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The tech industry is moving fast and breaking things againand this time it is humanitys shared reality and control of our likeness before and after deaththanks to artificial intelligence image-generation platforms like OpenAIs Sora 2. The typical Sora video, made on OpenAIs app and spread onto TikTok, Instagram, X, and Facebook, is designed to be amusing enough for you to click and share. It could be Queen Elizabeth II rapping or something more ordinary and believable. One popular Sora genre is fake doorbell camera footage capturing something slightly uncanny say, a boa constrictor on the porch or an alligator approaching an unfazed childand ends with a mild shock, like a grandma shouting as she beats the animal with a broom. But a growing chorus of advocacy groups, academics, and experts is raising alarms about the dangers of letting people create AI videos on just about anything they can type into a prompt, leading to the proliferation of nonconsensual images and realistic deepfakes in a sea of less harmful AI slop. OpenAI has cracked down on AI creations of public figuresamong them, Michael Jackson, Martin Luther King Jr., and Mister Rogersdoing outlandish things, but only after an outcry from family estates and an actors’ union. The nonprofit Public Citizen is now demanding OpenAI withdraw Sora 2 from the public, writing in a Tuesday letter to the company and CEO Sam Altman that the apps hasty release so that it could launch ahead of competitors shows a consistent and dangerous pattern of OpenAI rushing to market with a product that is either inherently unsafe or lacking in needed guardrails. Sora 2, the letter says, shows a reckless disregard for product safety, as well as people’s rights to their own likeness and the stability of democracy. The group also sent the letter to the U.S. Congress. OpenAI didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday. Our biggest concern is the potential threat to democracy, said Public Citizen tech policy advocate J.B. Branch in an interview. I think were entering a world in which people cant really trust what they see. And were starting to see strategies in politics where the first image, the first video that gets released, is what people remember. Branch, author of Tuesday’s letter, also sees broader concerns to people’s privacy that disproportionately impact vulnerable populations online. OpenAI blocks nudity but Branch said that women are seeing themselves being harassed online in other ways, such as with fetishized niche content that makes it through the apps’ restrictions. The news outlet 404 Media on Friday reported on a flood of Sora-made videos of women being strangled. OpenAI introduced its new Sora app on iPhones more than a month ago. It launched on Android phones last week in the U.S., Canada and several Asian countries, including Japan and South Korea. Much of the strongest pushback has come from Hollywood and other entertainment interests, including the Japanese manga industry. OpenAI announced its first big changes just days after the release, saying overmoderation is super frustrating for users but that its important to be conservative while the world is still adjusting to this new technology. That was followed by publicly announced agreements with Martin Luther King Jr.’s family on Oct. 16, preventing disrespectful depictions of the civil rights leader while the company worked on better safeguards, and another on Oct. 20 with Breaking Bad actor Bryan Cranston, the SAG-AFTRA union and talent agencies. Thats all well and good if youre famous, Branch said. Its sort of just a pattern that OpenAI has where theyre willing to respond to the outrage of a very small population. Theyre willing to release something and apologize afterwards. But a lot of these issues are design choices that they can make before releasing.” OpenAI has faced similar complaints about its flagship product, ChatGPT. Seven new lawsuits filed last week in California courts claim the chatbot drove people to suicide and harmful delusions even when they had no prior mental health issues. Filed on behalf of six adults and one teenager by the Social Media Victims Law Center and Tech Justice Law Project, the lawsuits claim that OpenAI knowingly released GPT-4o prematurely last year, despite internal warnings that it was dangerously sycophantic and psychologically manipulative. Four of the victims died by suicide. Public Citizen was not involved in the lawsuits, but Branch said he sees parallels in Sora’s hasty release. He said theyre putting the pedal to the floor without regard for harms. Much of this seems foreseeable. But theyd rather get a product out there, get people downloading it, get people who are addicted to it rather than doing the right thing and stress-testing these things beforehand and worrying about the plight of everyday users. OpenAI spent last week responding to complaints from a Japanese trade association representing famed animators like Hayao Miyazaki’s Studio Ghibli and video game makers like Bandai Namco and Square Enix. OpenAI said many anime fans want to interact with their favorite characters, but the company has also set guardrails in place to prevent well-known characters from being generated without the consent of the people who own the copyrights. Were engaging directly with studios and rightsholders, listening to feedback, and learning from how people are using Sora 2, including in Japan, where cultural and creative industries are deeply valued,” OpenAI said in a statement about the trade group’s letter last week. Barbara Ortutay and Matt O’Brien, AP technology writers
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E-Commerce
ByHeart Whole Nutrition Infant Formula is being recalled in 12 states due to concerns it may be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum, as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continue to investigate a multi-state outbreak of infant botulism. As of November 10, 15 infants who were either fed the formula or exposed to it have developed infant botulism in 12 different states. Those states are: Arizona, California, Illinois, Kentucky, Minnesota, North Carolina, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, and Washington. The investigation remains ongoing. All 15 infants were hospitalized, and no deaths have been reported. Information is available for 14 of those cases, with the illnesses occurring between August 9 and November 10. Those 14 infants range in age from 16 to 157 days old. ByHeart released a public statement on November 11, which said that while the company hasn’t found the “toxins in any unopened can of ByHeart formula,” it “decided to voluntarily recall all ByHeart formula nationwide” including unexpired lots of formula cans and single-serve anywhere sticks. ByHeart infant formula products make up less than 1% of all infant formula sold in the U.S. Infant botulism symptoms According to the FDA, most infants with infant botulism will initially develop constipation, poor feeding, loss of head control, and difficulty swallowing, which can progress to difficulty breathing and respiratory arrest. Symptoms of infant botulism, which is diagnosed clinically, can take as long as several weeks to develop following formula ingestion. FDA recommendations Botulism can be fatal, and the FDA recommends taking action right away. According to the agency, parents and caregivers should stop using any ByHeart infant formula products immediately. If you suspect a child has consumed ByHeart Whole Nutrition Infant Formula and is experiencing signs and symptoms, seek immediate medical attention. If a child consumed ByHeart formula and is not currently showing symptoms, continue monitoring them and seek medical attention if symptoms develop. If you still have the formula in your home, the agency recommends you to take a photo or record the information on the bottom of the package, keep the container in a safe spot, and be sure to label that product as “DO NOT USE.” If a child develops symptoms, your state health department might want to collect your formula container for testing. If a child does not develop symptoms after 30 days, throw your containers out.
