Latest news with #Friar
NZ Herald
24-07-2025
- Business
- NZ Herald
Air New Zealand inks direct partnership with ChatGPT maker OpenAI, pair create virtual customers
As well as being OpenAI CFO, Friar is a long-time member of the board of Walmart. Before returning home to run Air New Zealand, Foran was in charge of the giant retailer's US operation. There have been several meetings between senior Air New Zealand and Open AI senior leaders over the past year 'and they saw that Air New Zealand could well be the petri dish for innovation in the critical infrastructure and aviation game', Ravishankar said. The airline's use of OpenAI's generative artificial intelligence (AI) has run from the mainstream – summarising complicated documents – to creating the aforementioned virtual focus group. OpenAI's Sarah Friar overlapped with Air NZ CEO Greg Foran at Walmart. Photo / Getty Images 'Our customer service teams have created customer personas by feeding them all the feedback and complaints we've got – to test service improvements before we introduce them to a focus group,' Ravishankar said. Ideas could be 'pre-tested' on and honed on the virtual personas, which were based on hundreds of thousands of pieces of customer comments, helping to fine-tune ideas from a much broader pool of perspectives, before putting them before a human focus group. 'AI allows you to do complex, integrated planning much more seamlessly,' Ravishankar said. 'We're starting to look at how we use AI to optimise our loyalty tier benefits, for example, and how we can optimise turnaround to improve on-time performance management.' What about customer-facing AI? Air New Zealand was an early adopter of Soul Machines' avatar technology, before the Kiwi firm flamed out, but switched from the homegrown solution to its inhouse-developed chatbot 'Oscar'. Is Oscar about to get an an AI makeover? 'As are a lot of organisations, we're doing a ton of work on whether generative AI is ready for prime time; ready to directly interface with customers to provide an, if you will, chatbot on steroids. We're doing a lot of testing, but we're just not fully satisfied it's there yet,' Ravishankar said. 'But it's maturing at a rate of knots. I'm a technologist by trade, and I've never seen anything move as quickly.' Behind the scenes, staff are using AI to help deliver more personalised service to customers, he said. All up, the airline is using 1500 CustomGPTs to introduce efficiencies to internal workflows. CustomGPTs are set to specific tasks and can be ring-fenced to access a company's own data – addressing the dangers of an AI hallucinating or breaching privacy or commercial confidentiality. How do you market to an AI concierge? OpenAI recently released a ChatGPT 'agent' that can carry out autonomous tasks, such as booking travel (or 'looking' at a photo of a meal you like on Instagram, then ordering the ingredients for you from an online supermarket). The initial release was restricted to those on US$200 ($330) per month pro plans, but it's being rolled out this month to those on cheaper Plus plans too. So far, many early testers have found the ChatGPT agent slow and clumsy, in part because human approval is needed at various steps – including credit card purchases – so you can't walk away from your device. 'Uncharted territory' But while the ChatGPT agent might be a while off for OpenAI's free tier, pundits see 'agentic AI' as the next big thing – and it's already starting to figure in the airline's thinking. 'We're starting to wonder what the role of a brand is when ... a customer's own concierge [AI] agent is deciding which product to put in front of the customer,' Ravishankar said. 'That's uncharted territory ... if anyone tells us they know exactly how that's going to play out, they're making it up. 'But we're paying close attention to it, and then we're seeing multiple models emerge. 'It could be we provide an Air New Zealand concierge, or our concierge interacts with a customer's own concierge. Or we just make our environment open to customers' own agents, being able to interact with us. 'It's too soon to say what pattern emerges. If I was a betting man, I'd say we'll probably see multiple models.' Direct collaboration As part of the collaboration, Air New Zealand will gain early access to OpenAI technologies to develop and apply use cases, and equip its people across corporate roles with secure, enterprise-grade AI tools, Ravishankar said. 'By working directly with OpenAI, we not only access leading-edge technology but we also shape how it's used in the real world.' 'Air New Zealand is taking meaningful steps to bring AI across key parts of its business using OpenAI's technology. We have been particularly impressed with how quickly they have built over 1500 CustomGPTs to introduce efficiencies to internal workflows,' OpenAI international managing director Oliver Jay said. 'Their focus on innovation and responsibility shows how the aviation sector can adopt advanced tools in practical ways that deliver value for both employees and customers.' POSTSCRIPT: Captain's chair? Foran resigned as CEO in May. He will depart the airline in October. The Australian recently reported that Ravishankar has the inside running to replace him. The Herald asked Ravishankar if he wanted to take the opportunity to rule himself in or out. 'That is definitely above my pay grade, and you probably want to speak to the board about that,' he replied. There was no immediate response from the board. Boards typically don't comment on potential candidates prior to an executive appointment. Chris Keall is an Auckland-based member of the Herald's business team. He joined the Herald in 2018 and is the technology editor and a senior business writer.
