While lots of employers seem intent on bringing workers back into the office, there are still lots of well-paid remote jobs for professionals looking to bid adieu to the physical workspace.

Whether you’re after a warmer climate, lower living expenses, or a chance to finally put your Duo Lingo streak to good use, there are tons of reasons to jump on the digital nomad bandwagon. But with so many great locations to choose from, deciding on a country to relocate to isn’t always straightforward.

For US workers not bound to any physical location, we explore the best countries to work remotely from in 2024 — based on factors like their average cost of living, proximity to the US, and whether they offer that all-important digital nomad visa. Read on to discover our top picks.

1. Portugal

Located in the Southwest corner of Europe, Portugal is a vibrant country packed with architectural gems, sandy coastlines, and gastronomic delights. Boasting reliable network coverage, an excellent transport system, and an affordable cost of living, Portugal is frequently lauded as the best location for digital nomads and was even voted #1 best country to work from by the travel search engine Kayak.

Aside from stunning countryside locations like Tavira, Averio, and Sintra, Portugal is home to Porto and Lisbon — two bustling cities that have become major hubs for digital nomad communities over the years. The European country also offers a “Short Stay Visa” that allows digital nomads to work there for up to a year. To be eligible for this Visa, however, applicants need to provide proof that they make up to four times Portugal’s national minimum wage, which equates to roughly $3,350 per month,

2. Spain

Portugal’s neighbor Spain is another hit among remote workers, thanks in part to its sunny climate, laid-back culture, and abundance of co-working spaces (790 to be precise). Just like Portugal, Spain features diverse landscapes — from the rocky Sierra Nevada mountains to the coastal plains of Valencia — and has a relatively low cost of living. This makes it ideal for wanderlust professionals looking to pack in exciting trips outside of their 9 to 5.

Spain is also home to a large community of digital nomads, making it easy for new expats to connect with like-minded individuals across different industries. Moving to Spain should be relatively straightforward too, due to the country’s newly released digital nomad Visa that allows foreign workers within its borders for up to a year.

3. Mexico

Mexico is a digital nomad haven for obvious reasons. Firstly, its close proximity to the US makes it great for workers after cheap flights or an opportunity to stay close to family and friends. Secondly, Mexico’s cost of living is significantly cheaper than what the average American is used to, with rent costing 71% less than the US average in certain regions and a standard take-out coffee costing as little as $1.50 a pop.

From the cosmopolitan cafes of Mexico City to the sun-kissed beach bars of Puerto Vallarta, the North American country isn’t shy of prime working locations. Unfortunately though, some areas of Mexico are still deemed unsafe for foreign tourists, and the country doesn’t currently offer a digital nomad Visa — requiring remote workers to use a temporary resident Visa instead.

4. Romania

While you don’t often find the words blood-thirsty vampire and digital nomad in the same sentence, Romania has consistently proven itself to be an emerging hub for international workers and even landed a top three position in Kayak’s Work from Wherever Index.

The Eastern European country, which sits to the right of Hungary and Serbia and to the left of the Black Sea, is one of the most affordable locations in Europe — with its cost of living undercutting Western countries like England and France by around 50%.

Aside from rock-bottom rent, utilities, and living expenses, Romania oozes natural beauty and features a number of stunning natural landscapes and medieval towns. Don’t let the country’s ancient charm fool you either, Romania also boasts a reliable internet connection and tons of modern co-working facilities in its capital Bucharest. Professionals can move to the country easily too, thanks to the nation’s new digital nomad Visa.

5. Georgia

Nestled in between the flat plains of Eastern Europe and the high mountains of West Asia, Georgia is another former Soviet nation with a lot of potential for curious professions.

From its hospitable population to its unique history and culinary culture, Georgia has long been a magnet for explorers and foodies alike. In 2024, the ancient country is also fast becoming a hotspot for digital nomads due to its low cost of living, high safety index, and an emerging bohemian scene in cities like Tbilisi.

