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Google has faced two major antitrust lawsuits from the US government, one targeting its search business and the other focused on advertising. The first trial concluded in May 2024 with a ruling against Google, stating that the company had engaged in anticompetitive behavior. The second trial began in September 2024, with the government accusing Google of manipulating the ad tech market. If the government is successful in its case, Google could face being broken up by regulators. The trials have drawn comparisons to the Microsoft antitrust case from the early 2000s. [Extracted from the article]

Eight European consumer organizations, members of the European Consumer Organization (BEUC), have filed complaints against Meta (formerly Facebook) for allegedly violating the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The complaints argue that Meta's data collection practices and its "pay-or-consent" policy breach the GDPR and that the company has used its dominant market position to coerce customers into accepting its terms. The organizations have filed their complaints with their respective national data protection authorities. Despite the focus on the "pay-or-consent" model, BEUC emphasizes that the real issue is Meta's privacy-invasive business model and calls for a change in the company's behavior towards more privacy-friendly practices. Meta has faced previous complaints and paid significant fines for GDPR violations. [Extracted from the article]

Google's search business has been the target of two major antitrust lawsuits from the U.S. government, alleging that the company has manipulated the market to maintain its dominance. The first trial, focusing on Google's search business, concluded in May 2024 with a ruling against the company. A second trial, focusing on advertising, is scheduled for later in 2024. If Google is unsuccessful in its legal battles, it could potentially face being broken up by regulators. The recent ruling did not include remedies for the anticompetitive behavior, which will be decided later. [Extracted from the article]

Despite expectations of a recovery, technology companies have continued to lay off staff in 2024. Big Tech companies such as Amazon, Cisco, Facebook (Meta), Microsoft, Google, IBM, SAP, and Salesforce have announced significant layoffs due to revenue declines after a hiring spree during the pandemic. In 2023, 1,186 tech companies laid off about 262,682 staff, and in 2024, 168 tech companies have already laid off 42,324 employees. Atlassian, a collaboration software company, is laying off 5% of its workforce to refocus on cloud services and IT service management. The article provides a timeline of notable layoffs in various companies, with reasons ranging from cost-cutting to restructuring. [Extracted from the article]

A recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan and University of Chicago found that strict return-to-work policies are causing tech workers to leave their jobs at major companies such as Microsoft, Apple, and SpaceX. The study used publicly available resume data to track the effects of in-person attendance requirements, rather than relying on self-reported preferences. The study revealed that senior personnel were more likely to leave their jobs rather than return to the office. The rigor of the return-to-office policy also had a significant impact on attrition rates, with stricter policies leading to larger decreases in senior employees. Other surveys have supported these findings, showing that executives are more likely to quit over a return-to-office mandate compared to non-executive workers. Despite this, in-office requirements are becoming more strict in the technology sector, with companies like Dell issuing color-coded "grades" based on attendance. [Extracted from the article]

Google is currently facing two major antitrust lawsuits from the U.S. government. The first trial, which focuses on Google's search business, is coming to a close, while the second trial, centered around advertising, is scheduled for later this year. The government alleges that Google has manipulated the market to maintain its dominance, to the detriment of competitors and the public. If Google is unsuccessful in its legal battles, there is a possibility that the company could be broken up by regulators. The trials have drawn comparisons to the Microsoft antitrust case from the turn of the century. [Extracted from the article]

Microsoft's $13 billion investment in OpenAI is unlikely to trigger antitrust restrictions in the European Union (EU), according to a report by Reuters. The European Commission (EC) spokesperson stated that for a transaction to be considered a merger and subject to EC notification, it must represent a lasting change in control of the affected company. The EC has not yet determined if Microsoft's investments in OpenAI constitute a change of control. UK and US antitrust regulators are also in the preliminary stages of approving the deal. [Extracted from the article]

Amazon has made the latest version of Anthropic's generative AI model, Claude 3 Opus, available on its Bedrock managed AI service. This version of Claude offers higher performance on open-ended tasks and doubles the accuracy of its responses to difficult questions. Amazon aims to enable enterprise developers to build more robust applications based on generative AI, such as complex financial forecasting and R&D. Claude 3 Opus exhibits near-human levels of comprehension and fluency on complex tasks. Amazon's strategy with generative AI is shifting towards selling services to business users through platforms like Bedrock. Bedrock competes with similar offerings from Microsoft and Google, but has lower costs for prompt engineering and app development. [Extracted from the article]

