Carter, Paul, Shafeka Hashash, Hashash, It's, John Gillette, Oscar Wong, UBI, Andrew Yang, Howlette, hasn't, Michael Tubbs, Allan Baxter, What's, Sam Altman, Elon Musk Organizations: Service, Business, St, SDI, SNAP, Economic Security, Arizona, Rep, American, Orleans Mayor's, Youth, University of British Columbia, Alaska Permanent Fund, Tech Locations: Valley, America, Los Angeles and Illinois, Texas, Missouri, Arizona , Iowa, South Dakota, Orleans, Denver, Atlanta, Alaska, California , Illinois, Colorado , New York , Georgia, Louisiana, Canada, Brazil, China, Germany, India, Iran, Ireland, California, New Mexico, Oregon

☆ Read the note CEO Sam Altman sent to OpenAI staff announcing another 2 big exits
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-26 | by ( Sarah Gray | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

But Zoph confirmed his departure, posting a note to X saying he decided to leave OpenAI. And The Verge's Kylie Robison posted on X that McGrew had left the company. When Mira informed me this morning that she was leaving, I was saddened but of course support her decision. For the past year, she has been building out a strong bench of leaders that will continue our progress. Mira, Bob, Barret, and Mark will be there.

Persons: OpenAI, Zoph, Kylie Robison, McGrew, Altman, Mira, Bob, Barret, Mark, Jakub, Josh Achiam, Kevin, Srinivas, Matt Knight, Matt, Josh, Sam Organizations: Research, Mission Locations: OpenAI

☆ OpenAI CFO tells investors funding round should close by next week despite executive departures
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-26 | by ( Kate Rooney | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar is looking to reassure its investors that the richly valued artificial intelligence startup is still in a strong position and is poised to close a big funding round soon, despite losing top talent this week. In an email to OpenAI's investors seen by CNBC, Friar addressed the departure of Chief Technology Officer Mira Murati, who announced her departure on Wednesday. "I wanted to personally reach out following the news of Mira's departure from OpenAI," Friar wrote in the letter, which was viewed by CNBC. Friar said in the email that the funding round was oversubscribed and would close by next week. "Collectively, we remain laser-focused on bringing AI to everyone and building sustainable revenue models that fuel our operations and deliver value to our investors and employees," Friar wrote.

Persons: Sarah Friar, Friar, Mira Murati, Sam Altman, Bob McGrew, Barret Zoph, she's, OpenAI, Altman, Murati Organizations: CNBC, Microsoft, Apple Locations: OpenAI, San Francisco

☆ Sam Altman is way more interested in AI's next chapter than upheaval at OpenAI
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-26 | by ( Tom Carter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewSam Altman might be facing upheaval at OpenAI, but that isn't stopping him from discussing his grand plans for the company's next stage. 'Better everything'"The two trends I'm most excited about for the next couple of decades are abundant intelligence and abundant energy," Altman told the audience. The growth, the increase in quality of life we can have in the world — better sustainability, better education, better healthcare, better everything," he added. AdvertisementIt's not the first time Altman has talked up the glorious future that AI — and by extension, OpenAI — may usher in. AdvertisementAltman has previously called for massive investment in AI infrastructure, warning that making AI technology widespread would require "lots of energy and chips."

Persons: —, Sam Altman, Altman, Mira Murati, Murati, John Elkann, cofounders Ilya Sutskever, John Schulman, Elon Musk, OpenAI, Altman's Organizations: Service, Italian Tech, Business, Google, Elon, Bloomberg, Energy Locations: OpenAI, Italy

☆ Sam Altman faces scrutiny amid massive OpenAI shakeup
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-26 | 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 EmailSam Altman faces scrutiny amid massive OpenAI shakeupCNBC's Kate Rooney and Deirdre Bosa report on top executives departing from OpenAI, the shift in the company's vision, and the scrutiny CEO Sam Altman is now facing.

Persons: Sam Altman, CNBC's Kate Rooney, Deirdre Bosa Locations: OpenAI

☆ From passion to profit: OpenAI's latest shakeup shows the AI race is about who has the deepest pockets
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-26 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Altman could reportedly receive a 7% equity stake, which would be worth about $10.5 billion at OpenAI's new valuation. In March, The New York Times reported Murati raised concerns about Altman's leadership style to the board before the ouster. Barret Zoph, the company's vice president of research, and Bob McGrew, OpenAI's chief research officer, are also departing the startup, Altman announced on X . "I obviously won't pretend it's natural for this one to be so abrupt, but we are not a normal company," Altman wrote.