If you’re looking to escape in the hustle and bustle, Georgia is also home to multiple geological wonders including hundreds of glaciers, stunning emerald mountains, and scores of therapeutic caves. Fortunately for US professionals, Americans can work and live in the country without a Visa for up to a year.

6. Ecuador

While it may not yet be as popular as Mexico, Brazil, or Costa Rica, Ecuador is another excellent country for digital nomads and a great option for travelers looking to remain off the beaten track.

Firstly, Ecuador has an Eastern Time Zone, which is ideal if your company requires you to operate on US hours. Secondly, it’s one of the cheapest countries to live in South America, giving foreign workers greater opportunities to save or enjoy a slightly higher quality of living.

Thirdly, Ecuador is a biodiversity wonder. In fact, due to the combination of the Galapagos Islands, the Amazon, and the Andes Mountain range, it’s one of only 17 megadiverse counties in the world, making it a dream location for nature buffs.

Ecuador’s digital nomad Visa offers an easy route into the country too, allowing expats to work in the country for up to two years before they need to reapply.

7. Indonesia

It wouldn’t be a list of the top digital nomad locations without Indonesia making an appearance, right?

The Southeast Asian country has just about everything a nomadic professional is after — including laid-back island life, an extensive network of ex-pats, and one of the lowest costs of living in Asia. The province of Bali is especially popular due to its scenic seaside villages, nature trails, and great selection of co-working facilities.

Indonesia’s new Second Home Visa lets foreigners work in the country remotely for up to five years too. However, for all of Indonesia’s strengths, its capital’s time zone is 11 hours ahead of Washington DC’s, making it an unviable destination for workers that need to work on US time.

As more and more countries open their doors to laptop-clutching nomads to boost their economy, now is an opportune time to find a better location for your 9 to 5. And if you haven’t secured a remote job yet, don’t worry. Learn about opportunities that are currently available this month in our guide to the top fully remote jobs, and if you’re loyal to your employer, find out how to ask your boss to work remotely here.

Conc

Over the last few years, Slack has become synonymous with the business world. Hundreds of thousands of companies have adopted the messaging platform as the primary means of communication for their team, even to the point of killing email at many of them.

However, despite being released to the public in 2014, the average user isn’t taking advantage of all that Slack has to offer. In fact, the messaging platform offers a wide range of shortcuts that can save you some serious time when it comes to staying in touch with your team.

In this guide, you’ll learn some of the basic slack shortcuts, as well as some more advanced options that can help you format, navigate, and message in Slack without having to click around too much.

In this guide:

• What Are Slack Shortcuts?
• Basic Slack Shortcuts
• Messaging Slack Shortcuts
• Navigation Slack Shortcuts
• Formatting Slack Shortcuts
• Frequently Asked Questions

What Are Slack Shortcuts?

Slack shortcuts are keyboard commands that you can use to speed up your use of the popular messaging service. From composing messages to viewing conversation history, you’ll be able to access Slack quickly with your keyboard rather than having to click around the interface with your mouse.

Slack shortcuts work like standard shortcuts, in that all you have to do is press a few buttons on your keyboard to perform a particular task. Still, you have to know what the shortcuts are for them to be useful, which is where this guide comes in handy.

Basic Slack Shortcuts

Whether you’ve just installed Slack for the first time or simply never explored the shortcuts available to you, the reality is that your keyboard is a powerful tool when it comes to Slack, and you might be missing out if you don’t know the basics.

Fortunately, we’re here to help, with some basic Slack shortcuts that will get you acclimated to the desktop app in no time!

• Ctrl + / – View all shortcuts
• Ctrl + N – Compose new message
• Ctrl + Z – Unsend a message
• Ctrl + G – Start search
• Ctrl + F – Search in conversation
• Ctrl + U – Upload file
• Ctrl + , – Open preference
• Ctrl + . – Hide right sidebar
• Ctrl + Shift + D – Show or hide left sidebar
• Ctrl + Shift + Y – Set your status
• Ctrl + Shift + N – Create new canvas
• Ctrl + Shift + J – View all downloaded files
• Ctrl + Shift + Enter – Create a new snippet
• Ctrl + Shift + \ – Add emoji to message
• Ctrl + Shift + W – Reopen last closed window

Messaging Slack Shortcuts

As you know, messaging is the primary function of Slack. It allows you to create private and group messages, as well as communication in specific threads for particularly topics, which is why it’s become so popular in comparison to email.

