Latest news with #FutureofEverything
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Digg's founders explain how they're building a site for humans in the AI era
The rebooted version of social site Digg aims to bring back the spirit of the old web at a time when AI-generated content is threatening to overwhelm traditional social media platforms, drowning out the voices of real people. This presents an opportunity to build a social site for the AI era, where the people who create content and manage online communities are given a bigger stake in a platform's success, Digg's founders think. A Web 2.0-era news aggregation giant, Digg was once valued at $175 million at its height back in 2008 and is now being given new life under the direction of its original founder, Kevin Rose, and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian. The two recently teamed up to announce a new vision for Digg, which will focus on enabling discovery and community, the way that the early internet once allowed for. Speaking at The Wall Street Journal's Future of Everything conference on Thursday, the founders offered more insight as to how they plan to accomplish that goal with the Digg reboot. Initially, the two touched on problems they encountered in the earlier days of social media, with Ohanian recalling how he chose to resign from Reddit's board over disagreements about the company's approach to hate speech that he felt was bad for society and the business. For instance, the company was allowing a forum on Reddit called "r/WatchPeopleDie" to continue operating up until the Christchurch mass shooting, which caught the attention of the media, he said. It was only then that Reddit decided to adjust its policies around violence and gore on the platform. After Reddit, Ohanian went on to found venture capital firm Seven Seven Six, where he says he's focused on building businesses that are more "values-aligned." He said he sees Digg as another step in that direction. Rose reflected on the early days of machine learning, where the technology was often used to reward posts on which people would rant about the "most obscure, kind of fringe-y weirdness," he said. "Sometimes that can be good, but oftentimes it's pushing really weird agendas. And that's not even getting into the whole bot and AI side of things that are also pushing those agendas," Rose said. With Digg, the founders want to create a new community focused on serving real people, not AI or bots, they said. "I've long subscribed to the 'dead internet theory,'" Ohanian said, referencing the idea that much of what we see online is not created by actual humans, but bots. Ten years ago, this was more of a conspiracy theory, but with the rise of AI, that's changed, he said. "Probably in the last few years -- since we've blown past the Turing test -- [the dead internet theory] is a very real thing." "I think the average person has no idea just how much of the content they consume on social media, if it's not an outright bot, is a human using AI in the loop to generate that content at scale, to manipulate and evade," he added. To address the rise of bots, the founders are looking toward new technology, like zero-knowledge proofs (aka zk proofs), a protocol used in cryptography that could be used to prove that someone owns something on a platform. They're envisioning communities where admins could turn the dials, so to speak, to verify that a poster is human before allowing them to join the conversation. "The world is going to be flooded with bots, with AI agents," Rose pointed out, and that could infiltrate communities where people are trying to make genuine human connections. Something like this recently occurred on Reddit, where researchers secretly used AI bots to pose as real people on a forum to test how AI could influence human opinion. "We are going to live in a world where the vast, vast majority of the content we're seeing is in … some shape or form, AI-generated, and it is a terrible user experience if the reason you're coming to a place is for authentic human connection, and it's not with humans -- or it's with people masquerading as humans," Ohanian said. He explained that there are a number of ways that social sites could test to see if someone is a person. For instance, if someone has owned their device for a longer period of time, that could add more weight to their comment, he suggested. Rose said that the site could also offer different levels of service, based on how likely someone was to be human. If you signed up with a throw-away email address and used a VPN, for example, then maybe you would only be able to get recommendations or engage in some simpler ways. Or if you were anonymous and typed in a comment too quickly, the site could then ask you to take an extra step to prove your humanity -- like verifying your phone number or even charging you a small fee if the number you provided was disposable, Rose said. "There's going to be these tiers that we do, based on how you want to engage and interact with the actual network itself," he confirmed. However, the founders stressed they're not anti-AI. They expect to use AI to help in areas like site moderation, including de-escalating situations where someone starts to stir up trouble. In addition to verifying humans, the founders envision a service where moderators and creators financially benefit from their efforts. "I do believe the days of unpaid moderation by the masses -- doing all the heavy lifting to create massive, multi-million-person communities -- has to go away. I think these people are putting in their life and soul into these communities, and for them not to be compensated in some way is ridiculous to me. And so we have to figure out a way to bring them along for the ride," Rose said. As one example, he pointed to how Reddit trademarked the term "WallStreetBets," which is the name of a forum created by a Reddit user. Instead, Rose thinks a company should help creators like this who add value to a community, not try to take ownership of their work as Reddit did. With the combination of improved user experience and a model that empowers creators to monetize their work, the founders think Digg itself will benefit. "I want to believe the business model that will make Digg successful is one that aligns all those stakeholders. And I think it is very, very possible," Ohanian said. This article originally appeared on TechCrunch at 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