AMD has entered the AI PC market with its latest desktop and laptop processors. The new chips, part of the Ryzen line, feature generative-AI technology and dedicated neural processing units (NPUs). These AI-focused upgrades aim to increase productivity in areas such as automation, optimization, content creation, and security. While the AI PC concept has believers, experts note that the scope of genAI applications may be limited, and Microsoft's focus on cloud-based AI may hinder local AI development. The new Ryzen chips will be available through OEMs like HP and Lenovo in the coming months. [Extracted from the article]

This document provides a summary of recent layoffs in the technology industry. Despite expectations of recovery, many tech companies have continued to lay off staff in 2024. Big Tech companies such as Amazon, Cisco, Facebook, Microsoft, Google, IBM, SAP, and Salesforce, which had previously hired extensively during the pandemic, are now facing revenue declines. The layoffs are driven by factors such as economic uncertainties, changes in customer behavior, shifts in client priorities, and the need to focus on emerging technologies. The companies have expressed their commitment to supporting affected employees through severance packages and assistance in finding new roles. [Extracted from the article]

Scale AI, a data processing company, has reportedly cut off access to its platform for gig workers in Nigeria, Kenya, and Pakistan, leaving them without income. The workers, who improve data quality for Scale's AI tools, were greeted with a message stating that services were unavailable in their location. Scale released a statement in September emphasizing its commitment to fair compensation for gig workers. The company has not commented on the report, which also mentioned that new signups for gig work were blocked in other countries. [Extracted from the article]

Three authors, Abdi Nazemian, Brian Keene, and Stewart O'Nan, have filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Nvidia, claiming that the company used their copyrighted works of fiction without permission to train their language models. The lawsuit focuses on Nvidia's NeMo Megatron series, which allegedly used the authors' copyrighted material from the "Books3" dataset, sourced from a "shadow library" site. The authors are seeking monetary damages and the destruction of all copies used by Nvidia. Similar lawsuits have been filed by other creative professionals against major AI providers, all centered around the concept of "fair use" in copyright law. Nvidia has not yet responded to the lawsuit. [Extracted from the article]

Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, has faced criticism for not prioritizing the responsible development of artificial general intelligence (AGI). Despite signing an open letter pledging to develop AI for the betterment of society, critics argue that this is not enough. The rapid advancement of generative AI (genAI) has raised concerns about the potential unintended consequences and risks associated with unregulated AI development. Critics argue that the industry's self-regulatory efforts are insufficient, particularly in addressing the alignment problem, where AI tools may develop behavior beyond their intended specifications. Some experts believe that government regulation is necessary to prevent potential catastrophic outcomes. [Extracted from the article]

On Tuesday morning, Meta and other top online service providers experienced widespread outages, affecting services such as Facebook, Instagram, and Threads. Meta's status page indicated "major disruptions" for various business tools and APIs, with the core issue being an inability to log in. Reports on social media and Downdetector.com confirmed the disruptions, which also affected other major online services like Google, YouTube, and Amazon. This outage followed a previous incident in October 2021, where Meta's social media channels went offline for over seven hours. As of noon Eastern Time, Meta's tools were recovering from the disruptions, but no further information was provided on the cause. [Extracted from the article]

Anthropic, a leading startup in the generative AI market, has released an update to its flagship models, Claude 3.0. The update brings improvements in speed, accuracy, and processing capabilities. The new version offers three options: Opus, Sonnet, and Haiku, each with different benchmark scores and trade-offs between accuracy and cost. Anthropic emphasizes its commitment to responsible genAI development and has taken steps to address potential risks of misuse. The Opus and Sonnet models are currently available, with Haiku set to be released soon. [Extracted from the article]

The European Commission (EC) has requested more information from Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, to assess its compliance with privacy and security laws in the European Union (EU). The EC has also asked Meta to speed up its responses to previous requests for information regarding election information, terrorism, and the protection of minors. Meta has until March 15 to provide this information, with additional information about its pay-to-opt-out-of-tracking program due by March 22. The request for information follows complaints filed by consumer protection watchdog groups accusing Meta of violating GDPR and misusing customer information. [Extracted from the article]

The new funding adds momentum to the UK's efforts to integrate AI technology into its state healthcare systems, according to Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay. The government of the UK will spend approximately £100 million ($122 million) in the coming years to help develop AI technologies for the healthcare and life sciences sectors, as part of a formalized AI Life Sciences Accelerator Mission. [Extracted from the article]

With Google having captured 90% of the search market so far, Microsoft has backed DALL-E maker OpenAI as generative AI opens up new opportunities to attract search engine users. Microsoft made DALL-E generally available for its Bing AI assistant Tuesday, just a day before Google grafted Bard AI onto its Assistant app, as the battle over AI-driven search continues to heat up. [Extracted from the article]

