Google Pay UPI 💳, Tesla No Tax 🚫, Navi Reduces Workforce 🔥

Catch up on the latest in tech, business and startups - all in 5 minutes. [Newsletter Banner] Daily News Roundup Welcome to today's edition of the NextBigWhat Daily News! Today's top stories include Google Pay's UPI Lite launch, Tesla's no tax waivers announcement, and Navi Technologies' workforce reduction. 📰 Help us reach your your friends and colleagues! Share the NextBigWhat newsletter. [Tweet it]( [Whatsapp]( Twitter Begins Paying Content Creators a Share of Ad Revenues 🌎 GlobalTech - Twitter announces a new program for sharing advertising revenues. - The initiative is part of Twitter’s efforts to support income generation on the platform. - Ads placed in replies to tweets is the revenue source shared with creators. Google Lays off 80 Unionized Help Subcontractors Amid Controversy 🌎 GlobalTech - Around 80 Google Help subcontractors unionized with AWU-CWA learned they would be laid off last week, raising suspicions of retaliation. - These employees, jointly employed by Google and tech consultancy Accenture, lack protection under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act; California is considering expanding protections for such workers. - Earlier, contractors planning to unionize were fired but reinstated with backpay after filing Unfair Labor Practice charges; union members vow to keep fighting for their rights. Naval Ravikant - 11 Rules For Life [NBW Newsletter Ad]( Naval Ravikant shares 11 rules for life. "Be impatient with actions. Patient with results" [Read]( Threads sees reduction in user engagement after initial record sign-ups 🌎 GlobalTech - Threads saw a rapid drop in user engagement with about a 20% decline in daily active users and a 50% reduction in time spent within a week of a record-breaking 100 million sign-ups. - Sensor Tower and Similarweb data echoed a similar trend, recording a more than 25% decrease in daily active users and over half in usage time. YouTube Music introduces ‘Dismiss queue’ function for miniplayer 🌎 GlobalTech - YouTube Music has added a ‘Dismiss queue’ button, allowing users to clear their queue more efficiently. - The button has been added to the Now Playing menu within the newly redesigned miniplayer. - This update follows the wider roll-out of YouTube Music’s redesigned Now Playing screen with comments and live lyrics features. Get NBW News: The short news app for busy professionals. [App Store]( [Google Play]( OpenAI Arranges Licensing Access to AP’s News Archive 🤖 AI - On July 13, OpenAI announced a partnership with AP, allowing the AI creator access to AP’s news archive dating back to 1985. - The collaborative deal is expected to benefit AP alongside OpenAI, with AP utilizing OpenAI’s advanced technology and product expertise. Google Pay’s UPI Lite Launched for Faster Payments in India 🇮🇳 IndiaTech - Google Pay has rolled out UPI Lite in India, allowing users to make quick payments for everyday expenses. - The feature, initially launched by the Reserve Bank of India, does not require a PIN and allows up to ₹200 transfers without checking the bank’s core banking system in real-time. - Users can activate UPI Lite on the Google Pay app, enabling them to make transactions with elevated success rates, even during high-transaction periods. FTC Investigates OpenAI over Possible ‘Reputational Harm’ by ChatGPT AI 🤖 AI - The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is purportedly investigating OpenAI to ascertain if the firm’s ChatGPT AI issued ‘false, misleading, disparaging or harmful’ about individuals. - The FTC has submitted a 20-page inquiry letter to OpenAI, highlighting the commission’s increased commitment to monitor potential AI violations. No tax waivers for Tesla, announces India amid discussions on EV factory setup 🇮🇳 IndiaTech - Elon Musk hinted at ‘significant investment’ in India upon encouragement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. - Previous discussions with Indian government included requests for customs duty waivers for Tesla EV imports, which India rejected. - The Department of Revenue is not currently considering any duty waiver for Tesla, states official Malhotra. Actors strike over ‘AI proposal’ on digital likeness ownership 🤖 AI - Actors’ union, SAG-AFTRA, announces strike due to failed negotiations with Hollywood studios, focusing on a ‘AI proposal’. - The proposal allegedly allows studios to create and own digital replicas of actors’ likenesses for one day’s pay, potentially forever, without further consent or compensation. - The ongoing strike, in conjunction with the Writers Guild of America, marks a historical event not seen since the 1960s. Meta Plans to Release Commercial Version of its AI Model, LLaMA 🤖 AI - Meta, a significant player in AI, is expected to soon release a commercial version of its language model, LLaMA, that companies can customize. - The move is aimed at helping Meta compete with fellow AI creators like Google and OpenAI. In the future, Meta might also develop AI chatbots specific to each type of user. - While initially free, Meta may charge enterprises for customizing the model in the future, according to sources close to the company. Navi Technologies Reduces Workforce by 20%, No Severance Due to New HR Rules 🇮🇳 IndiaTech - Navi Tech reportedly started layoffs on Tuesday, affecting all departments, with no severance packages due to a new HR policy. - Previously, Navi hosted two appraisal rounds (June and December) with minimal layoffs; now, layoffs and no severance occur in both cycles. - An insider alleges top management intended to downsize, modifying HR rules to minimize severance costs, and not all cuts were performance-related. Skill-Lync Lays Off 200+ Employees Amid Funding Woes 🇮🇳 IndiaTech - EdTech startup Skill-Lync has laid off over 200 employees, marking their second round of mass layoffs in 2023. - Co-founder confirmed the layoffs were a strategic decision to reduce costs and extend the company’s runway amidst challenging funding prospects. - Despite raising $20 million from investors such as Iron Pillar and Y Combinator, and upskilling over 30,000 students, monetization efforts have not met expectations. © 2023 Zakti Techmedia Pvt. Ltd. All rights reserved. | [Unsubscribe](