Technology

Microsoft makes a massive de facto AI acquisition through hiring: Inflection’s leaders will run Microsoft’s AI unit as the sector’s power becomes increasingly concentrated.

Discover the dynamic shift toward digital wallets in the US and the UK in the latest podcast episode of "Behind the Numbers: The Banking & Payments Show." Delve into the compelling discourse on how younger generations' move to digital is rendering traditional wallets obsolete. Join host Rob Rubin, our US-based analyst Tyler Van Dyke, and UK-based analyst Carina Perkins as they unravel trends in digital transactions for dining, shopping, and ID verification. In the "For Argument's Sake" section, we dissect the fierce competition for market dominance among industry giants like Apple and Google, established players like PayPal, rising star Paze, and potential disruptors. Tune in for a forward-looking conversation and hit subscribe for the latest insights. Key insights: - Youth-led shift: Analysis reveals a robust trend among younger consumers pivoting to digital wallets for everyday activities, indicating a cultural and technological shift. - Market dominance debate: We uncover the strategic moves by tech titans and emergent challengers vying to capture the largest share of digital wallet users. - Cross-Atlantic perspectives: Insights from US and UK analysts present a diverse view on the adoption of digital wallets, offering a broader understanding of the global digital economy.

A landmark for AI-driven big data and analytics, the merger aims for advanced cybersecurity with genAI amid a surge in cybercrime losses.

Nvidia unveils its Blackwell AI platform: It showed off its latest AI hardware at a much-hyped conference, but investors always want more. Restrained pricing indicates growing competition.

Microsoft to hold an AI event ahead of Build: It wants its brand to be synonymous with AI PCs. We can expect that Apple will respond at WWDC in June.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss how young Gen Zers differ from older Gen Zers, the numbers that tell the story of teens' social media use, and how teens and parents approach screen time. "In Other News," we talk about whether 20-somethings saying "no" to TikTok is a big deal and whether a new push to ban TikTok is for real this time. Tune in to the discussion with our analysts Jasmine Enberg and Paola Flores-Marquez.

Big Tech is responsible for some of the most popular online destinations among consumers. Amazon, Apple, Meta, Microsoft, and Alphabet-owned Google will attract almost two-thirds of US digital ad dollars in 2024, according to our forecast.

OpenAI GPT Store users unhappy with their experience: They’re frustrated by a lack of support and money-making options and low engagement. OpenAI may be taking on too much.

Sony’s PS5 Pro coming this holiday season: The PS5 product line could see a slight sales bump this year, but competition and diminishing returns on performance could dull the outlook.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss how copyright lawsuits could down OpenAI (or the whole industry), whether publishers will land on The New York Times side of the generative AI (genAI) copyright debate or on the Axel Springer and Associated Press side, and how copyright will impact the creative arts. Tune in to the discussion with our analysts Evelyn Mitchell-Wolf and Yory Wurmser.

Websites are blocking OpenAI more than Google: Generative AI poses problems for websites to stay alive. But Google could roll out its AI search platform to keep them afloat.

ChatGPT gets a body: The Figure-OpenAI partnership reveals its humanoid robot’s stunning capabilities. Embodied AI is coming to market, likely to be met with polarized reactions.

Anthropic’s Claude 3 Haiku challenges OpenAI and Google in speed and affordability, paving a path to wider adoption. Its Amazon and Google partnerships could ensure growth.

Microsoft undercuts OpenAI with its Copilot update: It’s offering the startup’s most powerful model for free as a loss-leader strategy. It underscores fierce competition in the AI sector.

The EU’s Digital Markets Act levels the playing field for alternative smartphone browsers and search engines, proving that open markets lead to new opportunities.

Google, Nvidia, and Microsoft eye biotech as the real AI moneymaker: Returns are high and AI’s hallucination is a benefit. The ventures could help subsidize the industry’s high costs.

The future of TikTok’s content creators, advertisers, and 170 million users remains uncertain as the bill moves to the Senate. TikTok’s loss could be Meta’s and Google’s gain.

AI disillusionment is growing: The trillions of dollars of economic prosperity promised haven’t materialized yet, but there’s a way to speed up the process.

Setting risk categories for AI use forces transparency and accountability. But strict rules may slow innovation and affect US-based AI firms.