Business News

Google CEO Gemini AI photo diversity scandal insults our users

Google CEO: Gemini AI photo diversity scandal “insults our users”

Business News / By

Hello everybody

I would like to resolve recent issues with problematic text and image responses in the Gemini (formerly Bard) app. I know some of his responses have offended our users and shown bias – to be clear, this is completely unacceptable and we were wrong.

Our teams have been working around the clock to address these issues. We're already seeing significant improvement across a variety of prompts. No Al is perfect, especially in this emerging phase of industry development, but we know the bar is high for us and we will stick to it, no matter how long it takes. And we will review what happened and make sure we fix the issue at scale.

Our mission to organize the world's information and make it widely accessible and usable is sacrosanct. We always strive to provide users with helpful, accurate and unbiased information in our products. That's why people trust them. This must be our approach for all our products, including our new Al products.

We will drive a clear set of actions, including structural changes, updated product guidelines, improved launch processes, robust evaluations and red-teaming, and technical recommendations. We are reviewing all of this and will make the necessary changes.

While we learn from what went wrong here, we should also build on the product and technical announcements we made in Al over the past few weeks. This includes some fundamental advances in our underlying models, e.g. B. our breakthrough of 1 million long context windows and our open models, both of which have been well received.

We know what it takes to build great products that are used and loved by billions of people and companies, and our infrastructure and research expertise gives us an incredible springboard for the AL wave. Let's focus on what's most important: building helpful products that earn our users' trust.

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Will you work for free on February 29th

Will you work for free on February 29th?

Business News / By

The leap year requires millions of Canadians to volunteer this Thursday, February 29th.

In fact, many Canadians receive an annual salary. “Let’s think about leaders, managers, everyone who has more responsibilities than tasks. It is a form of payment that is very, very widespread,” recalled Annie Boilard, human resources specialist and president of the Annie RH network, in conversation with Benoit Dutrizac on QUB radio on Monday.

“On February 29, they will be volunteering if they did not provide for it in their agreement,” she added.

However, things seem to be changing in the workplace.

“When it comes to salary, nothing commits to anything, but it is becoming more common practice for managers to offer something to employees. “Some companies offer their employees a free dinner, others allow them to take a few hours of additional vacation,” says Ms. Boilard as an example.

Will you work for free on February 29th? Read More »

Kellogg39s CEO Gary Pilnick is under fire for suggesting that

Kellogg's CEO Gary Pilnick is under fire for suggesting that poor people can eat cereal for dinner

Business News / By

Kellogg's CEO under fire for encouraging poor people to eat

Gary Pilnick has been CEO of Kellogg's since October.

Kellogg's CEO Gary Pilnick sparked controversy when he recommended people consider cereal with dinner as a cost-saving measure.

Mr. Pilnick spoke in an interview with CNBC about a company marketing campaign that encourages people to “give the chicken a break” and instead opt for bowls of Frosted Flakes and Frosted Mini-Wheats, making a fun change for family meals . Mr. Pilnick brought up this idea when responding to the host's question about rising prices at grocery stores.

“The cereal category has always been quite affordable, and it tends to be a great target when consumers are under pressure. We're advertising 'cereal for dinner,'” he said. “If you think about the cost of cereal for a family compared to what they would otherwise do, this will be much more affordable,” he added.

This is because people have had to spend around 26% more on food since 2020. The CNBC host asked Mr. Pilnick whether his words could be misconstrued by consumers. To which he replied: “Actually, things are going really well at the moment. Cereal for dinner is probably more trendy these days, and we would expect it to be [it] to continue because this consumer is under pressure.”

Watch the video here:

The comments, which many compared to Marie Antoinette's infamous “Let them eat cake” statement, quickly spread online and sparked strong reactions from people who found the suggestion controversial.

One user wrote on X, formerly Twitter: “Absolutely breathtaking level of arrogance from Kellogg's CEO Gary Pilnick. On the same level as “Let Them Eat Cake” (although that story is almost certainly apocryphal – Marie Antoinette wasn’t quite as stupid and out of touch as Gary Pilnick seems to be).”

Another user urged Mr Pilnick to “do better” and explained: “Gary Pilnick is seriously giving Marie Antoinette the vibe to let her eat cake.” Telling the poor to just go to dinner is not a good idea Eat cereal. His net worth is at least 6 million.”

Someone demanded that everyone “boycott” the brand.

“Gary Pilnick, CEO of Kellogg, recommends eating cereal for dinner. Exactly how bad does it have to get before people wake up?” read another comment.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Gary Pilnick has been CEO of Kellogg's since October. With over 23 years of experience, he is a long-time member of the Michigan-based organization.

