• Google IO live updates: Get ready for AI news at the tech giant’s big summer event

    Google CEO Sundar Pichai onstage in front of a presentation titled "Making AI helpful for everyone."
    Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai on stage at last year's Google IO. AI is expected to be a major theme again at this year's developers conference.

    • Google's big summer conference, Google IO, kicks off today at 1 p.m. ET.
    • AI is expected to be a major theme.
    • Business Insider will be in attendance and covering the biggest announcements — follow along below.

    Google is minutes away from revealing what it's been quietly working on.

    CEO Sundar Pichai is expected to take the stage on Tuesday at 1 p.m. ET to kick off Google IO, the company's annual developer conference.

    Google is expected to show off the latest on its AI models — with the company teasing some sort of virtual assistant on social media — along with updates to its search product and Android 15, the newest version of its popular mobile operating system.

    https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

    The keynote will be a chance for Google to respond after its rival, OpenAI, seemingly tried to upstage the company with an event of its own the day before, where it showed off a new flagship model, GPT-4o, and the improvements it brings to ChatGPT.

    We might also get an update on Google's Gemini AI image generator after a debacle in which it spat out inaccurate images of historical people when prompted. Google's CEO said the company "got it wrong," and Google turned off Gemini's ability to generate images of people after the backlash while it worked to fix the issue.

    Business Insider will be in attendance at Google IO and covering the biggest announcements when the event kicks off — keep scrolling for the latest.

    For those who want to watch the keynote, there's also a livestream.
    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEzRZ35urlk?si=UrrlKvGkPY0ScF8B&w=560&h=315]

    The keynote is expected to last around 2 hours, but we'll keep track of the big news in our live blog so you don't have to.

    Read the original article on Business Insider
  • Behind the Curtains of the Global Arms Industry

    Demonstration of a ttactical tthrowable robot, a counter-terrorism device used to carry out reconnaissance operations.
    A demonstration of a tactical throwable robot, a counter-terrorism device used to carry out reconnaissance operations, took place at the International Defense Industry Exhibition in Poland.

    Imagery of battlefields and violence have permeated the news cycle as armed conflicts rage around the globe, particularly in the Middle East and Ukraine.

    Rarely, however, do we see inside the multibillion-dollar industry behind the weapons that cause its destruction.

    In his new book, "Nothing Personal: The Back Office of War," photographer Nikita Teryoshin lifts the veil on the global arms trade, capturing defense exhibitions worldwide.

    Arms company CTA demonstrating their fire power on an 2mm thick aluminum target. CTA is joint venture between Nexter and BAE Systems based in France. EUROSATORY, Paris, France, 2018
    CTA International, an arms manufacturer based in France, demonstrated a weapon's firepower on a 2mm thick aluminum target during Eurosatory, a defense exhibition in Paris.

    "These [defense] fairs are the opposite of what you imagine when you think of arms and war," Teryoshin said in an interview with Business Insider.

    Through the colorful, bright, yet uncanny depictions of the defense industry, "Nothing Personal" portrays a world that is the complete opposite of the battlefield it profits from, highlighting the sobering reality of war as a business and economic incentive.

    From 2016 to 2023, Teryoshin documented defense fairs in 14 countries, including the United States, China, France, Abu Dhabi, and Russia. Closed to the public, his series offers a rare inside look into the lucrative global arms industry.

    Live demonstration of warfare watched by high-ranked guests, politicians and traders.
    Guests, politicians, and traders watch a live demonstration of warfare at the International Defense Exhibition in Abu Dhabi.

    Teryoshin's photos depict the showy display of tanks, drones, missiles, air shows, and war shows at various defense exhibitions. He described the fairs as "an oversized playground for adults with wine, finger food, and shiny weapons."

    "Dead bodies here are mannequins or pixels on screens of a huge number of simulators," he wrote in his book. "Bazookas and machine guns are plugged into flatscreens and war action is staged in an artificial environment in front of a tribune full of high-ranked guests, ministers, heads of state, generals, and traders."

    A photo stand of the Indian Army. The soldier cut out equipped with a Kalashnikov rifle wears a Russian uniform with explosion coming out of his missing head.
    A photo stand of the Indian Army. The soldier equipped with a Kalashnikov rifle wears a Russian uniform. DEFEXPO, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India, 2020

    Teryoshin's images are striking — a bright flash in each image tying together the bizarre display of weapons with abstracted figures of anonymous delegates. A colorful array of canapés and a bright floral dress are set in a scene with a sleek gray model of a naval gun looming in the background.

    Model of a Swedish Bofors 57 Mk3 naval gun behind a table full of food at defense fair
    Model of a Swedish Bofors 57 Mk3 naval gun. MSPO Expo, Kielce, Poland 2016

    "I think it's the key visuals in the project where you see food and waitress serving wine and juice, and in the background, you see all these war machines," Teryoshin said.