However, if you really want to take your messaging to the next level, we can help. These Slack shortcuts are all about improving your messaging experience, so you can save a bit of time for more important work throughout your day.

Note: These shortcuts are enabled when you have clicked and focused on a specific message.

• E – Edit a message you sent
• Delete – Delete a message you sent
• T or → – Open a thread
• F – Forward a message
• P – Pin or unpin a message
• A – Save a message
• U – Mark all message above unread
• M – Create a reminder about a message
• R – Add an emoji to a message

Navigation Slack Shortcuts

If you’re just getting started with Slack, it can admittedly be a bit intimidating. Especially since the recent update that changed the interface, there are a lot of bells and whistles you need to keep track of to get the most out of the popular messaging platform.

With these shortcuts, you can more effectively navigate the Slack interface, allowing you to more easily access specific messages and conversations across the platform.

• Ctrl + K – Jump to a conversation
• Ctrl + J – Jump to most recent unread message
• Ctrl + Shift + 1 – Open the Home view
• Ctrl + Shift + 3 – Open the Activity view
• Ctrl + Shift + T – Open the Threads view
• Ctrl + Shift + L – Browse channels
• Ctrl + Shift + I – Open conversation details
• Ctrl + Shift + A – Open the All unreads view
• Ctrl + Shift + S – Expand/collapse workplace switcher
• Ctrl + Shift + Tab – Switch to previous workplace
• Ctrl + Tab – Switch to next workplace

Formatting Slack Shortcuts

As with any good business platform, Slack is customizable enough for its users to the exact kind of message they need to send, be it bold, underlined, hyperlinked, or anything in between.

Now, if you want to really speed up your messaging process, we’ve collected some of the most valuable formatting Slack shortcuts, so you can fire through your company-wide shout-out without too many clicks.

• Ctrl + Alt + 0 – Format text as paragraph
• Ctrl + Alt + 1 – Format text as H1
• Ctrl + Alt + 2 – Format text as H2
• Ctrl + Alt + 3 – Format text as H3
• Ctrl + Shift + 0 – Format text as checklist
• Ctrl + Shift + 8 – Format text as bulleted list
• Ctrl + Shift + 7 – Format text as numbered list

Slack Shortcuts: FAQs

Want to ask to work from home? That’s not surprising. Remote work has become one of the most sought-after perks for employees in the modern era, with the pandemic ushering in an era of flexibility that many workers are simply unwilling to part with.

Unfortunately, with return-to-office policies run amok, some employees are feeling left out when it comes to work-life balance. This has led to a wide range of consequences for managers and workers alike, further illustrating the value of remote work in the business world.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to ask to work from home, with a step-by-step plan that will have your manager begging you to ditch the commute and embrace the remote work lifestyle.

Here are the steps to ask to work from home:

1. Make Sure Remote Work Is Right for You
2. Create a List of Potential Remote Work Benefits
3. Speak in Person With Your Manager
4. Suggest a Trial Period for Remote Work
5. Collect Productivity Data During Trial
6. Turned Down? Apply to Remote Jobs Now

1. Make Sure Remote Work Is Right for You

Working from home sounds like a dream to those that have never experienced it. You get to sleep in, work in comfortable clothes, avoid the daily commute, and generally enjoy a more flexible schedule to accommodate other parts of your life beyond work.

Still, remote work is not necessarily for everyone. There are some pitfalls that you should consider before making the decision.

For starters, you could feel more isolated working by yourself all the time, removed from the company culture you’ve become accustomed to in the office. Working from home means that there are no coworkers to goof around with and no after-work happy hours to unwind from a long week.

On top of that, if you don’t communicate effectively via video meetings, you could be in trouble. Remote work is largely facilitated by video conferencing platforms like Zoom and Google Meet, which means that, depending on your role, you could be in back-to-back video meetings all day to keep you in touch with your team.

