AI’s ‘Godfather’ quits Google; Samsung restricts ChatGPT; IBM could replace 7,800 jobs with AI – report

Geoffrey Hinton, a leading figure in artificial intelligence (AI), has resigned from Google, warning of the dangers of the field; Samsung has temporarily restricted the use of generative AI, including ChatGPT, for its employees due to cases of misuse of the technology; and IBM CEO Arvind Krishna has announced that the company expects to pause hiring for certain roles, as approximately 7,800 jobs could be replaced by artificial intelligence (AI) and automation in the coming years, Reuters reports. Also in this brief, Freshworks, India’s second biggest SaaS company, beats street expectations. Notes: eBay has appointed Vidmay Naini as General Manager for Global Emerging Markets, overseeing growth in Southeast Asia, India, Eastern Europe, Israel, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America, TechCrunch reports. Naini, who was previously in charge of eBay's Southeast Asia and India businesses, will focus on supporting small and medium-sized businesses. eBay's 2022 Southeast Asia Small Online Business Trade Report found that 99 percent of small businesses on eBay currently export items to an average of 25 different international markets, with 68% of eBay-enabled small businesses in six Southeast Asian countries exporting to 10 or more international markets. Geoffrey Hinton, a leading figure in artificial intelligence (AI), has resigned from Google, warning of the dangers of the field, the New York Times and the BBC report, among others.   Hinton, who is known as the godfather of AI, has developed pioneering research on neural networks and deep learning, helping to pave the way for systems such as ChatGPT. He has voiced concerns about the rapid development of AI chatbots which could become more intelligent than humans, potentially being used for "bad things". Samsung has temporarily restricted the use of generative AI, including OpenAI's ChatGPT, for its employees due to cases of misuse of the technology, CNBC reports. The company has advised workers not to enter any personal or company-related information into the services and to take precautions when using ChatGPT and other products outside of work. Samsung is still looking for ways to safely use generative AI to enhance employee productivity and efficiency. IBM has announced that it expects to pause hiring for certain roles as approximately 7,800 jobs could be replaced by AI and automation in the coming years, Reuters reports. Hiring specifically in back-office functions such as human resources will be suspended or slowed. 30 percent of non-customer-facing roles could be replaced by AI and automation within five years. The reduction could include not replacing roles vacated by attrition. The CEOs of Microsoft, Alphabet's Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic will meet with Vice President Kamala Harris and top administration officials to discuss key AI issues, Reuters reports. US President Joe Biden's administration has been seeking public comments on proposed accountability measures for AI systems. In a blog post on Monday, deputies from the White House Domestic Policy Council and White House Office of Science and Technology Policy wrote about how the technology can pose a serious risk to workers. Freshworks beat quarterly revenue estimates and posted its first adjusted operating profit, according to Reuters. Rising interest rates, high inflation, and a banking crisis have worsened the global economic outlook in recent months, forcing businesses to slash their technology budgets. Freshworks' revenue rose 20% in Q1 to $137.7 million, and it posted an adjusted operating profit of $3.9 million. Net loss narrowed to $42.7 million, from $49.1 million a year earlier.