    In 2019, Teryoshin attended the International Defense Exhibition & Conference in Abu Dhabi, where he said guests were enjoying a cake decorated with a mini tank, jet fighters, and missiles.

    IDEX 25th anniversary cake with explosions, missiles, and soldier cut outs
    IDEX 25th anniversary cake. IDEX Expo, Abu Dhabi, UAE 2019

    "Special guests and generals started to eat the cake with little forks out from the pallet directly, and then I thought it looked like a real battlefield," Teryoshin said. "There was an explosion and a tank and a plane and jet fighters were flying little toys that were flying around this explosion, and it was totally weird."

    He added: "The alliance of UAE and Saudi Arabia were flying strikes against the Houthis and bombing hospitals, schools, and houses of normal people, and at the same time, 1,000 kilometers away, they are eating this cake with an explosion."

    With elements of dark humor and absurdity in every image, the photographer's distinctive visual style emphasizes the jarring juxtaposition of the luxury and celebration at defense fairs and the destructive weaponry and firearms the industry produces.

    Missiles models Python, Derby, Spike ER at the stand of the Israeli Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd. surrounding an empty coffee mug.
    Missile models Python, Derby, Spike ER at the stand of the Israeli Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd. Such missiles easily cost $100,000 – 300,000 each. DEFEXPO, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India, 2020

    Large, metallic-gray missiles frame a half-empty coffee mug sitting on the edge of a display table. The camera's flash casts imposing shadows of the missiles around the mug — the everyday object normalizing the display of dangerous weaponry.

    Teryoshin alluded to the look of crime scene photography when discussing the use of flash in his series. The cold, harsh flash highlights the environment's ominousity through a pointedly cynical perspective.

    After the construction and the oil and gas sectors, the global arms trade is one of the most corruption-prone sectors in the world, according to Transparency International. By contrast, the international trade of bananas is more tightly regulated than the arms trade, according to the introductory note of the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty.

    Peruvian delegation at the stand of UkrOboronProm shaking hands
    Peruvian delegation at the stand of UkrOboronProm The Oplot M main battle tank was offered during the expo as a potential solution to replace the old soviet T 55 MBT of the Peruvian Army. SITDEF, Lima, Peru, 2019

    With the weaponry in the forefront, the fairgoers in the series remain anonymous — the figures of traders and politicians are all faceless and undetectable.

    "I deliberately don't show you the faces of the businessmen," Teryoshin said in his artist statement. "It is not my intention to fix everything upon a certain person."

    South Korean officer watching the air show by the aerobatic 'Black Eagles' air force team flying KAI T-50B Golden Eagle jets.
    South Korean officer watching the air show by the aerobatic 'Black Eagles' air force team flying KAI T-50B Golden Eagle jets. ADEX, Seoul, South Korea

    The anonymity of the figures adds mystery to each photograph and portrays the photographer's intention of showcasing the global arms industry as a monolith.

    "I also didn't want to blame any special country, manufacturer, or person but to show it just as a phenomenon," he said.

    Here, war is simply a universal means of commerce — the convention space secluded from the real terror of conflict.

    On the deck of a ferry while jet fighters, helicopters and cargo aircraft fly low.
    On the deck of a ferry while jet fighters, helicopters and cargo aircraft fly low. IDEX Expo, Abu Dhabi, UAE, 2019

    Military spending worldwide amounted to $2.44 trillion in 2023. In the US, it was estimated that the average taxpayer contributed $5,109 to the US military and its support systems in 2023. While the average American contributes thousands of dollars to the military, the general public is not privy to the inner workings of war profiteering — something Teryoshin hopes to change through his photography.

    Teryoshin shows the irony behind arms company slogans, such as "70 years defending peace" by Kalashnikov Group or "Engineering a better tomorrow" by Lockheed Martin, by showing viewers the opposite of a violent and terrifying battlefield: the people in business attire who profit from window shopping for war machines with champagne in hand.

    A woman holding tray of juice and wine in front of a military helicopter.
    Reception by French Airbus Helicopters on the first day of the biggest arms fair in Eastern Europe. The Tiger Helicopter in the background had just returned from a mission in Mali. MSPO EExpo, Kielce, Poland, 2016

    Read the original article on Business Insider
  • See inside Oheka Castle, the 127-room Long Island estate that inspired ‘The Great Gatsby’

    oheka castle
    The view of Oheka Castle from the grounds.

    • I took a tour of Long Island's Oheka Castle, an hour west of Manhattan.
    • It's the second-largest private home in the US and was built in 1919.
    • It's now a residence, hotel, restaurant, and events venue.

