Meta intends to divide Superintelligence Labs into four groups, Information says
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Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
Meta spends more guarding Mark Zuckerberg than Apple, Nvidia, Microsoft, Amazon, and Alphabet do for their own CEOs—combined
Mark Zuckerberg goes to great lengths to protect himself. It makes sense: Critics say his social networks are bad for your mental health, he's aggressively hiring people across Silicon Valley to staff up his ambitious AI projects (which are, unto themselves, polarizing), and he owns wide swaths of land in Hawaii, which has rankled residents and activists alike. It makes sense that he might want to shield his livelihood, considering he's almost certainly the target of public ire. According to a new Financial Times analysis, security budgets for the chief executives of 10 major tech companies climbed above $45 million in 2024—but still, nobody protects their boss more than Meta does for Zuckerberg. Across the board, companies like Alphabet, Amazon, Nvidia, and Palantir all increased protection budgets by more than 10% year over year, driven by heightened threats and a worsening security environment for public-facing business leaders. But Meta's security allocation for Zuckerberg reached more than $27 million in 2024, up from $24 million the previous year. This dwarfs the amounts spent by peers: In 2024, Nvidia spent $3.5 million to secure CEO Jensen Huang, an increase from $2.2 million the previous year. Amazon allocated $1.1 million for CEO Andy Jassy, while former CEO Jeff Bezos continued to receive $1.6 million annually toward his personal security. Apple spent $1.4 million to protect Tim Cook in 2024, which was actually lower than the $2.4 million spent in 2023. Alphabet's security spending for Sundar Pichai reached $6.8 million, according to public data, and Tesla disclosed it spent just $500,000 to protect Elon Musk, although industry experts emphasize that this sum represents only a small portion of his actual security expenses as the world's richest man has his own security companies like Foundation Security. Notably, if you add up how much Apple, Nvidia, Amazon, Alphabet, Microsoft, and Palo Alto Networks spent protecting their CEOs in 2024, it's still about $7 million—26%—less than what Meta spent to guard Zuckerberg. Security in Silicon Valley For what it's worth, Meta's security program is a bit different from the others as it covers Zuckerberg's residences, family, and travel, since Zuckerberg is synonymous with Meta, née Facebook. As both CEO and cofounder, he also holds majority voting power—and a lot of people have strong feelings about Zuckerberg given his very public role in society, layoffs, and consumer privacy. Security in Silicon Valley is often managed by private-security firms, many of which are staffed by former law enforcement and military professionals. Hamilton Security, founded by former FBI agent James Hamilton, provides comprehensive assessments and risk mitigation services. Gavin de Becker & Associates and LaSorsa Security & Associates are also considered major players, protecting executives like Musk and Bezos, respectively. Their services include risk assessment, intelligence monitoring, residential security with hardened features (e.g., Amazon's bulletproof panels), 24/7 personal protective details, secure transportation, cybersecurity, anti-stalking measures, as well as preparation for assassination attempts, kidnap attempts, and digital threats such as deepfakes. Palantir's Alex Karp, for example, who runs a data-intelligence company with controversial defense contracts, employs a 24/7 security detail with up to four visible bodyguards. Nvidia's Huang, who nabbed the top spot on Fortune's Most Powerful People in Business list this year, saw a rise in his protection budget as his net worth soared and global profile increased, including reports of being mobbed by fans. The assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson last December led to some of the rising spend among executives, but it also forced some protocol changes as well. Some companies have removed photos of their leadership from their corporate websites, invested in home defenses and cyber protection, and enforced stricter travel policies: Lockheed Martin, for example, mandates its CEO use corporate jets. Meta did not immediately respond to Fortune's request for comment on its security spend for Zuckerberg. For this story, Fortune used generative AI to help with an initial draft. An editor verified the accuracy of the information before publishing. This story was originally featured on
Gizmodo
9 hours ago
- Gizmodo
Senator Launches Investigation Into Meta AI's Acceptance of ‘Sensual' Chats With Children
Sen. Josh Hawley, a Republican from Missouri, says he's opening an investigation into Meta over an internal document leaked this week that revealed the tech giant was okay with its artificial intelligence tools having 'sensual' chats with children. The document, obtained by Reuters, is titled 'GenAI: Content Risk Standards' and has led to outrage online since Meta's legal staff reportedly approved the behaviors. 'Is there anything – ANYTHING – Big Tech won't do for a quick buck?' Hawley tweeted on Friday. 'Now we learn Meta's chatbots were programmed to carry on explicit and 'sensual' talk with 8 year olds. It's sick. I'm launching a full investigation to get answers. Big Tech: Leave our kids alone.' Hawley's tweet included a letter addressed to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, an ally of Donald Trump who donated $1 million to the president's inauguration fund. The letter said the internal document was 'alarming' and 'unacceptable,' while telling Zuckerberg that Meta needs to preserve all relevant records in order to provide them to the Senate in the future. Hawley chairs the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism and said he was opening an investigation into Meta's generative AI products with that power. From Hawley's letter: To take but one example, your internal rules purportedly permit an AI chatbot to comment that an eight-year-old's body is 'a work of art' of which 'every inch… is a masterpiece—a treasure I cherish deeply.' Similar conduct outlined in these reports is reprehensible and outrageous-and demonstrates a cavalier attitude when it comes to the real risks that generative Al presents to youth development absent strong guardrails. Parents deserve the truth, and kids deserve protection. The senator requested documents from Meta, including all versions of 'GenAI: Content Risk Standards,' a list of Meta products governed by these standards, as well as other risk views and incident reports. Hawley also wants to know the identity of people at the company who have been making these decisions. Meta declined to comment on Hawley's letter directly, but a spokesperson sent Gizmodo a statement about the Reuters story: 'We have clear policies on what kind of responses AI characters can offer, and those policies prohibit content that sexualizes children and sexualized role play between adults and minors. Separate from the policies, there are hundreds of examples, notes, and annotations that reflect teams grappling with different hypothetical scenarios. The examples and notes in question were and are erroneous and inconsistent with our policies, and have been removed.' The reporting from Reuters revealed other behaviors that would be deemed acceptable by Meta's legal department, including the dissemination of false information about celebrities, as long as a disclaimer is included stating that such information isn't accurate. The AI chatbot behaviors that are strictly forbidden under the policy include hate speech and 'definitive legal, healthcare, or financial advice' if that advice starts with 'I recommend.' Sen. Hawley wasn't the only one disgusted by Meta's AI policies. Rolling Stone reports that musician Neil Young would no longer be using Facebook over the controversy.
