Slack, the pioneering workplace communication app, marks a decade of evolution with significant advancements in AI. Originally renowned for transforming business communication away from traditional emails, Slack now integrates AI tools aimed at enhancing productivity. Under new CEO Denise Dresser, who took the helm in 2023, Slack has intensified its focus on AI as a pivotal element for future workplace dynamics.
The introduction of Slack AI earlier this year represents a major shift, offering features like AI-powered search, channel recaps, and thread summaries. These tools are designed to streamline workflow efficiency and improve collaboration among users. Despite challenges such as slowing growth and stiff competition from Microsoft Teams, Slack continues to innovate by embedding AI into everyday operations.
Dresser emphasises the importance of trust and transparency in AI development, addressing concerns about data privacy and algorithmic accuracy. Slack’s approach includes providing clear citations for AI-generated summaries to enhance user confidence. The company remains committed to integrating AI deeper into its platform, aiming to position itself as a leader in workplace productivity tools.
Why does this matter?
As Slack navigates through its next chapter, integrating with Salesforce and expanding its AI capabilities remain key priorities. With ongoing enhancements and a growing emphasis on tailored solutions for various industries, Slack is poised to sustain its relevance in the evolving landscape of digital workspaces.
According to industry estimates, India‘s technology sector will need over 1 million engineers with advanced AI and other tech skills in the next 2-3 years. The demand highlights a considerable skills gap that current education and training systems must address. Sangeeta Gupta of the National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM) stressed the need for continuous reskilling, as new college graduates can only fill a quarter of these advanced roles.
The sector, employing around 5.4 million people and contributing significantly to India’s GDP, faces a critical challenge in matching workforce skills to job requirements. Major IT firms like Tata Consultancy Services and Larsen and Toubro are already struggling to fill thousands of positions due to this mismatch, which could disadvantage them against global competitors.
Why does this matter?
The issue’s root lies in India’s education system, which needs more practical skill development. NASSCOM predicts the digital talent gap will widen from 25% to 29% by 2028, exacerbating the problem. Prominent economists, including former central bank Governor Raghuram Rajan, warn that poor schooling could hinder the country’s growth prospects, especially with a predominantly young population.
Intuit, the parent company of TurboTax, has announced plans to reduce its workforce by 10%, affecting approximately 1,800 jobs. This move comes as Intuit shifts its focus towards enhancing its AI-powered tax preparation software and other financial tools.
The company intends to close two sites in Edmonton, Canada and Boise, Idaho, while aiming to rehire for new positions primarily in engineering, product development, and customer-facing roles.
CEO Sasan Goodarzi outlined that while 300 roles will be eliminated to streamline operations, another 80 technology positions will be consolidated across locations such as Atlanta, Bengaluru, and Tel Aviv.
This restructuring effort is expected to incur costs between $250 million and $260 million, with significant charges anticipated in the fourth quarter of this year.
Despite the layoffs, Intuit plans to ramp up its investments in generative AI and expand its market presence, targeting regions including Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Goodarzi expressed confidence in growing the company’s headcount beyond fiscal 2025, following recent positive financial performance and increased demand for its AI-integrated products.
Healthcare professionals, including researchers and clinicians, are keen to incorporate AI into their daily work but demand greater transparency regarding its application. A survey by Elsevier reveals that 94% of researchers and 96% of clinicians believe AI will accelerate knowledge discovery, while a similar proportion sees it boosting research output and reducing costs. Both groups, however, stress the need for quality content, trust, and transparency before they fully embrace AI tools.
The survey, involving 3,000 participants across 123 countries, indicates that 87% of respondents think AI will enhance overall work quality, and 85% believe it will free up time for higher-value projects. Despite these positive outlooks, there are significant concerns about AI’s potential misuse. Specifically, 95% of researchers and 93% of clinicians fear that AI could be used to spread misinformation. In India, 82% of doctors worry about overreliance on AI in clinical decisions, and 79% are concerned about societal disruptions like unemployment.
To address these issues, 81% of researchers and clinicians expect to be informed if the tools they use depend on generative AI. Moreover, 71% want assurance that AI-dependent tools are based on high-quality, trusted data sources. Transparency in peer-review processes is also crucial, with 78% of researchers and 80% of clinicians expecting to know if AI influences manuscript recommendations. These insights underscore the importance of transparency and trust in the adoption of AI in healthcare.
Singapore’s digital development minister, Josephine Teo, has expressed concerns about the future of AI governance, emphasising the need for an internationally agreed-upon framework. Speaking at the Reuters NEXT conference in Singapore, Teo highlighted that while Singapore is more excited than worried about AI, the absence of global standards could lead to a ‘messy’ future.
Teo pointed out the necessity for specific legislation to address challenges posed by AI, particularly focusing on using deepfakes during elections. She stressed that implementing clear and effective laws will be crucial as AI technology advances to manage its impact on society and ensure responsible use.
Singapore’s proactive stance on AI reflects its commitment to balancing technological innovation with necessary regulatory measures. The country aims to harness the benefits of AI while mitigating potential risks, especially in critical areas like electoral integrity.
Adobe is expanding its generative AI team in India, seeking researchers skilled in NLP, LLMs, computer vision, deep learning, and more. With approximately 7,000 employees already in India, Adobe aims to bolster its research capabilities across various AI domains. Candidates will innovate and prototype AI technologies, contributing to Adobe’s products, publishing research, and collaborating globally.
