DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

[1/3] Artificial Intelligence words are seen in this illustration taken March 31, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File PhotoWASHINGTON, June 7 (Reuters) - Britain will host a global summit on artificial intelligence safety later this year and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and U.S. President Joe Biden will discuss the technology at their Thursday meeting, the UK government said. That includes China, where the government is seeking to initiate artificial intelligence regulations, according to billionaire Elon Musk who met officials during his recent trip to China. Sunak is on a trip to the United States and will meet Biden at the White House on Thursday. Reporting by Kanishka Singh and Andrea Shalal in Washington; editing by Deepa Babington and Stephen CoatesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Rishi Sunak, Joe Biden, Biden, Sunak, Elon Musk, Kanishka Singh, Andrea Shalal, Deepa Babington, Stephen Coates Organizations: REUTERS, WASHINGTON, Palantir Technologies, Regulators, White, Thomson Locations: Britain, British, China, United States, Washington

☆ Elon Musk says he learned China will initiate AI regulations
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON, June 5 (Reuters) - The Chinese government will seek artificial intelligence regulations in its country, billionaire Elon Musk said on Monday, saying he learned about that from his conversations with officials during his recent trip to China. Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Leslie AdlerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Elon Musk, Kanishka Singh, Leslie Adler Organizations: Thomson Locations: China, Washington

☆ Twitter's head of trust and safety says she has resigned
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Sheila Dang | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

June 1 (Reuters) - Twitter's head of trust and safety, Ella Irwin, told Reuters on Thursday that she has resigned from the social media company, which has faced criticism for lax protections against harmful content since billionaire Elon Musk acquired it in October. Irwin, who joined Twitter in June 2022, took over as head of the trust and safety team in November when previous head Yoel Roth resigned. Irwin's departure comes as the platform has struggled to retain advertisers, with brands wary of appearing next to unsuitable content. Musk announced earlier this month that he hired Linda Yaccarino, former NBCUniversal advertising chief, to become Twitter's new CEO. Reporting by Sheila Dang in Dallas; Editing by Shri Navaratnam, Leslie Adler and Edmund KlamannOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ella Irwin, Elon Musk, Irwin, Yoel Roth, Musk, Linda Yaccarino, Fortune, Thierry Breton, Twitter, Sheila Dang, Shri Navaratnam, Leslie Adler, Edmund Klamann Organizations: Reuters, Twitter, European Union, Thomson Locations: Dallas

WASHINGTON, June 1 (Reuters) - SpaceX's Starlink, the satellite communications service started by billionaire Elon Musk, now has a Department of Defense contract to buy those satellite services for Ukraine, the Pentagon said on Thursday. "We continue to work with a range of global partners to ensure Ukraine has the resilient satellite and communication capabilities they need. Satellite communications constitute a vital layer in Ukraine's overall communications network and the department contracts with Starlink for services of this type," the Pentagon said in a statement. The Pentagon contract is a boon for SpaceX after Musk, the company's CEO, said in October it could not afford to indefinitely fund Starlink in Ukraine, an effort he said cost $20 million a month to maintain. Russia has tried to cut off and jam internet services in Ukraine, including attempts to block Starlink in the region, though SpaceX has countered those attacks by hardening the service's software.

Persons: Starlink, Elon Musk, Mike Stone, Joey Roulette, Franklin Paul, Paul Simao Organizations: Department of Defense, Pentagon, SpaceX, Musk, Bloomberg, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Washington

[1/3] Tesla Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk stands near Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao before leaving the Chinese Ministry of Commerce in Beijing, China May 31, 2023. Billionaire Elon Musk has been showered with praise by the Chinese public during his trip to China and while also securing audiences with three government ministers. "Elon Musk is just great, if only China could have someone like Elon Musk," said another. Musk's unannounced trip is the latest by a major U.S. CEO to China since the country reversed its zero-COVID policy and reopened its borders. The commerce ministry also did not respond to a request for comment.

Persons: Elon Musk, Wang Wentao, Tingshu Wang, Ma, Billionaire Elon Musk, Zeng Yuqun, Jin Zhuanglong, hasn't, Musk, Elon, Tim Cook, JP Morgan's, Jamie Dimon, Laxman Narasimhan, CATL's Zeng, Tesla, CATL, Martin Pollard, Josh Arslan, Wang Tingshu, Joe Cash, Zhang Yan, Brenda Goh, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: Tesla, Commerce, Chinese Ministry of Commerce, REUTERS, Tesla Inc, Fu Yan, Twitter, Shanghai, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Tingshu Wang BEIJING, U.S, Shanghai, United States

☆ Dutch parliament chair calls on Twitter to prevent threatening messages on platform
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