In 2023 and 2024, numerous technology companies, including big names like Cisco, Microsoft, Google, and Amazon, have laid off employees. These layoffs are a result of revenue declines and a shift in focus towards more profitable areas. Companies are cutting costs, automating jobs, and refocusing their business strategies. The layoffs have affected employees in various roles and locations, and companies have provided severance packages and assistance. Reasons for the layoffs include restructuring, cost reduction, and aligning cost structures with revenue structures. [Extracted from the article]

Australia has passed a new law that includes a "right to disconnect" for employees, allowing them to seek an order from the government to prevent their employers from requiring them to respond to work-related communications outside of working hours. While the law currently includes the possibility of criminal penalties, it is expected that these will be removed in future amendments. However, civil penalties will still apply, which may pose challenges for IT departments in complying with local laws. Similar laws exist in other countries, such as France, Canada, Germany, Italy, and the Philippines. Industry groups have expressed concerns about lost productivity and increased costs for businesses. [Extracted from the article]

Australia has passed a new law that includes a "right to disconnect" for employees, allowing them to seek an order from the government to prevent their employers from requiring them to respond to work-related communications outside of working hours. While the law currently includes the possibility of criminal penalties, it is expected that these will be changed before the law takes effect in six months. However, civil penalties will still apply, which may pose challenges for IT departments in complying with local laws. Similar laws exist in other countries, such as France, Canada, Germany, Italy, and the Philippines. Industry groups have expressed concerns about the potential negative impact on productivity, jobs, and business costs. [Extracted from the article]

This article provides a summary of recent layoffs in the IT industry. Despite expectations of recovery, technology companies have continued to lay off staff in 2024. Big Tech companies, including Amazon, Cisco, Facebook, Microsoft, Google, IBM, SAP, and Salesforce, have been affected. Layoffs have been attributed to various factors such as shifts in company priorities, cost-cutting measures, and automation. Major companies like Rapid7, Cisco Systems, Evernote, and Oracle have announced layoffs as part of their restructuring plans. Other companies, including Zendesk, Stack Overflow, LinkedIn, Cognizant, Dropbox, Red Hat, Meta, Kyndryl, Accenture, Amazon, Atlassian, and Twitter, have also announced layoffs. These decisions are driven by the need to adapt to changing technology landscapes, macroeconomic uncertainty, and the desire to refocus on specific areas of business. Various companies have taken different approaches to address these challenges. [Extracted from the article]

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has announced the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource (NAIRR) pilot program, which aims to democratize access to generative AI (genAI) for organizations that do not have the financial resources of major tech companies or government departments. The program will provide access to datasets, AI models, and training for researchers through partnerships with federal agencies and the private sector. The goal is to support novel research into genAI and its application to various domains, while also addressing the exclusivity and expense of genAI resources. The pilot program will run for two years and will be organized into four key areas: NAIRR Open, NAIRR Secure, NAIRR Software, and NAIRR Classroom. Researchers can access the resources through an online portal, and a call for proposals will be available in spring 2024. [Extracted from the article]

Apple's Vision Pro virtual and augmented reality headsets sold out quickly during pre-sales, but stable delivery dates suggest limited demand for the $3,500 device. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo estimated that Apple sold between 160,000 and 180,000 headsets over the weekend. The stability in shipping times indicates a potential ceiling on current demand. While the headsets have potential enterprise uses, such as field service and collaboration, third-party integration will be crucial for broader adoption. Apple's entry into the market could help catalyze demand and sales of 500,000 units this year are predicted. [Extracted from the article]

Taiwanese semiconductor manufacturer TSMC has announced a delay in the opening of its second chipmaking facility in Arizona. The first facility, which was already delayed due to labor disputes and safety issues, is now set to open in 2025. The second facility, which is designed to produce advanced chips using a 3nm process, is now uncertain in terms of its timeline and production. TSMC is waiting for grants from the US government under the CHIPS and Science Act before proceeding with the Arizona facilities. The eventual opening of these foundries will significantly advance domestic silicon manufacturing in the US. [Extracted from the article]

OpenAI is set to launch the GPT Store, a digital storefront that will serve as a repository for custom-built GPTs (generative AI tools). These tools can be created using OpenAI's builder functionality and have a range of potential use cases, such as math instruction and learning board games. The GPT Store will make these user-created tools searchable and shareable, with plans to allow AI makers to monetize their creations. However, there will be limits on what is available, with OpenAI's terms of service prohibiting illegal activity, hateful content, malware generation, and other high-risk activities. The launch of the GPT Store is expected to be a boost for OpenAI, offering opportunities for problem solvers beyond tech experts. [Extracted from the article]