Yahoo
16-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
OpenAI plans to continue working with Scale AI despite rival Meta's $14.3 billion deal with the company, OpenAI's CFO says
Despite Meta's $14.3 billion investment in Scale AI that is shaking up the AI landscape, OpenAI plans to keep working with the startup, according to CFO Sarah Friar. Friar emphasized the importance of maintaining a diverse vendor ecosystem to support AI development. Meanwhile, Scale's other key customers like Google, Microsoft, and xAI are reportedly looking to distance themselves from the startup. OpenAI's CFO, Sarah Friar, says the company plans to continue working with Scale AI despite the startup's recent multi-billion-dollar partnership with rival Meta. 'We don't just buy from Scale,' Friar said at the Viva Technology conference in Paris. 'We work with many vendors on the data front.' 'As models have gotten smarter, you're going into a place where you need real expertise…we have academics and experts telling us that they are finding novel things in their space,' she said. 'We don't want to ice the ecosystem, because acquisitions are going to happen and I think if we ice each other out, I think we're actually going to slow the pace of innovation.' Founded in 2016, Scale AI supplies large volumes of labeled and curated training data and works with several major AI companies including Google, Microsoft, OpenAI, and Meta. On Thursday, Meta announced it was investing $14.3 billion for a 49% stake in the startup—a major move for Meta's AI capabilities but one that reportedly made some of the Big Tech's competitors wary of using Scale's services. Scale intends to keep operating as an independent business but with deeper commercial ties to Meta. The company's CEO Alexandr Wang will also join Meta's team working on 'superintelligence' and be replaced by Jason Droege as interim CEO. Wang will remain on Scale's board and said in a note to employees he would poach a few 'Scalien' employees to take with him to Meta, but did not identify them directly. Scale's largest customer, Google, reportedly plans to cut ties with the AI data-labeling startup in the wake of the Meta deal. According to a report from Reuters, the tech giant has already held conversations with some of Scale's rivals to shift much of the workload, representing a significant loss of business for the startup now valued at $29 billion. Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment made by Fortune. Microsoft and Elon Musk's xAI also reportedly looking to pull back from Scale after the high-profile deal, and despite Friar's comments, OpenAI reportedly made a similar decision to pull back on some of its business with the startup several months ago. Representatives for OpenAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment made by Fortune outside of normal working hours. Meta's deal with Scale AI bolsters Meta's AI credentials after Zuckerberg reaffirmed the company's commitment to building technology that outstrips human intelligence—and Meta's rivals—earlier this year. Meta has trailed rivals in consumer-facing AI and, unlike competitors like Google and OpenAI, has chosen to release its Llama models as open source. The tech giant's recent Llama 4 AI models received a lukewarm response from developers, and the company hasn't yet released its most advanced model, Llama 4 Behemoth. The pause on Behemoth was due to concerns from leadership that the model didn't sufficiently advance on previous models, The Wall Street Journal reported. Zuckerberg's primary gain from the investment appears to be Wang. The 28-year-old will join a reported 50-person superintelligence AI team at Meta that is aiming to beat rivals like Google and OpenAI to artificial general intelligence (AGI). According to Bloomberg, Zuckerberg is personally recruiting for the team after the CEO was disappointed by the reaction to Llama 4. This story was originally featured on Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Time of India
29-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
ChatGPT-maker OpenAI's CFO talks about future IPO at Dublin Tech Summit but 'warns' audience: 'Nobody tweets in this room that Sarah Friar...'
