Latest news with #Koul
Business Insider
21-05-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
When Pinterest needs new AI tools, employees can have a part in creating them
As companies look to AI for increases in productivity, some employees are wary. They worry about lost jobs, diminished creativity, and ethical oversteps, leaving many repelled by daily AI use. Pinterest, a social media company with about 4,700 employees, has sought to address such concerns by keeping employees closely involved in the development of internal AI tools so those tools are viewed as efficient and helpful, not just mandated from the top down. Key toward this mission has been Pinterest's annual Makeathon, which is in its 14th year. The employee-led competition used to be viewed mostly as a fun way to recommend fixes, said Anirudh Koul, Pinterest's generative AI tech lead. Now, in the age of AI, its usefulness has exploded. "The overarching goal is ground-up innovation," Koul told Business Insider. "We realized that if we can give the employees the opportunity and freedom to tell us what must be done, and give them some space to showcase working proof of their concept, we might find new innovations at a much faster rate." Inside Pinterest's companywide hackathon Makeathon is Pinterest's version of a hackathon — an event at which people work together to create new software quickly. Hackathons are designed to spark new ideas and increase employee engagement, said Brandon Kessler of Devpost, a digital platform for running hackathons. Since 2022's AI boom, hackathon demand has exploded, Kessler told BI. Discussing hackathons' appeal, Kessler said the events "get people excited because they get to build something they want, as opposed to, 'Hey, all, please use this tool.'" "You get people learning these new tools," he continued, "building stuff that helps the business, and collaborating and having fun — all within a short period of time." Pinterest employees witnessed this type of quick development in early 2023, just a few months after ChatGPT 's release. Pinterest's senior director of engineering, Anthony Suarez, helped collect a handful of engineers to have a mini hackathon which led to the creation of an internal chatbot tool. By their official Makeathon in July, Pinterest's now-foundational plug-in AI system was ready for wider use. At Pinterest, hackathon projects start at an internal company page where employees across departments can log pitches. In the week before Makeathon, Koul's team hosts classes about how generative AI works and how to write prompts. There's also a class on no-code tools for app building so that nontechnical employees can still employ AI solutions. Then, teams from across departments form around an idea. Suarez collaborated with seven Makeathon teams last cycle, mostly composed of fellow employees he had never worked with before. They also have the support of Koul's "hack doctors," support staff who work across the company and specialize in areas such as engineering, design, and video editing. The hack doctors help refine ideas and prepare teams to take questions from executives. Last year, just under 94% of teams worked with a hack doctor. "We usually find that a good chunk of participants are actually not from engineering," Koul said. "They pair up with engineers to bring their ideas to the next level. We've had teams where people from six different countries come together." Each team produces a video pitch, which colleagues up to the executive level can watch and vote on. Makeathon is strategically scheduled for late summer so any resulting tools can be incorporated into Pinterest's companywide planning period in September and October, Suarez told BI. He estimated that more than half of these Makeathon projects get funded during this cycle and called the event an "innovation flywheel." How a Makeathon idea becomes an AI-tool reality During the 2023 Makeathon, one of Pinterest's sales employees had an idea: What if AI could collect and search through all the company's internal documents? The sales employee recruited a 14-person team, including Charlie Gu, a senior engineering manager on Pinterest's data team. Gu said he envisioned the tool as a Slack-based chatbot employees could turn to instead of bugging their colleagues. The team knew, however, that some existing documentation wouldn't be up to date when the chatbot pulled it in. "We came up with a system where you can report answers and create new documentation on the fly," Gu said. The team pitched, built, and eventually implemented the document finder across the company. The tool now answers, on average, an estimated 4,000 questions a month, according to Pinterest. The tool was also designed to access thousands of internal documents from Google Docs, Slack threads, and slide decks, said Koul, who is quite passionate about Makeathon. (He called over shaky service at a Mount Everest base camp to rave about it.) Makeathon also encouraged some employees to come up with useful AI prompts. In 2024, Koul's team posed a challenge: Who could come up with the best questions to get Pinterest's chatbot to produce the most accurate and precise answers? Gu said that they had about 200 participants. In this case, the employees' prompt generation helped with Pinterest's overall goal of encouraging employee engagement with AI. The effort also led Pinterest to integrate AI agents into the process of writing more precise prompts. According to internal company surveys, 96% of Suarez's team of more than 60 use generative AI every month, and 78% of the company's 1,800 engineers report time savings from using internal AI tools. Suarez said he'd been "quite surprised by the positive feel" for the tools across the business, adding: "Part of that is, we didn't force adoption of these tools early on, and we still aren't saying, 'You have to do this.' We're trying to come at this more from creating value."
