(This column originally appeared in Forbes)
Here are five things in tech that happened this week and how they affect your business. Did you miss them?
1 — Anthropic’s CEO reminds us of the radical upside of AI.
In his essay “Machines of Loving Grace” — Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei presents an optimistic vision of AI’s potential to transform society in positive ways. Clarifying his position on the risks — which has been perceived as deeply pessimistic — Amodei explains why Anthropic has focused more on AI’s potential dangers. Emphasizing the importance of keeping a balanced perspective, he goes on to list the immense benefits AI could bring to areas like health, economics, and government. “I think that most people are underestimating just how radical the upside of AI could be,” Amodei says. (Source: Dario Amodei)
Why this is important for your business:
This is a great read for both owners and their employers who are hesitant about AI. Yes, there are huge risks: deep fakes, environmental, losing control, jobs, etc. But the “radical upside” of AI I believe supersedes those risks and Amodei eloquently explains why.
2 — Venmo is getting some new features.
Venmo is rolling out several new features to enhance user experience. Payments can now be scheduled as a one-time transaction or recurring making it easier to manage bills and other expenses. An enhanced business profile feature gives small businesses the ability to create more engaging/promotional content along with a ranking system. Users can now send and receive cryptocurrency, and privacy settings have been improved. (Source: Gizmodo)
Why this is important for your business:
Venmo is a critical payment tool for many small businesses. I like the ability of scheduling bills and upgrading a company’s profile. If you’re a Venmo user you should be leaning into these new tools.
3 — Gmail users — beware of new AI scam that looks very authentic.
Gmail users beware — a sophisticated AI-generated scam has been discovered and described as “super realistic.” This latest alert that was posted by Microsoft security expert Sam Mitrovic who received an account recovery message that required his approval — followed by a call from Google with a report of “suspicious activity” on his account. Mitrovic later discovered the person who contacted him was AI-voice technology impersonating a rep from Google Support. An account recovery message is what hackers are utilizing to initiate a phone call — something that a Google tech wouldn’t do unprompted. (Source: ZDNet)
Why this is important for your business:
I mentioned the risks of deep fakes above and this is one of them. Users are advised to scrutinize the originating email and phone number, use two-factor authentication, and never share sensitive information.
4 — Microsoft Teams can now warn or block frontline workers when they access it after hours.
Microsoft Teams recently introduced a feature aimed at supporting frontline workers by limiting after-hours access to the app. This new capability allows organizations to either warn users or completely block them from accessing Teams outside of designated work hours. This functionality — part of Microsoft’s efforts to improve employee well-being –can help prevent burnout by encouraging proper work-life balance. IT administrators have the option to configure these restrictions based on company policies, ensuring workers are not engaging with the platform during personal time. (Source: Neowin)
Why this is important for your business:
If you’re going to have policies, then you want help enforcing them. Also, with new overtime rules out from the Department of Labor it’s important that you monitor your employees’ overtime hours — or use a tool like this to restrict them from putting in those hours if it’s against your policy.
5 — Amazon says new technology in delivery vans will help sort packages on the fly and save time.
Amazon has introduced a new technology called Vision-Assisted Package Retrieval (VAPR) to help delivery drivers. (Source: Tech Xplore)
Why this is important for your business:
Get this: “Once the van arrives at a delivery location, VAPR will automatically project a green “O” on all packages that will be delivered at that stop and a red “X” on all other packages. Through an audio and visual cue, VAPR will prompt the driver, confirming it has found the right packages, before the driver needs to enter the cargo area.” Why do this? Because drivers spending a minute or two searching for a package can rack up hour of unproductive time. Kind of awesome.