Persons: —, Sam Altman, Altman, Mira Murati, Slack, Murati, Barret Zoph, Bob McGrew, Joel Saget, Jenny Chang, Rodriguez, Meta —, it's, Elon Musk's, OpenAI Organizations: Service, Business, Employees, The New York Times, Lakshmi, OpenAI's, Meta, Reuters, Anthropic Locations: OpenAI, Lakshmi Varanasi

☆ Mira Murati, OpenAI’s technology chief, becomes the latest exec to leave the company
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-25 | by ( Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —OpenAI Chief Technology Officer Mira Murati — who has been instrumental in the development of ChatGPT and the artificial intelligence image generator Dall-E — said Wednesday she is leaving the company. “My six-and-a-half years with the OpenAI team have been an extraordinary privilege,” Murati said in a note to the OpenAI team, which she posted to X. Fellow OpenAI co-founder John Schulman exited in August to join rival Anthropic. Murati joined OpenAI’s leadership team in 2018 after working at augmented reality company Ultraleap (then called Leap Motion) and Tesla. During the debacle, Murati joined more than 500 fellow OpenAI employees in threatening to quit if Altman was not brought back to the company.

Persons: Mira Murati —, —, “, ” Murati, “ There’s, shakeup, OpenAI, Ilya Sutskever, John Schulman, Greg Brockman, Murati, Sam Altman, Altman, Mira, ”, ” Altman Organizations: New, New York CNN, OpenAI, Bloomberg, OpenAI’s, Tesla, o1 Locations: New York, Silicon Valley

☆ Sam Altman believes wars will be fought over AI unless there's massive spending on infrastructure. But that comes with a cost.
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-25 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Read previewIn a Monday blog post, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman argued that massive investment in AI infrastructure is key to market dominance — and avoiding global conflict. "If we don't build enough infrastructure, AI will be a very limited resource that wars get fought over, and that becomes mostly a tool for rich people." Representatives for OpenAI did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider. He noted that data centers consume tons of water for their cooling systems — some of which evaporates, so it cannot be reused. "Any human endeavor that involves an optimization challenge can be made more efficient through artificial intelligence," Coglianese said.

Persons: —, Sam Altman, Altman, OpenAI, Alex de Vries, de Vries, Goldman Sachs, Shaolei Ren, he's, Ren, Cary Coglianese, Coglianese, we'll, I'm Organizations: Service, Business, Microsoft, BlackRock, White, Meta, Big Tech, University of California, University of Pennsylvania Locations: United States, United Nations, Riverside

☆ Sam Altman-backed nuclear startup Oklo to start site work for Idaho microreactor
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-25 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

He expects Oklo to break ground at the Idaho site in 2026, with plans to have the reactor up and running by the following year. The CEO acknowledged there's a risk the 2027 start date gets pushed out depending on how long the NRC review takes. The average nuclear reactor in the current U.S. fleet is around 1,000 megawatts, according to the Department of Energy. The CEO acknowledged the NRC review could delay the 2027 start date for the Idaho microreactor: "There's definitely risk. At the end of the day, we can't control the NRC review timeline," he said.

Persons: Jacob DeWitte, Oklo, DeWitte, there's, Sam Altman's SPAC, Altman, Oklo's Organizations: CNBC, Department of Energy, Idaho National Laboratory, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, AltC, Department of Energy ., Industry, Constellation Energy, NYSE, NRC, World Health Organization, Idaho Locations: Idaho, Idaho Falls, Aurora

☆ It looks like Sam Altman will get richer off of OpenAI after all
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-25 | by ( Lakshmi Varanasi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewOpenAI is working to revamp its business structure so that it's no longer controlled by a nonprofit board, according to a new report. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. The company has been controlled until now by the nonprofit board — a relic of its original launch as a nonprofit in 2015. The company is seeking to remove a cap on returns for investors, sources told Reuters. "Feels part of the necessary normalization of OpenAI into a regular corporate structure, which paves the way to an IPO."

