Google logo and AI Artificial Intelligence words are seen in this illustration taken, May 4, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
The financial report you read, the apparel marketing you see and the chat assistant you engage may soon reflect a common origin: artificial intelligence from Google.
The cloud division inside Alphabet Inc (GOOGL.O) is lining up customers to put its newest technology to the test, so-called generative AI that produces human-like prose or other content from past data.
Deutsche Bank AG (DBKGn.DE), Uber Technologies Inc (UBER.N) and a unit of Victoria's Secret & Co (VSCO.N) are among the companies giving Google's tools a try, the company told Reuters for its I/O conference on Wednesday in Mountain View, California.
Customers are applying Google's technology in ways both expected, such as a customer-service chatbot for Uber, and unusual, including AI to handle drive-thru orders at a Wendy's Co (WEN.O) fast-food restaurant in Ohio.
Their interest comes at a critical moment for Google. Its cloud division posted its first-ever operating profit last quarter, and the AI technology that Google pioneered may help it narrow the gap with bigger players Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O) and Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O).
Alphabet announced still more updates on Wednesday to draw business customers, such as a computer programming assistant called Duet AI for Google Cloud, with a model it named Codey.
At the same time, clients are previewing its AI services on a free basis, Google said. Its rivals are marketing competing products, too, to companies reluctant to leave them. And Google is contending with a nascent challenge to its search business from Microsoft and partner OpenAI, which built the ChatGPT phenom.
In an interview with Reuters, Google Cloud's CEO. Thomas Kurian, said Alphabet's AI models were drawing interest from customers new and old, among them clients of its competitors.
"They want our access to our models," he said. Then "they start a relationship."
One of the companies deepening its work with Google while still relying on Microsoft for productivity tools is Deutsche Bank. Bernd Leukert, its chief technology, data and innovation officer, said the bank is targeting a range of tasks to automate with the help of Google's engineers and its so-called large language models.
Deutsche Bank wants this AI to lower costs in call centers where it needed temporary personnel for peak periods and workers to handle menial tasks, he said in an interview. And it is exploring if Google's AI can craft research drawing from economic data, market reports and other content, to give the bank's customers and staff, said Leukert.
"The faster you can consume this huge amount of external information, condense it and draw the conclusion out of it, the better it is," he said. Asked about errors by AI, Leukert said research analysts would have to validate and edit material pre-publication, as the bank would take "a very conservative approach."
Deutsche Bank will decide by October which of these projects are mature enough to move forward, he said.
Other companies using the technology include Adore Me, the Victoria's Secret unit drafting ad copy with AI in Google Docs, Kurian said. The Wendy's pilot beginning in June has helped Google stress-test its systems as well.
"You've heard about these generative models hallucinating, right?" he said, referring to how they can spout inaccurate information. At Wendy's, "you don't want the model to recommend a product that may not exist."
Pesilat putri Indonesia Puspa Arum Sari mengibarkan bendera Merah Putih
Tim nasional Pencak Silat Indonesia keluar sebagai juara umum pada cabang olahraga bela diri pencak silat yang dipertandingkan di SEA Games 2023 Kamboja, Rabu, 10/05/2023.
“Dengan ini target juara umum di pencak silat bisa tercapai. Ini semua berkat doa masyarakat Indonesia, berkat izin Yang Di Atas, pencak silat Indonesia menjadi juara umum,” kata manajer timnas pencak silat Indonesia Wahyo Yuniartoto saat ditemui di Chroy Changvar Convention Center Phnom Penh, Rabu.
Tito Hendra Septa Kurnia memastikan emas pamungkas untuk Indonesia usai memenangkan laga di nomor tanding putra kelas E melawan wakil dari Thailand dengan skor telak 67-37.
Kemenangan Tito disambut oleh rekan-rekannya yang telah bertanding dan meraih medali di nomor-nomor pertandingan lainnya dengan sorak-sorai yang tiada habisnya. Tito juga berteriak usai selebrasi dengan membawa bendera Merah-Putih.,
Sementara itu, pesilat-pesilat Indonesia Iqbal Candra Pratama (tanding putra kelas F), Jeni Elvis Kause (tanding putri kelas C), Khoirudin Mustakim (tanding putra kelas A), Atifa Fismawati (tanding putri kelas D), Muhammad Zaki Zikrillah Prasong (tanding putra kelas B), dan Safira Dwi Meilani (Tanding Putri Kelas B) menyumbangkan medali emas untuk Kontingen Merah-Putih.
