Latest news with #PeterKafka
Business Insider
15-05-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Tech companies want humans to help level up AI models. What's your price for training them?
Happy almost Friday! It's not TV. It's HBO, HBO Go, HBO Now, HBO Max, Max, HBO Max. The TV brand that brought us "The Sopranos" and "Sex and The City" is rebranding its streamer … again. BI's Peter Kafka has more on all the flip-flopping and why, jokes aside, it's acknowledgment of a deal gone bad. (At least HBO is leaning into the joke.) In today's big story, Meta will pay you $50 an hour to help make its avatars more realistic. Which begs the bigger question: How much would you need to be paid to train AI on something you're good at? What's on deck Markets: The US-China trade deal doesn't mean investors are out of the woods yet. Business: The job market might be the biggest risk no one's talking about. But first, lending a helping hand to AI. If this was forwarded to you, sign up here. The big story Train and gain Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images Want to make a quick $50? Just say "Cheese." Meta is paying $50 an hour to record people's facial expressions and small talk to bolster its virtual avatars, writes BI's Effie Webb. It's part of the tech giant's massive bet that the metaverse is the future. Meta's recruiting adults to make its virtual reality avatars as realistic as possible and create a social environment that is "indistinguishable from reality" during virtual interactions. That sounds exhilarating or terrifying, depending on where you sit on the technology adoption scale. What's not up for debate is that plenty of this type of work is going around. Across the tech world, companies are hiring humans to train AI models to act more … human. Tesla previously paid up to $48 an hour to people training its humanoid robots. Meta also has contractors monitoring how "flirty" its chatbots get. The humanization of AI is turning into a nice side hustle for those willing to put in the hours. One woman told BI she made $8,000 in three weeks training AI after hours. But it's not always easy work. Sometimes it can involve stress-testing AI with "harmful" prompts, as Effie previously reported. Sharing your smile is one thing, since most of us don't get paid to flash our pearly whites. (Don't worry. I still think you look great.) But what about training AI on something you're good enough to get paid to do? On the one hand, you could probably demand a higher rate for teaching AI a somewhat proprietary skill. On the other hand, are the short-term gains worth the long-term risks that could come with AI eventually being better at the task than you? Simply put: Do you want to be the turkey setting the table for Thanksgiving? Let me know what you think. They say everyone has a price. What's yours for teaching AI your secret sauce? 3 things in markets Reuters / Lucas Jackson 1. The S&P 500 just flashed an optimistic technical signal. The index moved above its 200-day moving average, which has historically signaled a positive long-term trend. LPL Financial's technical analyst said it could spell a bottom for the market. 2. And Wall Street's fear is subsiding. The index known as Wall Street's fear gauge saw its fastest-ever drop from April 10 to May 12; Wall Street's breathing easy now that the US and China have dialed down tariffs. The index had peaked when fears were high right after Liberation Day. 3. But investors might be declaring tariff victory too early. The US-China deal to temporarily reduce tariffs on Chinese imports to 30% pushed the S&P 500 up 3.2%. However, investors might be getting ahead of themselves for a variety of reasons. 3 things in tech 1. Tariffs have taken a toll on TikTok's US e-commerce business. Four TikTok staffers told BI they attribute the drop-off in US sales to tariffs, which have created cost headaches for merchants. It's one of the many setbacks the social media platform has experienced this year. 2. Waymo just got another recall headache. The company issued a software recall for more than 1,200 robotaxis after several of its cars were involved in barrier collisions, according to a report filed with a federal safety agency. It's Waymo's third recall in over a year, though the last two were voluntary. 3. Amazon robots won't take your job, but they might end the need for it. Amazon said it sees warehouse robots as crucial to "flattening" its hiring curve, according to an internal document obtained by BI. It suggests Amazon could use robots to slow the rate of new hiring rather than replace existing workers. 3 things in business 1. The job market is on the brink of collapse. While unemployment remains historically low, things may not be as tranquil as they seem, writes economist Neil Dutta. From fewer job openings to the uncertainty surrounding Trump's trade upheaval, signs are pointing to higher unemployment and a weaker job market. 2. Behind Ryan Coogler's deal to own "Sinners." The director behind the box-office sensation struck a rare deal with Warner Bros., giving him the rights to "Sinners" in 2050. A veteran entertainment and technology attorney spoke to BI about how Coogler could cash in. 3. The key deals struck during Trump's tour of Saudi Arabia. Companies like Nvidia and Amazon have notched some big wins while Trump has been in the Middle East. Here's a list of what's been announced, from a major chip deal to a planned Saudi AI zone. In other news Trump can't stop talking about the pushback to Qatar's Air Force One offer. We asked Grok why it was bringing up 'white genocide' in unrelated X posts. The AI's answers are messy. Uber has a new plan to get you to use its app more: Cheaper ride and delivery options. What's happening today The Business Insider Today team: Dan DeFrancesco, deputy editor and anchor, in New York. Hallam Bullock, senior editor, in London. Grace Lett, editor, in Chicago. Amanda Yen, associate editor, in New York. Lisa Ryan, executive editor, in New York. Ella Hopkins, associate editor, in London. Elizabeth Casolo, fellow, in Chicago.
Business Insider
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Insider
HBO Max's social team knows its rebrand is absurd. It's leaning in.
Max is going back to HBO Max after removing the HBO from its name in 2023. The internet is making fun of the company for backpedaling. But the social team at Warner Bros. Discovery got ahead of the roasts by making fun of itself first. The internet is making fun of Max for changing its name to HBO Max (for the second time). But no one is mocking the re-rebrand with as much gusto as Max itself. The company is poking fun at the switch by posting conclave references on TikTok, Harry Potter memes on Instagram, and teasing X on the social platform. The self-deprecation is not limited to Max's main accounts. An Instagram page for the HBO show, "Curb Your Enthusiasm," also chimed in, for example. V2 approved by legal. — Max (@StreamOnMax) May 14, 2025 Max's social team is going all out with the jokes because it probably knows that backpedaling to an earlier name is silly. It's much better to laugh with the internet than be laughed at. "This is something where they were like, 'We're just going to get totally excoriated, so at least we can be in on the joke a little bit,'" Jeremy Goldman, a senior director of client briefings at EMARKETER, told Business Insider. For those not acquainted with the confusing name history of the Warner Bros. Discovery streaming service, Max has bounced around from "HBO Go," to "HBO Now," to "HBO Max," then "Max," and now back to "HBO Max." There were probably business reasons for each of the name changes that made sense in a boardroom, but the frequent switches have been confusing for the average consumer (my Roku remote still has an HBO Now button). While WBD put out a relatively straight press release today about the rebrand, the company distributed a meme to go along with it, as my colleague Peter Kafka, who dove into the business implications of the rebrand, pointed out. On social media, the company went all in on silliness. There, being earnest is a recipe for mockery. Send thoughts and prayers. — Max (@StreamOnMax) May 14, 2025 If you're posting to social and you've got something slightly embarrassing to say, such as that you are backtracking on an earlier rebrand, better to lean into humor and irreverence, knowing that the internet won't shy away from pointing out you're repeating yourself. (Full disclosure: I work at a company that also flipped back to its original name after attempting a rebrand.) Budget airline Ryanair is particularly adept at making jokes at its own expense on social media. The company often posts viral TikTok videos that make fun of the trade-offs of its cheap flights, such as limited legroom or additional costs for some seats. So kudos to Max for laughing at itself. Just please don't change your name again.