Other potential pitfalls of remote work include added utility costs, less feedback from managers, and blurred lines between work and personal life. Simply put, make sure none of these issues are dealbreakers for your everyday life, as it’s going to be pretty embarrassing to return to the office after going through all the following steps to set up your work from home life.

2. Create a List of Potential Remote Work Benefits

If you’re sure that remote work is what you want, the next step is making your case to work from home. Trust us, you don’t want to go into that conversation without being prepared, particularly because many CEO are dead set on getting employees back in the office.

Fortunately, there is plenty of evidence that remote work is as good for business owners as it is for employees. Here are a few helpful work from home statistics that will help you make your case:

• 47% of businesses notice increased productivity levels amongst employees who work remotely (Tech.co)
• Employees that work from home are more optimistic about work (89%) than those working in the office (77%) (ADP)
• Remote workers could have a 54% lower carbon footprint compared to onsite workers (PNAS)
• Businesses experienced a 22% performance boost when launching a hybrid work model (Stanford GSB)
• US employers can save an average of $11,000 per year for every half-time telecommuter. Savings are based on increased productivity, cheaper real estate costs, and reduced absenteeism and turnover. (Global Workplace Analytics)
• 97% of employees say they don’t want to return to the office full-time (Forbes)

While all those statistics are very convincing, we don’t recommend copying and pasting that list into an email to your manager. The best way to ask to work from home is in a genuine, personal way that is backed up by evidence.

3. Speak in Person with Your Manager

Now, it’s time to actually make the ask, and we can’t emphasize this enough: If you want to convince your manager to let you work from home, we highly recommend doing so in person. It may seem counterintuitive, because the goal is to establish that you can work productively beyond an in-office setting, but you’re going to want to have a meeting at the office to start the process.

The reality is that in-person meetings are simply more effective when asking for something in return. In fact, one Harvard Business Review study found that in-person requests are 34 times more effective than emailed requests.

Beyond that, the meeting should be fairly straightforward. Be confident but polite, assertive yet even-tempered, convincing but not weird about it. The data is in your favor, so just stick to the facts, add a personal touch, and you’ll be getting work done in your pajamas in no time.

Also, while the meeting should be in-person, you’ll definitely want to get confirmation that you’re going to be working from home in writing. After all, you’ll want assurances that this kind of remote work arrangement will last longer than a few weeks.

4. Suggest a Trial Period for Remote Work

Commitment is hard for everyone, and not just when it comes to relationships. Even the best ideas, like the 4-day work week, typically require a bit of time to convince those in charge that it will actually be beneficial to employees and employers alike.

Subsequently, we’d recommend you ask to work from home on a trial basis, so that you can prove to them that you’re not only more productive at home, but that you can remain an active member of the team without coming into the office.

If they’re pushing back a bit on fully remote work, you could also suggest that you trial the process with a hybrid work schedule, in which you’re in the office some days and working from home other days. This will give you a bit of freedom while assuage their concerns about your participation in company culture.

5. Collect Productivity Data During Trial

Convincing your manager to let you work from home is hard enough, but the job isn’t done if you want to keep it up. After all, you can just rest on your laurels now that you’ve reached the peak of work-life balance.

To make sure your remote work future stays intact, you’ll want to collect as much productivity data as possible, so you can continue to convince your team that working from home is in their best interest, as well as yours.

If you don’t have access to this kind of data, your manager should be more than willing to provide it if you ask. If not, do your best to keep track of it yourself and present the findings if you’re ever challenge on your work from home efficiency.

6. Turned Down? Apply to Remote Jobs Now

So, it didn’t work out for you. Whether your boss is committed to their in-office policy or you’re simply too valuable to the company culture to spare a single day away from your coworkers, working from home at your current job isn’t going to happen.

Now, if you’re one of the large majority of workers that would rather quit than return to the office, we have some good news for you. While headlines are riddled with return-to-office policy updates, there are actually plenty of jobs out there that are still hiring remote workers like its early 2020.

