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Astronomer CEO Andy Byron placed on leave after viral Coldplay kiss cam video

PERTH, AUSTRALIA - NOVEMBER 18: Chris Martin of Coldplay performs on stage at Optus Stadium on November 18, 2023 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images) Astronomer, a provider of open-source technologies that was hardly known until this week, said on Friday that CEO Andy Byron has been placed on leave after he was shown on video at a Coldplay concert in an intimate embrace with the company's head of human relations. The company said in an emailed statement that co-founder and pr

AI's biggest impact on your workforce is still to come - 3 ways to avoid getting left behind

Mihaela Rosu/Getty Images If you think AI has already irrevocably changed your role, think again. The full impact of AI on professional responsibilities will be felt in the months and years ahead. That's the opinion of Kirsty Roth, chief operations and technology officer at business information services specialist Thomson Reuters, who reflected on her firm's recently released research into the use of AI in modern enterprises. Also: Most AI projects are abandoned - 5 ways to ensure your data e

The investor behind Opendoor's 190% run nearly shut down his fund

In this article OPEN Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT Courtesy: Opendoor On June 6, online real estate service Opendoor was so desperate to get its beaten-down stock price back over $1 and stay listed on the Nasdaq that management proposed a reverse split, potentially lifting the price of each share by as much as 50 times. The stock inched its way up over the next five weeks. Then Eric Jackson started cheerleading. Jackson, a hedge fund manager who was bullish on Opendoor years

Trump signs first major crypto bill, the GENIUS Act, into law

is a senior policy reporter at The Verge, covering the intersection of Silicon Valley and Capitol Hill. She spent 5 years covering tech policy at CNBC, writing about antitrust, privacy, and content moderation reform. In a landmark victory for the crypto industry, President Donald Trump signed the GENIUS Act into law, establishing a regulatory framework for a type of digital currency known as stablecoins. The GENIUS Act creates rules for entities that issue stablecoins, whose value is tied to a

I sent ChatGPT Agent out to shop for me

is The Verge’s senior AI reporter. An AI beat reporter for more than five years, her work has also appeared in CNBC, MIT Technology Review, Wired UK, and other outlets. Think of OpenAI’s new ChatGPT Agent as a day-one intern who’s incredibly slow at every task but will eventually get the job done. Well… most of the job. Or… at least part of it. Usually. It’s been one day since OpenAI debuted ChatGPT Agent, which it bills as a tool that can complete a wide range of complex, multi-step tasks on

Netflix admits it used generative AI in a big sci-fi hit to cut costs

is a news writer who covers the streaming wars, consumer tech, crypto, social media, and much more. Previously, she was a writer and editor at MUO. Netflix used generative AI to create a scene in the sci-fi series The Eternaut — a first for one of the streamer’s original shows or films. During an earnings call on Thursday, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said the use of AI was faster than using traditional visual effects tools and helped cut costs. “That VFX sequence was completed 10 times faster

Netflix Is Doubling Down on Ads and Dabbling in AI

When Netflix debuted its video streaming service back in 2011, it seemed like it would usher in the end of the television commercial. Fast-forward 14 years, and Netflix is now working on growing its own ad network and it thinks this is the future of the business. Well, that and AI. Netflix execs told investors on Thursday that it is on track to double its advertising revenue this year. They did not say whether they would follow in the footsteps of other streaming networks and increase the ad lo

When Will You See AI-Generated Content on Netflix? It's Possible You Already Have

How soon will it be before Netflix subscribers begin to see movies and TV show that were made with generative AI technology? According to CEO Ted Sarandos, it's already happened. In a video conference call after Netflix's earnings were announced on July 17, Sarandos took questions, one of which was focused on when and how the streaming company will generate content with artificial intelligence tools. Surprisingly, Sarandos said the company already did it, on an Argentinian sci-fi show called E

The IRS Is Building a Vast System to Share Millions of Taxpayers’ Data With ICE

This story was originally published by ProPublica. ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox. The Internal Revenue Service is building a computer program that would give deportation officers unprecedented access to confidential tax data. ProPublica has obtained a blueprint of the system, which would create an “on demand” process allowing Immigration and Customs Enforcement to obtain the ho

WhatsApp should prepare to stop operating in Russia, official says

A Russian lawmaker who regulates the IT industry said WhatsApp should prepare to stop offering its services in the country. Anton Gorelkin, the deputy head of the lower house of parliament's IT committee, said that it's very likely that WhatsApp will be placed on a list of restricted software, as Reuters reports. WhatsApp owner Meta is designated as an extremist organisation in Russia, which has banned Facebook and Instagram since 2022. This week, President Vladimir Putin issued a directive for