AMSTERDAM, May 31 (Reuters) - The chairwoman of the Dutch parliament on Wednesday called on Twitter to act to stop threats being broadcast on the social media platform against the country's lawmakers. The leader of the Netherlands' anti-Islam Freedom Party, Geert Wilders, has been the frequent target of death threats on Twitter for more than a decade. Musk, a self-proclaimed "free speech absolutist," has said he bought Twitter to prevent the platform from becoming an echo chamber for hate and division. Although she is not a member of parliament, the Netherlands' Finance Minister Sigrid Kaag of the centre-left D-66 Party has also been subjected to online and offline threats. Reporting by Toby Sterling; Editing by Toby ChopraOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Vera Bergkamp, Geert Wilders, Elon Musk, Bergkamp, Sigrid Kaag, Kaag, Toby Sterling, Toby Chopra Organizations: Twitter, . company's Global Affairs, Freedom Party, company's Global Affairs, Netherlands ' Finance, Thomson Locations: AMSTERDAM, Netherlands

☆ Elon Musk said home prices will crater - and it prompted a sharp rebuttal from the CEO of housing giant Redfin
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Elon Musk said this week that home prices will tumble soon, following those of commercial real estate. Redfin's CEO responded, saying the loss of demand for commercial real estate is driving up demand for residential real estate. However, Redfin CEO Glenn Kelman countered his take in a tweet of his own on Tuesday:"But the loss in demand for commercial real estate is what's driving demand for residential real estate. The remote-work boom and waning need for office space has led to many vacant commercial real estate buildings, which Musk's initially referred to. Zillow has said that home prices have already bottomed, while Moody's and Fannie Mae still expect prices to drop further.

Persons: Elon Musk, Glenn Kelman, —, Billionaire Elon Musk, Musk's, Kelman, Zillow, Fannie Mae Organizations: Service, Privacy, Billionaire, Federal

☆ Twitter cannot hide from EU rules after exit from code, EU's Breton says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( Foo Yun Chee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRUSSELS, May 26 (Reuters) - Twitter cannot run away from its obligations even after quitting a voluntary EU code of practice to tackle disinformation, EU industry chief Thierry Breton warned the company late on Friday. Companies which signed up to the code are required to provide regular progress reports with data on how much advertising revenue they had averted from disinformation actors. "Twitter leaves EU voluntary code of practice against disinformation. You can run but you can't hide," Breton said in a tweet. Twitter, which no longer has a public relations department, responded to an emailed request for comment with a poop emoji.

☆ (Analysis) DeSantis' Twitter launch disaster shows Musk's platform isn't ready for prime time
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-25 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

DeSantis had granted Musk his first official 2024 interview, snubbing Murdoch’s Fox News in the process for the prized media appearance. Reporter breaks down how Twitter is seizing Fox News' conservative momentum 01:09 - Source: CNNBut Wednesday’s events proved that to be far from the case, with Musk’s Twitter Spaces event being marred by embarrassing technical glitches. The sound repeatedly cut in and out, ultimately leading to Musk ending the Spaces event and starting a fresh one under Sacks’ account. Once the second Twitter Spaces finally got going, DeSantis, Musk, and Sacks predictably trained their attention on bashing the establishment press. It was something of great irony to listen to: A Twitter Spaces event centered on attacking legacy media while simultaneously failing horribly at replicating what legacy media outlets do on a daily basis.

☆ Photo shows the moment lighting struck the launchpad as SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket was preparing for liftoff
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

SpaceX captured the moment a rocket on its launchpad was struck by lightning. The Falcon Heavy launch had been delayed due to adverse weather. The rocket's lighting protection mast deflected the bolt and the rocket survived the blast unscathed. A SpaceX Falcon Heavy launching on a previous mission. SpaceX, which is run by billionaire Elon Musk, attempted to launch an even more powerful rocket, its Starship mega-rocket, on April 20.

"Twitter Blue is a mess. Within the next 48 hours, all but 110 of the most-followed Twitter accounts suddenly had verification through Twitter Blue, indicating Twitter likely gifted the check marks, independent researcher Travis Brown told Reuters. GRADUAL PULLBACKSince the initial rollout of the Twitter Blue service in November, imposter tweets have spread harmful misinformation. Imposter Twitter accounts also tarnished the online reputations of Lockheed Martin Corp(LMT.N) and Nintendo Co Ltd(7974.T). "The volume of imposter accounts seems to depend on several things -- Is the client doing a high profile event that week?