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E-Commerce
Young people early in their careers are understandably alarmed by reports that their jobs are most at risk from AI automation. Some are even reconsidering their career choices due to whats been dubbed AI anxiety. But job seekers shouldnt give up. People whose jobs are threatened by AI must look for ways to play to their strengths and their human qualities. They should focus on the many areas where humans outshine AIthings like relationship building, resourcefulness, emotional intelligence, teamwork, and leadership. For much of the labor force, of course, it wont be possible to avoid AI completely. Many occupations will involve working with AI not just as an assistive tool but, increasingly, as a coworker. Job seekers arent alone in their concerns about the future of work. Business leaders are grappling with questions of how AI will impact jobs, skills, and the workforce broadly. The answers will require leaders to focus on what it is that human workers do best and where they can add the greatest value. Evidence of these macro forces is coming from all directions. A report from Stanford University, based on payroll data, found that AI is beginning to have a significant and disproportionate impact on entry-level workers. Stanford researchers concluded that 22 to 25 years old occupations most exposed to AI have faced a 13% relative decline in employment. AUTOMATION VERSUS AUGMENTATION Thats the glass half empty. The Stanford report included some encouraging indicators, including that overall employment is still growing and that wages havent been negatively affected. Employment for workers in less exposed fields and more experienced workers in the same occupations has remained stable or continued to grow, the researchers wrote. And its important to draw distinctions between different types of work. Many experts see a line of demarcation between automation and augmentation. Stanford found that entry-level employment declined in roles where AI automates or substitutes for work, but not where it augments work. Its easy to see why. Basic tasks like transcription, report generation, and scheduling dont require extensive education or training. Thats not to say those functions are unimportantwe depend on them dailybut AI can do the same, in some cases faster and better. And AI is moving up the skills stack into areas such as design, content creation, code writing, and customer support. For higher-level work, AI augmentation has the potential to make us better at what we do rather than replace us. For example, AI agents integrated with collaboration tools can automatically present insights in near real time to help business professionals make smarter decisions. And AI chatbots interacting with customers or prospects can detect and escalate opportunities to salespeople, who can add the human touch. DEVELOP NEW SKILLS AS A CAREER BUFFER Implementing AI for automation or augmentation isnt an either/or decision. Many organizations will do both, and there are nuances as we forge ahead. The model provider Anthropic drills deeper into the topic of automation and augmentation in its usage tracking report. Anthropic looks at automation in two ways: directive conversations, where theres minimal interaction between AI and humans; and feedback loops, where humans relay outcomes back to the model. As for augmentation, Anthropic subdivides it into learning, task iteration, and validation. In short: Our AI touchpoints will be many and varied. So, rather than worrying too much about the downsides of automation, our energies may be better spent upskilling for the myriad ways that human workers can benefit from AI augmentation to achieve more. Investing time and effort in AI-readiness can help serve as a career buffer by keeping workers current with new technologies and business demands. Talent managers in hiring roles will put a premium on people with the moxie to not just survive, but thrive alongside AI. THE FLIP SIDE OF AUTOMATION: HUMAN EXCELLENCE Heres another ray of hope. Luiza Jarovsky, cofounder of the AI, Tech & Privacy Academy and an expert in AI governance, writes on Substack that demand for excellent professionals is rising. Why such a positive outlook? AI outputs can be suboptimal and may require a human in the loop, Jarovsky argues. AI-first companies, she writes, are realizing that full automation disconnected from excellent human work fails to meet legal, ethical, and quality standards. So, the debate over AIs impact can be framed both as challenge and opportunity. Case in point: Inc.com reports that starting salaries for workers with AI skills have risen 12% compared to a year ago. Thats the flip side of automation. As I think about the young adults in my own household who are contemplating their career paths, I will encourage them to pursue their interests with enthusiasm and commitment, but also resilience. Its too early to know how AI will impact our livelihoods. But the ability to adapt, redirect and keep growing will be invaluable no matter the ups and downs. Amit Walia is CEO of Informatica.
