Techmeme: An interview with Slack CEO Denise Dresser about bringing her own personality to the job, plans to use generative AI, competing with Microsoft Teams, and more (Ron Miller/TechCrunch)

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March 11, 2024, 3:35 AM

Top News

Wall Street Journal:

Source: ex-Activision CEO Bobby Kotick has approached ByteDance to express interest in buying TikTok and floated the idea of partnering to Sam Altman and others — Legislation forcing a sale or shutdown of the popular app has rekindled interest in possible deal

More: PCMag, Business Insider, Dexerto, Daily Mail, Engadget, Forbes, Newsmax, NewsBytes, and The Information

Threads: @msbertenthal. Mastodon: @jalefkowit@octodon.social. X: @alubacap, @tomwarren, @florian4gamers, @dgwbirch, @jchengwsj, @jchengwsj, @jchengwsj, and @jchengwsj. LinkedIn: Joshua Brown

Forums: r/kindafunny, r/Fauxmoi, and r/technology

Washington Post:

A look at the challenges of academic AI research, as costs to develop generative AI models grow rapidly and tech companies' salaries drain academia of talent — With eye-popping salaries and access to costly computing power, AI companies are draining academia of talent

More: Cryptopolitan. Threads: @paul_rietschka. Mastodon: @Mer__edith@mastodon.world. X: @glennklockwood, @chrisgpotts, @brian_henderson, @coles_nicholas_, @natolambert, @vijarkohli, @mer__edith, @mer__edith, @carnage4life, @russellwald, @mer__edith, and @mer__edith

LinkedIn: Stuart Shulman, Prof. Dr. Patrick Glauner, Russell Wald, and Catherine Breslin

Gary Marcus / Marcus on AI:

Looking back at “Deep Learning is Hitting a Wall”, a 2022 article ridiculed by many, and how it still seems that a paradigm shift is needed to attain AGI — Report card on an infamous paper. — Two years ago today I published my most infamous article:

Bluesky: @marypcbuk.bsky.social and @alanrew.bsky.social

X: @garymarcus and @garymarcus

LinkedIn: Eduardo César Garrido Merchán and Gary Marcus. Forums: Hacker News

Mark Gurman / Bloomberg:

A look at the design options Apple considered for its car, including one by Jony Ive that resembled a modern reincarnation of the 1950s Volkswagen microbus — The Apple car was a case study in what happens when corporate indecision, technological challenges and market realities combine …

More: 9to5Mac, Barron's Online, Wccftech, iMore, AppleInsider, Benzinga, PCMag, MobileSyrup, PhoneArena, Yanko Design, and SlashGear

X: @markgurman. LinkedIn: Charles L Mauro. Forums: r/apple and r/artificial

Boone Ashworth / Wired:

A look at AI-enabled dolls, such as those made by South Korea's Hyodol and Israel's Intuition Robotics, which offer companionship and assistance to older adults — Social robots for older adults might not be new, but now they're recording, listening—and talking back.

X: @hsrdirector and @oth11. Forums: Hacker News

Dean Takahashi / VentureBeat:

Q&A with ex-PlayStation boss Shawn Layden about his support for Web3 gaming company Readygg, blockchain games, mass layoffs, AI, controlling costs, and more — Shawn Layden used to run Sony Interactive Entertainment's Worldwide Studios, a position that gave him unique insight into the whole industry and triple-A games.

More: GameSpot, GamingBolt, Game Rant, Forbes, Video Games Chronicle, Push Square, and Wccftech

X: @markkilborn, @woggerman1974, @vicious696, @realph, @redgamingtech, @realph, @playtr0n, @realph, @matpiscatella, @garethpbarry, @nextgenplayer, and @deantak. LinkedIn: Christos Makridis

Forums: r/Games and r/PS5

Ron Miller / TechCrunch:

An interview with Slack CEO Denise Dresser about bringing her own personality to the job, plans to use generative AI, competing with Microsoft Teams, and more — Three chief executives in one year will do that — It's not often you see an established company burn through three CEOs in less than a year.

Threads: @crankyelephant. LinkedIn: Dolleen Cross

Jordan Novet / CNBC:

A profile of, and interview with, Salesforce co-founder Parker Harris, who became Slack CTO in January, on tightly integrating Slack, generative AI, and more

More: San Francisco Examiner. X: @anshublog, @jordannovet, @rogoswami, and @jordannovet

LinkedIn: Joe Williams, Jordan Novet, and Bill Corbett

Scharon Harding / Ars Technica:

Roku faces a backlash after it appears to lock devices of users who don't agree to its new Dispute Resolution Terms, asking them to write a letter to opt out — Users are opted in automatically unless they write a letter to Roku by March 21. — Roku customers are threatening to stop using …

More: TechCrunch, ZDNet, Lifewire, The US Sun, FlatpanelsHD, 9to5Google, BGR, Android Authority, Tom's Guide, PCMag, and Gizmodo

Mastodon: @kim_harding@mastodon.scot, @lilithsaintcrow …, and @Cloudscout@oldbytes.space

X: @leftyvegan, @nikki_t, @carnage4life, @richontech, @nash076, @rloewe65, and @davezatz

LinkedIn: Emil Protalinski and Jesse Redniss

Forums: Hacker News, Hacker News, Hacker News, r/technology, r/StallmanWasRight, and r/privacy

Mike Butcher / TechCrunch:

London-based Griffin Bank, which offers an API-driven “banking as a service” platform, raised a $24M Series A extension, after a $13.5M Series A in June 2023 — Founded by former Silicon Valley engineers, UK-based Griffin Bank, an API-driven banking-as-a-service platform …

More: Sifted

Louise Matsakis / Wired:

Influencers on Facebook, Instagram, Discord, Reddit, and TikTok are promoting Chinese ecommerce sites like Pandabuy, known for knockoffs, using affiliate links — Influencers on TikTok and Reddit earn a cut of the counterfeit goods trade by promoting high-quality “replicas” sourced from ecommerce sites in China.

