🌎 Automakers have a tightrope

Plus: The extra-terrestrial in e-commerce. Was this newsletter forwarded to you? [Sign up here](%2F%2Fqz.com%2Femails%2Fdaily-brief%2F/1/0100018b5bf710c8-5d7e18a6-4997-43f8-8c50-2c38d207e087-000000/WtDQadk9MiSTUih_8lftl4oEz1zR4yQQ5KK5LLsM7X4=323) [Quartz](%2F%2Fqz.com%2Femails%2Fdaily-brief%2F1850948858%2Fautomakers-have-a-tightrope%2F/1/0100018b5bf710c8-5d7e18a6-4997-43f8-8c50-2c38d207e087-000000/xRFepWULXZne6491CvsYrl_SI73KYtU3JS1GGUnJzJk=323) October 23, 2023 [View in browser](%2F%2Fqz.com%2Femails%2Fdaily-brief%2F1850948858%2Fautomakers-have-a-tightrope%2F/2/0100018b5bf710c8-5d7e18a6-4997-43f8-8c50-2c38d207e087-000000/AC9If-nbYgFTE6XSCjkViQV2xS10kHMlZC5i-slplyQ=323) %2F%2Fqz.com%2Femails%2Fdaily-brief%2F1850948858%2Fautomakers-have-a-tightrope%2F/3/0100018b5bf710c8-5d7e18a6-4997-43f8-8c50-2c38d207e087-000000/cMQPoDEwnQ_83thP94Wt0Q5373axxhBfF9A8rUxZdCo=323 Photo: Reuters (Rebecca Cook) Good morning, Quartz readers! Here’s what you need to know General Motors and Ford will have to answer strike questions during their earnings calls this week. It’ll be a tightrope walk for the US automakers—if earnings are solid, the United Auto Workers will have some ammo; if they’re not, [Wall Street will get anxious](%2F%2Fwww.cnbc.com%2F2023%2F10%2F22%2Fgm-and-ford-report-q3-earnings-as-wall-street-and-uaw-watch.html/1/0100018b5bf710c8-5d7e18a6-4997-43f8-8c50-2c38d207e087-000000/LbQn6o0vQqG0HNbCPqv5SRskEYhMyAue95WDg0jsMdc=323). EU leaders met with US president Joe Biden at the White House. While progress was made on ongoing trade disputes, [no deals were reached](%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Fworld%2Fbiden-eu-leaders-meet-trade-tensions-israel-hamas-war-simmer-2023-10-20%2F/1/0100018b5bf710c8-5d7e18a6-4997-43f8-8c50-2c38d207e087-000000/GPEPZW57FepF0RkbfHQt1UZqg2A-0npy3iGvcz_DLQI=323) on disagreements in the energy, steel and aluminum sectors, and the Israel-Hamas war cast a shadow over talks. The yen momentarily dipped below 150 against the dollar. That threshold [puts investors on alert](%2F%2Fwww.bloomberg.com%2Fnews%2Farticles%2F2023-10-22%2Fyen-breaches-150-per-dollar-again-raising-intervention-risk/1/0100018b5bf710c8-5d7e18a6-4997-43f8-8c50-2c38d207e087-000000/3d_yLmfmIqaNwTSeziZffzLYzsKU3M1n05QfRJ5e1tU=323) and could trigger action from financial authorities in Tokyo. Foxconn was probed by Chinese tax authorities. The Apple supplier [had its offices searched](%2F%2Fqz.com%2Fapple-supplier-foxconn-subjected-to-tax-inspections-by-1850948274%2F%3Futm_source=email%26utm_medium=Quartz_Daily_Brief_US%26utm_content=1850948858/1/0100018b5bf710c8-5d7e18a6-4997-43f8-8c50-2c38d207e087-000000/3djj_j57SP3ESZ2Kg2wJoD4At1-UybWQasAxz3DfJGQ=323), according to state media, though details of the inspections remain sparse. Jeff Bezos is on a quest to put the extra-terrestrial in e-commerce %2F%2Fqz.com%2Femails%2Fdaily-brief%2F1850948858%2Fautomakers-have-a-tightrope%2F/4/0100018b5bf710c8-5d7e18a6-4997-43f8-8c50-2c38d207e087-000000/WiJFXp8VFOG_x9359elQLBMHetnaMwtnWm59pTCo5XQ=323 Photo: Reuters (Joe Skipper) Amazon is now the first tech giant to start operating computers in space. The company launched two prototype satellites for its Kuiper constellation on Oct. 6, and 10 days later, confirmed they had survived the trip to