Persons: —, Sam Altman, OpenAI, Altman, Altman hasn't, he's, OpenAI didn't, Ilya Sutskever, Jan Leike, Greg Brockman, Mira Murati, Matt Turck, who's, Ada Organizations: Service, —, Business, Reuters, Street, Senate, Busines Locations: OpenAI

☆ OpenAI CTO Mira Murati announces she's leaving the company
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-25 | by ( Hayden Field | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Mira Murati, chief technology officer of OpenAI, during an interview on "The Circuit with Emily Chang" in San Francisco on April 4, 2023. OpenAI Chief Technology Officer Mira Murati said Wednesday that she is leaving the company after six and a half years. Murati also wrote that she is "stepping away because I want to create the time and space to do my own exploration. Murati became a well-known name when OpenAI's board abruptly ousted CEO Sam Altman last November and Murati was named interim CEO. Days later, Altman was back at the company and Murati moved back to her former role as CTO.

Persons: Mira Murati, Emily Chang, There's, Ilya Sutskever, Jan Leike, John Schulman, Anthropic, Murati, OpenAI, Sam Altman, OpenAI's, Altman, Sutskever, Helen Toner, Tasha McCauley Organizations: OpenAI, Reuters, Microsoft, Tiger Global, Nvidia, Apple, Tech, Street Locations: San Francisco, OpenAI

☆ Mira Murati is the latest OpenAI exec to leave. Read the memo she sent to staff.
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-25 | by ( Geoff Weiss | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Mira Murati is the latest executive to depart OpenAI. "I want to create the time and space to do my own exploration," she wrote in a staff memo. Go to newsletter preferences Thanks for signing up! download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementOpenAI's Chief Technology Officer Mira Murati is leaving the company — the latest in a string of high-profile departures from the leading AI company.

Persons: Mira Murati, Sam Altman, —, Murati Organizations: Service, Business Locations: OpenAI

☆ Sam Altman says doing psychedelics during a weekend retreat in Mexico changed his life
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-24 | by ( Ana Altchek | ) 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. Read previewSam Altman, the tech CEO behind ChatGPT, is also a big supporter of psychedelics. OpenAI cofounder shared some personal anecdotes in a recent appearance on the podcast "Life in Seven Songs," saying that doing psychedelics was one of the most transformative experiences of his life. Altman said psychedelic experiences can be "totally incredible," and for him, they've been life-altering. AdvertisementThe CEO didn't specify which psychedelics he used, but he said the experience changed him in a lot of ways.

Persons: —, Sam Altman, Altman, they've, Colab, Elon Musk, Steve Jobs, Peter Thiel, psychedelics, Oregan Organizations: Service, Business, PayPal, YouGov Locations: Mexico, Denver , Colorado, Oakland , California

☆ If you want to take notes like Sam Altman, these are the 2 pens the OpenAI chief swears by
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-24 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Sam Altman says he likes to take notes using pen and paper. Altman says he prefers to use a spiral notebook because he can rip its pages out when needed. The OpenAI chief said he uses pens from Uni-Ball and Muji to jot things down. Go to newsletter preferences Thanks for signing up! AdvertisementOpenAI CEO Sam Altman likes to take notes the old-fashioned way — using pen and paper.

Persons: Sam Altman, Altman, —, David Perell, Perell Organizations: Uni, Service, Business

☆ Sam Altman used to be 'super anti-Burning Man.' Now he's a fan and sees it as how the world could look after AGI
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-24 | by ( Ana Altchek | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman used to be "super anti-Burning Man." Altman said on the podcast he's been to Burning Man five or six times. "Everyone so happy, so engaged, so present that I was like, 'OK, I was wrong to be so negative on Burning Man.'" A photo of Burning Man attendees on the playa of Black Rock City. "This is one possible, like, part of what the post-AGI world can look like," Altman said on the podcast.

