Weekend Tech Innovation Roundup January 27, 2024

Fears of robots taking over people’s jobs have been a recurring theme for centuries, and with recent advancements in AI, the anxiety has resurfaced. But fear not, humans! A new study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) offers a reassuring perspective: most jobs are currently too expensive to automate with AI. - Faustine Ngila Read More

Netflix’s password-sharing crackdown—which the company more affectionately calls “paid sharing,” “the right nudge at the right time”—not only paid off immediately after the company implemented it last May, but even more so in the months that followed. - Laura Bratton Read More

Tech employees have taken to TikTok to tell the world about their layoffs. Now, TikTok workers themselves are the ones with the problem.

The social media video app, owned by Chinese company ByteDance, is reportedly laying off 60 employees in Los Angeles, New York, and Austin, and in other countries. - Laura Bratton Read More

In a shareholder letter Wednesday (Jan. 25), Tesla said that vehicle volume growth may be “notably lower” than the rate from a year ago.

And, in the same paragraph, Tesla CEO Elon Musk asked investors to look beyond 2024 as the company sees “two major growth waves,” with the first being the expansion of the Model 3 and Model Y vehicles and the next being the “next-generation” cheaper vehicles. - Michelle Cheng Read More

Apple sold between 160,000 and 180,000 Visio Pro headsets over the weekend during pre-orders, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of TF International Securities, who’s written extensively about the product on Medium. But the mixed-reality device won’t be super popular with the general public anytime soon, he indicated. - Laura Bratton Read More

In a clear sign of Beijing’s efforts to speed up the development of its homegrown semiconductor industry amid Washington’s intensifying technology restrictions, China’s imports of chipmaking machines hit a near-record last year—while its chip imports saw their steepest decline on record. - Mary Hui Read More

First, it was writers and actors. Then, it was visual effects workers. Now, it’s musicians who are demanding Hollywood studios provide pay and consent for using artificial intelligence. - Michelle Cheng Read More

Looks like Elon Musk is trying to mount a challenge to OpenAI—with some serious funding behind it. His competitor xAI is reportedly in talks to raise up to $6 billion at a proposed valuation of $20 billion, the Financial Times reported on Friday (Jan. 26). - Michelle Cheng Read More