Here’s a list of companies with remote work jobs that are hiring now:

• Microsoft
• AirBnB
• Disney
• Slack
• Spotify
• Dropbox
• Uber
• Dell

If you want a remote working job with no qualifications, that’s all right. There are actually a lot of jobs that are willing to train and onboarding new hires that are happy to work from home, like content writer, data entry professional, translator, virtual assistant, and many more.

How to Ask to Work From Home: FAQs

The White House has just launched its first-ever executive order on how artificial intelligence is being developed and used in the US, answering long-standing calls for greater regulation of the technology.

The wide-reaching bill addresses pressing issues like algorithmic bias, national security, data privacy, and job displacement in what White House Deputy Chief of Staff Bruce Reed claims to be the “strongest set of actions” any government has taken to mitigate the risks of AI.

This executive order was issued ahead of Britain’s AI safety summit this Thursday, which a number of global leaders including US Vice President Kamala Harris will be attending.

Biden Issues First-Ever Executive Order on Artificial Intelligence

US President Joe Biden has unveiled a new executive order containing a set of regulations around artificial intelligence technology – in the White House’s first directive of its kind.

As the technology continues to develop at a breakneck speed, the order combines the efforts of several federal agencies and aims to establish “new standards for AI safety and security” across the US.

The aims of the order are varied. However, chief goals include lowering cases of AI-enabled fraud by establishing standards for detecting AI-generated content, protecting user privacy by passing bipartisan data privacy legislation, and lowering cases of algorithmic discrimination through improved training and legal protocols.

Aside from standing up for “consumers, workers, and students” the directive also addresses concerns around national security, by making sure all AI developers test their products for chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and cybersecurity risks.

Under the bill, which White House Chief of Staff Bruce Reed claims to be the “strongest set of actions” any government has taken to safeguard AI, companies are also required to share the results of these tests with the US government.

“It’s the next step in an aggressive strategy to do everything on all fronts to harness the benefits of AI and mitigate the risks,” – White House Deputy Chief of Staff, Bruce Reed

This order comes three months after several AI developers volunteered to watermark content created by the technology, and seven months after the Biden Administration sought public feedback on how AI developers like OpenAI and Google could be held more accountable.

AI Development is Still Outpacing Regulation

Biden’s new order is thorough and wide-ranging. However, the US’s legal response to AI has been sluggish compared to that of many European countries.

Before this directive was unveiled, the US government had previously issued no official AI-focused executive order, despite multiple campaigns signed by high-profile backers calling for a six-month pause of AI development, and OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman himself claiming that “if this technology goes wrong, it can go quite wrong”.

In contrast, the European Union (EU) passed the EU AI Act in early 2023, which is a risk-based approach that categorizes AI systems into four distinct categories: unacceptable risk, high risk, limited risk, and minimal risk.

The act – which almost led ChatGPT to be banished from the continent alltogether – also forced AI developers to disclose what copyrighted materials were used in the development of their systems, to ensure artists, musicians, and writers were able to be recognized for their work.

Britain’s to Host Global Summit on Dangers of AI

The White House’s New AI directive was published just days after UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak delivered a speech about the rapid development of AI-systems.

In the speech, Sunak claimed that AI has the power to “enhance” terrorist capabilities, including in propaganda, attack planning, and the development of bioweapons. The PM also warned that if the rate of AI development is maintained, it’s wider threat to humanity “cannot be ruled out”.

Sunak’s public address was a prelude to the UK AI Safety Summit, which will be held in Bletchley Park this week. The summit will bring global leaders from around the world together to discuss potential threats around the technology and set a new global regulatory agenda.

As concerns around the ethics of AI reach fever pitch, both Biden’s executive order and the UK’s AI summit clearly mark a step in the right direction, especially as no global legislation on artificial intellegence currently exsists.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has become arguably the most important technology in the business world over the last few years. Generative AI platforms like ChatGPT have become valuable tools for employees, while other intelligent features are being injected into every business software under the sun.