Persons: Sam Altman, Altman, he's, Aly Weisman Altman, we'll, everyone's, — Organizations: Service, Business, bros, Black Rock City . Business Locations: Nevada's, Black Rock

☆ Intel matters to US chipmaking. Its tangled relationship with China makes things complicated.
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-24 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

As things stand, Intel is the only US chip firm with plants, known as fabs, that are capable of making advanced semiconductors. TSMC is set to open a fab in Arizona next year, while reports suggest Sam Altman is seeking to raise funds to create chip manufacturing plants. Intel's customers in China include Alibaba and TikTok parent company ByteDance, which have been subject to scrutiny from the US government. "Intel's ties to key businesses in China are typical for a high-tech firm," he said. As Intel and the US consider plans to increase manufacturing capacity at home, the company's China ties will loom large in the global chip race.

Persons: —, Joe Biden, Biden, Forrester's, Alvin Nguyen, HWA CHENG, Sam Altman, Pat Gelsinger, Gelsinger, Forrester's Nguyen, it's, Stacy Rasgon, Bernstein, Rasgon Organizations: Service, Intel, Business, Qualcomm, Street Journal, Bloomberg, China Intel, HWA, Getty, Nvidia, AMD, New York Times, The Times, South Korea's SK Hynix, Intel Capital, Financial, Financial Times, Yahoo Locations: chipmaking, Washington, Intel's Arizona, China, AFP, Taiwan, Arizona , New Mexico, Oregon, Arizona, Chengdu, Dalian, South, Beijing

☆ Meta's chatbot could soon sound like John Cena or Judi Dench — but definitely not OpenAI's Scarlett Johansson soundalike
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-24 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Meta will use actors including John Cena and Judi Dench to voice its AI chatbot, Reuters reported. The tech giant appears to be avoiding the mistake OpenAI made with its ChatGPT celebrity soundalike. OpenAI launched an AI chatbot that sounded like Scarlett Johansson — but she didn't voice it. Go to newsletter preferences Thanks for signing up! download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy .

Persons: John Cena, Judi Dench, OpenAI, Scarlett Johansson —, —, Kristen Bell, Keegan, Michael Key, Sam Altman Organizations: Reuters, Service, Connect, Business

☆ Sam Altman says his private home office includes a prehistoric piece of technology
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-24 | by ( Jaures Yip | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's home office holds collections of objects "from the history of technology"Altman's personal objects include a hand ax, one of the earliest tools in human history. Go to newsletter preferences Thanks for signing up! download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementWhile OpenAI might be focused on the future of technology with artificial intelligence, CEO Sam Altman's home is a love letter to the past. In an episode of the "Life in Seven Songs" podcast, Altman said that he stores collections of personal objects "from the history of technology" in his private home office.

Persons: Sam Altman's, Altman, — Organizations: Service, Business Locations: San Francisco

☆ More than 400 economists, former White House advisors endorse Harris, warn against Trump policy agenda
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-24 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Democratic presidential nominee and Vice President Kamala Harris speaks to members of the media upon her arrival at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Sept. 22, 2024. More than 400 economists and former White House policy advisors announced their support for Vice President Kamala Harris over former President Donald Trump in an open letter Tuesday. "It is a choice between inequity, economic injustice, and uncertainty with Donald Trump or prosperity, opportunity, and stability with Kamala Harris." Some on the list, such as Biden's former National Economic Council Director Brian Deese, have already been advising the Harris campaign behind closed doors. Sean O'Keefe was deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget in former President George W. Bush's White House.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Jason Furman, Roger Altman, Clinton, Penny Pritzker, Obama, Alan Blinder, Brian Deese, Harris, Sean O'Keefe, George W, Bush's, Phillip Braun, Ronald Reagan's Organizations: Democratic, Base Andrews, White, Republicans, Harvard, of Economic, Obama, Federal Reserve, Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Financial, Bureau, CNN, Economic, Republican, Management, Economic Advisers Locations: Maryland, U.S

☆ OpenAI just launched advanced voice mode for audio chats with ChatGPT. Here's how to use it
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-24 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

OpenAI said Tuesday that its popular chatbot now has an advanced voice feature for people who pay for the premium service. Legal counsel working on behalf of Johansson sent OpenAI letters claiming the company didn't have the right to use the near-identical voice, and OpenAI paused using it in its products, CNBC reported. OpenAI got a head start in the generative AI chatbot market, when it launched ChatGPT in late 2022. The advanced mode is only available to those with subscriptions to OpenAI's Plus, Team or Enterprise plans. The most affordable option is the Plus tier at $20 per month.