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E-Commerce
If youre flying later this month, you may need to temper your expectations now: The major U.S. airlines are warning that flight disruptions could persist even after the government shutdown ends. The longest government shutdown in U.S. history seemingly has an end in sight now that the Senate passed legislation Monday night to end the shutdown. But the recent flurry of canceled and delayed flights could continue, warned a trade group made up of the major U.S.-based airlinesAmerican, Southwest, Delta, and Unitedas well as UPS and FedEx. Airlines reduced flight schedules cannot immediately bounce back to full capacity right after the government reopens, Airlines for America said in a statement on Monday. It will take time, and there will be residual effects for days. STRAIN ON AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS Federal workers that include air traffic controllers and TSA agents who have continued working during the shutdown have seen two consecutive zero-dollar paycheck cycles. And thats led to some employees calling out sick, taking on extra work elsewhereor even quitting their jobs altogether because of the stress the shutdown has inflicted. Thats unlike whats happened during past government shutdowns, and notably the one in 2019, Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, told CNN last week. Further compounding issues, he said, is that there are 400 fewer air traffic controllers employed today than during the shutdown during Trumps first time in office. Controllers are resigning every day now because of the prolonged nature of the shutdown. And following the 2019 shutdown, it took up to two and a half months for these employees to get their back pay, Daniels told CNN. President Donald Trump threatened on Monday to dock the pay of those air traffic controllers who have called out during the shutdown with a blanket instruction to report to work immediately. The president also said he would recommend a bonus of $10,000 for those air traffic controllers who didnt take any time off during the shutdown in a post on Truth Social. Trump also went so far as to encourage some government employees to quit. If you want to leave service in the near future, please do not hesitate to do so, with NO payment or severance of any kind! he wrote. FOCUS ON THANKSGIVING Air travel disruptions have been an increased focus of his administration in recent days. On Sunday, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy issued a dire outlook, warning that a substantial number of Americans wont make it home for Thanksgiving on Nov. 27. In 2024, AAA projected that 5.84 million would fly domestically for the holiday, about 7% of the total number of travelers. Another aviation and aerospace trade group, Modern Skies, put this years Thanksgiving travel estimate much higher, at 31 million. In an open letter to Congress on Tuesday, the group of 50-plus aviation and aerospace companies, organizations, and unions, urged an immediate end to the shutdown. The job of keeping aviation safe and secure is tough every day, but forcing federal employees to do it without pay is unacceptable, Modern Skies said in the letter published in The Washington Post. Without immediate government action, the federal employees charged with the safety of our aviation system are missing paychecks again this week. WIDESPREAD DISRUPTIONS During the shutdown that has stretched on for six weeks, more than 5 million travelers have been affected by airline staffing issues, according to Airlines for America. Reductions to flight capacity at 40 major airports began last week, with the amount expected to ramp up to 10% by this Friday. But cancellations have already topped that amount according to reporting by CNBC. On Sunday, 10.2% of scheduled flights were cancelled, followed by 8.7% on Monday, the news outlet reported, citing data from aviation-data firm Cirium. Though the strain of the government shutdown has been widespreadincluding halting SNAP benefits for 41 million Americansits been especially evident at airports. It took as long as three hours last week for travelers to get through the TSA lines at the Houston airport, according to reporting by CBS News. And a video went viral in recent days of a frustrated pilot who works for Southwest Airlines urging passengers on a flight to call their senators to end the shutdown. The House of Representatives could vote on the legislation approved by the Senate to end the shutdown as soon as Wednesday, following the Veterans Day holiday.
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E-Commerce
You may see more smiles next time you walk into a Target. That’s because the big box retailer is hoping to provide an “elevated” customer experience with it’s new “10-4” policy, requiring staffers out on the floor to smile, wave, and welcome customers within 10 feetand greet those just 4 feet away, USA Today reported. Fast Company has reached out to Target for comment. The policy comes less than three weeks before Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, which officially kicks off the busiest and most profitable time of the year. Many stores, including Target, have already begun to roll out their Black Friday sales this year. Target’s early 2025 Black Friday sales first dropped the first week in November and continue this month online, with week-long deals every Sunday through December 24. That’s as two-thirds of Americans plan to start holiday shopping before Black Friday this year, according to August data from consulting firm McKinsey & Company. Looking ahead, Target’s official Black Friday sale drops online on Thanksgiving day, Thursday, November 27 and in-store on Friday, November 28, ending on Tuesday, December 2. Shares of Target (NYSE: TGT) were up nearly 1% in midday trading at $91.40. Target financials Target Corporation’s second quarter earnings results beat expectations with $25.21 billion in revenue, versus an expected $24.93 billion, and earnings per share (EPS) of $2.05 versus an expected $2.03. However, it posted in-store and online traffic declines due both to inflation and consumer economic concerns, as well as boycotts triggered by its rollback on DEI. The Minneapolis-based retailer announced in October it was cutting 8% of its corporate workforce, or 1,800 positions.
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E-Commerce
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