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☆ Billionaire hedge fund boss Ken Griffin says remote working makes it easier for companies to fire people
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Tom Carter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ken Griffin said that remote working was weakening the "social contract" of companies. Major US firms are pushing back against remote working and telling workers to return to the office. AdvertisementKen Griffin has warned that working from home will make it easier for companies to fire people. Griffin also warned that remote working was having a negative impact on corporate culture, pointing to the stories of so-called "Zoom firings" that became notorious during the pandemic. "We have all read about companies that are firing thousands of people on Zoom calls," Griffin said.

Persons: Ken Griffin, —, Griffin, Vishal Garg, Garg, Jane Organizations: Citadel, Bloomberg, Major, Service, Meta, TechCrunch Locations: America

☆ WeWork was doomed to fail by taking on huge buildings, rival says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-12 | by ( Tom Carter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

WeWork was famous for huge coworking spaces with amenities like climbing walls and swimming pools. AdvertisementAdvertisementBut the "really enormous WeWork spaces, the 300,000 to 400,000 square foot WeWorks, those are simply too large," for other companies to take on. "Lots of companies, WeWork included, made decisions that spiked revenue in the short run, but probably weren't prudent in the long run," he added. AdvertisementAdvertisementLuxurious coworking spaces may be a thing of the pastHuge coworking spaces filled with yoga rooms, beer taps, and swimming pools were the hallmark of WeWork's operation at its height. AdvertisementAdvertisementHodari told Insider that Industrious, which has over 165 coworking locations across the globe, would probably end up taking over a number of WeWork sites.

Persons: WeWork, Jamie Hodari, —, Hodari, Briggs Elwell, Adam, Neumann, Elwell Organizations: Service, RLTY

☆ Cruise's recall means trouble for driverless car companies
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-11 | by ( Tom Carter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Cruise recalled its entire driverless car fleet after they were banned in California following a fatality. Now other driverless car companies are facing questions over the safety of their vehicles. AdvertisementAdvertisementCruise's robotaxi rollout in San Francisco has turned into a fiasco , with the driverless car firm facing growing questions over just how safe its vehicles really are . A self-driving Waymo car in San Francisco. AdvertisementAdvertisementCruise's recall has sparked renewed scrutiny of the decision to allow the driverless car company and its rival Waymo to operate their robotaxi services in San Francisco 24/7 .

Persons: Cruise, —, Pete Buttigieg, Sen, David Cortese, Gavin Jackson, Jackson, Waymo Organizations: Service, Google, Getty Locations: California, San Francisco, Phoenix, Austin, Los Angeles

☆ Microsoft temporarily blocked staff from using ChatGPT over security concerns, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Tom Carter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Microsoft temporarily blocked employees from using ChatGPT on Thursday, CNBC reported. Staff were warned OpenAI's chatbot is an "external service" that posed privacy and security risks. AdvertisementAdvertisementMicrosoft temporarily blocked its employees from using ChatGPT, according to CNBC reported . Several big tech companies, including Amazon and Apple , have issued bans on using ChatGPT internally over fears that using it could lead to leaks of confidential data. Microsoft and OpenAI did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Insider, made outside normal working hours.

Persons: OpenAI's chatbot, —, chatbot, it's, ChatGPT, Sam Altman, OpenAI, Altman Organizations: Microsoft, CNBC, Staff, Service, Amazon, Apple Locations: OpenAI

☆ Amazon Prime members just got cheaper healthcare
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Tom Carter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Amazon has announced that Prime subscribers will get $100 off membership of its healthcare service. AdvertisementAdvertisementAmazon has rolled out a new perk for Prime members: cheaper healthcare. The company has announced that customers who pay for Amazon Prime will now be able to get $100 off access to its One Medical healthcare service. Membership of One Medical, which usually costs $199 annually, will be available to Prime members for $99 a year. The new benefits, which started on Wednesday, allow Prime members to access 24/7 virtual care with One Medical.

