Latest news with #Kosi
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Aussie small business owner faces ‘devastating' $80,000 hit after Meta suspends accounts
An Australian small business owner says her revenue has more than halved after her social media accounts were 'suddenly' suspended by Meta at a vulnerable time in her life. The social media giant has been accused of mistakenly banning Facebook and Instagram users' accounts across the world. Kellie Johnson is the founder of Kosi, a wearable heat pack business that was born out of her own experience living with endometriosis. The Central Coast mum told Yahoo Finance she received a notification out of the blue that her Instagram account had been suspended on July 10. She received an email from Meta advising her Instagram account had been suspended because it didn't follow 'Community Standards on child sexual exploitation, abuse and nudity'. Johnson said she never posted anything of this nature on her account, with Kosi's account primarily showing images of her heat pad product and adult women wearing it. RELATED Aussie cafe owner's 'pressure' of impending $124,000 superannuation change Common neighbour problem plaguing Aussie houses Major inflation change following RBA's shock interest rate decision She believes her accounts were mistakenly flagged by an AI moderator; however, Meta did not provide any explanation as to the specific post that led to her suspension. Johnson said she was using her personal Instagram account at the time and got a notification that it had also been suspended, as it is a linked account. Her linked podcast account, which only had three posts, was also suspended along with her Facebook accounts. 'I tried to log into the business one that it had flagged, but I got the same message saying that it had breached the community guidelines,' she said. Johnson said the impact on her small business was 'devastating', with her sales projected to more than halve month on month. In June, her total sales were more than $133,000. In July, that has dropped significantly, with Johnson estimating they would end the month on $50,000 given the lack of organic reach. That works out to a difference of more than $80, make matters worse, the ban on her personal and business accounts was just two days after Johnson had a D&C (dilation and curettage) for her seventh miscarriage. This means she was suddenly cut off from her support network and loved ones at a critical time. 'I had connected with a bunch of people who were in the same boat as me, and that was providing me so much comfort because I've had these people who understood what I was going through, and we were talking about it in real time,' she said. 'Then that obviously got cut off right away, right after my surgery, which was a really difficult time. I definitely found that really, really hard — more from a mental health point of view, just because the timing was so bad for it to happen.' Johnson said she immediately appealed the suspensions. Her podcast account failed the appeal, which she believes was assessed by AI, and was "permanently disabled' with no explanation as to why it failed. She received no response on her other appeals and said the process to get support was very difficult. She even paid for Meta verification to get in contact with a real person, but went "around in circles for six hours". She has since lodged an appeal to the Small Business Ombudsman. Meta responds to questions over why accounts have been banned Meta did not reply to specific questions about Johnson's case, but her accounts were restored over the weekend, more than a week after the initial ban. "We take action on accounts that violate our policies, and people can appeal if they think we've made a mistake,' a Meta spokesperson told Yahoo Finance. Meta uses a combination of people and technology to find accounts that breach its rules. It is understood Meta has not seen evidence of a significant increase in incorrect enforcement of its rules. Instagram's website notes that AI is "central" to its content review process and it can "detect and remove content that goes against our Community Standards before anyone reports it". Johnson is not the only Australian business owner who says they've mistakenly had their accounts suspended for breaching community standards. Rochelle Marinato, the owner of a pilates equipment supplier, said her accounts had been suspended after she posted a video of three dogs looking out a window. She claimed her revenue dropped 75 per cent, resulting in about a $50,000 loss. More than 30,000 people have also signed a petition accusing Meta of wrongfully disabling accounts through its AI moderation system with no human customer support or clear appeal process. Calls for Meta to provide more transparency Johnson said the effects of the social media bans were "debilitating" and highlighted how little control business owners had over their own platforms, which they relied on to pay the bills. 'A lot of people would be in the same boat as me, where they are relying on that money to live and then the platform's taking no responsibility or even explaining to you why you're dealing with that,' she said. 'I think that they probably need to withdraw the AI checker until they fix the issue because the impact on people's mental health and on their businesses is too great.'Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data
Time of India
14-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Laid off from his dream Microsoft AI job at 25, techie turns career crisis into a creative comeback
From High Performer to Pink Slip You Might Also Like: Man in his 40s lands dream job after two years of struggle. Shares lessons he learned Kosi recounts that his team operated like a startup within Microsoft—rapid development cycles, tight deadlines, and the kind of responsibility that could shape a young career (Image: LinkedIn) A Forced Pause, A Fresh Perspective Screenshot of Kosi's LinkedIn post. The Music Within Building a New Blueprint When Kosi Pierre-Louis landed a full-time product management job at Microsoft after interning with the tech giant, it seemed like the ultimate milestone. At just 25, he was working at the cutting edge of AI, helping develop Security Copilot—a cybersecurity tool he affectionately described as 'the ChatGPT of security.' For a young professional passionate about technology, music, and visual arts, it felt like everything had like many stories in tech, the momentum didn't Kosi recounts in his conversation with Business Insider, his journey began with excitement and purpose. The role was intense but rewarding. His team operated like a startup within Microsoft—rapid development cycles, tight deadlines, and the kind of responsibility that could shape a young career. He was contributing directly to a major AI product's launch and thriving under the pressure—until it caught up with hours, early-morning meetings with global teams, and the constant push to maintain standards started to take a toll. Stress became constant. Still, he believed his contributions and high performance would shield him from any came May a call he hadn't seen coming, Kosi was told he was being laid off—one among 6,000 affected employees in Microsoft's workforce reduction. Shocked and physically unwell that week, he returned to bed, unsure of what to feel. 