📈 AI Boosts Performance of Below-Average Workers by 43%: Study

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Greetings!

It’s Tuesday, September 19. As the tech world keeps spinning, we're here to keep you in the loop. From major shifts in AI's impact on workforce performance to bold moves from industry leaders like Elon Musk and Unity, there's no shortage of headlines that could shape your next strategic decision. So grab your coffee, and dive into today's top headlines:

• Unity Revises Pricing After Founder's Admission

• Musk Adds Paid Subscriptions to Curb Bots

• Below-Average Workers See 43% Boost with AI

• Ex-Neeva CEO: AI Search Disruption Window Closing

• Softbank Considers OpenAI Investment

• Instacart Targets $9.9B in Upcoming IPO

• Tesla Extends Charging to Non-Tesla EVs

• and more…

READ TIME: 6.5 MINUTES

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Tech Companies

Unity Founder Admits Mistakes, Prepares to Revise Pricing Policy (3-minute read)

Unity founder admits to mistakes with price increase and plans to reverse policy after backlash from game developers. Over 400 companies have joined the boycott of Unity Ads and its IronSource division.

Former Microsoft Surface Boss Panos Panay Joins Amazon: Here’s Why (3-minute read)

Panos Panay, former Surface chief at Microsoft, is reportedly joining Amazon to oversee its hardware products, including Alexa and Echo speakers. He will be taking over from Dave Limp, Amazon's outgoing hardware boss. Panay's departure from Microsoft comes just before Thursday's company event. Amazon has been expanding its hardware offerings, including robots and home surveillance drones, and is in the process of acquiring iRobot for $1.7 billion.

Oracle and Microsoft Unveil Game-Changing Cloud Integration (3-minute read)

Oracle and Microsoft have partnered to launch Oracle Database@Azure, a service that integrates Oracle database services on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure within Microsoft Azure datacenters. The move allows customers to manage cloud-based operations with increased flexibility and efficiency.

Elon Musk's Bold Move: Paid Subscriptions to Curb Bots on X (2-minute read)

Elon Musk is reportedly planning to introduce a paid subscription to use X to combat bots. The goal is to deter their use by making it more cumbersome and expensive. Musk did not disclose the exact cost or features of the subscription plan. X currently has 550 million monthly users, generating 100-200 million posts per day. Musk also addressed concerns about hate speech on X and stated his intention to rid the platform of inauthentic accounts.

Microsoft Exposes 38TB Data: White Hats Uncover Azure Flaw (4-minute read)

White hat hackers discovered a vulnerability in Microsoft's AI research division that exposed 38TB of private data. The vulnerability stemmed from a shared access signature token on GitHub, which Microsoft invalidated. No customer data was exposed.

Startup Scene

AI Startup Writer Secures $100M for Palmyra Expansion (7-minute read)

Writer, a San Francisco startup, has raised $100 million in Series B funding to expand its AI platform for enterprises. The funding round was led by ICONIQ Growth and included participation from Accenture and Vanguard. Writer's AI models, named Palmyra, offer a range of features and are trained on enterprise-friendly data sources. The company aims to stand out with its auditable and industry-specific models.

Dragos Secures $74M Funding to Fortify Industrial Systems (2-minute read)

Dragos, a software company focused on securing control systems for industrial equipment, has raised $74 million in a Series D round led by WestCap. The funding brings Dragos' total raised to $440 million, maintaining a post-money valuation of $1.7 billion for the second year.

AI Corner

AI Boosts Performance of Below-Average Workers by 43%: Study (3-minute read)

According to a study by Boston Consulting Group, consultants ranked below average benefit the most from using AI. The study involved 758 consultants and found that below-average performers using AI saw a 43% improvement in performance, while above-average performers saw only a 17% improvement. The study also highlighted the risks of over-reliance on AI, as consultants performed up to 20% worse when presented with tasks beyond the AI's capabilities.

AI Search Disruption Window Nears Closure, Says Ex-Neeva CEO (7-minute read)

Former Neeva CEO, Sridhar Ramaswamy, believes the window for AI chatbots to disrupt Google's consumer search dominance is closing. Ramaswamy also discusses Neeva's move into the enterprise search space through the Snowflake acquisition. He highlights the unpredictability of AI success and the competition in the knowledge discovery space.

Markets & Money

Softbank Eyes OpenAI Investment Amid AI Offensive (3-minute read)

Softbank is considering investing in OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT. Softbank's boss, Masayoshi Son, has expressed enthusiasm for the chatbot and uses it daily. Softbank's Vision Fund is looking to invest in AI despite previous losses.

Instacart Ups IPO Price, Targets $9.9B Valuation on Nasdaq Debut (3-minute read)

Instacart raises IPO pricing range ahead of Nasdaq debut, with shares expected to be priced between $28 to $30. The company could raise up to $660 million, giving it a valuation of $9.9 billion. Instacart reported a net income of $242 million in the six months ending June 30.

Apps & Gadgets

Unlock 10 Hidden Features in iOS 17 Upgrade (5-minute read)

iOS 17 introduces several hidden improvements, including automatic cleanup of verification codes, swipe-to-reply in messages, Siri usage during phone calls, linking of notes, auto-suggestions in Reminders, app shortcuts in Spotlight, a straightness level in the camera viewfinder, quick access and lock of private browsing, new shortcuts for cropping images, and animated Now Playing screens in Music.

Microsoft Paint Revolutionized: Layers and Transparency After 38 Years! (3-minute read)

Microsoft Paint now supports layers and transparency, allowing users to create more complex digital art. The new features are available with Paint version 11.2308.18.0 or higher. Users can add, remove, and manage layers on the canvas, stack shapes and text, and open and save transparent PNG files. The addition of background removal capabilities and support for background blur in the Windows 11 Paint application were also announced.

Tesla Opens Charging Infrastructure to Non-Tesla EVs with New App Integration (3-minute read)

Tesla has launched a mobile app integration for its Wall Connector chargers, allowing non-Tesla EV owners to control and schedule charging.

Quick Links

X Allegedly Shadowbans Major News Outlet (3-minute read)

X allegedly shadowbanned The New York Times, reducing tweet access. Surprisingly, the Times, a major X advertiser, experienced decreased engagement while other news sites saw an increase. Elon Musk, who dislikes the Times, expressed joy in removing their verified badge on X. This problem appears exclusive to X, not other platforms. Musk has faced prior accusations of using X to restrict speech.

Alyssa Henry Leaves Square, Dorsey Steps In: Fintech Shakeup (3-minute read)

Square CEO Alyssa Henry is leaving on October 2, and Jack Dorsey will temporarily take over. Henry has worked at Square for over nine years. Dorsey, the CEO of Block, will also become "Square Head." The reason for Henry's departure is unknown. Her leadership transformed Square into a software-led technology company.