Persons: —, Amazon, Andy Jassy Organizations: Amazon, Service, Amazon Prime, Healthcare

☆ Amazon is reportedly racing to build an AI model called Olympus to take on ChatGPT and Bard
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Tom Carter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Amazon is working on a new AI model that could challenge the likes of ChatGPT and Bard. The new model, which is codenamed "Olympus," is reportedly twice the size of OpenAI's GPT-4. Amazon is doubling down on AI, investing $4 billion in Anthropic and unveiling an AI-powered Alexa. AdvertisementAdvertisementAmazon is building a new AI model codenamed "Olympus" as it seeks to catch up with rivals OpenAI and Google. Amazon reportedly delayed the launch of another AI model Titan, last yea r due to technical issues and the launch of ChatGPT, which executives felt was far superior to Amazon's offering.

Persons: ChatGPT, Bard, —, Andy Jassy Organizations: Service, OpenAI, Google, Reuters, Amazon, Alexa Locations: Anthropic

☆ Cruise reportedly knew its robotaxis struggled to detect children and large holes but kept operating anyway
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Kylie Kirschner | Tom Carter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Cruise's driverless cars have reportedly had issues detecting children and large holes on roads. California revoked Cruise's robotaxi permits, and its service in the US has since been suspended. According to internal materials reviewed by The Intercept, Cruise knew about certain safety issues while its fleet of robotaxis was in operation. Cruise has maintained that its driverless vehicles are safe. We have the lowest risk tolerance for incidents with children and treat them with the highest safety priority," Cruise told Insider.

Persons: —, Cruise Organizations: Intercept, Cruise's, Service, The Intercept, Cruise, California Department of Motor Vehicles, Forbes Locations: California, San Francisco, robotaxis

☆ Adam Neumann, the WeWork founder who became a business school case study in failed management, is 'disappointed' about its bankruptcy
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Tom Carter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

WeWork founder Adam Neumann has spoken out about the company's bankruptcy. He said he was "disappointed" and that it was hard to watch WeWork's collapse from the sidelines. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdam Neumann says it is "challenging" for him to watch WeWork go bankrupt. The tech entrepreneur had faced significant scrutiny over WeWork's business model and his perceived conflicts of interest, which would later become the subject of a Harvard Business School case study.

Persons: Adam Neumann, Neumann, —, WeWork, WeWork's, Andreessen Horowitz Organizations: Service, Harvard Business School, Company, New York Times Locations: Wavegarden, WeWork

☆ Tesla may finally be about to produce a truly affordable electric car
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Tom Carter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Tesla could build a new car that will sell for nearly $27,000, per Reuters. It could be a boost for the EV transition, which has been hampered by a lack of affordable options. AdvertisementAdvertisementTesla is planning to build a 25,000 euro ($27,000) electric car at its Berlin Gigafactory, according to a report from Reuters citing an unnamed source. Tesla CEO Elon Musk reportedly told staff about the plans during a visit to the factory on Friday. AdvertisementAdvertisementCurrently, the cheapest vehicle Tesla sells is the $38,990 Model 3, which was briefly available for $35,000 in 2019.

Persons: Tesla, —, Elon Musk, Kelley, Musk Organizations: Reuters, Service, Tesla, Ford, GM, EV Locations: Berlin

☆ Elon Musk's new AI chatbot sure sounds like a foul-mouthed Twitter troll
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Tom Carter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Elon Musk's artificial intelligence startup xAI released its first model, named Grok, on Saturday. AdvertisementAdvertisementElon Musk's new AI chatbot launched on Saturday — and it appears to have the personality of a foul-mouthed Twitter troll. Musk's startup xAI released its first AI model , Grok, over the weekend to a select group of users. AdvertisementAdvertisementGrok's trolling marks a departure from other AI models, which mostly adopt a carefully neutral tone and have tight controls around explicit content. He said the AI chatbot would be made available to all X Premium users once it is out of its early Beta.

Persons: XAI, —, Elon, chatbot, Grok, Christopher Stanley, Stanley, Claude, Toby Pohlen, Microsoft's Tay, Musk Organizations: Elon, Service, X Locations: OpenAI

☆ This $13,000 microcar is outselling Teslas in Japan. Here's what drivers love about it.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-05 | by ( Tom Carter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Drivers told Insider the tiny car is a "blast" to drive and perfect for driving in busy cities. AdvertisementAdvertisementJapan's best-selling EV is a tiny car that sells for just $13,000 — and drivers have told Insider exactly what they like best about it. "A smaller electric car is more sustainable and suits a lot of people's actual driving needs. I think that's at least partly why bigger electric cars, like Teslas, are not so popular here," he added. "I think Japanese automakers underestimated the appeal of electric cars here for a long time," he said.

