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| Here's a look at today's tech briefing: - Unity Software to cut 25% of its workforce.
- Meta to further restrict teens' access to harmful content.
- X to offer peer-to-peer payments.
- Nvidia's new graphics cards speed up on-device PC AI processing.
Beth
p/beth-duckett | |
| 1 | | Unity Software said it would cut 25% of its workforce, or 1,800 employees, as part of a corporate restructuring. The video game software provider has cut over 1,100 jobs in the past two years due to economic factors. More: - The San Francisco-based company is now undergoing its largest-ever layoff, affecting all teams, regions, and areas of the business.
- Unity is "reducing the number of things we are doing in order to focus on our core business and drive our long-term success and profitability," CEO Jim Whitehurst wrote in a memo to employees.
- The job reductions are part of a company reset announced in November.
- At that time, the game software platform cut 3.8% of its workforce and shut down offices in 14 locations.
- It also ended its agreement with Weta FX, the VFX studio responsible for "The Lord of the Rings."
Zoom out: - In October, Unity CEO John Riccitiello resigned after a controversy involving a new runtime fee for Unity's game engine.
- Former IBM president Whitehurst is now serving as interim CEO and president.
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| 2 | | Meta announced plans to restrict teens' access to content on suicide, self-harm, and eating disorders on Facebook and Instagram. The move is a response to growing concerns about the addictive and harmful impacts of social media on young users' mental health. More: - The sensitive content restrictions will roll out for users under 18 over the next few months.
- The updates will make the strictest settings a default for teens, as well as limit certain topic searches, and prompt young users to adjust their Instagram privacy settings.
- Teens who search for harmful content on Facebook and Instagram will be guided to "expert resources" such as the National Alliance on Mental Illness, according to Meta.
Zoom out: - Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is among the tech executives who will testify before the Senate about online child sexual exploitation on Jan. 31.
- The hearing is part of bipartisan efforts, at the federal and state level, to strengthen child safety rules on the Internet.
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| 3 | | Social media platform X said it plans to offer peer-to-peer payments this year. The company, formerly known as Twitter, plans to tap into the booming peer-to-peer commerce market, which was valued at $2.21 trillion in 2022 and is expected to reach around $11.62 trillion by 2032. 
What happened: In a Tuesday blog post, X revealed its roadmap for the upcoming year, which includes the peer-to-peer payments and other initiatives. The company said the payments will provide "more user utility and opportunities for commerce," though it didn't offer a launch date or further details. Details: According to TechCrunch, owner Elon Musk envisions X users exchanging money on the platform and withdrawing those funds to verified bank accounts. X is now authorized for payment processing in at least 14 U.S. states. Why it matters: The shift towards P2P commerce is the latest major change since Musk acquired the company in late 2022. He said he aims to turn X into an "everything app" that would feature tools for payments/banking, audio, video, messaging, and more. | | | |
| 4 | | The European Union is looking into Microsoft's $13B investment in ChatGPT maker OpenAI. The European Commission, the EU's executive arm, said it is checking on whether Microsoft's investment in OpenAI should undergo EU merger rule scrutiny. More: - The commission will decide whether the investment warrants a full-blown investigation by the EU.
- Microsoft has poured billions into OpenAI, incorporating its technology into Office, Bing, and Windows, while also providing Azure cloud tools to the ChatGPT maker.
- Margrethe Vestager, the European commissioner for competition, stressed a need for competitiveness and innovation in the market to support businesses and consumers.
Zoom out: - The probe into Microsoft and OpenAI's partnership is part of a larger assessment of the markets for virtual worlds and generative AI.
- The European Commission also said it is "looking into some of the agreements that have been concluded between large digital market players and generative AI developers and providers."
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| 5 | | Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) is in advanced talks to purchase networking firm Juniper Networks for roughly $13B. Juniper, a Cisco Systems rival, offers communication network services and infrastructure, supplying routers and Ethernet switches to tech providers, telecom companies, and others. More: - Juniper has also jumped on the AI bandwagon with its service known as Mist AI, which leverages machine learning to optimize customer's wireless access experiences.
- HPE could announce the deal as early as this week as it seeks to boost its position in the growing AI industry, according to the WSJ.
- The deal could also strengthen HPE's challenge to Cisco, the leading networking switch provider.
Zoom out: - Last June, HPE announced the launch of a cloud computing service for AI systems like ChatGPT, placing it in direct competition with Amazon, Google, and Microsoft.
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| 6 | | Language translation app Duolingo has let go of 10% of its contractors as it turns toward generative AI to develop content. In a November shareholder letter, CEO Luis von Ahn said Duolingo uses generative AI to create new content, such as language learning scripts and shows, "dramatically faster." More: - A Duolingo spokesperson said the company's reduced need for some contractors is partially attributable to AI.
- The spokesperson clarified that the contractors were not laid off but rather offboarded after completing their projects at the end of 2023.
- While Duolingo uses AI "for many different purposes," including generating course content, its human employees "are still very involved in the creation of Duolingo's content," the spokesperson said.
- The move comes after an anonymous Duolingo contractor claimed the company offboarded a large percentage of contractors working on translations.
- The person alleged that Duolingo switched to AI for translations because it's faster and saves money.
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 | AI and technology writer | | Beth is a contributing editor and writer of Inside's AI and Tech newsletters. She has written for notable publications like USA Today and the Arizona Business Gazette. During her time as a public policy reporter at The Arizona Republic, she received recognition with a Pulitzer Prize nomination and a First Amendment Award for her collaborative reporting on pension cost increases. Beth also authored a book on the solar photovoltaic industry in 2016. You can reach her at Beth.Duckett@yahoo.com. | | This newsletter was edited by Eduardo Garcia | |
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