Layoffs hit IBM and SAP, smartphone shipments decline, and Google shuts down greater than 50,000 pro-PRC disinformation channels.

That is all of the tech information that is sizzling proper now. Welcome to Hashtag Tendencies. It is Friday January twenty seventh and I am your host, Ashee Pamma.

IBM introduced that it’s going to minimize 3,900 jobs as a part of the asset divestment and after it missed its annual money goal. The layoffs, associated to the spinoff of its Kyndryl enterprise and part of the Watson Well being synthetic intelligence unit, will set off a $300 million cost within the January-March interval, IBM mentioned. In the meantime, SAP additionally introduced that it’s going to lay off 3,000 staff. The German software program large mentioned it deliberate to hold out a “focused restructuring program” to “strengthen its core enterprise” and enhance effectivity. IBM and SAP be a part of layoffs at main tech firms together with Amazon, Google and Meta, which have reportedly laid off 48,000 staff for the reason that starting of this yr.

Font: yahoo finance Y TechXplore

Worldwide smartphone shipments decreased 18.3% year-on-year to 300 million items within the fourth quarter of 2022 (4Q22), based on preliminary knowledge from Worldwide Knowledge Company’s (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Cellular Cellphone Tracker. The drop marks the most important drop in historical past in a single quarter. Sturdy gross sales and promotions throughout the quarter helped deplete present stock reasonably than gasoline cargo progress. Distributors have gotten extra prudent with their delivery and planning, whereas additionally realigning their give attention to profitability, mentioned Nabila Popal, director of analysis at IDC. Even Apple, which appeared immune, suffered a setback to its provide chain with unplanned closures at its key factories in China.

Font: IDC

Google says it shut down greater than 50,000 accounts to fight a marketing campaign known as Dragonbridge, selling pro-Folks’s Republic of China (PRC) disinformation in 2022 that centered on Taiwan, COVID-19 and US politics. Whereas a lot of the content material the disinformation community publishes is of “low high quality and lacks a political message,” a bigger quantity of content material crucial of the Taiwan and US governments was printed final yr. posted content material supportive of China’s response to COVID-19 and important of how the US dealt with the pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Whereas a lot of the content material is geared toward Chinese language audio system, some is in English and different languages, Google says. Since 2019, he has closed over 100,000 YouTube, Blogger, and AdSense accounts related to Dragonbridge actors.

Font: the record

A British man who deliberate to have a “robotic lawyer” assist a defendant battle a visitors ticket has given up on the trouble after receiving threats of attainable prosecution and jail time. Joshua Browder, the proprietor of the AI ​​startup DoNotPay, created a platform for folks difficult visitors tickets to make use of AI-generated arguments in court docket. The particular person difficult a rushing ticket would put on sensible glasses that may report court docket proceedings and dictate responses into the defendant’s ear from a small speaker. The system was primarily based on some main AI textual content mills together with ChatGPT and DaVinci. Browder mentioned he was threatened by a number of state bar associations after he provided $1 million to anybody who wished to undertake his know-how throughout a court docket battle.

Font: npr

A speech written by AI was learn for the primary time in Congress. The transient two-paragraph speech learn by the Massachusetts Democrat on the ground of the US Home on Wednesday was generated by the AI ​​chatbot ChatGPT on-line, AP Information reported. The congressman mentioned that a part of the choice to learn a textual content generated by ChatGPT was to assist spark a dialogue about AI and the challenges and alternatives it creates. He mentioned he would not wish to see a repeat of the appearance of social media, which began small and skyrocketed quicker than Congress may react. Textual content generated from his discover included sentences similar to: “We should work with worldwide companions just like the Israeli authorities to make sure that the USA maintains a management position in AI analysis and improvement and responsibly explores the various potentialities it brings.” evolving applied sciences.

Font: AP News

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