Business news

Business

When a robot becomes the boss: Exploring authority, obedience and relationships with machines

How does a robot perform as a boss at work? The results of research by Polish scientists published in Cognition, Technology & Work suggest that while robots can command obedience, they are not as proficient at it as humans. ...

Consumer & Gadgets

YouTube influencers: Gaming's best friend or worst enemy?

YouTube influencers are shaping the gaming industry in unexpected ways, and a new study in the journal Marketing Science uncovers the surprising truth: Although influencers can drive massive engagement with video games, they ...

Business

Intel hires former board member as new CEO in struggling chipmaker's latest comeback attempt

Struggling chipmaker Intel has hired former board member and semiconductor industry veteran Lip-Bu Tan as the latest in a succession of CEOs to attempt to turn around a once-dominant company that helped define Silicon Valley.

Business

Games industry still a hostile environment for many women

Five years on from a first wave of harassment scandals that rocked the world of gaming, multiple women working in the industry tell AFP they have seen or experienced sexism in the workplace, fearing economic hardship in the ...

Business

US tech firm Salesforce to invest $1.0 bn in Singapore

US cloud software giant Salesforce said Wednesday it planned to invest $1.0 billion in Singapore over the next five years to boost the use of artificial intelligence agents (AI) in the workforce.

Consumer & Gadgets

What is the 'digital gender gap?'

Digital technologies, such as the internet and mobile phones, have spread widely, and become integral to many parts of our lives. Yet women continue to lag behind men in digital access in many countries.

Consumer & Gadgets

The impact of app crashes on consumer engagement

High-profile mobile app crashes reveal how life can be upended when an app freezes abruptly or shuts down. The Sonos app crash in May of last year left users of the wireless multi-room sound systems unable to do things like ...

Business

Texas tech boom: Silicon Valley's southern outpost rises

Held every year in the capital of conservative-leaning Texas, the South by Southwest festival increasingly celebrates the state's emergence as a technology hub stepping out of Silicon Valley's shadow.

Business

Silicon Valley rattled by low-cost Chinese AI

Fears of upheaval in the AI gold rush rocked Wall Street on Monday following the emergence of a popular ChatGPT-like model from China, triggering predictions of turmoil for Silicon Valley and accusations of cheating.

Business

Universal, Spotify ink multi-year deal

Universal Music Group, the world's largest music company, and streaming behemoth Spotify on Sunday announced a multi-year direct deal that will affect both recording and publishing royalty rates.

Business

Meta tests ads on Threads, its alternative to X

Facebook parent Meta has begun testing ads on its newest social network Threads, an executive announced Friday, as the company continues to grow its alternative to Elon Musk's X.

Business

Meta guru urges Europe to gamble more on AI

Europe should take greater risks and plow more money into artificial intelligence, Meta's chief AI scientist Yann LeCun told AFP at the World Economic Forum.