an orbit above the Earth. It’s not like Apple, Meta, and Google haven’t mulled businesses based on satellites orbiting the Earth—they’ve actually all tried, but never really figured it out. So what made Amazon’s investment in Kuiper, to the order of $10 billion and likely the company’s second-largest ever behind Whole Foods, different? As Quartz’s Tim Fernholz writes, founder Jeff Bezos’ familiarity and passion for space may have been part of the decision, but the ability to deploy that much money has always been part of Amazon’s secret sauce—that and [capitalizing on the work of its rivals](%2F%2Fqz.com%2Fhow-amazon-became-the-first-tech-giant-in-space-1850941332%2F%3Futm_source=email%26utm_medium=Quartz_Daily_Brief_US%26utm_content=1850948858/1/0100018b5bf710c8-5d7e18a6-4997-43f8-8c50-2c38d207e087-000000/pqckH_4w3b48xvgqTbudt9hkuM6sXBwc3i5QQvZRCEo=323). Why are gas prices still falling in the US? Oil prices are creeping up globally, with Brent crude crossing $92 a barrel last week, fueled by concerns that the Israel-Hamas war could spill over to oil-rich countries. But motorists in the US aren’t feeling the pinch yet. Gas prices at the pump are actually continuing their downward trend: $3.56: The national average cost for a gallon of gas in the US 32 cents: How much lower the average gas price is now compared to when it peaked a month ago $5: Average amount most US drivers are saving with each fill So what’s going on? Quartz’s Grete Suarez explains how [the changing of seasons also changes gas prices](%2F%2Fqz.com%2Fwhy-hasnt-the-new-conflict-in-the-middle-east-increased-1850946568%2F%3Futm_source=email%26utm_medium=Quartz_Daily_Brief_US%26utm_content=1850948858/1/0100018b5bf710c8-5d7e18a6-4997-43f8-8c50-2c38d207e087-000000/tS-40BrUOs0B2r0Sugu2rfMww5wB3EP5uuBz6nV4DMs=323). AI firms are paying actors to lend emotions to avatars As companies like [Meta](%2F%2Fqz.com%2Fhow-meta-wins-even-if-its-new-ai-assistant-fails-1850883439%2F%3Futm_source=email%26utm_medium=Quartz_Daily_Brief_US%26utm_content=1850948858/1/0100018b5bf710c8-5d7e18a6-4997-43f8-8c50-2c38d207e087-000000/_jLaJG3lqjMPtpRaGyWAfGs6VUb8mzicCYZE8jWCCT0=323) and [Character.AI](%2F%2Fqz.com%2Fa-startup-founded-by-former-google-employees-claims-tha-1850919360%2F%3Futm_source=email%26utm_medium=Quartz_Daily_Brief_US%26utm_content=1850948858/1/0100018b5bf710c8-5d7e18a6-4997-43f8-8c50-2c38d207e087-000000/KeEvg6rd7XW7okScnmUffVFuw-4hFOc1oQlaaSaxPyc=323) roll out bots that act like made-up characters or real people like Elon Musk or Kendall Jenner, they need the help of, well, real people. Cue actors, who can convincingly express the wide range of emotions these companies want to mimic. Some AI companies are even paying professional actors up to $150 an hour to share their verbal and nonverbal emotions on camera. The timing of such job postings, however, is questionable. As Quartz’s Michelle Cheng points out, it’s exactly the type of technology that [Hollywood actors are off the clock to protest](%2F%2Fqz.com%2Fai-firms-are-paying-professional-actors-150-an-hour-to-1850946320%2F%3Futm_source=email%26utm_medium=Quartz_Daily_Brief_US%26utm_content=1850948858/1/0100018b5bf710c8-5d7e18a6-4997-43f8-8c50-2c38d207e087-000000/wltI9o8U1Fct4_KF9FKrEBl584U6_zRev78nmTCMbj0=323). 