What’s on offer at a luxury Bay Area longevity clinic

Human Longevity, a medical clinic in South San Francisco’s biotech corridor, feels more like a spa than a doctor’s office. The floors of the 8,000-square-foot space are sleek and white, the walls bamboo with moss accents. Visitors are referred to as clients, not patients, as they are ushered into private rooms equipped with Wi-Fi, snacks, full bathrooms with showers, and cameras for Zoom meetings — a feature meant to accommodate executives who fly in for the day for multi-hour batteries of test

Netflix starts using GenAI in its shows and films

Companies developing video AI models and tools often talk about working with Hollywood studios to make certain workflows possible. On Thursday, Netflix said that it has started using AI in movies and shows it produces. Speaking at the company’s post-results conference call, the company’s co-CEO, Ted Sarandos, said that the platform had “the very first GenAI final footage to appear on screen” in an Argentine show called “El Atonata.” He noted that Netflix’s internal production group teamed up wi

No, That Taste of Wine a Server Offers Is Not to See if You Like It. Here's Why

Ordering wine at a restaurant shouldn't be a stressful occasion, but there is plenty of language and ritual associated with wine that can feel foreign to the casual drinker. One such practice is the obligatory tasting after the bottle is opened and before it's poured for you and your guests. Despite what you -- and many others -- might think, this is not really to determine if you like the wine, but rather, to ensure the wine is not spoiled or "corked." Because of that, you don't even need to s

Netflix uses AI effects for first time to cut costs

Netflix uses AI effects for first time to cut costs 1 hour ago Share Save Osmond Chia Business reporter, BBC News Reporting from Singapore Share Save Netflix Argentine actor Ricardo Darín in the Netflix show The Eternauts Netflix says it has used visual effects created by generative artificial intelligence (AI) in one of its original TV shows for the first time. The streaming giant's co-chief executive Ted Sarandos said AI, which produces videos and images based on prompts, was used to create

Louisiana cancels $3B coastal repair funded by oil spill settlement

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Louisiana on Thursday canceled a $3 billion repair of disappearing Gulf coastline, funded by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill settlement, scrapping what conservationists called an urgent response to climate change but Gov. Jeff Landry viewed as a threat to the state’s way of life. Despite years of studies and reviews, the project at the center of Louisiana’s coastal protection plans grew increasingly imperiled after Landry, a Republican, took office last year. Its collaps

Key Home Energy Tax Credits End This Year. Act Quickly if You're Considering Solar Panels, Experts Say

A big federal tax credit for homeowners who get solar panels will end this year, meaning a window for significant savings on going solar is closing fast. The 30% credit has long been the biggest single incentive for residential solar panel adoption, and its expiration is a significant blow for what has been a fast-growing industry. For homeowners, its elimination significantly changes the calculus of whether solar panels make financial sense compared with paying utility electrical rates. "It's

People kept working, became healthier while on basic income: report

Participants in Ontario's prematurely cancelled basic income pilot project were happier, healthier and continued working even though they were receiving money with no-strings attached. That's according to a new report titled Southern Ontario's Basic Income Experience, which was compiled by researchers at McMaster and Ryerson University, in partnership with the Hamilton Roundtable for Poverty Reduction. The report shows nearly three-quarters of respondents who were working when the pilot projec

I Tried Grok’s Built-In Anime Companion and It Called Me a Twat

An anime girl in a black corset dress sways back and forth on my screen. Its name is Ani, and it cost me $300. Elon Musk’s xAI dropped the new visual chatbot feature on Monday in the Grok iOS app. The top-tier subscription unlocks access to xAI’s best-performing model, Grok 4 Heavy, and special settings for interacting with two custom characters designed for flirting or chatting. A third character, which looks a bit like a sexy boyfriend, is listed as “coming soon.” It’s not xAI’s first dip int

Topics: ani rudi said says xai

AI-Powered Smart Devices Help Older Adults Age at Home, Survey Finds

Older adults often find artificial intelligence smart home devices and voice assistants useful in helping them age in place, according to a new survey by the University of Michigan. More than half of people surveyed aged 50 and older have used generative AI tools they spoke or typed messages to, according to the National Poll on Healthy Aging, released by the U-M Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation. By comparison, a June Pew Research Center poll found that 25% of US adults 50 to 64

A Surge of Earthquakes in Alaska Is Raising Red Flags

A powerful offshore earthquake triggered a tsunami warning for communities along a 700-mile (1,100-kilometer) stretch of Alaska’s southern coast on Wednesday, July 16. Fortunately, the wave never came, and ground shaking caused minimal damage, but another large quake could strike this area in the near future. Since 2020, five earthquakes ranging from magnitude 7.2 to 8.2 have struck the southern coast of Alaska. It’s not unusual for seismic activity to occur in this part of the state, as it run