Lebih lanjut, medali perak didapatkan Suci Wulandari (tanding putri U45) Muhamad Yachser Arafa (tanding putra kelas C), Nia Larasati (tanding putri kelas E), Kadek Andrey Nova Prayada (tanding putra kelas D), Bayu Lesmana (tanding putra kelas U45, dan Ririn Rinasih/Riska Hermawan (ganda putri artistik).
Ada pula Ronaldo Neno yang meraih medali perunggu untuk nomor tanding putra kelas I.
Secara total, pencak silat mempersembahkan setidaknya sembilan emas, enam perak, dan satu perunggu untuk Indonesia di pesta olahraga terbesar Asia Tenggara edisi 32 ini.
Indonesia pada saat ini sukses mengoleksi total 36 emas, 31 perak, dan 55 perunggu. Pencak silat menjadi cabor yang paling produktif dengan mempersembahkan tujuh di antaranya.
Kesuksesan kontingen Merah Putih memanen 11 medali emas pada Rabu membuat Indonesia mendapatkan kembali peringkat yang sebelumnya diambil Filipina.
Cabang olahraga pencak silat berkontribusi besar dalam perolehan medali hari ini. Iqbal Candra Pratama dan kawan-kawan berhasil memborong tujuh emas, enam perak, dan satu perunggu.
Atletik memberikan dua emas melalui nomor estafet putra 400 m dan lompat jauh. Sedangkan masing-masing satu emas dipersembahkan oleh tim putri kriket dan tunggal putri soft tennis.
Kejutan justru datang dari Singapura. Dengan tujuh medali emas yang didapat pada Rabu, tim Negeri Singa mampu menyalip Filipina untuk menjadi penutup lima besar.
Sementara itu, persaingan ketat untuk merebut puncak klasemen perolehan medali pada hari kelima penyelenggaraan SEA Games 2023, Rabu, dimenangi oleh Vietnam yang menambah 11 emas. Tim Negeri Paman Ho, yang pada hari sebelumnya berada di peringkat kedua, kini menjadi yang teratas.
Sebagai gantinya, Thailand, yang pada Selasa malam berada di puncak klasemen, harus turun ke posisi ketiga setelah Kamboja menyamai jumlah total medali emas yang diperoleh kontingen Negeri Gajah Putih itu.
Kamboja mengumpulkan total 139 medali hingga Rabu malam, selisih tiga medali dari Thailand, membuat sang tuan rumah berada di peringkat kedua klasemen.
Sebanyak 11 negara Asia Tenggara mengikuti SEA Games 2023 dan ada 37 cabang olahraga yang diselenggarakan dalam edisi kali ini, seperti renang, atletik, bulu tangkis, basket, tinju, catur, esport, sepak bola, dan karate.
Menariknya, sejarah SEA Games mencatat bahwa tuan rumah selalu jadi unggulan juara. Jadi, Kamboja akan lebih diunggulkan di SEA Games 2023 kali ini, Indonesia harus bekerja keras.
Di puncak, Vietnam kini berkuasa dengan raihan 42 emas. 41 perak, dan 52 perunggu. Di peringkat kedua, Thailand menyusul dengan koleksi 41 emas, selagi tuan rumah Kamboja di peringkat ketiga dengan torehan 40 emas.
Perolehan medali sampai hari Rabu,10/05/2023, pukul 22.30 WIB, Indonesia naik satu peringkat di posisi ke empat.
Klasemen Medali SEA Games 2023 hingga hari Sabtu malam, 10-Mei-2002 hingga pukul 22.30 WIB
The Kinzhal is capable of flying at least five times the speed of sound, which helps it to remain invulnerable to enemy air missile defense systems.
It is impossible to shoot down the Russian hypersonic Kinzhal ballistic missile with the US-made surface-to-air missile (SAM) Patriot MIM-104 system, Moscow-based military expert Alexey Leonkov told Sputnik, debunking Kiev's recent claims.
He explained that the SAM’s radar cannot track the Kinzhal due to a speed limit for the intercepted target of up to Mach 3.
"When they [Ukraine] use a head-on Patriot missile, they cannot give target designation to anything that flies faster [than Mach 3]. In case of a Patriot missile flying in pursuit of the Kinzhal, the interceptor should fly at least 1.5 times faster than the Russian hypersonic missile,” the expert pointed out.
He suggested that a recent media report about a Patriot system allegedly downing a Kinzhal had emerged due to a lack of results from work of the Patriots, which were earlier supplied to Kiev as part of Washington’s military assistance.
Leonkov’s remarks came after the Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yury Ignat admitted that his country’s combat arsenal was not enough to counter the Kinzhal missiles.
