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ServiceTitan names LLMs from Microsoft, OpenAI as risk factors
TechCrunch· 2024-11-18 22:45
Core Viewpoint - ServiceTitan's IPO filing highlights significant risks associated with its use of generative AI, particularly large language models (LLMs), which could adversely impact its business operations and data security [1][2][3] Group 1: AI Risks - ServiceTitan's S-1 prospectus includes a detailed 1,150-word section on risks related to AI, warning that LLMs may produce inaccurate information and engage in discriminatory behaviors [2] - The company cautions that reliance on LLMs could lead to copyright infringements and increased exposure to data breaches [2][3] - There is a concern that if ServiceTitan cannot gather sufficient data, it may struggle to maintain or develop its AI products [2] Group 2: Ethical and Regulatory Concerns - ServiceTitan expresses worries about potential social and ethical issues arising from its AI usage, as well as the financial implications of future regulations [3] - The company also fears challenges in hiring AI experts, which could be costly, impacting its ability to innovate [3] Group 3: Dependency on Third-Party Services - ServiceTitan's AI products depend on third-party services, specifically naming Microsoft and OpenAI, which poses a risk if these services become unavailable or face issues [3] Group 4: Industry Context - ServiceTitan operates in the field service industry, providing software solutions for small businesses, including marketing and customer relationship management [4] - The company has been offering AI-powered services since at least 2023, with the launch of Titan Intelligence and a suite of AI agents for various business functions [5] Group 5: Market Trends - The rapid advancement of AI agents in sales, marketing, and customer relationship management is noted, with Salesforce's CEO predicting a billion AI agents could be deployed within a year [4] - The reliability of LLMs for business applications is expected to improve over time, but current AI adoption may present as many challenges as it resolves [7]
India fines Meta $25.4 million over WhatsApp privacy policy
TechCrunch· 2024-11-18 16:00
India’s competition watchdog has ordered WhatsApp to stop sharing data with other Meta companies for advertising purposes for five years and also levied a fine of $25.4 million for antitrust violations related to WhatsApp’s controversial 2021 privacy policy.The Competition Commission of India, which began the investigation in 2021, found that WhatsApp’s “take-it-or-leave-it” privacy update constituted an abuse of Meta’s dominant position by forcing users to accept expanded data collection without an opt-out ...
T-Mobile says it was hacked, linked to Chinese breaches of telecom networks
TechCrunch· 2024-11-16 15:54
Core Points - T-Mobile has confirmed it was hacked as part of a broader "industry-wide attack" targeting U.S. and international telecom companies [1][4] - The company stated that its systems and data have not been significantly impacted, and there is no evidence of customer information being compromised [2] - This incident marks the ninth known cyberattack against T-Mobile in recent years, with the most recent breach in 2023 resulting in the theft of personal information from 37 million customers [6] Industry Context - The cyberattacks are linked to a group of hackers associated with the Chinese government, known as Salt Typhoon, which targeted wiretap systems mandated by U.S. federal law [4] - The FBI and U.S. cybersecurity agency CISA have publicly warned the industry about these cyberattacks, accusing China of conducting a significant cyber espionage campaign aimed at high-ranking American officials [5]
General Motors slashes another 1,000 jobs to cut costs
TechCrunch· 2024-11-15 16:20
In Brief General Motors is laying off nearly 1,000 workers in the U.S. as part of a cost-cutting bid, just three months after cutting 1,000 software jobs.The company told TechCrunch that cuts won’t affect hourly workers at any of its factories, but declined to specify what teams were affected. A significant majority of the layoffs were salaried employees. “In order to win in this competitive market, we need to optimize for speed and excellence. This includes operating with efficiency, ensuring we have the ...
