Study: Return to office isn’t working
Quick Hits
Audio upgrade: Spotify close to lossless.
AI spies: Microsoft develops spyware.
Brain gain: Complex jobs reduce dementia risk.
Bond blockchain: Germany debuts crypto security.
Continental shift: Amazon delivers to Africa.
Digital diplomacy: Ukraine creates AI spokesperson.
Digital twins: U.S. invests in chip research.
Chipper news: Apple adds M4 chip to iPad.
Cloud expansion: Singapore attracts billions.
Crypto crackdown: Nigeria detains execs.
Making Wayves: EV competitor nets $1B.
New entrant: Microsoft competes with OpenAI.
Study: Return to office mandates hurt morale
A University of Pittsburgh study of return to office (RTO) mandates finds no significant improvement to the bottom line and a sharp drop in job satisfaction. “Before the pandemic, you wake up in the morning and you automatically assumed that you should go into the office to work. Now you know that there’s another option,” says one of the researchers.
Can CRISPR solve blindness?
A pioneering clinical trial using CRISPR showed significant improvement in vision for 8 in 10 participants with a rare form of blindness caused by a gene mutation.
Startup unleashes AI doppelgängers Sprinklr introduced “digital twins,” autonomous AI brand replicas that mirror and enhance the work of customer-facing teams. “The ultimate promise of AI for customer experience is unlimited digital capacity across the front office,” the company’s founder says.
Tech expands rap battleground
An ongoing diss-track rap battle between Kedrick Lamar and Drake exemplifies how tech shaping hip-hop with curated releases on social platforms and the rise of AI-generated songs.
Altman: AI is a ‘super smart know-it-all’
In an interview with MIT, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman described the killer app for AI as a “super-competent colleague that knows absolutely everything about my whole life, every email, every conversation I’ve ever had, but doesn’t feel like an extension.”
Weekly Pulse
Poll of the week
Recently funded companies
Sydney-based Brainfish Raises $2.5M Round for AI Customer Support
India-based Plotline Raises $2.6M in Funding for B2C Product Marketing Platform
Bengaluru-based Parseable Raises $2.75M for Log Analytics
Palo Alto-based DwellFi Raises $3M Seed for AI and Blockchain Solutions
Las Vegas-based Volta Raises $4.1M Seed for Digital Asset Infrastructure
Berlin-based Deltia.ai Raises $4.8M in Seed Funding for Warehouse Optimization
India's Lendingkart Raises $10M for Onward Lending to Small Businesses
Boston-based Neurable Raises $13M for Neurotechnology
Boston-based Opmed.ai Secures $15M in Series A for Healthcare Optimization AI
What we're listening to
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What we're reading
Remote developers are finding hiring hard, and this is why (VentureBeat)
Want a job in AI? Start at your local community college (Fast Company)
Synthetic cow embryos, and AI jobs of the future (MIT)
How to choose a deep tech startup program (TechCrunch)
Why we need fewer performance reviews—and more check-ins (Fast Company)
Ways to think about AGI (Benedict Evans)
Podcasts of the Week
HR Works Podcast: Balancing Data with Decency in Layoffs and Return to Office (HR Works: The Podcast for Human Resources)
Clarity CEO & Co-Founder Michael Matias: It's All About Being on the Court (Midstage Startup Momentum)
✓ Startups hiring now
Steadily: Building a full-stack insurance service for landlords | 28 open roles
Brahma: The complete on-chain execution and custody environment | 4 open roles
The RealReal: Online marketplace for authenticated, consigned luxury goods | 119 open roles
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