The UK Supreme Court has ruled that artificial intelligence (AI) systems cannot hold patents in the country. The court's decision was specific to whether the patent office could grant a patent to an AI system, and it concluded that the term "inventor" in the UK's Patents Act refers only to a "natural person." The ruling aligns with similar legal trends in the Western world, where human authorship is required for copyright and patents. The decision also noted that if the AI system had been described as a tool rather than an inventor, the outcome may have been different. [Extracted from the article]

Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, has been removed from his position by the board of directors due to a lack of honesty in his communications with the board. The board stated that they no longer have confidence in Altman's ability to lead the influential AI company. Greg Brockman, the chairman of the board, also stepped down as a result of the shakeup. Mira Murati, the company's CTO, will serve as interim CEO while the board searches for a permanent replacement. The specific details of Altman's dishonesty and the reasons for Brockman's removal have not been disclosed. [Extracted from the article]

Samsung has announced its own generative AI framework called Gauss, which will be integrated into its future products. Gauss is named after German mathematician Carl Friedrich Gauss, who made significant contributions to algebra and normal distribution theory. The framework consists of three core functions: Samsung Gauss Language, which performs generative AI tasks with text; Gauss Code, a code generation tool for software development; and Gauss Image, which generates creative images. Samsung has also emphasized its commitment to security and privacy guidelines for responsible AI development. While Gauss is currently being used internally, there is no specific timeline for public deployments. [Extracted from the article]

A faster-than-expected recovery in sales of PC chips helped Intel post third-quarter revenue that exceeded expectations, but weakness in its data center business is a sign of vulnerability in a market where users are looking for processors that can handle AI workloads that are predicted to grow as enterprises adopt generative AI. "Continuing its investment in manufacturing capacity to create a geographically balanced, secure and resilient supply chain, Intel opened Fab 34 in Leixlip, Ireland, during the quarter", Intel noted in its earnings news release Thursday. [Extracted from the article]

October 3, 2023: As a witness for the prosecution in the Google antitrust trial, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella warns that Google's monopoly profits could lock in publishers as AI-enabled search arrives. February 2023: The plaintiffs in the default search case case move for sanctions against Google, accusing it of spoliation, which refers to the destruction, alteration or failure to preserve relevant evidence in a case. July/August 2023: Google and the plaintiffs in the search case argue various motions in limine, designed to control what evidence should be included or excluded in the actual trial. [Extracted from the article]

News Generative AI chatbot ChatGPT can keep up with currentevents thanks to a new update, and is also getting directaccess to the DALL-E 3 image-generation system The latest version of ChatGPT, OpenAI's groundbreakinggenerative AI chatbot, now has access to real-time informationfrom the internet at large, curing what had been seen as oneof its key flaws. Thanks to an integration with Microsoft's Bing search engine- the company is a major investor in ChatGPT maker OpenAI- the AI chatbot is now able to look up the latest availableinformation on any topic. [Extracted from the article]

News A new report from a financial technology expert atthe Bank of England says that inherent biases in AIsystems makes it dangerous to entrust them with too muchdecision-making at present The implicit bias of present-day generative AI models maketheir rapid adoption in the financial sector hazardous,according to a report by a financial technology expertworking for the Bank of England. Kathleen Blake's report, published Wednesday, splits AImodel bias into two categories -- bias based on underlyingtraining data, and bias based on the results of modeloutput. [Extracted from the article]

Elsewhere,in the advertising case, Google moves to transfer the casefrom the Eastern District of Virginia to the SouthernDistrict of New York, which is seen as an attempt toconsolidate the case with related digital advertisingantitrust litigation. Asummary judgement motion is essentially a request by one ofthe parties in a lawsuit that the judge rule in their favorand end the case, arguing that, based on the undisputedfacts, they are entitled to win the case as a matter oflaw. May 2022: Judge Mehta denies a government motion tosanction Google for inaccurately classifying documents asattorney-client privileged. [Extracted from the article]

The FTC lost the Meta lawsuit, and ended up settling earlier suits over data privacy issues -- involving Amazon's Ring security camera business and the Alexa devices -- for around $30 million. Will the FTC's Lina Khan succeed in breaking up Amazon? The US Federal Trade Commission under legal star Lina Khan has charged Amazon with illegally maintaining a monopoly and seeks "structural relief", which could mean breaking off parts of its business. [Extracted from the article]