    If you've ever read or seen "The Great Gatsby," you know 1920s New York was home to extravagant mansions with owners who hosted lavish parties.

    One of those owners was financier Otto Hermann Kahn, who built Oheka Castle — named after its owner (Oh-He-Ka) — on Long Island in 1919.

    Kahn's wife used to call the home "Otto's zoo," and that seemed to be an accurate description. A-listers of the time used to party at the 109,000-square-foot home, with Kahn as a Gatsby-like figure entertaining all his guests.

    But Oheka's journey didn't end there. After Kahn's death in 1934, the property changed hands numerous times until it was abandoned in the '80s. Fires, vandalism, and theft devastated it.

    According to Oheka Castle, land developer Gary Melius then purchased the estate and spent $40 million restoring it to its former glory.

    Today, it's the second-largest private home in the US, behind only Biltmore House in North Carolina. It's a popular venue for weddings, a restaurant, and a hotel, and has been featured in movies, TV shows, and music videos. Taylor Swift even filmed the "Blank Space" video there.

    You can also tour the grounds for $30.

    I took the tour and was astonished by the beauty of Oheka Castle. Here's what it was like to visit.

    Oheka Castle was built in 1919 by German-American financier Otto Hermann Kahn.
    oheka castle and grounds
    The grounds at Oheka.

    He paid approximately $11 million, or over $158 million in today's currency, for 443 acres of land in West Hills, New York.
    oheka castle front
    The front of Oheka.

    Oheka Castle has been through a lot in its 100-plus years of history, and for anyone who wants to learn more, there are tours offered twice daily.
    me at oheka
    Sitting outside of Oheka.

    So, I decided to visit. All I knew about Oheka was that Kevin Jonas got married there and Taylor Swift filmed the "Blank Space" music video there.
    taylor swift blank space
    "Blank Space."

    But Oheka has a rich history. I learned all about it on a beautiful April afternoon.
    me at the gazebo at oheka
    Standing by the gazebo.

    When you drive to the entryway, it's a bit intimidating. There's someone working the gate who must let you in.
    front gate with tower
    The front gate.

    Then comes a long driveway. I felt like I was going back in time to the Gilded Age.
    the driveway at oheka
    The driveway.

    My first look at the main house was astounding — and yes, I mean house. Oheka Castle is the second-largest private residence in the US.
    front door of oheka
    The front door.

    It's also on the National Register of Historic Places. It was added in September 2004.
    the plaque
    The National Register of Historic Places plaque.

    When Kahn built this house, he had three requirements: He wanted to be high up, he wanted a view of the water, and he needed the house to be fireproof.
    staircase
    An exterior staircase.

    His previous house in New Jersey had burned down in a fire. Oheka, in contrast, is built entirely out of stone.
    side of oheka stone
    Some of the stonework at Oheka.

    I went inside and waited in front of a grand staircase with the rest of my group for our tour to begin.
    staircase
    The staircase.

    When it began, we saw photos of what the house looked like before it was restored by its current owner. We'd learn more about this later.
    the grand staircase in 1984
    The grand staircase in 1984.

    The first room we entered was this beautiful entryway with a mural of the sky on the ceiling.
    entryway
    The entryway.

    The house itself is 109,000 square feet and has 127 rooms.
    stairs at oheka
    More of Oheka.

    Many of the rooms are dedicated to showing off the home's history, like the Chaplin Room.
    chaplin room oheka
    The Chaplin Room.

    Charlie Chaplin was just one of the many '20s A-listers who hung out at Oheka. This photo shows Chaplin (right) with Kahn (center) and actor Douglas Fairbanks (left).
    douglas fairbanks, otto kahn and charlie chaplin
    Fairbanks, Kahn, and Chaplin.

    In fact, according to my tour guide, Jay Gatsby's wild parties in "The Great Gatsby" were inspired by what was going down at Oheka in the '20s.
    the great gatsby party
    "The Great Gatsby."

    This was Kahn's wife Adelaide's favorite room. Adelaide wasn't as big of an entertainer as her husband, but this sunny room was perfect for guests.
    adelaide kahn's favorite room
    Adelaide's favorite room.

    This ballroom is the only room that's not original to Kahn's time inside Oheka today.
    grand ballroom at oheka
    The ballroom.

    But as you can see from the ballroom's windows, Oheka met Kahn's requirement for a view of the water. He used to dock his yacht there.
    view of the water
    Cold Spring Harbor in the background.

    Kahn, who was Jewish, also built a golf course on his property — country clubs at the time wouldn't admit Jewish people or allow them to play.
    golf course at oheka
    The golf course next to Oheka.

    After Kahn's death in 1934, the property was shuffled between owners. From 1948 to 1979, it was the Eastern Military Academy.
    Otto Kahn in 1933.
    Otto Kahn in 1933.