Persons: ChatGPT, OpenAI, it's, Scarlett Johansson, Johansson, Sam Altman, OpenAI's, It's Organizations: OpenAI, CNBC, Microsoft, Google, Reuters, Meta, Facebook, Enterprise Locations: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland

☆ Economic conditions are 'nearly perfect' and the Fed has engineered a 'miraculous' achievement, Evercore founder says
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-23 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

In a Monday-morning appearance on CNBC, Evercore founder Roger Altman praised the Fed for delivering "nearly perfect" economic conditions, citing strength in equities, profits, and employment. Only inflation — which still hovers above the Fed's 2% target rate — is holding off an official soft landing declaration, he said. AdvertisementAlthough there are some concerns rate cuts will reignite inflation, Altman is expecting to see a slowdown this week when new consumption-expenditures data is released. Related stories"I think what essentially happened was that the Fed saw the path on inflation steadily downward as more certain than the path on labor markets, a little more uncertainty about labor markets," Altman said. "So it took a stronger step to fortify labor markets, and went for 50."

Persons: —, Roger Altman, Powell, Altman, Larry Summers Organizations: Service, CNBC, Business, Fed

☆ Former Apple exec Jony Ive partners with OpenAI's Sam Altman to develop an AI-powered device
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-23 | 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 EmailFormer Apple exec Jony Ive partners with OpenAI's Sam Altman to develop an AI-powered deviceCNBC’s Deirdre Bosa joins 'The Exchange' to report on Jony Ive and Sam Altman teaming up for a new AI device project.

Persons: OpenAI's Sam Altman, Deirdre Bosa, Sam Altman Organizations: Former Apple

☆ Evercore's Roger Altman on the economy: A nearly perfect overall environment
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-23 | 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 EmailEvercore's Roger Altman on the economy: A nearly perfect overall environmentRoger Altman, Evercore founder and senior chairman, joins 'Squawk Box' to discuss the Fed's interest rate decision, state of the economy, whether a soft landing has been achieved, impact of 2024 election on the markets, and more.

Persons: Roger Altman Organizations: Evercore

☆ Vinod Khosla says universal basic income may be needed as AI takes over jobs and drives wealth disparity
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-23 | by ( Tim Paradis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewFamed Silicon Valley investor Vinod Khosla thinks artificial intelligence will be able to do 80% of the work of 80% of jobs. He understands concerns over the idea of handing out cash to people who are pushed out of jobs by AI. Khosla wrote that it might seem "impractical" because of economic constraints. Related storiesYet Khosla expects the breadth of gains from AI will gradually reduce the economic constraints that animate some criticisms of UBI. Yet interventions are needed to help those hurt by broadening income disparities, Khosla said.

Persons: —, Vinod Khosla, Khosla, Elon, Sam Altman, Pope Francis, haven't Organizations: Service, Sun Microsystems, Business Locations: OpenAI, Argentina, Venezuela

☆ Sam Altman is joining forces with design guru Jony Ive and Steve Jobs' widow to build a new AI device company
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-23 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewOpenAI CEO Sam Altman is working on a new AI device startup with former Apple design chief Jony Ive and Laurene Powell Jobs, the widow of the late Apple founder Steve Jobs. Marc Newson, who cofounded LoveFrom with Ive, told The Times that they were still figuring out the product and its release date. Advertisement"I'm interested in this topic, I think it is possible," Altman told The Journal's tech columnist Joanna Stern at the event. Notably, Altman told Stern in October 2023 that he didn't think AI devices would eclipse smartphones. Related storiesFormer Apple employees Imran Chaudhri and Bethany Bongiorno cofounded their own AI startup, Humane in 2019 and launched their first product, the Ai Pin in November.

Persons: —, Sam Altman, Jony, Laurene Powell Jobs, Steve Jobs, Brian Chesky, Altman, Airbnb, Emerson, Powell Jobs, Marc Newson, Joanna Stern, Stern, Imran Chaudhri, Bethany Bongiorno, Zoz Organizations: Service, Apple, The, The New York Times, The Times, Business, Apple Watch, Times, Bloomberg, Humane, Emerson, Business Insider Locations: OpenAI

Search resuls for: "altman"

25 mentions found