Tech companies that focus on AI-powered computer vision "are struggling to balance business opportunities with difficult moral decisions that could turn off customers or their own workers," the AP's Matt O'Brien reports.
Why it matters: It’s part of a growing wave of concern about how Artificial Intelligence technology is used, especially involving facial recognition, Axios' Ina Fried emails.
Last week, Axios Business Editor Dan Primack led a roundtable discussion on the future of transportation and mobility, including how new technology will continue to revolutionize how we build, commute and live in Los Angeles and beyond.
One big thing: Guests discussed how to leverage public-private partnerships to deploy accessible, data-driven solutions to our most intractable urban challenges.
Google Cloud's chief operating officer, Diane Bryant, a 25-year veteran of Intel who joined Google last fall, is leaving the company. Google confirmed her departure, which Business Insider first reported.
Automation Anywhere, a 15 year-old robotic process automation company, raised $250 million in Series A funding at a $1.8 billion post-money valuation.
Why it's a big deal: Because the San Jose, Calif.-based company is a test case for the labor force replacement debate, with an outsourced, cognitive bot army that helps global enterprises automate rote tasks like processing insurance claims and mortgage applications.
Lyft finally confirmed Monday that it’s getting in the bike-sharing business by acquiring Motivate, the company behind Ford GoBike in San Francisco and Citi Bike in New York. Axios' Kia Kokalitcheva has a look at the deal, which sources tell Axios came with a $250 million price tag.
Facebook is hiring more engineers in Washington, D.C., as it tackles problems, like countering online extremism and foreign election meddling, that have received attention from policymakers.
Why it matters: The plan to “quintuple” the social network’s D.C. engineering force underscores how the company’s future is more intertwined than ever with decisions made in the nation’s capital.
Facebook is shuttering tbh, the anonymous messaging app it acquired in October, along with two others apps, Hello and Moves, due to low usage.
Between the lines: While Facebook acquired tbh at the height of its short-lived popularity, the deal was a clear way for the social media giant to snap up talented entrepreneurs who can build apps that appeal to teens. Tbh's team released the app just as CEO Nikita Bier was deciding to close up shop after several years of experiments, but it found a hit with this last project.
The federal government's investigation of Facebook's misuse of user information with the data company Cambridge Analytica, already underway at both the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission, also involves the Securities and Exchange Commission, according to the Washington Post.
Why it matters: Although the Post storydoes not specify the SEC's focus, the commission could be looking at whether Facebook improperly withheld information from investors about its relationship with Cambridge Analytica.
Facebook experienced a bug that temporarily unblocked some users from interacting with users who had previously blocked them.
Why it matters: Once again, the company is apologizing for a user privacy violation, this time in a feature that is key to address harassment and abuse. "We know that the ability to block someone is important — and we’d like to apologize and explain what happened," said Erin Egan, the company's chief privacy officer, in a Monday blog post.
Lyft is acquiring bike-sharing company Motivate, which operates urban services like Ford GoBike in San Francisco and Citibike in New York City, confirming recent rumors of the deal. Sources tell Axios the deal was for $250 million, though Lyft declined to comment on the price.
Why it matters: Ride-hailing companies like Uber and Lyft are racing to go beyond car rides. Uber recently acquired bike-sharing company Jump, and both companies are planning to roll out scooter-sharing services.
For Axios' first News Shapers of the summer, Mike Allen and Kim Hart hosted conversations on two of today's biggest stories: Trump's summit with North Korea and the end of net neutrality.
Why it mattered: As the ranking member of the House Intelligence committee, Rep. Schiff provided his insight into how the North Korea summit will impact the global order. Meanwhile Chairman Pai, who oversaw the controversial decision to end net neutrality, explained his reasoning for doing so.
App Annie is out with a fresh look at the most popular and profitable iOS apps and games of all time. It's a list that includes Clash of Clans and Candy Crush, as well as a number of apps from Facebook and Google.
Why it matters: The app economy is huge. Consumers spent $42.5 billion in the iOS App store last year.