Google is suing the BadBox 2.0 botnet group

Google has filed a lawsuit against the operators of a what is believed to be the largest smart TV botnet in the world — BadBox 2.0. The company said in its complaint that this China-based botnet had compromised more than 10 million uncertified devices — including TV streaming boxes, tablets and projectors. Google said that cybercriminals pre-installed malware or used malicious apps to download malware on hardware that was running open-source Android software. These compromised devices were then

These Are the 6 Best Vitamins and Minerals for Older Adults, According to Experts

Getting a good selection of vitamins and minerals in your diet is vital to staying fit and healthy, and that shouldn't be a shock to anyone at this point. If you have a balanced diet, you're likely already getting the nutrients that you need. But that can change, especially as we age and our bodies demand more. Older people are at an increased risk of low vitamin consumption -- partly because our bodies can no longer absorb certain nutrients as effectively as they once did. So, if you're dealing

Defense manufacturing startup Hadrian closes $260 million funding round led by Peter Thiel's Founders Fund

Defense manufacturing startup Hadrian on Thursday announced the closing of $260 million Series C funding round led by Peter Thiel's Founders Fund and Lux Capital. The machine parts company said it will use the funding to build a new 270,000 square foot factory in Mesa, Arizona, and expand its Torrance, California, location as it looks to beef up its shipbuilding and naval defense capabilities. "What we really need in this country is this quantum leap above China's manufacturing model," said CE

OpenAI’s new ChatGPT Agent can control an entire computer and do tasks for you

is The Verge’s senior AI reporter. An AI beat reporter for more than five years, her work has also appeared in CNBC, MIT Technology Review, Wired UK, and other outlets. OpenAI is going all-in on the most-hyped trend in AI right now: AI agents, or tools that go a step beyond chatbots to complete complex, multi-step tasks on a user’s behalf. The company on Thursday debuted ChatGPT Agent, which it bills as a tool that can complete work on your behalf using its own “virtual computer.” In a briefin

Amazon cuts some jobs in cloud computing unit as layoffs continue

Attendees walk through an exposition hall at AWS re:Invent, a conference hosted by Amazon Web Services, in Las Vegas on Dec. 3, 2024. Amazon is laying off some staffers in its cloud computing division, the company confirmed on Thursday. "After a thorough review of our organization, our priorities, and what we need to focus on going forward, we've made the difficult business decision to eliminate some roles across particular teams in AWS," Amazon spokesperson Brad Glasser said in a statement. "

Uber makes multimillion-dollar investment in Lucid and Nuro to build a premium robotaxi service

Uber is investing hundreds of millions of dollars into EV maker Lucid and autonomous vehicle technology startup Nuro in a bid to launch its own premium robotaxi service. Under the deal announced Thursday, Uber will invest $300 million in Lucid and separately buy “at least” 20,000 of the EV maker’s new Gravity SUV over the next six years. Those EVs will be equipped with Nuro’s autonomous vehicle system, and the vehicles will be owned and operated by Uber or its third-party fleet partners. Uber p

Uber to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in Lucid and Nuro in massive robotaxi deal

is transportation editor with 10+ years of experience who covers EVs, public transportation, and aviation. His work has appeared in The New York Daily News and City & State. Uber plans to make “multi-hundred-million dollar investments” in both Nuro and Lucid as part of a massive new robotaxi deal that was just announced. The three companies are linking up to deploy “20,000 or more” robotaxis in the US over the next six years. The vehicles will be Lucid’s new Gravity SUV, equipped with autonomo

Lovable becomes a unicorn with $200M Series A just 8 months after launch

Fast-growing Swedish AI vibe coding startup Lovable has become Europe’s latest unicorn. Only eight months since its launch, the startup has raised a $200 million Series A round led by Accel at a $1.8 billion valuation. Like Cursor and other platforms that help developers write code and build apps by harnessing the coding and reasoning abilities of large language models, Stockholm-based Lovable helps people use natural language to create websites and apps. The startup’s trajectory so far has cha

Roblox launches new age verification system to unlock unfiltered chats

Users over 13 years old will be prompted to use the facial-analysis software to estimate their age and determine whether they can access the new "trusted connections" feature that allows them to engage in private, unfiltered chats with other age-screened users, Ebanks said. Roblox's use of age-estimation tech will help the company "confirm the age of our users and give them more tailored and age-appropriate features," said Ryan Ebanks, a Roblox principal product manager for social products. So

Does the UK video games industry have a class problem?

Does the UK video games industry have a class problem? 53 minutes ago Share Save Laura Cress BBC News Share Save BBC Declan Cassidy is the CEO of Into Games "I'm scared for the future of games," says Chris Goodyear. "It could end up going the way that theatre has, and become a very privileged thing." At one of the UK's largest conferences for video game developers, social class was on the agenda. The concern raised by Chris, a producer working to highlight accessibility barriers in the indust