Miami Herald
20 hours ago
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
Big 3 Auto CEO backs Trump tariffs despite huge costs
The burgeoning U.S. trade war has been a meandering journey that has provided more questions than clarity in recent months. After a few weeks, the earth-shattering 145% reciprocal tariffs on China were reduced. A deal with the United Kingdom was announced, but hasn't been made official. The EU and U.S. were on the brink of an all-out trade war but are now back at the negotiating table. And now, the courts are fighting over whether President Trump has the authority to issue these tariffs in the first place. Related: New car prices are rising; here's where to get the best deal The U.S. Court of International Trade ruled 3-0 that President Donald Trump's Liberation Day tariffs exceeded the authorities granted him under the Constitution, but an appeals court reversed that decision, leaving the reciprocal tariffs in place. Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 gives the president the authority to tax the imports of products deemed to threaten or impair the national security of the U.S. Since Trump invoked 25% automotive tariffs under Section 232, they have not been challenged in court and have been in place since they took effect on April 3. The 25% tariffs on auto parts took effect a month later, on May 3. The tariffs, while aimed at foreign automakers, have had a universally negative impact on the Big 3 domestic automakers. General Motors CEO sticks by Trump Ford and Stellantis, among others, have already withdrawn their guidance for the year due to the uncertainty surrounding Trump's tariffs. General Motors GM says that auto tariffs will wipe out between $4 billion and $5 billion in EBITDA this year. Despite the hefty pricetag her company faces due to tariffs, GM CEO Mary Barra defended Trump's tariffs last week during an interview at The Wall Street Journal's Future of Everything event, pointing to the disadvantages U.S. makers face overseas. Related: American car company takes drastic action in response to tariffs 'For decades now, it has not been a level playing field for us automakers globally, with either tariffs or non-tariff trade barriers. So I think tariffs is one tool that the administration can use to level the playing field,' Barra said. Barra went on to say that her relationship with Trump has improved since his first term, saying, 'There was actually some things where General Motors could have handled some situations better.' During his first term, Trump and GM clashed over numerous issues, including plant closures and moving jobs overseas. However, GM is one of the federal government's biggest partners, with hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts to supply the executive branch and military with vehicles. So it's best practice for both sides to work together, and Barra isn't the only auto executive praising Trump for his handling of the industry this time around. Ford CEO praises tariffs GM isn't the only company facing a billion-dollar charge from U.S. tariffs. Ford revealed that the tariffs will shave at least $1.5 billion off the company's EBITDA this year, but CEO Jim Farley also praised Trump's handling of tariffs. Ford says it 'supports the administration's goal to strengthen the U.S. economy by growing manufacturing.' More automotive news Major automaker considers tariff move that customers will hateToyota moves production of popular U.S. sedan to BritainCar dealers are worried, and it could be great news for car buyers One reason Ford supports the tariffs is that it already has a much stronger domestic production base than its domestic competitors. 'Last year, we assembled over 300,000 more vehicles in the U.S. than our closest competitor. That includes 100% of all our full-size trucks,' CEO Jim Farley said during the company's last earnings call. 'In this new environment ... automakers with the largest U.S. footprint will have a big advantage, and boy, is that true for Ford,' he added. It puts us in the pole position.' Related: Owning a car is about to get a lot more expensive The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
GM CEO Mary Barra on Trump tariffs and US manufacturing: 'We could have done better'
General Motors CEO Mary Barra acknowledges the company could have been better positioned during its conversations with President Donald Trump in his first term — particularly when it came to the Detroit automaker's North American manufacturing operations. GM's top executive said onstage at the Wall Street Journal's Future of Everything conference in New York City that she brings lessons learned from past interactions with Trump's White House to today's tariff-related conversations. 'When we didn't see eye to eye on some things, I think there's actually some things where General Motors could have handled some situations better,' Barra said May 28 about the company's past chats with Trump's administration. 'We had to do some restructuring, and we could have executed better, which would have positioned it a lot better.' During the negotiation of USMCA in 2018, the current trade agreement between the United States, Mexico and Canada that Trump managed during his first term, conversations between the President and GM occasionally turned ugly. At the time, GM was in the process of shuttering its massive assembly plant in Lordstown, Ohio, which had focused on manufacturing small cars, amid restructuring efforts that involved layoffs of nearly 6,000 salaried workers in North America. Trump claimed these job cuts had "nothing to do with tariffs" then imposed by his administration on China and the European Union. Vehicle costs: Economists estimate new tariff costs to range between $2,000 to $12,000 per vehicle The changes made national headlines and drew negative attention, and tweets from the president. 'But even through that period and then beyond, we've always continued to have dialogue, and that's a kind of a lesson learned. I've been very clear that I believe in electric vehicles, I'm very clear about the importance of manufacturing,' Barra told WSJ editor in chief Emma Tucker. 