Starbucks-Tata Expansion ☕, India's Growth 📈, Meta's Teen Safety 🚸

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 NextBigWhat Daily News! Today's highlights: Starbucks and Tata's joint venture, World Bank's prediction for India's economy, and Meta's content restrictions for teens. 📰 Help us reach your your friends and colleagues! Share the NextBigWhat newsletter. [Tweet it]( [Whatsapp]( Starbucks and Tata joint venture plans to expand to 1,000 stores in India by 2028 - Tata Starbucks aims to open a new store every three days, targeting tier-2 and tier-3 cities. - The expansion plan includes doubling its workforce to 8,600 employees and increasing its presence in drive-thrus, airports, and 24-hour stores. - The company also plans to empower women by providing vocational skills training for those seeking careers in the F&B retail industries. Former Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal secures $30 million for new AI startup - Parag Agrawal, former CEO of Twitter, has raised approximately $30 million for his AI startup, according to The Information. - The startup aims to develop software for LLM developers, with Khosla Ventures leading the funding round and Index Ventures and First Round Capital also participating. - Agrawal’s tenure as Twitter CEO ended abruptly after Elon Musk’s acquisition of the social media platform, now renamed X, in 2022. Mastering Difficult Conversations: Insights from Expert Negotiator Chris Voss [NBW Newsletter Ad]( From his experiences in high-risk, high-stakes situations, Voss emphasizes the significance of emotional intelligence, active listening, and understanding the other party’s viewpoint in successful negotiations. Save time. Get the #BigIdeas from this conversation [Read 🚀]( Regulatory authority issues guidelines to curb misleading ads by IAS coaching institutes - The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has drafted guidelines to prevent misleading advertisements by IAS coaching institutes. - The guidelines prohibit institutes from making false claims about success rates or selection numbers, and require them to provide detailed information about successful candidates. - The CCPA has previously issued notices to 31 institutes for misleading ads and imposed fines on 9 of them. Elon Musk’s X plans to launch peer-to-peer payments and AI enhancements in 2024 - Elon Musk’s social network, X, formerly Twitter, has outlined its 2024 roadmap, including AI-powered experiences and the launch of peer-to-peer payments. - X is licensed for payment processing in 14 U.S. states and aims to allow users to send money within the platform and withdraw to authenticated bank accounts. - The company also plans to integrate AI into user and advertising experiences, enhancing search, improving ads, and providing a new level of customer understanding. Be the smartest thinker in the room with BigIdeas app (delivers bite-sized ideas from world's best podcasts, books.) [App Store]( [Google Play]( Meta tightens content restrictions for teen users on Instagram and Facebook - Meta plans to hide harmful content from teen accounts on Instagram and Facebook, placing them in the most restrictive control settings. - Content related to suicide, self-harm, and eating disorders will be hidden from teen searches, directing them instead to expert resources. - Meta will also encourage teens to update their settings for a more private experience, limiting who can repost their content, tag or mention them, and message them. World Bank predicts India to retain fastest-growing major economy status despite slowdown - The World Bank forecasts India’s growth at 6.4% in FY25 and 6.5% in FY26, supported by robust public investment and improved corporate balance sheets. - India’s own forecast for the fiscal year ending in March is a 7.3% growth, the highest among major global economies. - The World Bank warns of potential risks from extreme weather events and elections, and highlights the need for policies to reduce uncertainty and strengthen growth potential. Twitch to cut 35% of its workforce amid financial struggles - Twitch, owned by Amazon, is set to lay off about 500 employees, marking another round of cuts for the company. - Despite a surge in usership during the pandemic, Twitch continues to struggle financially, with unsuccessful attempts to prioritize ad revenue and high operating costs. - The company recently announced plans to cease operations in South Korea due to ‘prohibitively expensive’ network fees. Blaupunkt TV collaborates with Amazon India, aiming for 4% market share by FY25 - Blaupunkt TV has partnered with Amazon India to expand its reach and meet the growing demand for its premium television range. - The collaboration aligns with the upcoming ‘Amazon Republic Day Sale’, and sets ambitious targets for FY24-FY25, aiming for a 4% market share. - CEO Avneet Singh Marwah stated the company’s commitment to strategic partnerships and investments to support growth, and highlighted Amazon’s extensive reach as a key factor in the collaboration. Duolingo reduces contractor workforce by 10% due to AI adoption - Duolingo has confirmed a 10% reduction in its contractor workforce, attributing the cuts to the adoption of AI models like OpenAI’s GPT-4 for content production and translations. - The company uses AI for translating sentences and generating feedback, with human experts validating the output quality; it also powers experiences for its premium subscription tier, Duolingo Max. - The job cuts have sparked concerns among contractors and users about AI replacing human workers, and the potential loss of human expertise in language nuances. Google introduces real-time EV battery range information on Maps, starting with Ford - Google Maps will now display real-time battery information for EV drivers, initially available in Ford Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning. - The feature, part of Android Auto, will estimate battery level upon arrival, suggest charging stops, and predict charging time. - Google also added new trip planning capabilities, the Chrome browser, and the Weather Channel app to Google built-in, an automotive services product embedded in the vehicle. AI technology used by hackers and US intelligence agencies, states NSA cyber director - Nation-state hackers are using generative AI for cyberattacks, while US intelligence uses AI to detect malicious activity, according to NSA’s Rob Joyce. - Joyce highlighted that China-backed hackers are exploiting vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure, with AI helping to detect these activities. - Despite AI’s potential for misuse, it also enhances the effectiveness of those using it for cybersecurity, making them more dangerous, Joyce added. Walmart introduces AI-powered search and replenishment tools at CES - Walmart unveiled new AI technologies at the Consumer Electronics Show, including a generative AI search feature for iOS that allows customers to search for products by use cases, and an AI-powered replenishment system for frequently ordered items. - The company also showcased ‘Shop with Friends’, an AR social commerce platform, and other AI applications within Sam’s Club and store associate apps. - CEO Doug McMillon emphasized the company’s focus on ‘adaptive retail’, blending the best aspects of all channels for a unified retail experience, while also acknowledging the potential job implications of AI technology. © 2023 Zakti Techmedia Pvt. Ltd. All rights reserved. | [Unsubscribe](