Persons: Nissan Sakura, —, Sakura, Nissan, Michael Brown, Brown, Michael, RICHARD A, BROOKS, Tesla Organizations: Nissan, Drivers, EV, Service, Bloomberg, Mitsubishi, Reddit, Toyota, Honda, Suzuki Locations: Japan, Higashimurayama City, Tokyo

☆ Elon Musk says Starlink is now breaking even — and accounts for a 'majority' of active satellites
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Tom Carter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Elon Musk said Starlink's now breaking even and now accounts for the "majority" of satellites in orbit. Excited to announce that @SpaceX @Starlink has achieved breakeven cash flow! Starlink is also now a majority of all active satellites and will have launched a a majority of all satellites cumulatively from Earth by next year. At the time, Starlink was losing money hand over fist, with Musk saying the main goal was "not to go bankrupt" in 2021. According to Walter Isaccson's biography of Musk, the SpaceX CEO was not comfortable with Starlink's use in armed conflict.

Persons: Elon Musk, Starlink's, —, Elon, Starlink, Musk, @Starlink, — Elon, Walter Isaccson's Organizations: SpaceX, Service, Netflix Locations: Ukraine, Crimea, Gaza

☆ Ford buys EV charging startup in bid to help rescue its electric dreams
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Tom Carter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ford has bought an electric charging startup called AMP, TechCrunch reported. AdvertisementAdvertisementFord is buying an electric charging startup as it tries to reinvigorate its flagging EV push. The auto giant is purchasing Auto Motive Power (AMP), an electric charging startup that makes battery management software, as it seeks to overhaul its charging technology and reduce the cost of its electric vehicles. A Ford representative told TechCrunch that the deal aimed to accelerate its efforts to encourage EV adoption and improve its charging technology. Other car makers have taken a similarly cautious approach to electric vehicles in recent months, with several ditching ambitious targets amid slowing demand.

Persons: —, Ford, it's, Bill Ford, Harald Wilhelm, Elon, carmaker Organizations: Ford, TechCrunch, Service, Auto Motive, The New York Times, Benz, EV, GM, Subaru Locations: California, Kentucky

☆ WeWork's inevitable retreat is here
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Tom Carter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . It comes after the company warned that there was "substantial doubt" about its ability to stay in business back in August. A company that planned to 'change the world'Once the US's most valuable tech startup , WeWork has seen a dramatic fall from grace. Years later, WeWork's financial woes could have dire consequences for commercial real estate.

Persons: WeWork, —, Masayoshi, Adam Neumann, Stijn Van Nieuwerburgh, Neumann Organizations: Service, Beam, BBC, Street Journal, Reuters, Softbank, Columbia Business School Locations: London, Central London, Valley, WeWork

☆ Elon Musk is coming to the UK's big AI safety party. Some people actually building AI say they got frozen out.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Tom Carter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The UK's AI summit is underway. Some AI experts and startups say they've been frozen out in favor of bigger tech companies. They warn that the "closed door" event risks ensuring that AI is dominated by select companies. The UK's AI summit aims to bring together AI experts, tech bosses, and world leaders to discuss the risks of AI and find ways to regulate the new technology. "It is far from certain whether the AI summit will have any lasting impact," Ekaterina Almasque, a general partner at European venture capital firm OpenOcean, which invests in AI, told Insider.

Persons: Elon Musk, Sam Altman, —, OpenAI's Sam Altman, Brad Smith, Kamala Harris, Iris Ai, Victor Botev, Yann LeCun, Rishi Sunak, Ekaterina Almasque, Almasque, Goldman Sachs Organizations: Service, OpenAI's, Microsoft, Twitter, UK, Big Tech, UK government's Department for Science, Innovation, Technology, UK's Trades Union Congress, American Federation of Labor, Industrial Organizations, Summit Locations: OpenOcean

☆ A mystery company backed by Silicon Valley elites is buying up land to build a new city. Farmers say they've been pressured to sell up.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Tom Carter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

New filings accuse the company backed by Marc Andreessen and Reid Hoffman of forcing farmers to sell up. Solano County farmers say Flannery Associates targeted them with pressure tactics and litigation. The company has bought up 52,000 acres outside San Francisco to build a utopian city. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe company that wants to create an entirely new city in California, and that's backed by Silicon Valley billionaires, has been accused of coercing farmers into selling their land. AdvertisementAdvertisementCalifornia Forever, the parent company behind Flannery Associates, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider, sent outside normal working hours.

