Technology

Healthcare organizations, prepare for more cyberattacks: On the back of Hive’s shutdown, we recap what we saw in 2022, and highlight what to watch out for in 2023.

AI as muse or job killer? ChatGPT isn’t yet commercialized but is demonstrating its potential to rock the economy. The tech will affect white-collar jobs but won’t eliminate them—yet.

Constrained chip supply continues: The yearslong chip crisis isn’t getting any better, and some markets aren’t expecting relief until 2024. But dwindling consumer demand could lead to oversupply and stagnating innovation.

TikTok bans in colleges go viral: The fallout from students and teachers could be indicative of wider pushback against banning the app.

Google’s ChatGPT conundrum: Generative AI is becoming a headache for the tech giant that wants to take the ethical high road while also staying competitive in a fast-moving market.

Thousands of Googlers get pink slips: As scavenging continues to rise among other industries, terminated workers shouldn’t be jobless for long. Meanwhile, Google is laser-focused on a revenue-driven AI strategy.

Commercial generative AI poses risk for companies: Kenyan workers paid under $2 per hour to help build ChatGPT are among many human contributors behind generative AI who aren’t given sufficient compensation.

Amazon-owned Whole Foods is in expansion mode: While its parent company looks to cut costs, the high-end grocer sees an opportunity to attract consumers as they return to in-store shopping.

Microsoft is the latest to resort to layoffs: The company is reducing its headcount by 5% as it pivots to plug AI into its key products, subscriptions, and cloud services. But AI still has a lot of hurdles to jump.

Slowing growth forces Beijing to capitulate to Big Tech: Facing the weakest growth in decades, China seeks cooperation with the EU and will loosen its iron grip on tech monoliths to spur the economy.

Chatbots are AGI stepping stones: DeepMind might release a ChatGPT competitor called Sparrow sometime in 2023. Chatbots are part of a much bolder vision to alter society with artificial general intelligence.

Startups put OpenAI’s Microsoft advantage to the test: OpenAI is becoming one of the US' most valuable startups over its sensational generative AI. Leadership in the space requires skillful monetization.

Apple’s intensifying in-house push: It already designs its own processors, and now it looks like Apple is moving to make its own Wi-Fi and 5G radios, displays, and touchscreens, reducing reliance on suppliers.

President Biden urges regulators to move fast on Big Tech reforms: He called for a ban on targeting ads to minors and reforms to the controversial Section 230.

US consumers spent $497 billion on tech last year, according to the Consumer Technology Association. That’s a $15 billion drop from 2021. This year, spending will decline again, by $12 billion.

Alphabet wants to lead the climate battle: Google is leveraging its moonshots lab to tackle climate change at the expense of other research as revenue shortcomings call for new strategies.

Microsoft hitches its AI wagon to OpenAI’s ChatGPT: Investing $10 billion will give Microsoft 75% of OpenAI’s profits and priority access to innovation it can fold into web search and software solutions.

2023 layoffs expose Big Tech’s dirty laundry: Tone deafness, overexpansion, and lack of focus on security are the industry’s pressing problems that need to be resolved before the economy recovers.

Another Consumer Electronics Show (CES) has come and gone, introducing the world to everything from a self-driving stroller to an accessible PlayStation 5 controller. It would be impossible to give a rundown of everything announced at the Las Vegas event, but here are a few things we think retailers should keep an eye on.

Tech’s economic pain isn’t letting up: Economic recovery eludes the tech industry as the Fed targets the overall strong job market’s role in driving inflation. Expect more corporate downsizing.