Successful applicants are expected to demonstrate research excellence and a robust publication history, with backgrounds in computer science, electrical engineering, or mathematics. Senior roles require a minimum of seven years’ research experience, coupled with strong problem-solving abilities and analytical skills. Adobe prioritises integrating generative AI across its Experience Cloud, Creative Cloud, and Document Cloud, aiming to enhance content workflows and customer interactions.
Adobe’s foray into generative AI began with Adobe Firefly in collaboration with NVIDIA in March 2023. The company recently integrated third-party AI tools such as OpenAI’s Sora into Premiere Pro, offering users flexibility in AI model selection.
By partnering with AI providers like OpenAI, RunwayML, and Pika, Adobe continues to innovate, enabling personalised and efficient content creation workflows for enterprise customers.
Why does it matter?
The IATSE’s tentative agreement represents a significant step forward in securing fair wages and job protections for Hollywood’s behind-the-scenes workers, ensuring that the rapid technological advancements do not come at the expense of human employment.
The European Commission has opened the application process to fund cybersecurity and digital skills initiatives, exceeding a €210m ($227.3m) investment under the Digital Europe Programme (DEP). Established in 2021, the DEP aims to contribute to the digital transformation of the EU’s society and economy, with a planned total budget of €7.5bn over seven years. It funds critical strategic areas such as supercomputing, AI, cybersecurity, and advanced digital skills to advance this vision.
In the latest funding cycle, the European Commission will allocate €35m ($37.8m) towards projects safeguarding large industrial installations and critical infrastructures. An additional €35m will be designated for implementing cutting-edge cybersecurity technologies and tools.
Furthermore, €12.8m ($13.8m) will be invested in establishing, reinforcing, and expanding national and cross-border security operation centres (SOCs). The initiative aligns with the proposed EU Cyber Solidarity Act, which aims to establish a European Cybersecurity Alert System to enhance the detection, analysis, and response to cyber threats. The envisioned system will consist of cross-border SOCs using advanced technologies like AI to share threat intelligence with authorities across the EU swiftly.
Moreover, the DEP will allocate €20m to assist member states in complying with the EU cybersecurity laws and national cybersecurity strategies. That includes the updated NIS2 Directive, which mandates strengthening cybersecurity measures in critical sectors and requires it to be transposed into national legislation by October 2024.
Finally, the latest DEP funding round will also allocate €55m ($59.5m) towards advanced digital skills, supporting the design and delivery of higher education programs in key digital technology domains. Additionally, €8m ($8.6m) will be directed towards European Digital Media Observatories (EDMOs) to finance independent regional hubs focused on analysing and combating disinformation in digital media.
Telecom Egypt has partnered with Hungarian telecom firm 4iG Group to form a joint venture to build, operate, and commercialise fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) and fibre-to-the-site (FTTS) access infrastructure wholesale across Egypt. The two companies have agreed on the ambitious project’s business model, ownership structure, governance processes, and technological specifications. This ambitious project will see a combined investment of $600 million over the next ten years to provide high-speed internet to at least six million households.
This initiative aligns with Egypt’s Digital Egypt and Vision 2030 strategies. As a result, the agreement was signed in the presence of Egyptian Prime Minister Dr Mostafa Madbouly and Minister of Communications and Information Technology Dr Amr Talaat.
Moreover, the FTTS component of the network will enhance the capacity of Egypt’s mobile network, facilitating a faster rollout of 5G technology. This infrastructure will also support other next-generation services, such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and enterprise networks. Mohamed Nasr, managing director and CEO of Telecom Egypt, highlighted the project’s potential to deliver unparalleled performance and future-proof connectivity, reinforcing Telecom Egypt’s leadership in the ICT sector.
Japanese light rail and bus operator Yamaman Co has introduced facial recognition technology to its Jorudan Style Point&Pass ticketing system on the Yukarigaoka Line and local bus services. Passengers can now use the Eucalyptus Pass system by registering online with a photo and credit card details. At the stations, facial recognition cameras identify users, open barriers, and automatically charge their credit cards for the flat fare of ¥200 or a day ticket for ¥500.
Previously, passengers used magnetic tickets, but these machines are being updated to issue paper tickets with QR codes for occasional and non-registered travellers. The new technology builds on a successful 2021 pilot scheme on bus services, and suppliers J MaaS and Panasonic Connect aim to expand the system across Japan.
The implementation, costing around ¥60 million, was partially funded by a government subsidy and is expected to reduce ticketing costs by 30%. The koala theme of the transport services reflects the local presence of eucalyptus trees.
Microsoft will be paying $14 million to settle a discrimination case where it is alleged that the company has illegally penalised workers taking medical and family care leave. The settlement, pending a judge’s approval, will conclude a lengthy investigation by the Civil Rights Department, and the money will go to the affected workers.
The California Civil Rights Department had filed accusations in state court against the tech giant, claiming that since 2017, the company has been unfairly penalising its California employees for taking parental, disability, pregnancy, and family-care leave by withholding raises, promotions, or stock awards. According to the department, many of the affected workers were women and people with disabilities, who received lower performance reviews, thereby impacting their overall career growth.
Microsoft, however, stated that they did nothing wrong and disagreed with the accusations. Nonetheless, alongside the $14.4 million settlement, Microsoft has agreed to bring in an independent consultant to ensure their policies are fair to employees taking leave. The consultant will also ensure that workers can voice their concerns without any repercussions. Additionally, Microsoft will train managers and HR staff to prevent future workplace violations of employment rights.
