Plus: June's lineup of gaming showcases, from Playstation to Xbox.
| For May 29, 2024 |  |
| Here’s a look at today's tech briefing: - Samsung Electronics union plans first-ever strike.
- Meta removes hundreds of accounts linked to propaganda campaigns.
- Apple planning TV app for Android phones.
- OpenAI forms new safety committee.
- Temu owner positioned as China's top e-commerce giant.
- Lineup of June's video game showcases, from Playstation to Xbox.
Beth
p/beth-duckett | |
| 1 | | Samsung Electronics' largest labor union announced its first-ever strike. The National Samsung Electronics Union has planned a one-day walkout for June 7 following failed wage negotiations with the South Korean tech giant. More: - The union represents 28,000 employees, or nearly a quarter of Samsung's local workforce.
- Many of the members work in Samsung's semiconductor unit. Workers have staged protests recently at Samsung's Seoul offices and its nearby chip plant.
- In March, Samsung management and workers agreed to raise this year's pay by 5.1%.
- The union said it's seeking an extra day of leave and more transparent wage increases and performance bonuses.
- In response, Samsung said it "will sincerely engage in discussions with the union."
Zoom out: - Samsung Electronics reported a 933% surge in operating profit in Q1, driven by higher chip prices and demand for AI-related products.
- The turnaround followed six quarters of profit declines and record losses amid a post-pandemic slump. In Q4, the company reported a 73% drop in net profit.
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| 2 | | Meta said it removed hundreds of Facebook and Instagram accounts linked to global influence campaigns, including some with AI-generated content. The propaganda campaigns originated from Israel, Iran, China, Russia, and other countries, according to Meta's latest threat report. More: - The campaigns used fake Facebook and Instagram accounts to promote political agendas and comment on posts.
- Campaigns from Israel and Iran supported the Israeli government, praising its Gaza war efforts in comments on posts from news outlets and U.S. lawmakers.
- Some accounts, posing as concerned citizens, were linked to a Tel Aviv firm called STOIC.
- A Chinese network also spread pro-Sikh posters to target global Sikh communities via Instagram and Facebook.
Zoom out: - Meta found that both the China and Israeli campaigns likely used generative AI tools to create images and comments.
- Currently, networks are not using GenAI "in terribly sophisticated ways," said David Agranovich, Meta's policy director of threat disruption.
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| 3 | | Apple is likely developing a TV app for Android phones and tablets. Currently, Android phone users must use tv.apple.com to watch Apple TV+ shows or MLS Season Pass. More: - Apple is hiring an Android engineer for its TV app team to "help build an application used by millions to watch and discover TV and sports."
- Apple rarely creates apps for Android, its iOS competitor, with only a few Android phone offerings like Apple Music.
- The company offers a TV app for the Android smart TV platform but not for Android itself.
- The Android app's release timeline is uncertain.
Zoom out: - The Apple TV app is available on other non-Apple devices, including Amazon Fire TV, Roku, PlayStation, and Xbox.
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| 4 | | OpenAI has formed a new safety committee and started training its latest flagship AI model. The likely successor to GPT-4 will bring OpenAI to "the next level of capabilities" as it works to develop artificial general intelligence or AGI, the company wrote in a blog post. More: - AGI refers to "a theoretical AI system with capabilities that rival those of a human."
- The company didn't disclose the name of its next frontier model.
- In addition, OpenAI announced a new Safety and Security Committee, led by CEO Sam Altman and other board members.
- The committee's first task is to review and improve the company's "processes and safeguards" and make recommendations to the board.
- Recently, OpenAI disbanded its "superalignment" team for managing long-term AI risks and making sure AI is aligned with its objectives.
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| 5 | | Chinese e-commerce giant PDD, owner of Temu and Pinduoduo, outperformed larger rivals Alibaba and JD.com in quarterly growth. The upsurge comes as consumers turn to more affordable products during an uncertain economy, Caixin Global reports. 
What the numbers show: PDD Holdings reported a 246% surge in Q1 net income to nearly 28B yuan ($3.9B), with revenue more than doubling. By comparison, Taobao owner Alibaba's net income plummeted 96% for the quarter, while JD.com saw a modest 14% increase. PDD's outstanding results boosted its shares by 7.5% and pushed its market cap to $208B, surpassing once-dominant Alibaba's $196B. Zoom out: PDD's focus on affordability and the growth of its marketplaces have positioned it as China's top e-commerce company, say analysts. Its investment in expanding Temu internationally has also paid off. Temu was the most downloaded free iOS app in the U.S. last year, while economic challenges like a weak job market and real estate downturn have pushed Chinese consumers to Pinduoduo's cheaper products. | | | |
| 6 | | The June slot once held by E3 is now packed with game showcases. Summer Game Fest, Ubisoft Forward, and Nintendo Direct mark the start of the busy summer gaming conference season. More: Zoom out: | | | |
| 7 | | QUICK HITS: - Thinking about growing your business? We'll work as hard as it takes to make Ohio your competitive advantage.*
- Former FTX executive Ryan Salame was sentenced to 7½ years in prison after pleading guilty to illegal political contributions and operating an unlicensed money business. He is the first associate of FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried to be jailed after the crypto exchange's 2022 collapse.
- South Korean officials are investigating Samsung after two employees were hospitalized due to radiation exposure at a plant.
- Microsoft's Copilot chatbot is now available in beta in the messaging app Telegram.
- Apple will open its first Malaysia store in Kuala Lumpur on June 22.
*This is sponsored content. | | | |
 | AI and technology writer | | Beth is a contributing editor and writer of Inside's AI and Tech newsletters. She has written for publications including USA Today, the Arizona Business Gazette, and The Arizona Republic, where she received recognition with a Pulitzer Prize nomination and a First Amendment Award for collaborative reporting on state pension cost increases. You can reach her at Beth.Duckett@yahoo.com. | | This newsletter was edited by Beth Duckett | |
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