☆ Meet the typical private jet owner: 'Overwhelmingly male,' over 50, with a net worth of $190 million
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Hannah Towey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Private jet use has become more popular than ever. Members of the "jet-owning oligarchy" have a median net worth of $190 million, a new report says. The typical private jet owner is a North American male over 50 who works in finance or real estate. The report describes typical private jet owners as "overwhelmingly male," North American, and over the age of 50. Full private jet owners have a median net worth of $190 million while fractional jet owners have a median net worth of $140 million, the report says, citing data from Credit Suisse and Wealth-X.

☆ Twitter says removed more content in first half of 2022 than in previous six months
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Sheila Dang | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 25 (Reuters) - Twitter on Tuesday said it required users to take down over 6.5 million pieces of content in the first half of 2022, before the social media platform was taken over by billionaire Elon Musk, a 29% increase from the second half of 2021. Publishing transparency reports is one of the requirements under the EU's new internet rules. The company said it received 53,000 legal requests from governments during the first half of 2022 to remove certain content, with Japan, South Korea, Turkey and India submitting the most requests. Twitter did not disclose the number of requests it complied with. Reporting by Sheila Dang in Dallas Editing by Chris ReeseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Meta is one of the most brutal tech job-choppers so far, axing about a quarter of employees
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Jyoti Mann | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The major tech firms are conducting ongoing, brutal layoffs. We crunched the numbers to see which major tech firms have reduced their headcount the most. According to Insider analysis, Meta follows after announcing cuts that amount to almost a quarter of its workforce, which was around 87,000 staff in 2022. Our analysis doesn't include the third round of Meta job cuts which began this week, reportedly numbering in the thousands. A recent Insider analysis shows that revenue per employee dropped at many of the major tech firms now chopping jobs.

☆ Elon Musk is paying for a few of his favorite celebrities to stay on Twitter Blue, even after they dissed the new blue checks
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Elon Musk said he's personally paying for several top celebrities' Twitter Blue subscriptions. Billionaire Elon Musk says he's personally paying for several well-known figures to stay on Twitter Blue after they refused to fork up $8 for a monthly subscription. "My Twitter account says I've subscribed to Twitter Blue. James received an email from Twitter offering free verification "on behalf of Elon Musk," the outlet reported. Musk on Wednesday responded to the online discussion of celebrities receiving free verification, saying he is "paying for a few personally" to keep their Twitter Blue subscriptions.

☆ Snap says Snapchat+ has 3 million paid subscribers
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Sheila Dang | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 19 (Reuters) - Snap Inc (SNAP.N) on Wednesday said its subscription service Snapchat+ now has 3 million users, as the tech company aims to diversify its business. The number of subscribers for Snapchat+ indicates the company is seeing success at a time when social media platforms are increasingly seeking to charge users for certain features. Snap's subscription service allows users to gain early access to new features. In February, Snap introduced a generative artificial intelligence chatbot called My AI, which can produce written responses to queries, rolling it out first to Snapchat+ subscribers. Last month, Snap launched an enterprise division to help other companies build AR experiences for their own apps and websites.

☆ Elon Musk and Tucker Carlson discussed the urge to have sex, with Musk claiming 'birth control and abortions' could cause civilization to collapse
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

They discussed sex, population decline, and civilization collapse. During the discussion, Musk claimed that the human urge to procreate had been "subverted," leading to population decline. I mean, the urge to have sex and to procreate is – after breathing and eating – the most basic urge. But once you have birth control and abortions and whatnot, now you can still satisfy limbic instinct, but not procreate," Musk replied. Musk has long claimed that population decline poses a grave threat to civilization, tweeting in 2022 that "population collapse due to low birth rates is a much bigger risk to civilization than global warming."

☆ Morning Bid: Global pulse picks up, rates creep higher again
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

A look at the day ahead in U.S. and global markets from Mike DolanWith investors largely assuming recession ahead, an accelerating global economic pulse challenges the narrative and is seeing interest rates tick back higher again as the March banking wobble subsides. With March starts and permits numbers out later, there was also signs of a troughing in the U.S. housing market. Confidence among U.S. single-family homebuilders improved for a fourth straight month in April as a dearth of previously owned homes and falling mortgage rates boosted demand. Wall St futures were higher again on Tuesday, with European bourses and most Asia indices advancing too. With euro zone and UK rate expectations pushing higher too, the dollar slipped back again against the euro and sterling .

Reuters GraphicsTesla finance chief Zachary Kirkhorn promised in January that margins would not fall below 20% and an average selling price of $47,000 across models. Even as consumers have dialed down non-essential spending over fears of a possible recession, pressuring the EV market, Tesla's rivals such as Ford Motor Co (F.N) have stepped up competition at home. Meanwhile in China, Tesla's second-largest market, the company is playing catch up with BYD Co (002594.SZ). "It's probable that Tesla's margins will be preserved based on the reduction in commodity costs," said George Gianarikas, analyst at Canaccord Genuity. Tesla is targeting deliveries of 1.8 million vehicles this year, though Musk said in January the automaker could hand out 2 million vehicles if circumstances are favorable.