'Having the dialogue to make sure they understand our industry — because I think we do have a shared goal of strengthening it — has been beneficial.' GM is facing costs up to $5 billion from Trump's tariffs alone, the company reported during its most recent earnings report. Barra applauded the relief stemming from the most recent executive orders signed April 29 which were 25% tariffs on all imported autos which began in April and another 25% on all auto parts set to begin by May 3. The change prevented stacking tariffs with previously announced tariffs on steel and aluminum, the costs of which Barra described as 'untenable.' GM has made a variety of production changes at plants in the United States this year, including an $888 million investment the company announced late May 27 in its New York propulsion assembly plant to produce the next generation V-8 engine, the automaker's largest ever in an engine plant. GM said April 23 that it planned to expand transmission production at its Toledo (Ohio) Propulsions Systems plant, where it builds transmissions used in the Silverado and Sierra pickup trucks. 'We're trying to make changes to pay less tariffs because we're strengthening our U.S. manufacturing,' Barra said. 'There's decisions we can make when we look at the entire equation … we have the capacity available in some of the assembly plants and engine plants that we have in this country that we're going to continue to utilize.' On April 3, Trump put a 25% tariff — the tax an importer pays on a good when it crosses international borders — on all imported vehicles. His objective was to encourage more U.S. manufacturing. Trump was set to then enact 25% tariffs on all imported parts starting May 3. Since most vehicles assembled in the United States contain a lot of imported parts, the duties on those parts would run into thousands of dollars per vehicle. Ford Motor Co. rolled out a campaign and discounts the day tariffs first kicked in, offering its employee-pricing plan, known as the A Plan, to consumers on most of Ford 2024 and 2025 model year vehicles through June 2. But executives later said prices may necessarily rise to counteract tariff costs on the company's bottom line. General Motors did not join automakers that cut costs and advertised tariff-free pricing deals, and Barra would not commit to post-tariff vehicle price changes, citing the dynamic pricing of the automotive industry even without tariffs that requires changing to stay competitive. 'I've had the opportunity to talk to the president and his administration on a regular basis, and one of the things that I'm very appreciative is they have taken the time to understand ... the dynamics of our industry,' Barra said. 'I can't speak to all the other industries that are facing tariffs, but I can tell you for decades now, it has not been a level playing field with U.S. automakers globally with either tariffs or non-tariff trade barriers.' Senior autos writer Jamie L. LaReau contributed to this report. Jackie Charniga covers General Motors for the Free Press. Reach her at jcharniga@ This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: GM CEO: We could have done better under Trump tariffs
New York Post
a day ago
- Business
- New York Post
United Airlines CEO says flights out of Newark will be ‘cheapest' ever this summer
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said flights out of New Jersey's Newark Liberty International Airport this summer will be the cheapest in the airline's history as the airport recovers from air traffic control outages and faces limited capacity with one runway under construction. Kirby said passengers can expect the highest on-time performance at Newark compared to all the New York area airports this summer because the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reduced the number of arrivals and departures at the airport to help manage delays and ensure safety. He also said passengers should expect a big discount given that the carrier lost a lot of bookings. 'There's a lot more seats available, it's going to be the cheapest it's probably ever going to be in history,' Kirby said Thursday at The Wall Street Journal's Future of Everything event. 'I don't really like that, but you ought to book, and it's going to be the least crowded,' Kirby said. Newark is a major hub for the carrier as it operates nearly 70% of the airport's flights. However, after the outages began, the carrier announced it was cutting 35 round-trip flights per day to ensure safety and reliability for flights that remain on schedule. As of Friday, United said it is flying about 293 flights daily from Newark. It will rise to 380 daily flights once the runway construction is finished. For comparison, last summer it operated about 400 daily flights. United airplanes wait to take off at Newark Liberty International Airport, Friday, Feb. 7, 2025, in Newark, N.J. AP The chief executive noted that the carrier is facing some short-term pain, but Kirby believes the efforts by the FAA to ensure the number of flights equals the capacity of the airport will be beneficial in the long term. Since the end of April, the Philadelphia TRACON Area C, the facility that guides flights into and out of Newark, has suffered several outages, causing major travel disruptions at the second-busiest airport in the New York airport system. The issues also brought into focus how the air traffic control system has been under immense pressure due to staffing shortages, outdated technology and underinvestment in critical infrastructure. A United plane departs from Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, New Jersey on May 7, 2025. AFP via Getty Images Newark's challenges have been further strained by ongoing construction at the airport, which leaves it temporarily operating with only one of two parallel runways. Last week, the FAA issued a temporary order reducing the flight arrival and departure rate at the airport to 28 arrivals and 28 departures per hour until construction affecting the runway is completed. Daily construction is estimated to be largely complete on June 15. From there, the airport will have 34 daily arrivals and departures until Oct. 25. During normal circumstances, Newark typically handles 77 total flights per hour. 'Our goal is to relieve the substantial inconvenience to the traveling public from excessive flight delays due to construction, staffing challenges, and recent equipment issues, which magnify as they spread through the National Airspace System,' acting FAA Administrator Chris Rocheleau said in a statement.