    During those days, what is now the breakfast room was used as a gym.
    breakfast room
    A dining room.

    From that room, we made our way to this huge library.
    library at oheka
    Oheka's library.

    A portrait of Kahn hung above the fireplace.
    otto kahn
    Otto Hermann Kahn.

    Our final stop on the first floor was this room, which also houses a bar. Press clippings about Oheka adorned the walls.
    news room and bar
    The bar.

    Among the displayed articles was Danielle and Kevin Jonas' wedding spread in People. They got married at the estate in 2009.
    kevin and danielle's wedding
    Kevin and Danielle Jonas' wedding spread in People.

    Then we went upstairs to check out the hotel and bridal suite.
    hotel hallway
    The hallway at Oheka's hotel.

    The bridal suite, which is on the fourth floor, opens with this mural-covered entryway.
    bridal suite entryway
    The bridal suite entryway.

    A beautiful open room with windows allows wedding parties to take in the view of Oheka's well-manicured grounds.
    bridal suite
    Bridal suite.

    The gardens at Oheka are breathtaking from above.
    gardens from above
    The garden from the bridal suite.

    Here's the main bedroom of the bridal suite.
    bedroom of bridal suite
    The bedroom in the bridal suite.

    The primary bathroom has a bathtub and shower.
    bridal suite bathroom
    The bridal suite bathroom.

    Then it was time to check out the gardens — and to learn what happened to Oheka.
    gardens at oheka
    The gardens.

    When the Eastern Military Academy went bankrupt and vacated its premises in 1979, Oheka was left abandoned.
    oheka castle in 2014
    Oheka Castle in 2014.

    Residents who lived nearby were concerned about vandalism. One neighbor even took this statue for safekeeping and returned it when Oheka was restored in the '80s.
    oheka statues
    A statue at Oheka.

    Land developer Gary Melius purchased Oheka in 1984 and spent $40 million restoring it to its former glory.
    Huntington, N.Y.: Businessman Gary Melius during an interview in his office at Oheka Castle in Huntington, New York on August 6, 2014.
    Gary Melius at Oheka Castle in 2014.

    The gardens were originally designed by the Olmsted Brothers, best known for helping with Central Park.
    gardens at oheka
    The front yard at Oheka.

    Melius used those original sketches to restore Oheka.
    gazebo at oheka
    The gazebo at Oheka.

    These statues were tracked down at an auction and are thought to date back to the Renaissance.
    renaissance statues at oheka
    A statue at Oheka.

    Now, it's a beautiful wedding venue, hotel, restaurant, and home — Melius keeps an apartment on the third floor.
    oheka restaurant
    The restaurant at Oheka.

    As I left the grounds, I got one more look at the restaurant and its courtyard.
    courtyard oheka
    The courtyard.

    I would highly recommend taking a tour of Oheka. As I viewed its stunning surroundings and learned about its unique history, I felt like I was traveling back in time.
    me at the fountain
    Sitting at the fountain.

    Read the original article on Business Insider
  • Nearly half of RFK Jr. backers mostly just don’t like Trump or Biden. The rest are actually into him.

    Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaking at a campaign event in Austin, Texas on Monday.
    Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaking at a campaign event in Austin, Texas on Monday.

    • RFK Jr.'s candidacy is propelled in large part by people who just don't like their other options.
    • 44% of his supporters are mostly just voting against Trump and Biden, polling shows.
    • 50% are supporting him because they're actually into him.

    In case it wasn't clear enough: many of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s supporters are mostly just dissatisfied with their other choices.

    The independent presidential candidate, according to a new poll, is benefiting significantly from the support of voters who do not like President Joe Biden or former President Donald Trump.

    According to new polling conducted by The New York Times, Siena College, and The Philadelphia Inquirer, 44% of RFK Jr.'s supporters said they're mostly voting against the other candidates in the race.

    Meanwhile, just 50% say they're mostly voting for Kennedy, who's best known for promoting conspiracy theories about vaccines and whose family has largely endorsed Biden.

    He's not necessarily alone in that position.

    So-called "negative partisanship" — voting for one party largely out of disgust or fear of the other — has long been a key driver of support for both Trump and Biden, both of whom are relatively unpopular with voters.

    According to the poll, antipathy toward Biden and Trump is an especially strong motivator among Kennedy's more educated supporters, including 53% of his supporters who have a college degree.

    Polling has also shown that Kennedy — a former Democrat — is not just a threat to Biden, but to Trump as well. Perhaps his biggest fan on Capitol Hill is Sen. Ron Johnson, a Republican from Wisconsin — though Johnson has said he will vote for Trump.

    Read the original article on Business Insider
  • Why the Big TV companies aren’t 100% completely screwed. Yet.