OpenAI 's Chief Financial Officer, Sarah Friar , has said that the company's recent restructuring plans may pave the way for a future initial public offering (IPO). However, any decision to go public would hinge on both the readiness of the company and the prevailing conditions in public markets. "A PBC gets us to an IPO-able event... if and when we want to," Friar said at the Dublin Tech Summit . She humorously cautioned the audience, "Nobody tweet in this room that Sarah Friar just said anything about OpenAI ultimately going public. I did not. I said it could happen." When questioned about the prerequisites for an OpenAI IPO , Friar highlighted two essential factors: the company's preparedness and the market's receptiveness. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning For Working Professionals. BITS Pilani WILP Apply Now Undo "You can show up at the altar all ready to go, and if the market's not ready for you, yeah, you're just out of luck," she explained. Friar emphasised the importance of building a sustainable and resilient company, regardless of public market conditions. She added that while high-growth companies might tolerate some unpredictability, the market generally prefers a degree of certainty from public entities. OpenAI decides to be under non-profit parent's control OpenAI, which has received over $13 billion in investment from Microsoft, had initially announced plans in December to convert its for-profit arm into a public benefit corporation (PBC). This structure aims to balance financial returns for shareholders with broader social objectives, a contrast to non-profit entities focused solely on public good. Earlier this month, the ChatGPT-maker adjusted this plan, ensuring its non-profit parent retains control of the PBC while becoming a significant shareholder, allowing the for-profit arm to raise necessary capital for continued competitiveness in the AI sector. Lost keys? Not anymore! Best Bluetooth trackers for Android under Rs 1,500! AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Indian Express
29-05-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
OpenAI CFO says new structure opens door for potential IPO
OpenAI's restructuring plans position it for a potential future IPO, but any such decision would depend on the mood in public markets as well as the readiness of the company, Chief Financial Officer Sarah Friar said on Wednesday. OpenAI, in which Microsoft has invested more than $13 billion, outlined plans in December to convert its for-profit arm into a public benefit corporation (PBC), a structure designed to balance shareholder returns with social goals, unlike nonprofits, which are solely focused on public good. The ChatGPT-maker dialed back the plan earlier this month, giving the nonprofit parent control of the PBC through a big shareholding, while still allowing the for-profit arm to raise more capital to keep pace in the AI race. 'A PBC gets us to an IPO-able event … if and when we want to,' Friar told the Dublin Tech Summit. 'Nobody tweet in this room that Sarah Friar just said anything about OpenAI ultimately going public,' she added. 'I did not. I said it could happen.' Asked what would influence a decision, Friar said that as with any company planning to launch on the stock market, the company and markets would have to be ready. 'You can show up at the altar all ready to go, and if the market's not ready for you, yeah, you're just out of luck,' she said. 'Which is why you have to build a company that can be sustainable and safe regardless of where the public markets are, how open that window is.' To be a public company, 'you definitely need some sense of predictability,' Friar added. 'The market will put up with a certain degree of unpredictability. Particularly when growth is high … but the market doesn't really love it.' To give a sense of the 'massive' scale of capital that OpenAI might require, Friar said that while a 1 gigawatt data centre footprint costs about $50 billion, the company's 'appetite and ambition' over the next couple of years was to get closer to about 10 gigawatts. Friar singled out the rapidly growing AI search market as a priority and said that while the company would seek efficiencies, its focus was on finding the next breakthrough product. 'The search market is becoming a big market,' Friar said. 'In that world, I don't really want people spending an inordinate amount of time trying to save an extra 1% when I would rather they went out and kind of built the next state-of-the-art product.'
Time of India
29-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
OpenAI CFO says new structure opens door for potential IPO
OpenAI's restructuring plans position it for a potential future IPO, but any such decision would depend on the mood in public markets as well as the readiness of the company, chief financial officer Sarah Friar said on Wednesday. OpenAI, in which Microsoft has invested more than $13 billion, outlined plans in December to convert its for-profit arm into a public benefit corporation (PBC), a structure designed to balance shareholder returns with social goals, unlike non-profits, which are solely focused on public good. The ChatGPT-maker dialled back the plan earlier this month, giving the non-profit parent control of the PBC through a big shareholding, while still allowing the for-profit arm to raise more capital to keep pace in the AI race. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like She Was Everyone's Dream Girl In 90's, This Is Her Recently. Investructor Undo "A PBC gets us to an IPO-able event ... if and when we want to," Friar told the Dublin Tech Summit . "Nobody tweet in this room that Sarah Friar just said anything about OpenAI ultimately going public," she added. "I did not. I said it could happen." Live Events Asked what would influence a decision, Friar said that as with any company planning to launch on the stock market, the company and markets would have to be ready. Discover the stories of your interest Blockchain 5 Stories Cyber-safety 7 Stories Fintech 9 Stories E-comm 9 Stories ML 8 Stories Edtech 6 Stories "You can show up at the altar all ready to go, and if the market's not ready for you, yeah, you're just out of luck," she said. "Which is why you have to build a company that can be sustainable and safe regardless of where the public markets are, how open that window is." To be a public company, "you definitely need some sense of predictability," Friar added. "The market will put up with a certain degree of unpredictability. Particularly when growth is high ... but the market doesn't really love it." To give a sense of the "massive" scale of capital that OpenAI might require, Friar said that while a 1 gigawatt data centre footprint costs about $50 billion, the company's "appetite and ambition" over the next couple of years was to get closer to about 10 gigawatts. Friar singled out the rapidly growing AI search market as a priority and said that while the company would seek efficiencies, its focus was on finding the next breakthrough product. "The search market is becoming a big market," Friar said. "In that world, I don't really want people spending an inordinate amount of time trying to save an extra 1% when I would rather they went out and kind of built the next state-of-the-art product."