April 17 (Reuters) - Tesla Inc's (TSLA.O) first-quarter margins are anticipated to have hit a more than three-year low as the electric-vehicle maker slashed prices to lure more buyers in the face of rising competition and a weak economy. Reuters GraphicsFinance chief Zachary Kirkhorn promised in January that Tesla would not go below margins of 20% and an average selling price of $47,000 across models. The company on Friday slashed prices in Europe, Israel and Singapore. "It's probable that Tesla's margins will be preserved based on the reduction in commodity costs," said George Gianarikas, analyst at Canaccord Genuity. Tesla is targeting deliveries of 1.8 million vehicles this year, though Musk said in January the automaker could hand out 2 million vehicles if circumstances are favorable.

☆ EU lawmakers call for a new set of rules for A.I. tools such as ChatGPT
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A group of a dozen lawmakers for the European Union called for a new set of rules to regulate a larger swath of artificial intelligence tools, beyond those identified as explicitly high risk under the region's proposed AI Act. The letter comes after a group of prominent AI experts called for Europe to make its AI rules more expansive, arguing that excluding general purpose AI, or GPAI, would miss the mark. "We are nevertheless in agreement with the letter's core message: with the rapid evolution of powerful AI, we see the need for significant political attention." They pledged to provide a set of rules within the AI Act framework to steer AI development in a "human-centric, safe, and trustworthy" way. The lawmakers said both democratic and non-democratic countries should be called on "to exercise restraint and responsibility in their pursuit of very powerful artificial intelligence."

☆ Elon Musk plans AI startup to rival OpenAI - FT
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

April 14 (Reuters) - Billionaire Elon Musk is working on launching an artificial intelligence start-up that will rival ChatGPT-maker OpenAI, the Financial Times reported on Friday citing people familiar with his plans. Twitter-owner Musk is assembling a team of AI researchers and engineers, according to the FT report, and is also in discussions with some investors in SpaceX and Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) about putting money into his new venture. Meanwhile, has launched an effort to establish rules on AI technologies to address national security and education concerns. Musk has secured thousands of graphic processor units, systems that power high-powered computing required for tasks such as AI and high-end graphics, the Business Insider reported earlier this week. Musk is one of the co-founders of OpenAI, which was started as a non-profit organization in 2015.

☆ House Judiciary Committee subpoenas FTC for Twitter-related documents
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Ranking member Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, right, attends the House Judiciary Committee hearing titled Revoking Your Rights: The Ongoing Crisis in Abortion Care Access, in Rayburn Building, on Wednesday, May 18, 2022. A Republican-led House committee said Wednesday it subpoenaed the Federal Trade Commission for documents related to the agency's inquiry into Twitter. The subpoena comes after the House Judiciary Committee asked the FTC to hand over the information voluntarily last month. An FTC spokesperson said the agency had offered to brief congressional staff on its inquiry but that they hadn't yet taken the FTC up on that offer. "The FTC respects the important role of Congressional oversight," FTC spokesperson Douglas Farrar said in a statement.

☆ Bob Lee: Moments following stabbing of Cash App founder captured on video, local news site reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Taylor Romine | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The moments following the San Francisco stabbing attack of Cash App founder Bob Lee were captured on surveillance video and in a 911 call to authorities, according to a local Bay Area news portal. The driver of the Toyota pulls the car away and Lee collapses to the ground. Lee manages to get up and walk a bit further before he collapses in front of an apartment building. “No one who commits a violent crime, or who’s a repeat offender are receiving overly lenient plea deals.”Her comments appear to be in response to Twitter’s new owner, billionaire Elon Musk. In total, there were 56 homicides in San Francisco in 2022, the same as in 2021.

☆ Germany starts fine proceedings against Twitter over user complaints
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, April 4 (Reuters) - Germany's federal office of justice has started proceedings to fine Twitter (TWTR.MX), accusing the social media company of mishandling user complaints over "illegal" content, a statement said on Tuesday. Several instances of content published on Twitter were reported to the office, "which the authority considers illegal and, despite user complaints, was not deleted or blocked by the provider within the legally stipulated periods," the statement said. The German authority did not specify which examples of illegal content it was referring to, or the size of a possible fine. In December, a senior German official called for the company to be put under direct supervision of the European Commission. Reporting by Rachel More; writing by Matthias Williams; editing by Friederike Heine and Miranda MurrayOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Search resuls for: "Billionaire Elon Musk"

25 mentions found