Calgary Herald
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Calgary Herald
Pulling no punches: Calgary-born writer Scaachi Koul got divorced, reclaimed her narrative
Article content Scaachi Koul's initial concept for her second book of essays was completely different from how it turned out. Article content Article content It took her some time to figure this out, however. All the Calgary-born journalist, podcaster and pop-culture commentator knew at first was that the concept wasn't working. She signed a contract in 2018 for a follow-up to her 2017 book of personal essays, One Day We'll All Be Dead and None of This Will Matter. Her initial idea was to write a meditation on conflict. She even had a somewhat academic-sounding title: The Utility and Futility of Conflict. Article content 'I couldn't write a word of it,' says Koul, on the phone from her home in Brooklyn. 'First, I thought it was because of the pandemic, because all of my reporting got blown out because nobody could go anywhere. Then I was like 'maybe I just don't know how to write anymore.'' Article content Article content Then, three years ago, she got divorced. The dissolution of her marriage offered a framework for the new book, which would eventually be renamed Sucker Punch and feature a wedding ring imbedded into the finger hole of a set of brass knuckles as its cover art. Article content When the divorce was finalized, Koul had an epiphany about what was keeping her from writing. It wasn't the pandemic, and it wasn't that she had forgotten how. Article content 'Once my marriage fully fell apart and I could really look at it, I understood that was what was keeping me from doing anything. It clarified that I was fighting for things that I didn't actually care about and I didn't believe in and I didn't want,' she says. 'What a waste of my time. It has been liberating to give up. In a lot of ways, it's a book about giving up and failing and being righteous in failure.' Article content Article content So, in some ways Sucker Punch falls into a specific subset of literature, a divorce book that follows in the tradition of Leslie Jamison's Splinters, Sara Manguso's Liars and Nora Ephron's Heartburn. But unlike Manguso and Ephron's books, Sucker Punch is not a novel. Unlike Jamison's, it isn't fully a 'divorce memoir' either. Instead, the divorce provided a jumping-off point for a series of personal essays that tackle everything from body image to racism, family dynamics, sexual assault and her mother's cancer diagnosis. Article content Conflict is still a running theme. Throughout the book, Koul reflects on the combative nature she shares with her family and her one-time belief that her talent for conflict and fighting – whether it be with her family, friends, ex-husband or online trolls – was a valuable skillset. So 'giving up' may seem an alien concept for Koul to embrace.
New Indian Express
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
The whiff of Quiet Luxury
The intimacy of fragrance has its own signatures in India: a smudge of attar behind the ear, incense curling through a sunlit temple room, mornings carrying the warmth of Mysore sandalwood. But today's scent wearer exists in a post-gender, post-traditional moment, where perfume choices fuel personal identity and moods. Whether it's a peppery oudh or crisp bergamot fading into labdanum, a well-chosen perfume becomes part of your narrative. Moses Koul, actor and scent-obsessive, owns over 200 perfumes—not to impress, but to express. 'It doesn't have to be expensive. The people I idolised growing up all smelled good, and my most memorable experiences have a scent attached to them,' he smiles. Koul's ritual is exacting: a bedtime perfume, a preference for vintage musks, and a keen eye for niche houses. This instinct for emotional resonance lies at the heart of India's growing niche fragrance scene. Shishir Mehta, founder of Scentido Niche Perfumery, an ultra-luxury boutique, says, 'In today's world, unisex isn't a category anymore—it's the standard.' His shelves are filled with olfactory storytelling, like Tilia by Marc-Antoine Barrois—a floral-woody blend of linden blossom and Indian jasmine—and A by Pantheon Roma, with tropical notes of mango, coconut, vanilla, and iris. 'A great perfume doesn't belong to a man or a woman. It belongs to a moment,' he asserts. The brands pushing this genderless revolution are many. Tom Ford's Black Orchid, with its heady mix of spice, chocolate, and floral darkness, set the tone early for sensual, boundary-blurring perfumery. Le Labo followed with minimalist, label-free bottles and bold scents like Santal 33. Maison Francis Kurkdjian's Baccarat Rouge 540 effortlessly marries skin and sillage This perfumevolution is a national phenom. 'Beautiful India,' Estée Lauder's tribute to the country, embraces the philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam—the world is one family. With notes of jasmine sambac, cardamom, and sandalwood, it reflects a fragrance culture of wearable identity and Indian scent-sibilities.