    A 70s TV
    Nielsen isn't just considering old-fashioned broadcast television in its new viewership metric.

    • Big TV used to have a monopoly on our attention — and our wallets.
    • But its audiences aren't gone yet. And a new metric has them doing better than standalone streamers.
    • This mirrors the pitch big TV companies are making this week in New York to advertisers.

    The Big TV guys are screwed, right?

    Because they used to have a monopoly on our attention and our wallets, but those days are long gone. Their audiences are evaporating, and the people left behind are… not young. Without the NFL, the entire thing collapses.

    Yep! That's a pretty good summary of things, and one I've written many times.

    But also, on the other hand: They're not dead yet.

    And here to make that argument is Nielsen, which has a new way of tracking attention among media companies — including digital upstarts. And in this version, the TV guys are still sticking around. Many of them, in fact, are doing better than Netflix.

    For now.

    The idea is simple: Look at all of the TV time a big media company commands — via its streaming channels, but also its traditional broadcast and cable TV stations — and produce a single metric that measures viewership share.

    That means, for instance, that Disney doesn't just get credit for ABC and ESPN and its other channels, but Disney+ and Hulu and ESPN+. Paramount gets credit for its streaming channels and its cable networks and CBS. Like so:

    Nielsen's aggregated view of total TV usage by media company

    So, in this way of viewing things, Netflix is not the all-powerful viewing platform that's — once again — hoovering up shows and movies from desperate big media companies. It's merely the 6th biggest media company, behind Disney, NBC Universal, and even Paramount.

    This also happens, not coincidentally, to mirror the pitch big TV companies are making this week in New York during glitzy presentations for advertisers: We have lots of ways to get your messages to audiences, no matter what screen or service they're using!

    So that's nice for the TV guys. But it shouldn't make them too comfortable. For starters, as you will have noticed, the No. 2 player in this revised chart isn't a traditional media company but Google's YouTube — which somehow still doesn't receive enough attention from media chatterers. Even though it's clearly a viewing and advertising juggernaut.

    Just as important: While it's fair for Nielsen (and the TV guys) to argue that combining traditional TV plus streaming gives them lots of reach, advertisers — the people they're trying to convince with that argument — don't seem to care that much. The overall pool of TV ad dollars continues to shrink, year after year, because that money is chasing eyeballs that aren't watching TV, period. And that won't change no matter how you present the data.

    Read the original article on Business Insider
  • ‘The economy and stock market have never seen anything like this’: There’s an unprecedented number of recession signs flashing, veteran strategist says

    Recession outlook, going out of business, economy
    The US economy is showing resilience, but experts warn a recession is still on the table.

    • The US economy and stock market are on a clear path to recession, according to Paul Dietrich.
    • The B. Riley Wealth Management CIO pointed to a handful of warning signs that suggest a downturn is on the horizon.
    • The final blow to the economy could be the US pulling back on stimulus spending, he warned.

    There's a large number of warnings flashing for the US that suggest the economy is on a near-certain path to recession, according to B. Riley Wealth's chief investment strategist Paul Dietrich.

    Dietrich, a Wall Street vet who was among the observers who called the 2008 recession, has been warning for months of another downturn coming for the US. In a recent note, he pointed to a cluster of warning signs in the economy, such as hotter-than-expected inflation throughout the first quarter and greater volatility in the market. Stocks and bonds have seen muted gains this spring, while oil and gold, which typically perform well in inflationary environments, are rising, Dietrich noted.

    Economic growth is also starting to slow, with GDP rising 1.6% over the first quarter, down from 3.4% in the final quarter of 2024. Consumer confidence is also "plummeting," Dietrich said, while job growth has slowed, with the unemployment rate recently touching its highest level in two years.

    Meanwhile, yields on US Treasurys are nearly four times the yield of S&P 500 dividends — a sign investors are anticipating interest rates to stay higher for longer. That's the highest Treasury yields have been since 2001, and only the second time in the last 100 years when yields have been that high.

    "The economy and the stock market have never seen anything like this in history. Everything reminds me of the Dot-com bubble in 2001-2002," Dietrich said.

    He speculated that the next recession has been postponed by the trillions of stimulus spent during the pandemic, though the economy is still on track for a downturn. Once that support stops, that could be the "final blow" to stocks, which look propped up by "investor overconfidence" and "a complete disconnect from any company fundamentals," he added.

    "Since the current deficit spending is unsustainable, it will end at some point. When it does, the effect will be brutal for jobs, the economy, and the global stock markets," Dietrich warned.   

    Dietrich is among the most bearish forecasters this year, even as calls for a recession have eased and observers say a coming downturn is likely to be short-lived. Previously, Dietrich warned that stocks could crash as much as 44% as the US economy weakens, even if the recession turns out to mild. 