'Did I really just get laid off? Me? After the work I put in?' he remembers asking than rush to find another job, Kosi chose to pause. He let his body and mind recover. In that stillness, he began to LinkedIn post about the layoff quickly went viral, drawing empathy, encouragement, and guidance from others who had walked the same path. It made him realize that layoffs—even in dream roles—are more common than they appear. And sometimes, they're not an end, but an unexpected beginning.'I never saw Big Tech as the be-all, end-all,' he said. 'There's plenty of time to pivot.' With no mortgage, no kids, and no major anchors, Kosi recognized an opportunity—an open horizon to explore what truly gave him algorithms and deadlines, there was always music. Kosi's creative side, nurtured during his time at Duke where he studied computer science and visual media, began to call started fueling him again—not just as a hobby but as a real possibility. 'If I put a lot of eggs in this basket, I could make this a career,' he admitted. With that mindset, the layoff began to feel less like a loss and more like a not entirely writing off a return to the corporate world, but now, it would have to be on his terms—perhaps at a startup more aligned with his passions and sees this chapter as a chance to rewrite what success and stability mean to him. The traditional blueprint—graduate, land a Big Tech job, climb the ladder—no longer fits. 'This feels like a plot twist,' he said, 'and plot twists are very exciting.'In a world where AI is redefining industries and careers are more uncertain than ever, Kosi's story is a reminder that unexpected setbacks can be powerful turning points. When ambition meets introspection, and resilience meets creativity, new paths open—sometimes in harmony, not in code.
Economic Times
14-07-2025
- Business
- Economic Times
Laid off from his dream Microsoft AI job at 25, techie turns career crisis into a creative comeback
Synopsis After being laid off from his dream AI job at Microsoft at just 25, Kosi Pierre-Louis chose not to panic—but to pivot. With a background in tech and a passion for music, he's now channeling his creativity into a career reset. What seemed like a crisis became a chance to rediscover purpose and define success on his own terms. iStock Kosi Pierre-Louis, once at the forefront of Microsoft's AI projects, was blindsided by a layoff. But instead of spiraling, he turned the unexpected break into an opportunity. Embracing music and reevaluating his passions, he's crafting a new path beyond Big Tech. (Representational Image: iStock) When Kosi Pierre-Louis landed a full-time product management job at Microsoft after interning with the tech giant, it seemed like the ultimate milestone. At just 25, he was working at the cutting edge of AI, helping develop Security Copilot—a cybersecurity tool he affectionately described as 'the ChatGPT of security.' For a young professional passionate about technology, music, and visual arts, it felt like everything had aligned. But like many stories in tech, the momentum didn't last. As Kosi recounts in his conversation with Business Insider, his journey began with excitement and purpose. The role was intense but rewarding. His team operated like a startup within Microsoft—rapid development cycles, tight deadlines, and the kind of responsibility that could shape a young career. He was contributing directly to a major AI product's launch and thriving under the pressure—until it caught up with him. Long hours, early-morning meetings with global teams, and the constant push to maintain standards started to take a toll. Stress became constant. Still, he believed his contributions and high performance would shield him from any instability. Then came May 13. In a call he hadn't seen coming, Kosi was told he was being laid off—one among 6,000 affected employees in Microsoft's workforce reduction. Shocked and physically unwell that week, he returned to bed, unsure of what to feel. 'Did I really just get laid off? Me? After the work I put in?' he remembers asking himself. Rather than rush to find another job, Kosi chose to pause. He let his body and mind recover. In that stillness, he began to reflect. His LinkedIn post about the layoff quickly went viral, drawing empathy, encouragement, and guidance from others who had walked the same path. It made him realize that layoffs—even in dream roles—are more common than they appear. And sometimes, they're not an end, but an unexpected beginning. 'I never saw Big Tech as the be-all, end-all,' he said. 'There's plenty of time to pivot.' With no mortgage, no kids, and no major anchors, Kosi recognized an opportunity—an open horizon to explore what truly gave him joy. Beyond algorithms and deadlines, there was always music. Kosi's creative side, nurtured during his time at Duke where he studied computer science and visual media, began to call louder. Music started fueling him again—not just as a hobby but as a real possibility. 'If I put a lot of eggs in this basket, I could make this a career,' he admitted. With that mindset, the layoff began to feel less like a loss and more like a redirection. He's not entirely writing off a return to the corporate world, but now, it would have to be on his terms—perhaps at a startup more aligned with his passions and values. Kosi sees this chapter as a chance to rewrite what success and stability mean to him. The traditional blueprint—graduate, land a Big Tech job, climb the ladder—no longer fits. 'This feels like a plot twist,' he said, 'and plot twists are very exciting.' In a world where AI is redefining industries and careers are more uncertain than ever, Kosi's story is a reminder that unexpected setbacks can be powerful turning points. When ambition meets introspection, and resilience meets creativity, new paths open—sometimes in harmony, not in code.