Time Business News
10 hours ago
- Time Business News
The Role of AI in Personalizing the Customer Journey
Personalization is no longer just a buzzword—it's a critical component of a successful customer experience strategy. As competition intensifies and consumer expectations rise, businesses must deliver hyper-personalized experiences to stand out. This is where Artificial Intelligence (AI) plays a transformative role. AI is revolutionizing how brands understand, interact with, and serve their customers throughout the buyer journey. From awareness to post-purchase, AI enables businesses to tailor interactions at scale, in real-time. Modern consumers expect brands to know who they are, what they want, and when they want it. According to McKinsey & Company, companies that excel at personalization generate 40% more revenue from those activities than average players. Additionally, 71% of consumers expect companies to deliver personalized interactions, and 76% get frustrated when this doesn't happen. In other words, personalization isn't a luxury—it's an expectation. AI-powered personalization refers to using machine learning, natural language processing (NLP), and predictive analytics to tailor customer experiences across various channels and touchpoints. It leverages real-time and historical data to make, like courier package delivery systems, intelligent decisions about what content, product, or message to serve each user. Unlike traditional rule-based personalization, AI systems learn and adapt continuously. They identify patterns and make recommendations with increasing accuracy over time. In the initial stage of the customer journey, AI helps brands deliver the right message to the right audience. AI in programmatic advertising allows for real-time bidding and targeting based on behavioral data. AI-powered tools like Meta's Advantage+ and Google Ads' Smart Bidding automatically optimize ad performance. Predictive algorithms analyze customer segments and choose the best creative formats or messaging. Once a prospect shows interest, AI refines the experience further by delivering personalized content or product recommendations. E-commerce platforms like Amazon and Shopify use AI to suggest products based on browsing history, cart activity, and similar customer behavior. Content recommendation engines (like those used by Netflix or YouTube) keep users engaged longer by suggesting personalized media options. When customers are ready to convert, AI simplifies the process: AI chatbots provide real-time answers to pre-purchase questions, increasing conversion rates and reducing support costs. Dynamic pricing algorithms adjust prices based on demand, user behavior, and competitor pricing. Email automation platforms like Klaviyo and Mailchimp use AI to send personalized messages at optimal times. After a purchase, AI plays a critical role in retention: Predictive analytics helps identify at-risk customers and trigger proactive retention campaigns. AI suggests loyalty rewards based on customer value and behavior. Post-purchase emails, tailored with AI, recommend complementary products or services. Customer Data Platforms (CDPs): Aggregate and unify customer data from various sources Aggregate and unify customer data from various sources AI-driven CRM Systems: Salesforce Einstein, HubSpot AI, and Zoho Zia use AI integration to guide sales and marketing decisions. Salesforce Einstein, HubSpot AI, and Zoho Zia use AI integration to guide sales and marketing decisions. Recommendation Engines: Tools like Dynamic Yield, Adobe Target, and Algolia personalize content and product suggestions Tools like Dynamic Yield, Adobe Target, and Algolia personalize content and product suggestions Natural Language Processing: Powers chatbots like Drift, Intercom, and ChatGPT-based solutions to offer human-like support. While powerful, AI-driven personalization comes with challenges: Data privacy concerns: Striking a balance between personalization and respecting privacy is crucial. Transparency and compliance with GDPR and CCPA are non-negotiable. Striking a balance between personalization and respecting privacy is crucial. Transparency and compliance with GDPR and CCPA are non-negotiable. Bias in algorithms: Poorly trained models may reinforce biases, leading to inaccurate personalization. Poorly trained models may reinforce biases, leading to inaccurate personalization. Integration complexity: AI systems require clean, structured data and often need integration with legacy systems. Amazon: Amazon uses AI extensively to personalize product recommendations, which account for 35% of total sales. Their recommendation system is based on collaborative filtering, deep learning, and clickstream analysis. Spotify: Spotify's AI tailors playlists like Discover Weekly and Release Radar to individual listening habits. This personalization drives user loyalty and increases listening time. Starbucks: Through its Deep Brew AI engine, Starbucks customizes offers, drink suggestions, and email content based on customer behavior and weather, location, and order history. The next wave of AI will be conversational and contextual. As technologies like Generative AI, augmented reality (AR), and edge AI advance, personalization will go beyond product suggestions and into immersive, human-like experiences. We're also likely to see more AI Employees—virtual brand representatives that engage with customers across platforms like social media, email, and websites in real-time, offering personalized assistance at scale. The role of AI in personalizing the customer journey is undeniable. It empowers brands to deliver value-driven, relevant, and seamless experiences at every stage of the funnel. As customer expectations evolve, the businesses that win will be those that invest in intelligent, AI-powered personalization systems. Personalization at scale is no longer a future goal—it's a present necessity. TIME BUSINESS NEWS
