Eric Schmidt makes the case that AI will be good for societyHumans will adapt to automation and benefit from it the same way they adapted to the industrial revolution, Alphabet Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt said Friday at a forum at Columbia University. “What I think is that the technology that’s being built is being built in the open and for the benefit of everyone,” he said. The comments were made at Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs’ (SIPA) Global Digital Futures Policy Forum, where Columbia professor Merit Janow, who is dean of SIPA, was interviewing him about globalization, automation and artificial intelligence. [ Re/Code ] How Can Ivanka Trump Help Women Who Work When It Is Illegal For Her To Discuss Trade?It is a criminal offense for Ivanka Trump to discuss trade in the White House. The law forbids employees within the executive branch from participating in matters that affect their own financial interests. Since Ivanka still has full ownership of her brand, which imports clothes and shoes from other countries, it is illegal for her to discuss anything related to the apparel import business. Sheryl Sandberg explains how she's coping with her husband's death, how Mark Zuckerberg has helped her, and why 'grief leave' is as important as maternity leaveSheryl Sandberg has had a difficult two years. While she has been working as the chief operating officer of Facebook, which recently reported one of its strongest quarters ever, she was dealt a devastating blow. In May 2015, her husband, Dave Goldberg, died suddenly. He and Sandberg were on vacation in Mexico. Goldberg had gone to the gym and had a heart arrhythmia while he was on the treadmill. He fell, and by the time he arrived at the hospital, it was too late. Hotels Plan Lobbying Push Over Priceline-Expedia ‘Monopoly’
The U.S. hotel industry plans to step up a lobbying and public relations attack on Expedia Inc. and Priceline Group Inc., hoping to convince consumers and members of the Trump administration that the travel-booking giants are monopolistic. [ Bloomberg ] Baby Tech Draws Seed Funding And A Few Big RoundsBecoming a parent brings drastic change in the household budget. There are big cuts in funding for nights out, trendy clothes, and elaborate meals. And there are massive spending hikes on diapers, convenience foods, and an endless list of gear from strollers to cribs to car seats. As such, new and expectant parents are a favored demographic among marketers. They’re particularly receptive to products aimed at saving themselves time while offering stimulation and safety for little ones. [ CrunchBase ] New York venture capital firm opens office in Lansing incubatorProject I, a boutique New York-based venture capital firm that invests in early-stage fashion apparel companies, is opening an office in The Runway Fashion Incubator, a statewide program based in the Knapp Centre in Lansing. Last year, Project I opened an office in the Dryden Building, a historic renovated building in downtown Flint. It will also be a tenant in the Ferris Building, adjacent to the Dryden Building. When renovation on that building is done later this year, it will house the Ferris Wheel, a full-service technology incubator and co-working space. Here’s How Much Tech Companies Could Repatriate Under Trump’s Tax PlanWinning a one-time repatriation of foreign cash at a reduced tax rate might be the single most important policy objective for tech companies during Trump’s term—and the matter could be decided fairly soon. Tech companies like Apple and Microsoft keep large percentages of their cash holdings overseas as a way of avoiding the 35% income tax that would be levied against them if brought back home. [ FastCompany ] Warner Music signs a new deal with YouTube, and promptly complains about YouTubeWarner Music Group has a signed a new deal with YouTube. It’s not happy about it. Warner Music CEO Steve Cooper says his company has renewed a deal “under very difficult circumstances.” The new pact is a short-term deal which gives Google’s video site continued access to Warner’s official music videos from artists like Bruno Mars, as well as amateur videos that use Warner music. But in a memo to his company, Cooper says Warner couldn’t get the deal it wants, because YouTube has the protection of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, and other rules which give it substantial leeway when it comes to copyright claims. [ Re/Code ] Here’s why seasoned entrepreneur Constantin Bisanz decided to invest in wellnessConstantin Bisanz is no stranger to success: In 2011, he sold his fifth company to eBay for $220 million. But as a believer in holistic wellness yoga and meditation, Bisanz wanted his next venture to help people lead healthier lives. His company, Aloha, does just that through easy-to-incorporate protein powders, snack bars, and teas, as well as recipes for healthy meals. A CEO explains what it's like to grab dinner and hang out with Mark ZuckerbergIn 2008, Gary Vaynerchuk made a Youtube video called "Facebook should be worried about Twitter." "It was like, 'Why am I starting to use Twitter more?' It wasn't this big grand statement. It was one person's point of view," Vaynerchuk told Business Insider's Alyson Shontell in an episode of the podcast "Success! How I Did It." [ Business Insider ] Why does Apple want to compete with Square and Venmo?Do you send money to your friends from your phone? If not, would you do it if Apple facilitated the transaction? Apple apparently believes that enough people would answer “yes” to the second question. Recode’s Jason Del Rey reported last week that the tech giant is in talks with payments industry partners to launch a payments product, which would compete with the likes of Square Cash and Venmo, which is owned by PayPal. [ Re/Code ] Moderne, Fifth Wall funds highlight rising VC interest in real estate techThis week brought news from two VCs focused on backing startups operating in the real estate technology industry: Fifth Wall Ventures launched with a $212 million fund, and Moderne Ventures closed its debut vehicle on $33 million. The burgeoning sector has received a lot of attention in recent months, but people in the real estate industry—realtors, mortgage brokers, homebuyers, etc.—have been taking advantage of tech advances for years. [ PitchBook ] Gulf Royal-Backed Samena to Raise $700 Million for AsiaRAK Logistics’ private equity firm, Samena Capital, was recently featured in an article by Bloomberg titled, “Gulf Royal-Backed Samena to Raise $700 Million for Asia.” Samena Capital is an investment group, who focuses on investments across multiple asset classes in the Subcontinent, Asia, Middle East and North Africa, collectively known as the SAMENA region. The vision of RAK Logistics Holdings Pte. Ltd. is to be the leading ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) headquartered integrated logistics company. RAK develops operations in all ASEAN countries generating a strong presence across the globe. RAK’s ASEAN foundation was one of the leading factors in creating the partnership. [ PR Urgent ] The RealReal is opening a real store in New York (and other news from CEO Julie Wainwright)At an event in San Francisco last night I sat down with The RealReal founder and CEO Julie Wainwright, who is renowned in startup circles for a variety of things, including her role in winding down the e-commerce company Pets.com during the dot.com era; being one of the bigger personalities in the industry; and launching what’s become one of the fastest-growing consignment startups among a handful that received funding roughly six years ago. ChemChina Clinches Its $43 Billion Takeover of Syngenta |