A Silicon Valley success story no one saw coming — Nvidia’s now the world’s top company, worth $3.42 trillion, thanks to its AI chips. They power everything from gaming to your car. Plus, employees sue over returning to work, iPhone 16 changes, and catching creepy Airbnb hosts.
What if AI gets too smart? Workers at AI companies are asking Congress for specific whistleblower protections to call out new threats, like AI turning against them. With strict NDAs, trade secret rules and swarms of company lawyers, I’d be nervous speaking up or getting killed by AI, too.
15,000 employees
Are getting laid off at Intel. After reporting $1.6 billion in quarterly losses, Intel is axing 15% of its workforce by the end of this year. So, what the heck is going on? Microsoft and Apple both ditched Intel chips in their newest laptops.
🚨 Alexa wants you to vote a certain way: When asked why you should vote for Donald Trump in the upcoming U.S. presidential election, Amazon Alexa said, “I cannot provide content that promotes a specific political party or a specific candidate.” But for Kamala Harris, it returned a list of answers, including, “[S]he is a female of color with a comprehensive plan to address racial injustice and inequality throughout the country.” Amazon says it was a glitch and they’ve since fixed it. Makes you wonder where else Big Tech is spewing their employees’ opinions.
💸 Golden handcuffs: Nvidia employees work seven days a week and until 2 a.m., but they aren’t leaving. The company’s shares have skyrocketed over 3,000% since 2019, turning many into millionaires (or close to it). The catch: The stocks vest over a four-year period, so it’s “lock in or miss out” on a fortune (paywall link).
X marks the spot: When Elon Musk took over Twitter two years ago, he told employees they’d need to work “extremely hardcore” with “long hours at high intensity.” Those who didn’t agree within 24 hours were fired. It turns out that not responding doesn’t legally count as resignation. A canned employee got $600,000.
🚨 FBI crypto warning: Cybercriminals are posing as cryptocurrency exchange employees. They try to convince you your account was hacked or at risk and then ask for your login details so they can transfer all your money to their wallets, all as you watch. No one legit will ever, ever ask for your login details or seed phrase.
Gotta run this by legal: In just six months, AI agents might talk to each other to solve problems, just like a team of employees. Say you want to run an ad campaign. An AI marketing agent would mock up the creatives and then check with an AI legal agent to make sure it’s compliant. You’ll still need an intern for coffee runs, though … for now.
Such a lug nut: Advance Auto Parts is notifying 2.3 million folks about a data breach. They say it only impacts current and former employees and job applicants, but samples of the leaked data suggest it could include customer info, too. Argh.
6% of your paycheck
The latest default 401(k) contribution. Companies auto-enroll employees at twice the rate they did a decade ago to encourage more people to save (paywall link). It’s working: Last year, the average employee saved almost 12% of their pay in a 401(k), an all-time high.
Don’t be a boob: A woman was caught on Google Maps pulling up her tanktop just as the Google Street View van snapped photos. Google employees have since pixelated the X-rated picture, but that hasn’t stopped it from going viral.
“Needless Markup” hacked: Hackers stole info from at least 64,472 Neiman Marcus customers and employees, including names, contact details and birth dates. The data is for sale on the dark web for $150,000.
50% of employees
“Quiet vacation” over the Fourth of July weekend. It’s not just you; no one’s getting work done the week of Independence Day. Instead, nearly half of workers are playing hooky without telling their managers, aka “quiet vacationing.”
Wells Fargo fires employees for faking work
Over a dozen workers were caught faking keyboard activity and using mouse jigglers to look busy. Plus, CVS recalls 133 medications, the controversial Windows Recall faces a delay, and a must-know site for those wary of flying Boeing planes.
Use your inside voice: SoftBank Corp. had a big problem, with its customer service employees stressed out from getting yelled at. So, the company created AI that turns angry voices into calm ones. The software lowers the pitch of customers’ voices and slows down angry rambling. The actual words stay the same. Genius.
Oh, snap: TJX, the parent company of T.J. Maxx, HomeGoods and Marshalls, is strapping body cameras on employees. After a year of testing, they’re hoping the cams stop shoplifters. They say only law enforcement or legal reps with a subpoena can view the footage.
🍯 High-tech honeypot: The FBI wanted to spy on criminals doing business on untraceable phones, so they started a phone company. “Anom” sold encrypted phones that secretly sent copies of every message straight to the FBI. Even Anom’s employees knew they were a part of the sting. Their slogan? “Keep secrets safe!” Ahem, not sure spilling the beans about Anom was a great idea …
🏨 No privacy? No way! Spyware was found on check-in computers at Wyndham hotels across the U.S. capturing screenshots of guest info, including names, addresses and credit card details. The spyware, pcTattletale, is sold as a smart way to monitor employees (and children!), but … it exposed all that Wyndham customer info online for anyone with the right know-how to find.
Employees are suing over going back to work
With the COVID emergency long gone, can employers fire workers who refuse to come back into the office? Plus, Apple Watch gets the FDA green light, why you should power down, and watch for this TSA scam.
Hackers’ new target: They’re tricking retail employees to get into their work accounts. Why? To make gift cards to use in stores and online. Stay safe, employers: Tell your team to avoid clicking random links, and make sure your antivirus software is up to date.