    Read the original article on Business Insider
  • US jamming technology is significantly worse than Russia’s, ex-Pentagon officials warn

    EW system Ukraine
    A man holds a portable electronic warfare system at an event in Ukraine earlier this year.

    • Former US officials said the US is falling behind in its electronic warfare capabilities.
    • Russia has developed sophisticated electronic warfare weapons. 
    • It's using it to neutralize US weapons given to Ukraine. 

    The US has been outclassed by its rivals, such as Russia, in its capacity to remotely take out enemy weapons using jamming technology, according to former US military officials.

    Mike Nagata, a retired US Army lieutenant general who led special operations in the Middle East, said that the US is "still falling behind" in its electronic warfare capabilities, reported Defense One.

    Electronic warfare units, which use electronic signals to remotely scramble the GPS coordinates used to guide weapons, have played a key role in Russia's war in Ukraine.

    "The gap between where the United States should be and where we are, in my judgment, continues to expand not everywhere, but in far too many places," Nagata reportedly said at the SOF Week conference in Tampa, Florida. He called on the US to get more creative to regain its dominance in electronic warfare.

    Two retired special operations personnel singled out Russia in remarks to the publication. They said that one reason the Kremlin's technology is significantly better, is because it ignored international laws designed to stop jamming of civilian telecommunications.

    It had also invested in electromagnetic innovation for decades while the US had focused its jamming technology on gathering intelligence in areas such as the Middle, according to the publication.

    Russia has repeatedly used its electronic warfare units to disable expensive precision-guided weapons that the US has given its ally Ukraine in its battle against Russia.

    According to reports, they've proven effective in sending GPS-guided Excalibur artillery rounds off course. They have also been effective against the JDAM US-made missiles used by Ukraine's air force, as well as the rockets fired by US-made Himars missile systems.

    Last year, Ukraine's outgoing senior commander, Valery Zaluzhnyi, in an interview with The Economist, said Russia's electronic warfare capability had given it an important edge.

    The US is closely studying the conflict for information on how to improve its electronic warfare systems. In May, Defense News that the Pentagon is spending millions on developing new electronic warfare systems and technology to evade GPS jamming.

    Mark Cancian, an analyst with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, recently told BI that the Department of Defense had been looking at options such as using narrower signal bands or the generation of stronger signals that are able to burn through jamming attempts.

    The threats, nevertheless, "remind us to be careful about expecting 'game changers,'" he said. "The other side always develops countermeasures that reduce effectiveness."

    In recent months, there have been concerns that Russia's electronic warfare units are scrambling GPS systems used by civilian planes in northern and eastern Europe, with a plane carrying the UK's defense secretary, Grant Shapps, impacted by one suspected attack in March.

    Read the original article on Business Insider
  • An Iowa sheriff’s department spent some of its $600K income from jail fees on a cotton-candy machine and laser tag: lawsuit

    The exterior of Black Hawk Sheriff's Office.
    The exterior of Black Hawk Sheriff's Office.

    • Civil rights groups filed a lawsuit against an Iowa sheriff's department over jail fees.
    • The lawsuit alleges misuse of funds on things like laser tag and ice cream machines.
    • The class-action suit was filed on behalf of a single mom charged $730 in fees.

    Civil rights groups initiated a class-action lawsuit on Monday, accusing an Iowa sheriff's department and its sheriff of unlawfully collecting jail fees and using some of the proceeds to fund laser tag, ice cream, and a cotton candy machine.

    According to the lawsuit, Black Hawk County Sheriff Tony Thompson implemented a policy that mandated payment to the jail for "room and board" at a rate of $70 per day, plus $25 in admin fees — collectively referred to as "jail fees."

    The lawsuit, filed in the US District Court for the Nothern District of Iowa, says that the fees were enforced by presenting individuals serving a sentence at the jail with a confession of judgment to sign prior to being released. Any funds on their person were seized and applied to the debt.

    The suit, initiated by the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa and Public Justice, contends that there were no opportunities for a hearing or to mount a defense against the imposition of fees.

    Rita Bettis Austen, ACLU of Iowa legal director, said in a statement that prisoners being made to sign confessions of judgment are powerless.

    "They have no bargaining power, no attorney, and zero meaningful understanding of what they are doing and what they are giving up," she said.

    In a statement provided to Business Insider by email, Sheriff Thompson claimed that inmates are not required to sign confessions of judgment or to enter into payment plans.

    Laser tag, ice cream, and cotton candy machines

    According to the lawsuit, the policy is a money maker for Black Hawk County Sheriff's Office. It said that the department collected $590,217.36 in jail fees between July 2021 to July 2023.

    Some counties don't collect jail fees at all because they see the practice as unfair, the ACLU and Public Justice said in a joint statement.