Kellogg's CEO Gary Pilnick is under fire for suggesting that poor people can eat cereal for dinner Read More »

1709099502 A California doctor living in a 159 million cliff side mansion

A California doctor living in a $15.9 million cliff-side mansion in danger of collapsing refuses to move despite repeated warnings

Business News / By

Multimillion-dollar oceanfront properties in Southern California's Dana Point are considered safe to live in, even though a landslide a few weeks ago washed away most of the bluff beneath the homes.

• Also read: “Highways are not designed for this much traffic”: A Quebecer witnesses torrential rain in California

• Also read: In California: A landslide washes away the backyard of three luxury residences

• Also read: Severe storm claims at least three lives in California

In February, historic storms flooded the Golden State, leaving homes in the town of Dana Point, near Laguna Beach, in a precarious situation.

These could fall into the Pacific Ocean at any time.

The major coastal resort's most expensive home is a $15.9 million four-bedroom mansion that belonged to 82-year-old radiology doctor Lewis Bruggeman.

A California doctor living in a $15.9 million cliff-side mansion in danger of collapsing refuses to move despite repeated warnings

“Screenshot X / CBS News”

“The house is fine, it is not threatened,” he told news station KCAL.

A California doctor living in a $15.9 million cliff-side mansion in danger of collapsing refuses to move despite repeated warnings

AFP

He added, “The city agrees that there are no major structural issues with the home.”

A geotechnical engineer and building inspector had visited one of the three mansions – the furthest from the edge – and determined there was “no imminent threat,” according to CBS.

A California doctor living in a $15.9 million cliff-side mansion in danger of collapsing refuses to move despite repeated warnings

AFP

He went to the scene of the accident to “assess the situation and speak to the owner of the residence and the descent where the fall occurred,” he told CBS News.

The Dana Point cliff collapse followed heavy rains in Southern California in early February that caused landslides and flooding in the region.

Video footage from helicopters showed that one of the houses on the cliff appeared to be partially suspended in the air and the other two appeared to be dangerously close to the edge.

At the foot of the cliff, under the villas, a huge pile of earth, sand and stones has formed.

A California doctor living in a $15.9 million cliff-side mansion in danger of collapsing refuses to move despite repeated warnings

AFP

Real estate firm Redfin estimates the three adjacent homes are worth about $15.9 million, $14.1 million and $12.9 million, respectively.

Although experts have certified these Dana Point properties as safe, additional work will need to be done to withstand future storms.

“Significant work is required to stabilize this property,” Kyle Tourjé, vice president of Alpha Structural, an engineering firm, told The Washington Post.

A California doctor living in a $15.9 million cliff-side mansion in danger of collapsing refuses to move despite repeated warnings

AFP

“I think we will continue to see more damage. With two consecutive years of high occupancy, these properties simply cannot withstand a blow like this.”

The powerful storms that hit California are called “Pineapple Expresses,” causing incessant rains to lash the Southwest.

Some deaths were reported and hundreds of thousands of homes lost power.

A California doctor living in a $15.9 million cliff-side mansion in danger of collapsing refuses to move despite repeated warnings Read More »

Your Wendy39s burger could soon see a price increase

Your Wendy's burger could soon see a price increase

Business News / By

DUBLIN, Ohio — Wendy's restaurants plan to test price increases on their menu next year, meaning the prices of items will fluctuate throughout the day based on demand.

Wendy's CEO Kirk Tanner said earlier this month that the Dublin, Ohio-based fast-food chain would begin testing dynamic pricing, also known as surge pricing, as early as next year, the Associated Press reports. The chain plans to invest around $20 million by the end of 2025 to introduce digital menu boards in all of its restaurants in the United States.

Dynamic pricing, in which fees increase based on demand, is widely used by ride-hailing companies and also by services that sell tickets to concerts and sporting events, the Washington Post reports. It can save consumers money when shopping during off-peak times, but can lead to significantly higher costs when demand increases.

“Like it or not, these are the rules you have to live by,” Timothy Webb, an assistant professor of hospitality at the University of Delaware who studies dynamic pricing, tells the Post. “But the restaurant industry is much more competitive.”

CNN reports that McDonald's has been testing dynamic pricing in some locations, but it hasn't been well received by customers.

“The idea that a restaurant chain might raise prices at peak times, even if consumers believe they are raising prices, could lead to a backlash,” says Jonathan Maze, editor-in-chief of the trade publication Restaurant Business. tells CNN. “You have to proceed carefully. That’s why we didn’t see much of it.”

But Webb tells USA Today that Wendy's customers shouldn't expect large fluctuations in the price of its food, even during peak times.