Persons: Marc Andreessen, Reid Hoffman, Flannery, —, John Garamendi, Jan Sramek, Mark Friedman, Princess Washington Organizations: Service, Silicon, Bloomberg, California, KQED, New York Times, Flannery Associates Locations: Solano, San Francisco, California, Solano County, Sacramento, Princess, Suisun City

☆ 'It's not that Huawei is superior, it's that Apple is inferior': What the Chinese internet is saying about the iPhone 15
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | Tom Carter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

People in China just aren't that enamored with Apple's iPhone 15. Apple faces stiff local competition from Chinese rival Huawei, which launched its Mate 60 Pro smartphone weeks before the iPhone 15.launched its Mate 60 Pro smartphone weeks before the iPhone 15. As of press time, posts discussing the iPhone 15 have drawn over 100 million views on Weibo, China's version of X. If it were you, would you upgrade to the iPhone 15 just to get USB C charging?" Apple launched the iPhone 15 at its "Wonderlust" event in September.

Persons: — Organizations: Apple, Huawei, Weibo, Service, Bloomberg, Xiaomi Locations: China, Weibo, Hong Kong

☆ Humans could become 'part AI' to keep up with superintelligent machines, OpenAI's chief scientist says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Tom Carter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

But he told MIT Technology Review that he wasn't sure whether he would choose to become "part AI." Elon Musk has said Neuralink will help people merge with AI — but it is unclear if it's possible. AdvertisementAdvertisementOpenAI's chief scientist has said that people may choose to become "part AI" in the future to compete with superintelligent machines. AdvertisementAdvertisementSutskever is currently working on OpenAI's "superalignment" project , which aims to build fail-safes that will prevent superintelligent AI from going rogue. Despite this, Sutskever told MIT Tech Review that he was unsure whether he would ever choose to merge with AI, should it become possible.

Persons: Ilya Sutskever, Elon Musk, —, he's, –, Sutskever, OpenAI Organizations: MIT Technology, Service, MIT Tech Review Locations: —

☆ We didn't think ChatGPT was very good when we released it, OpenAI's chief scientist says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Tom Carter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

OpenAI's chief scientist told MIT Technology Review that he initially thought ChatGPT wasn't very good. AdvertisementAdvertisementOpenAI's chief scientist admitted that he didn't think ChatGPT was very good before its record-breaking launch. Ilya Sutskever, OpenAI's cofounder and chief scientist, told MIT Technology Review that he was initially unimpressed by the chatbot's inability to answer questions accurately, and was taken by surprise by its explosive popularity. "I will admit, to my slight embarrassment … when we made ChatGPT, I didn't know if it was any good," said Sutskever. AdvertisementAdvertisementSutskever told MIT tech review that the true draw of ChatGPT was convenience, not accuracy, comparing the first time people used it to a "spiritual experience."

Persons: ChatGPT, Ilya Sutskever, —, Sutskever, Greg Brockman, Forbes, OpenAI Organizations: MIT Technology, Service, MIT

☆ The iPhone 15 isn't doing well in China
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Tom Carter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The iPhone 15 is not selling as well as its predecessor in China, per data obtained by Bloomberg. AdvertisementAdvertisementApple's China woes look set to continue as new evidence suggests that the iPhone 15 has seen disappointing sales in the world's largest smartphone market. Data provided to Bloomberg by market researcher GfK found that sales of the iPhone 15 were 6% lower than the iPhone 14 over the same period last year, adding to growing evidence that Apple's latest iPhone has failed to impress Chinese consumers. The slumping sales of the iPhone 15 in China come at a bad time for Apple, with the company facing renewed local competition from Huawei. The Chinese phone company launched its Mate 60 Pro smartphone weeks before the iPhone 15, and it has been a monster hit.