“There are few weapons in the Ukrainian arsenal capable of shooting down the Kh-47 Kinzhal missile. The Patriot has never worked with such a type of target as the Kh-47, which is why it’s too early to rejoice,” he said in a nod to reports about the alleged downing of the Russian hypersonic missile by the US-made SAM.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Alexey Reznikov did not think twice about commenting on the reports as he tweeted: “Thanks to the US Patriot air defense system, a Russian Kinzhal missile had been shot down”. He went even further by claiming that "with the support of our friends, the impossible becomes possible," an apparent reference to the US’ military assistance to Ukraine.
What is Kinzhal Missile?
The Kh-47M2 Kinzhal (NATO reporting name "Killjoy") is a Russian nuclear-capable hypersonic ballistic missile that has a range of more than 2,000 km (1,200 miles).
The Kh-47 is capable of traveling at least five times the speed of sound, or Mach 5, which is the definition of hypersonic.
The missile can reach a top speed of Mach 10 (12,250 km/h or 7,612 mph) while also performing evasive maneuvers, which helps the Kinzhal to be virtually invulnerable to enemy air missile defense systems.
With the weapon’s advanced maneuvering capabilities, high precision and hypersonic speed, some sources refer to the Kinzhal as a "carrier killer" due to its purported ability to disable or possibly even sink a hypothetical 100,000-ton aircraft carrier with a single strike.
Russian Military Deploys Kinzhals in Massive Strikes in Ukraine in Retaliation to Bryansk Terror
Two civilians were killed and a ten-year-old boy injured last week after a group of saboteurs penetrated the Russian-Ukrainian border in Russia's Bryansk region and opened fire on civilian vehicles and infrastructure. NATO-provided weapons were found at the crime scenes. Russian President Vladimir Putin called the incident a "terrorist attack."
Russia carried out massed missile strike on targets inside Ukraine in retaliation to last week's terrorism in Bryansk region, the Russian Ministry of Defense has announced.
"In response to the terrorism organized by the Kiev regime on March 2 in Bryansk region, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation delivered a massive retaliatory strike. High-precision long-range air, sea and land-based precision weapons, including the Kinzhal hypersonic missile system, hit key elements of Ukraine's military infrastructure, enterprises of the military-industrial complex, as well as energy facilities providing them with power," MoD spokesman Igor Konashenkov said in a briefing Thursday.
All of the designated targets were hit, the officer said, with the strikes said to have destroyed sites hosting Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles, knocked out railway infrastructure involved in the transfer of foreign weapons, and disabled facilities involved in the production of ammunition and the repair of military equipment.
Two people were killed and a 10-year-old boy injured last week after saboteurs infiltrated the Russian-Ukrainian border and seemingly randomly opened fire on residents, vehicles and local infrastructure using small arms, drones, and other weapons. Russia's Federal Security Service announced Monday that the March 2 attacks were organized by militants from the 'Russian Volunteer Corps', a neo-Nazi militia fighting for Ukraine.
The Russian Foreign Ministry warned last week that the use of NATO-provided weapons in the Bryansk attacks raised questions about the West's culpability for the acts of terrorism. Russian and American military and international affairs experts told Sputnik that the Bryansk attacks may have been designed to provoke Russia into launching a premature new offensive in Ukraine amid growing frustration about the situation on the front, and as a pretext for Kiev to demand more weapons from the West.
The Kinzhal (lit. 'Dagger') is a new Russian air-launched, nuclear-capable hypersonic missile with a range of over 2,000 km, designed to overcome any existing or prospective air defenses, and to launch attacks on foreign warships, including carriers. The missile has been used in Ukraine repeatedly over the past year. President Biden, Kiev's main sponsor in NATO's proxy war against Russia in Ukraine, characterized the Kinzhal as a "consequential weapon" that's "almost impossible to stop."
Drone Attack on Military Object Repelled in Russia's Voronezh Region
Enemy unmanned aerial vehicles tried to attack a military facility in Russia's Voronezh region, following response measures, one deviated from the course and fell and the second one was destroyed, Governor Alexander Gusev said on Wednesday.
"Early this morning, an attack attempt by two enemy UAVs was thwarted at a Voronezh military facility. As a result of measures, one of them deviated from the course and fell, the second was destroyed by fire," Gusev wrote on Telegram.
US Will Not Send Long-Range Missiles to Kiev as UK Planning Deliveries - Reports
The United States has no plans to send long-range missiles to Ukraine, hoping that the United Kingdom's intention to transfer such weapons would help Washington to avoid criticism amid calls for boosting arms deliveries to Kiev, including the MGM-140 ATACMS surface-to-surface missiles, media reported.
The US is expected to continue providing the MIM-104 Patriot surface-to-air missile systems, ammunition and armored vehicles, the report said.