“A flight doesn’t cost like $200 or $300. This is an extremely competitive industry. If Wendy's increased the price of a burger for dinner by $2 to $3, I would be shocked,” Webb said. “People have too many options. You just walk down the street and eat at Burger King instead. There will only be minor price changes here.”

Your Wendy's burger could soon see a price increase Read More »

Basic approval of 819 for Air Transat rejected

New collective agreement for Air Transat flight attendants

Business News / By

After months Negotiations full of twists and turnsAir Transat's 2,100 flight attendants have agreed to a new collective agreement that runs until October 31, 2027.

The agreement was approved by 62.7% of unionized workers. Around 78% of them took part in the vote, which took place between February 19th and 22nd.

“It’s a big victory for our members,” said Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) spokesperson at the negotiating table, Chantal Bourgeois. It wasn’t an easy negotiation, but we were able to achieve interesting gains.”

The union sought a significant pay catch-up after “years of concessions” from workers in Toronto and Montreal to allow the Quebec company to weather the pandemic.

Therefore, excluding the 18 percent compensation for 2022 and 2023, Air Transat employees will receive a 3 percent increase each year until the end of the new agreement.

“Few positive points”

If the Air Transat component of CUPE says it is happy with this new contract, the same cannot be said of the flight attendants who felt “pushed to the wall” when the union decided to present them with the arbitrators' proposal and thus exclude such a strike threat.

“It is practically the same as the second agreement that was rejected. “I think there were several of us who wanted to go all the way, there was a good mobilization,” laments a unionized employee.

“We had two options: accept [l’entente proposée par les conciliatrices] or go to arbitration,” summarizes another flight attendant interviewed by Le Journal. “For the few gains we would have had in arbitration regarding this agreement, we may have lost more if we had waited.”

The members surveyed agree that the new agreement contains “few positive points”.

Chantal Bourgeois claims that since the fundamental rejection of a second agreement, the negotiations have become more concrete, especially at the financial level.

“We had to adapt the strategy. We called for the intervention of mediators and agreed to live with the decision of a third person,” concludes the union consultant.

– In collaboration with Jean-Philippe Guilbault

Can you share information about this story?

Write to us or call us directly at 1 800-63SCOOP.

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Macy's is closing 150 stores nationwide, including San Francisco's flagship Union Square store

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Macy's to close SF Union Square flagship store

Macy's will close 150 stores nationwide over the next two years, including its flagship Union Square store in San Francisco.

SAN FRANCISCO – Macy's will close 150 stores nationwide over the next two years, including San Francisco's flagship Union Square store.

Mayor London Breed said the Union Square store will close in the second phase of closures and that the store will remain open and employees will still have jobs until then.

It will also take time to sell the 400,000-square-foot property, Breed added, promising to work with the next company to move in.

On a conference call Tuesday, Macy's officials said 50 stores in the United States will close in the first year and the remaining 100 in the second year.

For many, Macy's is more than just a department store, it's a nod to shared cultural experiences. Mayor Breed described this move as a business decision by Macy's.

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Macy's is closing 150 stores nationwide, including San Francisco's flagship Union Square store

Macy's will close 150 stores nationwide over the next two years, including San Francisco's flagship Union Square store.

“But as someone who grew up in San Francisco, Macy's has always meant a lot to the people of this city,” Breed said. “Families came here to shop for the holidays. Many people in my community got their first job here or even had a job for decades. It’s hard to imagine Macy’s no longer being a part of our city.”

Union Square Alliance CEO Marisa Rodriguez expressed similar sentiments.

“Macy's will remain open and may remain open for years to come,” Rodriguez said in a statement. “In all likelihood, there will be a holiday shopping season and Macy's big tree in 2024.”

However, Rodriguez acknowledged that the announcement “hurts” during a conference call with investors on Tuesday.

“Macy's has been synonymous with Union Square for generations,” Rodriguez continued. “I believe we should work on a solution that allows Macy's to keep this iconic store open.”

It wasn't immediately clear what will happen to the 20 other Macy's in the Bay Area, such as locations in Concord, Santa Rosa, Pleasanton and Walnut Creek.

Macy's is the largest department store chain in the country.

In addition to owning 350 Macy's stores, it is also the parent company of Bloomingdale's and cosmetics store Bluemercury.

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City leaders emphasized that the shutdown, particularly in San Francisco, is not about safety. In fact, they pointed out, Union Square saw its lowest crime rate in years during the recent holiday season, and thefts are down 39% so far in 2024.

Rather, it's about profitability.

Macy's and Bloomingdale's sales fell year-over-year during the 2023 holiday season.

Ray Wimer, a professor of retail practice at Syracuse University, acknowledged that Macy's is in a difficult situation, especially given online shopping and competition, including Target and Walmart.