News.com.au
10-06-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Pickett to commit to MONSTER 9-year deal
AFL: Kosi Pickett is set to commit to a huge contract extension with Melbourne that will take him through to the 2034 season.
Daily Mail
22-04-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Footy great reveals the shattering reason he used to pray that his team would LOSE their matches
St Kilda great Justin Koschitzke has revealed the shattering effects of how multiple concussion injuries and battling with his mental health led him to secretly hope that his team would often lose matches. The 42-year-old enjoyed a glittering career in the AFL, joining the Saints alongside his good friend Nick Riewoldt as a pick one and two swoop in the 2000 National Draft. The New South Wales-born forward, who would also play as a ruckman for the Victorian outfit, would go on to boot 247 goals across 200 appearances or the footy club before hanging up his boots in 2013. Koschitzke has been open on his struggles with concussion and mental health following his retirement, having stated back in 2022 to 3AW that he doesn't remember multiple AFL games that he played in. This week, the 42-year-old has again been reflecting on his career and revealed to Hamish McLachlan on Channel 7's Unfiltered, that there were some occasions where he hoped his side would lose games. 'It was here at the MCG, it was an elimination final that year against Melbourne,' he said to the legendary broadcaster, during an episode of the show which is set to air on Wednesday. The 42-year-old (right) enjoyed a glittering career in the AFL , joining the Saints alongside his good friend Nick Riewoldt (left) as a pick one and two swoop in the 2000 National Draft 'Melbourne got three or four goals up in the third quarter or late in the fourth. 'Internally, I was the happiest person in this stadium, or anywhere in Australia, that Melbourne were going to win and I didn't have to play the next week. 'Twenty years ago, that's the first time I've publicly said that. It became the worst two hours of the week. 'Then the shame you carry with that. I've got the best job in the world and you try and convince yourself (you do).' After joining the Saints in 2000, Koschitzke would go on to be crowned the AFL's Rising Star in 2001, but the following season, he suffered a hamstring injury that plagued him for the 2003 and 2004 seasons. During the 2006 season, he suffered a devastating fractured skull during his side's Round Six victory against the Western Bulldogs. He was subsequently ruled out for a large chunk of the season, having struggled to retain hearing in one of his ears. Speaking on The Agenda Setters, Riewoldt also spoke on his mate's mental health issues, but added the former footy star was in a 'much better place now.' 'I'm aware of Kosi's struggles, we're still really good mates,' Riewoldt told The Agenda Setters. 'It'll be a really confronting watch for people. Kosi's in a much better place now. But in reference to that, the footy field had just become a really dangerous place for Kosi on the back of head knocks and concussions and stuff like that. 'It just shows you never quite know what's going on in the minds of some of the people you think you know really well, including some of your teammates.' Having sustained several head injuries during his career, Koschitzke opened up in 2022 about how his mental health was, several years after having retired from the sport. 'There's multiple games I can't remember finishing the game or driving home and that's just ludicrous when you think about it,' he said on 3AW's Footy Then and Now Podcast. He added: '[My] mental health goes up and down, there's memory loss, there's mood swings, there's all sorts of things. 'And I'm sure there's a lot of other players out there that feel the same. 'It's just a management thing, knowing how to work on it and navigate through a lot of stuff.' If you or someone you know is struggling with depression or anxiety call Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636 24 at any time of the day, seven days a week for anonymous support and guidance.