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Just look at the numbers.](%2F%2Fqz.com%2Felon-musk-has-made-x-twitter-all-about-him-just-look-1850935423%2F%3Futm_source=email%26utm_medium=Quartz_Daily_Brief_US%26utm_content=1850948858/1/0100018b5bf710c8-5d7e18a6-4997-43f8-8c50-2c38d207e087-000000/ClJlP4JDZjc-ys4FuOY979Jaz3Qg1BIAduc8HmEjAzA=323) 🎤 [Universal Music Group is suing Amazon-backed AI startup Anthropic](%2F%2Fqz.com%2Funiversal-music-group-sues-anthropic-ai-katy-perry-1850940686%2F%3Futm_source=email%26utm_medium=Quartz_Daily_Brief_US%26utm_content=1850948858/1/0100018b5bf710c8-5d7e18a6-4997-43f8-8c50-2c38d207e087-000000/gq5zcTXoELmB734MtlqPYDyvylieM91SnGYn1gFdqCc=323) Surprising discoveries Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce weren’t in a small Connecticut town—it was their scarecrows. Seriously, [this is getting pretty ridiculous](%2F%2Fwww.usmagazine.com%2Fcelebrity-news%2Fnews%2Ftaylor-swift-travis-kelce-sighting-in-connecticut-turns-out-to-be-scarecrows%2F/1/0100018b5bf710c8-5d7e18a6-4997-43f8-8c50-2c38d207e087-000000/tPpSqPF9Y_sLmhjrjuHBkoFIlz8eiHgnlosMwXLR-aU=323). A 96-year-old bottle of Scotch may be the most sought-after ever... The whisky is [going up for auction](%2F%2Fqz.com%2Fbottle-of-most-sought-after-scotch-whisky-to-come-under-1850940642%2F%3Futm_source=email%26utm_medium=Quartz_Daily_Brief_US%26utm_content=1850948858/1/0100018b5bf710c8-5d7e18a6-4997-43f8-8c50-2c38d207e087-000000/WBZpghw5ib-g4sNhUAQmaNz04m-n8T1xRJOaJJB23Gk=323) next month for an estimated £1.2 million ($1.4 million). …while a bottle of urine marketed as an energy drink may be the most disgusting ever. A new documentary alleges it was [able to be sold](%2F%2Fwww.wired.com%2Fstory%2Famazon-let-its-drivers-urine-be-sold-as-an-energy-drink%2F/1/0100018b5bf710c8-5d7e18a6-4997-43f8-8c50-2c38d207e087-000000/AnztZtyKpQZxaiMTUa7vjTJ3nLdhcO-hzgYEwZ_CgaA=323) on Amazon. AI identified people with Type 2 diabetes just by how they spoke. For men, vocal giveaways [were centered on](%2F%2Fwww.sciencealert.com%2Fthe-way-you-speak-can-reveal-whether-you-have-type-2-diabetes/1/0100018b5bf710c8-5d7e18a6-4997-43f8-8c50-2c38d207e087-000000/iQmA0rZvzl7x1E-iTAx-fM5w_lRUzItwuDkdJa6PDDw=323) intensity and amplitude, while for women, they were determined by pitch variations. Jupiter has a jet stream that’s traveling at about 320 mph (515 kph). Its presence may indicate [there’s more to the planet’s](%2F%2Fgizmodo.com%2Fwebb-telescope-reveals-a-high-speed-jet-on-jupiter-1850945367/1/0100018b5bf710c8-5d7e18a6-4997-43f8-8c50-2c38d207e087-000000/rjji1z-iTw3kdTzSfNqVaDkAIVOzsksZ_2oYt_cdFp4=323) insides than we thought. Did you know we have two premium weekend emails too? One gives you analysis on the week’s news, and one provides the best reads from Quartz and elsewhere to get your week started right. You can get those by [becoming a member](%2F%2Fqz.com%2Fsubscribe%2Fplan/1/0100018b5bf710c8-5d7e18a6-4997-43f8-8c50-2c38d207e087-000000/pyWYXCTRtsC7f3A9gbP2YWA1ufpVs0i-ZvAUrTdktNs=323)—and take 20% off! Our best wishes for a productive day. Send any news, comments, Quartz scarecrows, and million-dollar whisky to [talk@qz.com](mailto:talk@qz.com?cc=&subject=Daily%20Brief%20feedback%20&body=). Today’s Daily Brief was brought to you by Morgan Haefner. 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