Microsoft has already moved to embrace nuclear power, signing a dealin June with Virginia-based nuclear plant operator ConstellationEnergy to power a data center in that area, with the aim of makingthat data center's power source carbon free. News A job posting suggests that Microsoft is planning toexplore the use of small nuclear reactors for its majordata centers A job posting from Microsoft, for a qualified nuclear technologyprogram manager, indicates that the company is planning to integratesmall nuclear reactors into its power systems for data centers. [Extracted from the article]

Asummary judgement motion is essentially a request by one ofthe parties in a lawsuit that the judge rule in their favorand end the case, arguing that, based on the undisputedfacts, they are entitled to win the case as a matter oflaw. December 2022: Google moves for summary judgement againstthe separate Colorado case and the larger, DoJ-led case. Elsewhere,in the advertising case, Google moves to transfer the casefrom the Eastern District of Virginia to the SouthernDistrict of New York, which is seen as an attempt toconsolidate the case with related digital advertisingantitrust litigation. [Extracted from the article]

Elsewhere, in theadvertising case, Google moves to transfer the case from theEastern District of Virginia to the Southern District of NewYork, which is seen as an attempt to consolidate the case withrelated digital advertising antitrust litigation. March 2023: Google's motion to transfer the advertising case toNew York is denied by Judge Leonie M. Brinkema, who orders theparties to propose discovery schedules within two weeks of theorder. April 2023: Judge Brinkema denies Google's motion to dismiss inthe advertising case. [Extracted from the article]

The advertising case, filed in the EasternDistrict of Virginia, accuses Google of abusing itscontrol over multiple parts of the online advertisingbusiness to exclude rival advertisers, inflate costs andreduce revenues for news publishers and other contentcreators. News Analysis Shadows of the Internet Explorer trial of the '90s loomas the government opens its trial against Google today,accusing the internet giant of illegally maintaining amonopoly on search. [Extracted from the article]

Financial services and small-business software providerIntuit will be rolling out an "Intuit Assist" feature toall of its major product lines, including TurboTax andQuickBooks, building on the development of its owngenerative AI operating system. News Generative AI may be helping businesses and consumersalike as of tax season, as Intuit rolls out Assist, an AIassistant designed to bring new functionality toTurboTax, QuickBooks, and more. [Extracted from the article]

News The two companies are working together on several areasin the CRM value chain, including the integration of Salesforceofferings for sale via IBM's consulting business. Customers will also be able to access IBM's Data Classifiertool; it's designed to simplify data mapping via industry-specificAI models, on their Salesforce-generated data, andto complement Salesforce's AI tooling with its watsonx AIand data platform. [Extracted from the article]

China does have a fairly well-established manufacturingecosystem for mature chip types, as well as associatedpackaging and testing industries, Gupta noted. News China has quietly rebranded a once-shuttered programdesigned to entice chipmaking experts to the country,according to a Reuters report In an apparent effort to broaden the country'ssemiconductor manufacturing, the Chinese government ispaying sizeable signing bonuses and offering housingsubsidies for qualified experts in the field, according toa report from Reuters. [Extracted from the article]

Opera, maker of the well-known browser of the same name, said today that it has successfully integrated its AI assistant, Aria, into the iOS version of the browser, making it available for the first time on all major platforms. The Opera browser, which has been around since 1995, became a Chromium-based application in 2013, and led the way in terms of features that most major browsers now include as standard, including built-in pop-up blockers and tabbed browsing. [Extracted from the article]

"As AI arrives on Opera for iOS, it's essential toemphasize that the AI experience within Opera is entirelyuser-controlled", the company said. News Multiplatform web browser Opera has its own AIassistant, Aria, now offered for iOS and availableon all major platforms Opera, maker of the well-known browser of the same name,said today that it has successfully integrated its AIassistant, Aria, into the iOS version of the browser,making it available for the first time on all majorplatforms. [Extracted from the article]

"Companies creating AI technology have a responsibility to ensure that it is safe, secure, and remains under human control", Brad Smith, Microsoft vice chair and president, said in a statement. Google, OpenAI, Microsoft, and Anthropic will be the founding members of the Frontier Model Forum, an umbrella group for the generative AI industry. [Extracted from the article]

News OpenAI is reportedly under additional legal scrutiny, asthe US Federal Trade Commission asks the company to givedetailed explanations of its business practices The US Federal Trade Commission is reportedly investigatingChatGPT maker OpenAI for potential violations of consumerprotection regulations involving data privacy and falsestatements about third parties. [Prepare for generative AI with experimentation and clearguidelines] While the FTC declined to comnent, OPenAI CEO Sam Altman issued aresponse to the reports on Twitter. [Extracted from the article]