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Business Standard
24-04-2025
- Health
- Business Standard
Working in AC and facing summer heat? Eight tips to stay fit and energised
With temperatures in North India already exceeding 40 degrees Celsius, for office-goers, a crisp, chilled office floor feels like a sanctuary, an escape from the furnace outside. But the moment one steps out for a chai break or to head home, the heat ambushes them like a wall of fire—unforgiving and unrelenting. This daily dance, from the embrace of air-conditioning to the fury of the sun and back again, may seem routine, even harmless. Yet, this constant tug-of-war between extremes quietly chips away at people's health in ways seldom noticed—until the body finally begins to protest. Dr Satish Koul, senior director and unit head, internal medicine, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram, said in a telephonic conversation with Business Standard, 'Rapid transitions from air-conditioned indoor environments to hot outdoor conditions can place significant stress on the body's temperature regulation mechanisms. Your body struggles to adjust its thermoregulation rapidly. This may weaken the immune response, increasing susceptibility to headaches, colds, sore throat, and other infections—even heat exhaustion and sudden fatigue due to the shock to the immune system.' 'Additionally, prolonged exposure to low AC temperatures can lead to joint stiffness or muscle pain, especially in sedentary office environments,' he added. He also said that these temperature shocks not only stress the respiratory system but can also affect the cardiovascular system, especially in people with underlying health conditions. Highlighting that AC systems can also spread allergens, bacteria, and viruses—especially if filters are not regularly cleaned—he said, 'You should be mindful of regular maintenance of AC systems at your offices. Dirty filters can circulate harmful particles, leading to respiratory issues.' Also Read: Common health issues caused by AC and summer heat exposure Dryness and dehydration Headaches Sore throats Colds from immune shock Respiratory issues and allergens spread Worsening of asthma or allergic rhinitis Muscle stiffness or joint pain from prolonged cold exposure 'People with pre-existing respiratory conditions often notice their symptoms worsening due to this abrupt exposure,' adds Dr Koul. Top tips to protect your health while working in AC this summer 1. Wear breathable clothes for better temperature control Opt for light, loose-fitting, and breathable fabrics such as cotton. Avoid synthetic materials as they trap heat and sweat, making the transition more uncomfortable. 'Carry a light jacket or scarf to balance out the cold indoors—it helps your body adapt better and prevents sudden chills,' says Dr Koul. 2. Use sun protection before stepping outdoors Use an umbrella, cap, and sunglasses to shield yourself from direct sun exposure. Cover your mouth and nose with a scarf to minimise the shock from hot air. 3. Stay hydrated throughout the workday Frequent temperature changes can dehydrate the body. Drink water regularly, even before you feel thirsty. Include natural fluids like coconut water, buttermilk, or lemon water to restore electrolyte balance. 'Cold air can suppress your thirst. Keep water at your desk and sip throughout the day to stay energised and regulate your body temperature,' said Dr Koul. 4. Set AC temperature to a healthy range (24–26°C) Maintain the office AC at a moderate temperature, ideally between 24 degrees Celsius and 26 degrees Celsius. This reduces the temperature gap between indoors and outdoors. 'Extremely low settings are not only uncomfortable but harmful. Ideally, keep the AC between 24–26 degrees Celsius,' recommends Dr Koul. Also Read: 5. Eat immunity-boosting foods and stay active 'Include fruits, greens, nuts, and seeds in your diet. Even a short daily walk helps your body stay active and alert.' 6. Don't ignore early symptoms of discomfort If you develop a sore throat, headache, fever, or any breathing discomfort after exposure to sudden temperature changes, consult a doctor. Early intervention can prevent complications. 7. Practice deep breathing to ease respiratory strain 'AC air can constrict airways. Simple deep breathing exercises or pranayama can help ease breathing and protect lung health.' 8. Let your body adjust before stepping into the heat If possible, avoid stepping out immediately after long exposure to cold air. Give your body a few minutes in a non-air-conditioned indoor environment before heading outside. 'Don't rush from your desk to the outdoors. Let your body adjust—turn off the AC a few minutes before stepping out,' said Dr Koul. 'While we can't avoid the heat, small changes in routine can prevent bigger health issues. It's about listening to your body and adjusting smartly,' concludes Dr Koul.
Reuters
20-03-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Goldman downgrades South African equities, bullish on emerging Europe
March 20 (Reuters) - Goldman Sachs downgraded its recommendation on South African equities to "marketweight" from "overweight" on Thursday, saying the European Union's growth prospects presented better opportunities to invest in the region's emerging markets. Consequently, the Wall Street brokerage bumped up its rating on the Czech Republic to "neutral" from "underweight" and kept its "marketweight" rating on Turkey and Poland. The remarkable shift in Europe's fiscal policy and optimism around a potential Ukraine peace deal have fuelled a rally in EU-exposed equities such as Poland, Greece and the Czech Republic, analysts led by Sunil Koul, Goldman's global emerging market equity strategist, said in a note. Earlier this week, Germany's parliament approved plans for a massive spending surge, while the U.S. and Ukrainian presidents have agreed to work together to end Russia's war with Ukraine. Polish (.WIG20), opens new tab, Greek (.ATG), opens new tab and Czech (.PX), opens new tab stocks have advanced between 16% and 25% year-to-date. In comparison, South African stocks (.JTOPI), opens new tab have risen 10% so far in 2025, while the broader EM index (.MSCIEF), opens new tab has gained about 6%. "Notwithstanding near-term risks from higher tariffs, EM Europe is still the most inexpensive pocket within EM, and is trading at a 35% discount to MSCI EM," Koul said. While South African equities offer mid-teen EPS growth at reasonable valuations, there are limited catalysts in the near term, the brokerage said. It said China-sensitive stocks, like miners, have already rallied sharply and domestic cyclicals could continue to lag amid the uncertainty over its budget, which was recently rejected by most big parliamentary parties. Goldman said that just last week it closed its trade banking of South African equities' outperformance against EM-excluding China, which was initiated last May, at a potential gain of 21%.
