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Google to cut 30,000 jobs for AI?
Business Bloopers
January 04, 2024
Hello Friends,
2024 has just come and what a year we will have ahead of us. AI will be advancing at unimaginable speeds to bring humanity to another level of greatness. But will this all be good?
🧵 In today's edition:
⚙️ Google to cut 30,000 jobs for AI?
🔖 Chief Justice Robert from the United States says to use AI in law ‘cautiously’
🇪🇺 OpenAI actively shrinking their regulatory risk in EU
❤️ My favourite AI tools this week
🌍 AI News Roundup
🐦 That’s a wrap
Read Time: 5 min 15 sec
LATEST ADVANCEMENTS
The Bloopers: Google is contemplating a major workforce reduction of potentially 30,000 employees, signaling a strategic shift towards integrating AI into various aspects of its operations.
The Details:
The proposed restructuring is expected to primarily impact Google's ad sales department.
The adoption of AI in ad sales aims for operational efficiency but may significantly alter revenue streams tied to digital advertising.
The influence of AI extends to customer support, raising questions about the human-centric aspects of Google's operations.
This strategic shift follows Google's previous downsizing earlier in the year, indicating a broader realignment in response to industry changes.
My Thoughts: Google's consideration of a significant workforce reduction, especially in crucial departments like ad sales, reflects the profound impact AI is having on traditional business models. The move aligns with the tech giant's broader efforts to stay agile in a rapidly evolving landscape. It raises questions about the balance between technological advancements and the human workforce, emphasizing the challenges and costs involved in navigating this transformative journey.
The Bloopers: Chief Justice John Roberts just dropped his annual report, sounding the alarm on AI adoption in the legal arena. While predicting "significant" impacts, he urged a careful embrace, flagging privacy risks and the potential for AI to strip away the human touch in law.
The Details:
Robert warned AI risks privacy violations and ‘dehumanizing’ law, pointing to real cases of lawyers submitting briefs with fake AI-generated legal citations.
Roberts also said AI tools have potential to significantly expand access to justice for low-income litigants by providing legal guidance.
He noted judges often rule in complex legal "gray areas" that require nuanced human judgment and discretion — something he believes AI cannot replace.
My Thoughts: Justice Roberts puts the spotlight on AI's potential pitfalls in the legal dance. As he raises valid concerns about privacy and the risk of dehumanizing law, 2024 will show whats to happen.
The Bloopers: Amidst regulatory scrutiny in the EU, OpenAI made moves to address privacy concerns about ChatGPT. An update shifted services to its Irish entity, OpenAI Ireland Limited, prompting a ChatGPT suspension in Italy. The crucial twist? New GDPR terms kick in on February 15, 2024, with users having the option to part ways if they disagree.
The Details:
Control transitioned to OpenAI Ireland Limited in Dublin.
GDPR's one-stop-shop streamlines privacy oversight.
OpenAI's Dublin office opens cautiously with limited local hiring.
Legal maneuvers: OpenAI defends data practices under the "legitimate interests" lens.
Privacy probes in Italy and Poland add complexity to ChatGPT's regulatory journey.
Why you should care: OpenAI's strategic adjustments in the EU highlight the challenges tech companies face in adhering to diverse global data privacy standards and the sneaky ways they can circumvent said laws.
❤️ MY FAVOURITE AI TOOLS THIS WEEK
🧠 Brilliant - Teach yourself 1 - 1 teaching with AI in things such as math, computer science, programming and more (link)
💡 Retouch4me - Offers a suite of state-of-the-art plugins designed to elevate your photo editing game. (link)
📈 La Growth Machine - Automate your prospecting routine, and reach your leads on LinkedIn, via email, or on Twitter. (link)
📧 AImReply - An AI email writer that was made for busy professionals with a lack of time and a need to adapt to a variety of situations. (link)
🌎 AI NEWS ROUNDUP
New research from the University of Michigan revealed that large language models demonstrate higher performance when prompted to act in gender-neutral or male social roles rather than female roles.
Microsoft just announced a new Copilot key coming to Windows keyboards, marking the first major keyboard change in 30 years — with the company calling 2024 the year of the "AI PC".
Google's Gemini Pro and OpenAI's GPT-4V have comparable visual capabilities overall, with GPT-4V slightly ahead on IQ and reasoning and Gemini better at retrieving relevant images, according to new research.
Agility Robotics and seven other companies plan to launch commercial humanoid robots in 2024, targeting labor-intensive tasks in logistics and beyond.
Digit, Agility Robotics' humanoid robot, is designed for tasks like moving standardized containers in warehouses, aiming to improve efficiency and alleviate workforce shortages.
Amazon is testing Digit in its research and development warehouse, examining the robot’s potential to handle tasks in spaces unsuitable for traditional automation.
Samsung just announced its Galaxy launch event for Jan. 17, while prominently touting "Galaxy AI" in its marketing — signalling major AI features for its latest line of smartphones.
💭 Quote of the Week
❝
Mark my words: A universal basic income is coming, as artificial intelligence and robots eat away good jobs
Robert Reach
🐦 THATS A WRAP
What a week it has been, 2024 is feeling more real than ever. People are getting back to work and I guess me back to school ‘sad face’. But aside from that what a great year we have lying ahead of us.
2024 could be the most transformative year we have ever seen as AI has now matured over 2023 just like a growing sapling turning into a tree; now is the time we may see even bigger advancements in big companies like Google with their possible mass unemployment and other big companies. I think that this year we will see a lot more robots being advanced and of course, much more automation for the online world.
Keep Embracing the Future, One Byte at a Time! 🔄
See you next week
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