GM's Cruise to pay $500,000 fine to DOJ, admits submitting false report
TechCrunch· 2024-11-15 14:08
Cruise, the autonomous vehicle unit of General Motors, has admitted to submitting a false report with the goal of influencing a federal investigation into a safety incident last year. In penance, the company will pay a $500,000 criminal fine as part of a deferred prosecution agreement, per the Department of Justice (DOJ). This is one of several state and federal fines Cruise has been hit with after omitting crucial information related to that October incident, during which a Cruise robotaxi ran over a pedes ...
Google tests removing news articles from search in EU, but it's already backfiring
TechCrunch· 2024-11-15 13:50
In Brief Under EU law, digital platforms have to pay for news reuse. But how much should Google pay for article previews? That’s what Google is trying to find out with an experiment in nine EU countries.During the test, 1% of users won’t see articles from EU-based news publishers in search and Google News so that Google can see its real impact on traffic. Or at least that was the plan. But the plan doesn’t seem well thought out given it appears that news publishers discovered the test in a blog post. Just ...
Ford will pay up to $165M fine for rearview camera recall failures
TechCrunch· 2024-11-14 20:13
Core Points - Ford has agreed to pay a $165 million penalty to federal regulators for delays in recalling vehicles with faulty rearview cameras, marking the second largest fine in NHTSA's history [1] - The automaker failed to provide accurate and complete information in its reports to NHTSA and did not submit certain quarterly recall reports on time [2] Financial Implications - Ford will pay $65 million in the coming months, with an additional $55 million contingent on compliance with the consent order, and will allocate $45 million towards developing safety technology [3] Compliance Measures - NHTSA's remedies require Ford to engage an independent third party with expertise in motor vehicles to ensure compliance with federal safety regulations [4] Company Commitment - Ford expressed commitment to improving safety and compliance, with ongoing enhancements including advanced data analytics and a new in-house testing facility [5]
Meta slapped with a €798M fine in Europe, its biggest yet
TechCrunch· 2024-11-14 14:07
Meta, the parent of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, has been hit with yet another huge fine in Europe, this time over abusive practices in Facebook Marketplace. The European Commission announced that it would fine it €797.72 million — nearly $840 million — for breaching EU antitrust rules connected to how it ties its online classified ads service, Facebook Marketplace, creating “unfair trading conditions” for other providers of classifieds online. The fine is the latest instalment of a case that dates bac ...
Reliance, Disney complete India media merger valued at $8.5 billion
TechCrunch· 2024-11-14 12:21
Group 1: Merger Overview - Reliance and Disney have completed a significant merger in the Indian media sector, creating an entertainment entity valued at $8.5 billion that will dominate streaming and television markets in India [1][2] - The joint venture will control approximately 85% of India's streaming market and about 50% of television viewership [1] Group 2: Financial and Operational Details - Reliance has invested $1.4 billion in the venture, holding a 63.16% stake, while Disney retains 36.84% [2] - The merger results in the largest media group in India, generating annual revenues of $3.1 billion, combining JioCinema, Hotstar, and over 100 television channels [3] Group 3: Leadership and Management - Nita Ambani will chair the joint venture, with Uday Shankar as vice-chair and Kevin Vaz, Kiran Mani, and Sanjog Gupta overseeing various operational aspects [5] Group 4: Strategic Implications - The joint venture consolidates control over valuable media rights, including major cricket properties and global sports content [4] - Disney's CEO Robert Iger emphasized the expansion of their presence in the Indian media market through this partnership [7]
Apple faces UK ‘iCloud monopoly' compensation claim worth $3.8 billion
TechCrunch· 2024-11-14 00:01
U.K. consumer rights group ‘Which?’ is filing a legal claim against Apple under competition law on behalf of some 40 million users of iCloud, its cloud storage service.The collective proceeding lawsuit, which is seeking £3 billion in compensation damages (around $3.8 billion at current exchange rates), alleges that Apple has broken competition rules by giving its own cloud storage service preferential treatment and effectively locking people into paying for iCloud at “rip-off” prices. “iOS has a monopoly a ...