On Tuesday, American news outlet reported that London was planning to send missiles with a range of 300 kilometers (200 miles) to Kiev on the condition that they would be used only for hitting targets on the territory of Ukraine. The report was based on an International Fund for Ukraine procurement notice.
Western countries have been supplying Kiev with different types of weapon systems, including air defense missiles, multiple launch rocket systems, tanks, self-propelled artillery and anti-aircraft guns, since Russia launched its military operation in Ukraine over a year ago. The Kremlin has repeatedly warned against further arms deliveries to Kiev.
Twitter Inc Chief Executive Elon Musk on Tuesday revealed details about new features including adding calls and encrypted messaging coming to the platform.
Last year, Musk flagged plans for "Twitter 2.0 The Everything App", which he said would have features such as encrypted direct messages (DMs), longform tweets and payments.
"Coming soon will be voice and video chat from your handle to anyone on this platform, so you can talk to people anywhere in the world without giving them your phone number," Musk said in a tweet on Tuesday.
The call feature on Twitter will bring the micro-blogging platform into line with the likes of Meta's (META.O) social media applications, Facebook and Instagram, which have similar features.
Musk said a version of encrypted direct messages will be available on Twitter starting Wednesday, but did not say if calls will be encrypted.
Twitter this week said it will start a cleansing process by removing and archiving accounts that have been inactive for several years.
Since buying Twitter for $44 billion late last year, Musk has implemented changes in seemingly impulsive ways, sometimes causing chaos for users.
The Twitter boss has talked publicly of building an all-purpose “X” application that combines messages, payments and more.
Musk recently made the tech firm part of an “X” shell corporation, getting rid of the Twitter company name but continuing to use it for the service.
Kendaraan kompak Toyota Agya di Indonesia International Motor Show di Jakarta. Fotografer: Dimas Ardian/Bloomberg , Bloomberg
Ketua Toyota Motor Corp., Akio Toyoda, meminta maaf atas pengujian kendaraan yang tidak tepat oleh anak perusahaannya, Daihatsu Motor Co., yang telah mempengaruhi model yang dijual di Asia Tenggara dan pasar lainnya.
"Ini adalah praktik yang seharusnya tidak pernah terjadi," kata Toyoda dalam konferensi pers di Bangkok, seperti disiarkan Kyodo, Senin, 08/05/2023.
“Kesalahan Daihatsu adalah soal keselamatan yang merupakan aspek terpenting dalam kendaraan. Kami menganggap ini sebagai tindakan yang benar-benar tidak dapat diterima yang mengkhianati kepercayaan pelanggan kami. Karena masalah ini terjadi pada mobil penumpang merek Toyota, kami yakin masalahnya tidak terbatas pada Daihatsu saja,” kata Akio Toyoda, selaku Chairman dari Toyota.
Chairman Toyota Motor Corp. Akio Toyoda mengadakan konferensi pers di Bangkok, Thailand, pada 08 Mei 2023. (Kyodo)
"Kelompok (Toyota) secara keseluruhan akan melakukan yang terbaik untuk mendapatkan kembali kepercayaan," katanya seraya berjanji akan memimpin upaya untuk mengatasi masalah ini.
Daihatsu mengatakan bulan lalu bahwa papan pintu depan dari empat model untuk pasar luar negeri, termasuk Yaris yang diproduksi untuk Toyota, "dimodifikasi dengan tidak pantas" dalam pengujian tabrakan samping.
Sekitar 88.000 unit lulus uji dengan modifikasi seperti itu, banyak di antaranya dijual di Thailand dan Malaysia, kata Daihatsu.
Manipulasi pengujian tabrakan Daihatsu, yang ditemukan setelah laporan dari pelapor, terjadi setelah divisi truk Toyota, Hino Motors Ltd., tahun lalu mengakui pemalsuan data mesin, dan Toyota Industries Corp. mengungkapkan pada bulan Maret pengujian yang tidak benar dari mesin forkliftnya.
Keempat model buatan Daihatsu yang dimaksud adalah Toyota Yaris ATIV, Toyota Agya, Axia yang diproduksi untuk Perodua Malaysia, dan satu model yang tidak disebutkan namanya yang masih dalam pengembangan.
Menurut Daihatsu, sekitar 76.000 unit Yaris yang terkena dampak telah terjual di Thailand dan Timur Tengah, di antara pasar lainnya.
Toyota mengatakan dari keempat model tersebut pihaknya telah mengonfirmasi keselamatan dan kualitas Yaris dan dapat menjamin kepada pelanggan bahwa mobil tersebut aman untuk dikendarai.
Toyota Agya dijadwalkan akan dijual di Ekuador.