“They have tried to restructure and strategize to find a path to success in the future,” Wimer said. “There’s just so much competition right now.”

Wimer said if companies could create a shopping experience with smaller spaces, requiring fewer staff, customers would get a better experience.

“The really big department store is no longer as attractive as it once was in many areas of the country,” Wimer said.

A new CEO, Tony Spring, took over the company last year, and investors had threatened to take the company private if it didn't turn things around.

On the earnings call, Spring said he had identified 150 stores that the company described as “unsustainable” locations and that were not as profitable.

Spring said the company spent seven months diagnosing the company's problems and finding solutions to them.

Pro-Palestinian protesters unfurl a banner in support of Gaza at the Chinese New Year parade from the Macy's in Union Square in San Francisco. (February 24, 2024)

They surveyed 60,000 customers and said the Macy's stores that remain open will be renovated and given more resources, including more employees in the women's shoe and apparel departments.

It's the Macy's chain's second major downsizing since 2020 and the company will have 350 stores, just over half its pre-pandemic number.

As Macy's shrinks, Bloomingdale's will grow.

Spring said that while they will close 50 Macy's stores this year and another 100 by 2026, he plans to open 15 new Bloomingdale's stores and 30 new Bluemercury stores.

He said that was a sign that the company wanted to shift its focus to higher-priced luxury brands and the skin care cosmetics market.

San Francisco politicians took the opportunity to discuss this new “opportunity” and present their vision for the future Macy's location.

The mayor said the city's goal is to focus on the opportunities this creates and ensure the space is used for something “profitable.” She envisions the space as a permanent destination that will attract people.

Supervisor Aaron Peskin said he was “devastated” about Macy’s workforce reduction plan.

But he said he would like to see the property become a mixed-use space, including building a new sound stage in Union Square to attract world-class performances.

At nearby historic John's Grill, the news was devastating.

“We have guests who go to Macy's or John's Grill during the holidays. It’s a family tradition,” John Konstin said.

The restaurant has been here in Union Square since shortly after the great earthquake of 1906. They welcomed Macy's in the 1940s. The restaurant's current generation of owners regrets that Macy's and the traditions associated with it are disappearing.

“It will be interesting to see where this goes and we will welcome the next operators downtown,” Konstin said.

Macy's is closing 150 stores nationwide, including San Francisco's flagship Union Square store Read More »

1709091029 The Labor Minister wants to reduce the number of foreign

The Labor Minister wants to “reduce the number of foreign workers”

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Quebec wants “reduce the number of foreign workers» by finding other ways to improve business productivity to prevent our SMEs from missing out on automation.

“Of course we want to work to reduce the number of foreign workers by increasing productivity, but we need to support our companies. That's what we're doing,” Labor Minister Kateri Champagne Jourdain said in an interview with the Journal on the sidelines of an announcement Monday in Montreal.

Even if these workers “respond to urgent labor needs across multiple sectors,” she says there is a real absorption problem.

As of December 31, there were 59,820 workers in the temporary foreign worker program and 107,615 in the international mobility program. (See table opposite)

Quebec

“Provided by IDQ”

To alleviate the shortage, a number of solutions are needed, according to Kateri Champagne Jourdain.

“We support companies in all areas related to machinery and technology with Investissement Québec and with training here at Employment. We are here,” she emphasized.

  • Listen to the interview with Kateri Champagne Jourdain, Minister of Labor, and Karl Blackburn, President and CEO of the Conseil du Patronat du Québec QUB :

Automation, robotization, exclusion of customers from the labor market… Our SMEs must roll up their sleeves and expand opportunities to increase their productivity, explained the minister.

“We have to make sure our companies have everything under control. There will be massive retirements. It's happening right now,” Kateri Champagne Jourdain continued after announcing a project aimed at keeping 60- to 69-year-olds in work.

Impact on salaries

On Monday, Le Journal reported that a study by the Institut du Québec (IDQ) suggested that more “foreign temporary workers” were being employed [que les 59 820 actuels] could have a negative impact on the wages of local workers.

“If there is less competition in certain occupations, wage inflation will be lower if we hire workers from abroad,” said IDQ Director General Emna Braham.

Asked about the issue, Minister Kateri Champagne Jourdain declined to comment on the issue until she had read the detailed study.

“We will take the time to consider how it has been brought into this report and that will also inform our considerations,” she concluded.

– In collaboration with Gabriel Côté

HIGHLIGHTS

According to the Institut du Québec, more than 23% of approvals for the temporary foreign worker program are for the agricultural sector, but manufacturing and IT are also increasingly participating in the program.

The Labor Minister wants to “reduce the number of foreign workers” Read More »