    The lawsuit says that while 60% of the fees collected are allocated for specific expenditures, 40% are unallocated, a portion of which went to frivolous spending.

    Some of the funds went to the Raymond Range, a gun range used by employees and their families, which was outfitted with laser tag equipment, ice cream machines, and cotton candy machines, according to the lawsuit.

    In the statement provided to BI, Sheriff Thompson said it would seem "disingenuous" to have these expenditures — which he said contribute to the training and emotional betterment of officers — paid for by the taxpayer.

    "When they pay for their stay in jail, they are helping fund training for the law enforcement profession, families, and our communities by providing programming that destigmatizes the profession of law enforcement just a bit," he added.

    Filed on behalf of a single mom

    The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Leticia Roberts, a single mother of three, who served sentences in 2022 for operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated,

    According to the suit, Roberts was invoiced $730 in jail fees, with two confessions of judgment being used to impose the fees without a court order.

    In one of them, it was noted that Roberts said she could not afford the fee because she "needs to feed her 3 kids."

    Nonetheless, she received a collection letter two weeks later warning her that non-payment could lead to "further enforcement steps" or an increased fee, the lawsuit says.

    In the joint statement by the ACLU and Public Justice, Roberts said she wanted to take a stand against the practice.

    "Shaking down people for money as they get released from jail is wrong," she said.

    Charles Moore, a staff attorney for Public Justice's Debtors' Prison Project, said in a statement that "most of the people paying are trying to get their lives together and under extreme financial stress, so wrongfully extracting money from them at that difficult point is particularly heartless."

    The class-action suit aims for unspecified compensatory damages, the declaration of confessions of judgment as unlawful, and injunctive relief against the practice.

    Read the original article on Business Insider
  • Sorry Microsoft — for now, you’ll need a Mac to use the new desktop version of ChatGPT

    A composite image of Sam Altman and Satya Nadella
    OpenAI CEO Sam Altman (left) and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella

    • OpenAI is releasing a ChatGPT app for Apple's Mac before Windows.
    • OpenAI said it plans to launch a Windows version "later this year."
    • Microsoft is a key investor in OpenAI and has invested billions into the company.

    A ChatGPT app is coming to Apple's Mac laptops before Windows despite Microsoft's hefty investment in the company.

    In a blog post, OpenAI said a new ChatGPT desktop app for macOS will be available for both free and paid users. The rollout for Plus users kicked off on Monday.

    OpenAI said the app was "designed to integrate seamlessly into anything you're doing on your computer" and could be activated with a keyboard shortcut.

    However, Windows users will seemingly have to wait for their own version of the new app. OpenAI said in the blog post that they planned to launch a Windows version "later this year."

    Axios reporter Ina Fried said on social media OpenAI told her the company had "started with the Mac because they prioritized where their users are."

    Microsoft has invested heavily in OpenAI since the launch of ChatGPT. The Big Tech company is the company's largest investor, reportedly to the tune of $10 billion.

    Microsoft has benefited from the partnership as an AI arms race engulfed Big Tech companies. The company was able to capitalize on the buzzy tech behind ChatGPT, integrating it quickly into products such as Bing and Office365.

    The savvy investment has even led to claims Microsoft managed to put old rival Google on the back foot, despite Google's history as a pinoeer in the AI sector.

    The scale of the investment has also ruffled some feathers, most notably those of OpenAI cofounder Elon Musk.

    Earlier this year, the billionaire sued OpenAI over the partnership, accusing the company of betraying OpenAI's mission of benefiting humanity amid a multibillion-dollar partnership with Microsoft.

    Representatives for Microsoft and OpenAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider, made outside normal working hours.

    Read the original article on Business Insider
  • OpenAI may have finally cracked the code on voice interactions with AI

    Illustration part of the Transforming Business Series: People surrounded by a variety of Generative AI examples. Multiple datasets, images, audio and training artificial intelligence programs

    Hello! Miss Teen USA is turning into the pageant no one seems to want to win. After the initial winner resigned her position, this year's first runner-up declined to take over as queen. Here's a timeline of all the drama

    In today's big story, everyone's talking — literally — about the big update for OpenAI's ChatGPT that could make your job a lot easier

    What's on deck:

    But first, let's chat.


    If this was forwarded to you, sign up here.


    The big story

    Putting the chat in ChatGPT

    chatgpt logo, mouth

    First came HAL. Then came Her. Now there is GPT-4o. 

    Hollywood has a history of humanlike AI talking to people. But their real-world counterparts never seemed to live up to the hype, sounding too robotic or taking too long to respond. 

    OpenAI may have finally cracked the code on voice interactions with AI, though. The company unveiled an upgrade for ChatGPT that includes an impressively humanlike voice feature made possible by its new flagship model, GPT-4o.

