1.
‘Remove
present board members and I’ll return’: Ousted CEO, Open AI
Sam
Altman was unceremoniously removed from his post by the board during a Google
Meet last week, but now investors and employees are pushing for his
reinstatement. Sam Altman, former CEO,
OpenAI, who was removed from his post in an unceremonious manner last week has
hinted at a return but set a condition for the same. In fact, he has set a
deadline for his reinstatement and wishes to see the present board of directors
of the company who fired him earlier, removed by then. Last week, Altman
was removed from the CEO post following which Greg Brockman, co-founder and
president, OpenAI, had also departedAltman was asked to leave following a
review that indicated that he wasn’t always frank and honest when it came to
communicating with the members of the board. The board had apparently
lost their confidence in him as a leader. The ouster, during a Google Meet, had
come as a total surprise to both Altman and Brockman. Investors,
however, are reportedly trying to reinstate both of them and eager to see
Altman back in the CEO position. Employees have also been pressurising
for his return, with some of them reportedly threatening to quit if he wasn’t
brought back.
2.
Quarterly performance
bonuses for Infosys employees
The
expected average payout is 80%, varying based on individual performance and
contributions in the quarter. This month, Infosys will be issuing
quarterly performance bonuses for the July–September period to eligible
employees. The anticipated average payout is 80 per cent, with individual
amounts dependent on how each employee performed and contributed in the
quarter. Those at position level 6 (PL6-manager) and below, excluding
entry-level positions, qualify for the variable pay, as per an ET report.
As per media reports, the official mail sent to the employees stated that the
Q2FY2024 quarterly performance bonus will be paid out in the November 2023
payroll for eligible employees. This week, unit-delivery managers will
finish distributing payouts to their units and inform eligible employees. It is
pertinent to mention here that Infosys had paused salary increments in
FY23 in a bid to cut costs and save money, but had began its annual appraisal
cycle in October.
3.
Now
Amazon’s Alexa team to see job cuts
The
voice-assistant unit will bear the brunt of changing priorities of the business
and increased focus on artificial intelligence. It hasn’t been long
since Amazon reduced headcount in its music and gaming units. Now, there is to
be job cuts in Amazon’s Alexa unit. With Amazon deciding to shift
priorities and deciding to concentrate more on generative artificial
intelligence (AI), hundreds of employees from its voice-assistant unit may be
rendered jobless. The exact number of people to be laid off is yet to be known,
although reports say that employees in the US, Canada and India will be
affected. Very recently, employees were let go in the music and gaming
divisions, as well as the human resources department. The news does not
come as a complete shock since there have been indication of Amazon’s devices
and services business failing to be profitable. Alexa, the voice assistant
could be relied on to set timers, handle search queries, play music, supply
jokes and trivia, find a phone, and even serve as a home automation hub. Right
now, the company feels it needs to put in maximum efforts on generative
AI as that is what matters most to its customers. After all, the technology can
not only generate fresh and creative content, but also generate images, code
and text from available data. Therefore, Amazon would be able to enhance
Alexa’s features and make it even more spontaneous, sharp and supportive by
investing in generative AI.
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