Sophia Cai / Axios:

A look at Trump's TikTok flip-flop, as he recognizes the app's appeal to younger voters and repairs his relation with ByteDance investor and GOP donor Jeff Yass — I don't want Facebook, who cheated in the last Election, doing better. They are a true Enemy of the People!" Trump posted on Truth Social Thursday.

Jeremy Gray / PetaPixel:

How Google rolled out Street View in Germany after 10+ years of resistance, as Street View's utility trumped privacy concerns in Europe's most private country — For residents and tourists alike, Google Maps Street View is an exceptionally useful navigational tool.

Mastodon: @teixi@mastodon.social. Forums: Hacker News

Lindsay Clark / The Register:

Palantir wins a US Army contract worth $178.4M to provide battlefield AI systems for the TITAN ground station, the Army's first “AI-defined vehicle” — US spy-tech firm at center of UK health data systems applies its technology to altogether different ends

More: Palantir, C4ISRNET, Bloomberg Television on YouTube, Anduril, Interesting Engineering, Proactive, Investor's Business Daily, Decrypt, Breaking Defense, Barron's Online, and Benzinga

Mastodon: @AAKL@noc.social. X: @ssankar, @elianoayounes, @cnbcovertime, @amitisinvesting, @wendyranderson, @anduriltech, @amitisinvesting, @hayleyinvests, @kurtosiscapital, and @palantirtech

Forums: r/technews and Slashdot

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About This Page

This is a Techmeme archive page. It shows how the site appeared at 3:35 AM ET, March 11, 2024.

The most current version of the site as always is available at our home page. To view an earlier snapshot click here and then modify the date indicated.

From Mediagazer

Associated Press:

President Trump signed an EO on May 1 instructing CPB and other agencies to cut federal funding for NPR and PBS, alleging “bias” in the broadcasters' reporting

Brian Stelter / CNN:

Radio Free Asia is laying off most of its staff and shutting down many of its news broadcasts and streams due to a funding battle with the Trump administration

Bron Maher / Press Gazette:

RSF's 2025 Press Freedom Index classifies media freedom globally as “difficult”, a first; economic score hits a record low due to ownership concentration, more

More News

Nikou Asgari / Financial Times:

eToro CEO Yoni Assia says he is “exploring the right timing” for a London or NY IPO, as the Tel Aviv-based multi-asset trading platform seeks a $3.5B+ valuation

More: City A.M., CTech, Globes Online, and Reuters

Dominic-Madori Davis / TechCrunch:

Sources: JP Morgan is frustrated with Techstars over missteps in deploying the JPMorgan-backed $80M fund, aimed at helping underrepresented founders, since 2022

More: techstars.com. X: @techcrunch, @techcrunch, @dominicmadori, @azharthegreat, @janelleany, @likemych, @joebreider, @brianbrackeen, @azharthegreat, @tanichambers, and @aviel

Preetika Rana / Wall Street Journal:

Uber, Lyft, Instacart, and DoorDash are testing different ways to show high-margin ads to customers, including personalized content and movie trailers

More: The Rideshare Guy and The Verge

X: @carnage4life and @preetika_rana

LinkedIn: Charles Stephens and Dr. Mark Grether

Associated Press:

A profile of Chinese private hacking contractor I-Soon, as leaked documents show shady business practices, worker disgruntlement, poor security protocols, more

X: @nguyenthih36, @fbajak, @jchengwsj, @mrbcyber, @girlsreallyrule, and @dakekang. Forums: r/cybersecurity

Earlier Picks

Steve Nadis / Quanta Magazine:

In two recent papers, researchers detail a new breakthrough to speed up matrix multiplication, potentially leading to savings in computational power and money

More: Ars Technica, New.blicio.us, arXiv, and SIAM

Mastodon: @juandesant@astrodon.social, @kta@hostux.social, and @jmcastagnetto@mastodon.social

X: @timokissel and @ianpatterson99. LinkedIn: Moritz Steller

Forums: Hacker News, r/technology, r/technews, r/math, r/MachineLearning, r/Julia, and Ars OpenForum

Alex Konrad / Forbes:

Interviews with Garry Tan, Paul Graham, YC partners, and others about Tan reshaping YC in a “return to roots”, as some founders complain about politicization

Threads: @tschleifer. X: @johnpaczkowski, @madhuyalamarthi, @yuris, and @n_sportelli

LinkedIn: Alex Konrad and Alex Konrad

Financial Times:

Sources: Klarna co-founder Victor Jacobsson, who left in 2012 and owns ~4% directly, may have an 8%+ stake via special purpose vehicles ahead of an expected IPO

Financial Times:

A look at the US venture debt landscape a year after SVB collapsed, as none of the new options have become as appealing as the “one-stop shop” SVB offered

More: Sifted, Observer, Bloomberg, New York Times, Axios, and PitchBook

X: @semil and @ft

LinkedIn: James Mawson and James Lloyd