Meski begitu, PT Astra Daihatsu Motor (ADM) di Indonesia menyatakan mobil produksi lokal tidak terdampak alias tidak berkaitan dengan kasus di Jepang tersebut.
"Untuk Daihatsu yang dipasarkan di Indonesia tidak terdampak terhadap masalah ini. Seluruh produksi yang dipasarkan di Indonesia dan ekspor tidak terdampak karena sudah memenuhi ketentuan," kata Marketing Director dan Corporate Planning and Communication Director PT ADM Sri Agung Handayani pada hari Selasa lalu, 2 Mei 2023.
PT Toyota Astra Motor (TAM) juga menyatakan mobil bahwa Toyota Agya yang dipasarkan di Indonesia tidak terlibat dalam masalah Daihatsu Jepang
"Untuk domestik Indonesia, TAM pastikan sudah dihomologasi untuk dapat izin dipasarkan oleh Pemerintah Indonesia," ujar Marketing Director PT TAM Anton Jimmi Suwandy.
Berdasarkan data yang dirilis Daihatsu global, Toyota Agya hasil manipulasi tes tabrakan di Indonesia dijadwalkan masuk dapur produksi pada Juni 2023. Mobil tersebut akan memenuhi kebutuhan pasar domestik dan ekspor ke Ekuador.
Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indonesia (TMMIN) memastikan produksi Toyota Agya di Indonesia tetap berjalan sesuai jadwal, dan tidak terkendala masalah produksi di Jepang.
"Sesuai dengan penjelasan yang kami terima, tidak ada yang menyangkut masalah di Vios, Yaris, dan Agya di Indonesia. Tidak ada perubahan (jadwal produksi)," ujar Direktur Administrasi, Korporasi, dan Hubungan Eksternal PT TMMIN Bob Azam
Amazon.com (AMZN.O) is offering U.S. customers $10 to pick up a purchase rather than have it shipped to a home address, as the e-commerce giant joins other retailers in racing to slash costs for home delivery and returns amid slack consumer demand.
Amazon said the promotion is not a cost-cutting measure and that it applies to customers who have never used Amazon Pickup or have not used that service in the last 12 months.
"We offer customers a variety of ways to get their packages, inclusive of delivery and pickup options. The $10 Amazon Pickup promotion isn't new," the company said in a statement. Amazon did not say for how long this or similar pickup promotions have been in use.
Amazon over the last few days has emailed an undisclosed number of its shoppers offering them $10 to retrieve an order of $25 or more at company pickup points at locations such as Whole Foods, Amazon Fresh or Kohl's stores.
New York-based shipping consultant Dean Maciuba – who was one of the customers that received the offer – told Reuters: It's "a huge opportunity for Amazon to reduce the cost of delivery," while also training consumers to become accustomed to returning items in-store.
Upstate New York-based shipping consultant Dean Maciuba was among the customers who received the offer.
Increasing use of Amazon pickup locations would help the company bypass costly residential package dropoffs and is "a huge opportunity for Amazon to reduce the cost of delivery," Maciuba said.
It also helps train consumers to tender returns directly to the company, he said.
Amazon separately has started charging some customers a $1 fee if they return packages via a United Parcel Service (UPS.N) store when there is an Amazon pickup/return location closer to their delivery address, a change first reported by The Information news site.
Shipping companies UPS and FedEx (FDX.N) have encouraged customers to use so-called access points, particularly in rural areas where delivering to far-flung addresses can be cost-prohibitive.
Shoppers line up outside an Amazon Fresh store in Pasadena, California. MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty Images
Amazon worked for years to train consumers to expect fast, no-fee deliveries and returns. As the company tightens its belt after a period of explosive growth, it has made numerous moves to reduce delivery-related costs across the company.
Amazon late last year hiked the price of its annual Prime subscription that includes free shipping benefits by $20 to $139. It also has raised minimum order thresholds for free grocery delivery, encouraged customers to have all of their packages delivered on a designated day of the week, and expanded speedier same-day parcel delivery with a fee for orders under $25.
In recent months, Amazon has made changes to its delivery and returns offering due to rising costs. This includes hiking up the price of its annual Prime subscription by $20 to $139, tacking on a delivery fee of up to $10 on any grocery orders under $150, and charging a $1 fee on some returns made via UPS.
Some prime subscribers had taken to social media to complain about these changes, per Reuters. One of them, 48-year-old New York middle school teacher Bryan Fabiano told the news site that he's questioning the value of Prime as a result.
He said: "My wife and I are Prime customers because of the shipping (benefits). If they're not going to deliver on that, then what are we paying for?"