    During a live presentation, OpenAI's latest product helped with breathing exercises, walked a user through a math equation, and served as a translator. OpenAI says GPT-4o's average response to audio inputs is 320 milliseconds, which is on par with a typical human-to-human conversation.  

    The internet was impressed, to say the least. Sharing your screen with ChatGPT while talking through problems could be a game changer for coding and data-focused work, writes Business Insider's Alex Bitter. 

    One developer I texted after the event raved about the potential and was excited to test it out.

    Typing out class or API-specific names into questions for ChatGPT while coding was tedious, they said. The demo made it seem as if they could talk to ChatGPT like a coworker.

    "They've essentially made text input almost be the barbaric form of communicating with ChatGPT (or any AI) now," the developer said.

    ChatGPT logo repeated three times

    OpenAI's big reveal shows the shockwaves the startup keeps sending through the tech world. 

    This time around, it's likely Apple that is feeling the heat, writes BI's Katie Notopoulos.  

    Before Monday's event, a report detailed how ChatGPT prompted Apple executives to realize the digital assistant Siri needed a major upgrade. Those updates, which are expected to come during Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference in June, will now undoubtedly be judged against GPT-4o. 

    But it's not just Apple that's been put on its back foot. 

    For months there has been heavy speculation that OpenAI is developing a web search product to compete with Google Search. OpenAI is even reportedly trying to snag Googlers from its search team. 

    In the meantime, Google I/O, the company's biggest developer event, kicks off today, and AI will surely be at the forefront. 

    Even those deeply invested in OpenAI's success are getting competitive with the red-hot startup. 

    Microsoft, which has poured $10 billion into OpenAI, is reportedly building its own AI model in an effort to show the tech giant doesn't plan to just ride OpenAI's coattails during the AI wars. 


    3 things in markets

    dollar in barbed wire
    1. The dollar can't be dethroned. That's according to Morgan Stanley strategists, who outlined three reasons the greenback will maintain its status as the world's dominant currency on a podcast last week. "Bottom line, King dollar doesn't really have any challengers," Michael Zezas, the bank's head of US public policy research, said.
    2. Roaring Kitty's back, and meme stocks are loving it. Keith Gill, a key figure in the GameStop short squeeze of 2021, posted on X for the first time in nearly three years. Naturally, r/wallstreetbets took it in stride, and by that, I mean shares of GameStop surged as much as 118%
    3. A top economist predicts the US's debt-fueled growth will catch up to it in 2025. Apollo's Torsten Slok said the economy will be alright for a few more quarters, but next year will be a different story. Consumers and businesses are carrying too much debt, and a hard landing is coming, he said. 

    3 things in tech

    Tim Cook
    1. Apple desperately needs its Next Big Thing. Under Tim Cook's tenure, there have been no earth-shattering product launches — which is exactly what Apple needs right now. With iPhone sales slowing and revenue falling, it's time for the company to reclaim its innovative edge.
    2. Mayhem at Tesla continues. The company rescinded job offers for incoming full-time employees. The move is part of broader cuts at Tesla, which have spanned the past several weeks and aim to eliminate over 10% of its workforce. 
    3. Happy birthday, Zuck. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg turns 40 today. Over the past 10 years, the world's fourth-richest man's wealth has surged — and he's used his ballooning personal fortune to build up a $200 million real estate portfolio and buy himself a megayacht.

    3 things in business

    Melissa Gates on a breaking blue background
    1. Melinda French Gates steps down. In a statement on X, French Gates announced she'd resigned as co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. She'll have "an additional $12.5 billion to commit to my work on behalf of women and families," she said, thanks to an arrangement with her ex-husband, Bill Gates. 
    2. Tips for success, according to Walmart's CEO. Speaking at the University of Arkansas' commencement ceremony, CEO Doug McMillon shared three pieces of advice: Be present, choose a career that doesn't feel like work, and assume positive intent from others.
    3. It's not all plain sailing for child-free adults. DINKs (dual-income couples with no children) are known for having disposable income and spending their paychecks on major investments, luxury vacations, and early retirement. But a growing number of child-free adults are living paycheck to paycheck because it's harder for them to access tax credits and government assistance.

    What's happening today

    • Today's earnings: Alibaba, Home Depot, Sony, and other companies are reporting.
    • Disney is hosting its upfront presentation, unveiling its 2024-25 program lineups.
    • Google's Input/Output annual developer conference is today.
    • Google's new Pixel 8a smartphone is available to buy.
    • Cannes Film Festival kicks off today.

    The Insider Today team: Dan DeFrancesco, deputy editor and anchor, in New York. Jordan Parker Erb, editor, in New York. Hallam Bullock, senior editor, in London. George Glover, reporter, in London.

    Read the original article on Business Insider