The stakes are much higher today. Winning the home might mean winning consumer artificial intelligence.
Apple’s HomeView Is Boring on Purposebloomberg.comWhat do you mean it doesn’t wheel around the house with a long extendable neck? Sorry — it doesn’t fly? Zzzzz. Apple’s HomeView is so boring. Which is entirely the point.What Meta investors need to see now is proof that those who bought into the Muse idea are actually finding it useful. Users are fickle and will gladly abandon apps after mere minutes unless given a compelling reason to stick around.
Meta’s Muse Is Ending Its Honeymoon Phase on Solid Groundbloomberg.comYou can barely take a step on the New York subway lately without seeing the face of Meta Platforms Inc.’s furry Muse AI assistant. I’ve written already about how impressed I’ve been with the form and function of the breakthrough bot. Now, attention must move to assessing whether Muse has long-term staying power — or whether its launch will be just a flash in the pan.On CBS News discussing my Amazon smart glasses column.
A big question Apple Inc. analysts are asking is: How many consumers are waiting for the iPhone Duo?
Apple’s Year Hinges on the Foldable iPhone Duobloomberg.comA big question Apple Inc. analysts are asking is: How many consumers are waiting for the iPhone Duo?Missing from the October announcement, however, was the true extent of the data that the glasses would be gathering: Static images of whatever the wearer sees, potentially several thousand captures in a single driver’s typical shift. The pictures taken would be of a quality “equivalent or lower than the standard proof of delivery photos,” Amazon said but declined to disclose the precise resolution. The images will be used with the company’s Wellspring platform, a system “powered by generative AI” that pulls together multiple data sources to map out neighborhoods for faster delivery.
Amazon Drivers’ Smart Glasses Are Going to Be an Image Problembloomberg.comComing soon up a garden path near you: an Amazon.com Inc. driver wearing smart glasses, almost constantly taking pictures and sending them back to the company to be analyzed by humans and fed into an AI system.Sam Altman’s task is to demonstrate that his company can catch up with Meta while sending a clear message that it has a handle on the reckless behavior of its most powerful AI. Striking that balance will not be straightforward — a huge test for the perennially under-pressure 41-year-old boss.
Can Sam Altman Catch Up While Slowing Down?bloomberg.comStarting Tuesday, OpenAI will convene its annual developer conference. The timing isn’t ideal.Today, by refining the technology and adding some consumer-friendly touches, Muse is to AI agents what the iPod was to MP3 players: A stylish and innovative recasting of an existing technology so it struck a chord with everyday people. The rewards for reaching the non-nerds could be enormous.
Zuckerberg’s ‘Tamagotchi-Like’ AI Could Be Meta’s iPod Momentbloomberg.comMark Zuckerberg is on to something. Hot on the heels of Meta Platforms Inc.’s hugely well-received launch of its Muse personal AI agent, Zuckerberg announced on Wednesday evening the next phase: a “Tamagotchi-like” pendant for interacting with the cuddly assistant on the go. It’s slated to be out in time for Christmas.The move is a sign of things to come as Silicon Valley giants try to protect their entrenched advantages in the age of artificial-intelligence agents. Consumers will lose out if their preferred agent can’t work well with the full range of digital services to which they have become accustomed. These competitors will need to find ways to work together or risk being forced to open up.
I’m Using Meta’s AI Agent and Amazon Can’t Stand Itbloomberg.comMeta Platforms Inc. is rightly receiving plaudits for its new AI agent, Muse. I’ve been using it, and it’s plainly the most impressive product Meta has released in years. Harold — the name I gave to my bot — works to organize my calendar, scour Facebook Marketplace for good deals and buy things, with my blessing, from Amazon.com Inc.I've known Cathy White for years and years, so it was a delight to join her on her podcast to discuss my work at Bloomberg and the career journey that took me there.
One fear over the past few days is that an artificial-intelligence slowdown, whatever that looks like, might harm the stocks of chipmakers. If AI development takes a breather, the insatiable appetite that has propelled component makers to unprecedented heights would dissipate. Will AI companies still need all those data centers?
The answer is yes. And then some.
Chipmaker Stocks Will Weather Any AI Slowdownbloomberg.comOne fear over the past few days is that an artificial-intelligence slowdown, whatever that looks like, might harm the stocks of chipmakers. If AI development takes a breather, the insatiable appetite that has propelled component makers to unprecedented heights would dissipate. Will AI companies still need all those data centers?Any hope that the coming summit between President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping would be productive in taking steps to mitigate the harms of artificial intelligence seems to have been dashed, thanks to a commander in chief unwilling to acknowledge the pivotal moment that faces us as AI companies call for a slowdown in development.
A US-China Pact on AI Is Possible, But Not by Posturingbloomberg.comAny hope that the coming summit between President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping would be productive in taking steps to mitigate the harms of artificial intelligence seems to have been dashed, thanks to a commander in chief unwilling to acknowledge the pivotal moment that faces us as AI companies call for a slowdown in development.When John Ternus succeeded Tim Cook as chief executive officer of Apple Inc. at the start of this month, he needed no introduction to the company’s more than 160,000 employees. The same can’t really be said of the public, most of whom will be meeting, and sizing up, Apple’s new top boss for the first time on Wednesday. He’ll begin by making the case for buying an iPhone that costs at least $2,000.
A $2,000 iPhone Gives Apple’s New CEO His Steve Jobs Momentbloomberg.comWhen John Ternus succeeded Tim Cook as chief executive officer of Apple Inc. at the start of this month, he needed no introduction to the company’s more than 160,000 employees. The same can’t really be said of the public, most of whom will be meeting, and sizing up, Apple’s new top boss for the first time on Wednesday. He’ll begin by making the case for buying an iPhone that costs at least $2,000.