Persons: —, GfK, Tim Cook Organizations: Bloomberg, Apple, Huawei, Service, Jefferies Locations: China

☆ These skills could earn you more money and help futureproof your career
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( Tom Carter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Workers with AI skills earn up to 40% more than those without them, new research finds. It comes as companies increasingly aim to hire staff with specialized AI skills. The study, which surveyed 25,000 freelance workers, showed that knowledge of machine learning, open-source AI software, and deep learning salaries were the skills employers valued the most. Speaking at the Google Cloud Next conference in London earlier this month, Unilever chief technology officer Adam Raeburn-Jones said AI skills will be a crucial factor in future hiring decisions. Stephan Pretorius, CTO of advertising agency WPP, said his company was now hiring people with specialist AI skills, and that employers would have to battle to attract young workers with AI expertise.

Persons: —, Fabian Stephany, Adam Raeburn, Jones, Jobseekers, Raeburn, Stephan Pretorius Organizations: Service, Workers, Research, Oxford Internet Institute, University of Copenhagen, Google, Unilever, WPP, Columbia University Locations: London

☆ Ford pauses a $12 billion EV investment, after saying electric vehicles are too expensive
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Tom Carter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ford has postponed $12 billion in spending on EV manufacturing capacity. The company has warned that electric vehicles are too expensive and that demand is slowing. AdvertisementAdvertisementFord has halted billions of dollars in investment in EV manufacturing, warning that customers will not pay a premium for these vehicles. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe company stressed that it is still committed to spending on future EV models, however. "Electric vehicles are expensive," he said.

Persons: Ford, —, John Lawler, Lawler, Toshihiro Mibe, General Motors, Bill Ford Organizations: Service, EV, CNBC, Honda, Bloomberg, General, The New York Times Locations: Kentucky

☆ Apple could use the Vision Pro to treat mental illness, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Tom Carter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Apple is debating using the Vision Pro to diagnose and treat mental illness. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe Vision Pro is Apple's biggest gamble in years — and now, reports suggest the company could be planning to use it to treat mental health illness. Unnamed sources said that the device's advanced eye-tracking cameras and sensors could be used to identify signs of mental health illness. Apple unveiled the Vision Pro , its first mixed-reality headset and first major new product in 8 years, at the same event. The Vision Pro is expected to go on sale next year for $3,499, though Apple has reportedly faced some production issues due to the complexity of the device.

Persons: —, Apple Organizations: Apple, Service, Apple Watch, Vision Pro

☆ Elon Musk celebrates a year of owning X by adding a new feature absolutely no one wants
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Tom Carter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

X just rolled out its audio and video call service. This is the latest in a series of new features introduced since Elon Musk took over the company. AdvertisementAdvertisementElon Musk just launched X's latest feature: the ability to make audio and video calls on the platform. AdvertisementAdvertisementEarly version of video & audio calling on 𝕏 https://t.co/aFI3VujLMh — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 25, 2023The new features have failed to impress some X users, however. For all its new features, X has still struggled to reverse a drop in users following months of chaos on the social media platform.

Persons: It's, Elon Musk, —, lon, ost., witter –, ince Organizations: Elon, Service Locations: lon, usk, ideos

☆ Here's what reportedly led to Cruise robotaxis getting banned in San Francisco
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Tom Carter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Officials have banned Cruise robotaxis in San Francisco, warning they are a risk to public safety. Cruise was banned from operating its robotaxi service in San Francisco on Tuesday, with regulators warning that the controversial autonomous car company's vehicles posed "an unreasonable risk to public safety" following a series of accidents. "I can confirm that Cruise showed the full video to the DMV on October 3rd, and played it multiple times," they said. Cruise has been a controversial presence in San Francisco ever since it received approval to run its robotaxi service 24/7 in the city in August. AdvertisementAdvertisementFollowing the suspension of its driverless permits, Cruise announced that it would pause its driverless car services in San Francisco entirely.

Persons: Cruise, —, didn't Organizations: Service, California Department of Motor Vehicles, DMV, Cruise, CA, NHTSA Locations: San Francisco, California

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