USA Today
a day ago
- Automotive
- USA Today
GM CEO Mary Barra on Trump tariffs and US manufacturing: 'We could have done better'
GM CEO Mary Barra on Trump tariffs and US manufacturing: 'We could have done better' Show Caption Hide Caption General Motors: History, innovation, and legacy Learn about the rich history and notable innovations of General Motors, from its founding in 1908 to its leadership in electric and autonomous vehicle technology. Barra applauded the relief stemming from the most recent executive orders signed April 29 which prevented tariffs stacking on previously announced steel and aluminum taxes. During the negotiation of USMCA in 2018, conversations between the president and GM occasionally turned ugly. GM is in the middle of changing its manufacturing operations to reduce tariff costs, Barra said. General Motors CEO Mary Barra acknowledges the company could have been better positioned during its conversations with President Donald Trump in his first term — particularly when it came to the Detroit automaker's North American manufacturing operations. GM's top executive said onstage at the Wall Street Journal's Future of Everything conference in New York City that she brings lessons learned from past interactions with Trump's White House to today's tariff-related conversations. 'When we didn't see eye to eye on some things, I think there's actually some things where General Motors could have handled some situations better,' Barra said May 28 about the company's past chats with Trump's administration. 'We had to do some restructuring, and we could have executed better, which would have positioned it a lot better.' During the negotiation of USMCA in 2018, the current trade agreement between the United States, Mexico and Canada that Trump managed during his first term, conversations between the President and GM occasionally turned ugly. At the time, GM was in the process of shuttering its massive assembly plant in Lordstown, Ohio, which had focused on manufacturing small cars, amid restructuring efforts that involved layoffs of nearly 6,000 salaried workers in North America. Trump claimed these job cuts had "nothing to do with tariffs" then imposed by his administration on China and the European Union. The changes made national headlines and drew negative attention, and tweets from the president. 'But even through that period and then beyond, we've always continued to have dialogue, and that's a kind of a lesson learned. I've been very clear that I believe in electric vehicles, I'm very clear about the importance of manufacturing,' Barra told WSJ editor in chief Emma Tucker. 'Having the dialogue to make sure they understand our industry — because I think we do have a shared goal of strengthening it — has been beneficial.' GM is facing costs up to $5 billion from Trump's tariffs alone, the company reported during its most recent earnings report. Barra applauded the relief stemming from the most recent executive orders signed April 29 which were 25% tariffs on all imported autos which began in April and another 25% on all auto parts set to begin by May 3. The change prevented stacking tariffs with previously announced tariffs on steel and aluminum, the costs of which Barra described as 'untenable.' GM has made a variety of production changes at plants in the United States this year, including an $888 million investment the company announced late May 27 in its New York propulsion assembly plant to produce the next generation V-8 engine, the automaker's largest ever in an engine plant. GM said April 23 that it planned to expand transmission production at its Toledo (Ohio) Propulsions Systems plant, where it builds transmissions used in the Silverado and Sierra pickup trucks. 'We're trying to make changes to pay less tariffs because we're strengthening our U.S. manufacturing,' Barra said. 'There's decisions we can make when we look at the entire equation … we have the capacity available in some of the assembly plants and engine plants that we have in this country that we're going to continue to utilize.' On April 3, Trump put a 25% tariff — the tax an importer pays on a good when it crosses international borders — on all imported vehicles. His objective was to encourage more U.S. manufacturing. Trump was set to then enact 25% tariffs on all imported parts starting May 3. Since most vehicles assembled in the United States contain a lot of imported parts, the duties on those parts would run into thousands of dollars per vehicle. Ford Motor Co. rolled out a campaign and discounts the day tariffs first kicked in, offering its employee-pricing plan, known as the A Plan, to consumers on most of Ford 2024 and 2025 model year vehicles through June 2. But executives later said prices may necessarily rise to counteract tariff costs on the company's bottom line. General Motors did not join automakers that cut costs and advertised tariff-free pricing deals, and Barra would not commit to post-tariff vehicle price changes, citing the dynamic pricing of the automotive industry even without tariffs that requires changing to stay competitive. 'I've had the opportunity to talk to the president and his administration on a regular basis, and one of the things that I'm very appreciative is they have taken the time to understand ... the dynamics of our industry,' Barra said. 'I can't speak to all the other industries that are facing tariffs, but I can tell you for decades now, it has not been a level playing field with U.S. automakers globally with either tariffs or non-tariff trade barriers.' Senior autos writer Jamie L. LaReau contributed to this report. Jackie Charniga covers General Motors for the Free Press. Reach her at jcharniga@
