Layoffs in tech companies like SAP, Salesforce, eBay and others are reportedly accelerating. The article also mentions the upcoming earnings reports from major cloud players Alphabet, Microsoft and Amazon, as well as Apple, AMD, Meta, Samsung and more. In other news, Microsoft's corporate email accounts were hacked by the same group behind the SolarWinds hack, and North Korean threat groups are targeting media organizations.
Key takeaways:
- Political deepfakes have arrived, with videos and audio impersonating President Joe Biden and other public figures. The AI deepfake trend is expected to continue and potentially escalate.
- Big tech companies' investments in AI firms are coming under antitrust scrutiny, with the Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan looking to prevent them from dominating the industry.
- Despite the scrutiny, big AI funding rounds continue, with several startups raising significant amounts. However, layoffs in the tech industry appear to be accelerating.
- Next week will see earnings reports from major cloud players including Alphabet, Microsoft, Amazon, Apple, AMD, Meta, and Samsung.