As a result, businesses are trying to understand exactly how to use the technology to its full potential. The problem? AI is evolving at such a rate that keeping up with all the trends can be nearly impossible if you aren’t making a concerted effort.

Fortunately, we’ve got you covered. We’ve collected a myriad of important AI statistics, many of which are from our own Impact of Technology on the Workplace report, so you can get a better picture of how AI is impacting the business world today.

In this guide:

• AI Job Replacement Statistics
• Artificial Intelligence Growth Statistics
• AI in the Workplace Statistics
• AI Ethics Statistics
• Popular AI Models, Uses, and Benefits
• The Future of AI in Business

AI Workplace Impact Statistics

1. Artificial intelligence is expected to create 133 million new jobs by 2030 (McKinsey)

Let’s start off with the good news. Although there’s a lot of talk about the negative impact AI may have on jobs, some sources, such as McKinsey, predict that 133 million new roles will be created as they’re gradually incorporated into existing business infrastructures. But this isn’t the only study about AI replacing jobs that’s been released recently.

2. 46% of senior leaders currently value AI skills as “very or extremely important” in hiring decisions. (Tech.co)

The Impact of Technology in the Workplace study from Tech.co found that AI is becoming a much more popular, with nearly half of seniors leaders noting that proficiency with the tech is a highly sought-after skill for hiring. Our research also found that businesses aren’t as eager to replace workers with robots just yet, with only a 6% increase year-on-year for AI job replacement.

3. Artificial intelligence could already replace the equivalent of 300 million jobs (Goldman Sachs)

This much-written-about figure made the headlines back in March, around the same time that Google’s AI chatbot, Bard, was released.

Goldman Sachs says that the rapid changes to our economy spurred on by AI development and adoption could drive “a 7% (or almost $7 trillion) increase in global GDP and lift productivity growth by 1.5 percentage points over a 10-year period.” The multinational bank also says that around two-thirds of US jobs are currently “exposed” to automation.

4. 78% of legal occupations are now influenced by AI, more than any other occupation (Semrush)

The legal world has been influenced by AI more than any other field, with life, physical, and social occupations in a distant second. Office and administrative occupations – which many people believe to be the most at-risk category of job roles – came in third.

Source: Forrester 2023 Generative AI Impact Forecast

5. Low-paid workers are more likely to be replaced by AI than high-paid workers (BIS)

A study from the Bank of International Settlements found that low wage workers were more likely to be replaced by AI than high wage workers. This is due to the fact that AI is more likely to be able to accomplish the entirety of the core task in low wage jobs, whereas high wage jobs require the human element, which AI can only partially provide.

Artificial Intelligence Growth Statistics

1. The AI market is expected to experience an annual growth rate of 37.3% from 2023 to 2030 (Grand View Research)

Grand View Research explains that the “essential fact” that’s seeing the AI market grow rapidly is the datasets accessible to companies building LLMs. “Technology has always been an essential element for these industries,” the research organization explains, “but artificial intelligence (AI) has brought technology to the center of organizations.”

2. By 2030, the artificial intelligence market is projected to be worth over $1.3 trillion (Markets and Markets)

AI really is here to stay — and companies like OpenAI and Anthropic have not found it difficult to secure various rounds of seed funding to continue their research and improve their large language models. With AI set to play an increasingly pivotal role in business operations, it’s not surprising that the market is set to grow exponentially over the next next seven years.

3. 44% of businesses are seeing at least a high return-on-investment from AI spend. (Tech.co)

It’s safe to assume that your AI dollars aren’t going to waste, with the Impact of Technology on the Workplace report from Tech.co finding that 32% of businesses are seeing a high return-on-investment, with 12% seeing a very high return on top of that. All that to say, you should feel comfortable put your dollars behind this new technology.

4. AI could increase the GDP of the US by 1.8% (MIT Sloan)

The number might not sound big, but with AI’s potential to replace as much as 20% of all jobs, it’s easy to see why it could have an impact on GPD. The technology could account for as much as 1.8% over time, according to a 2025 study from MIT Sloan.

AI in the Workplace Statistics

1. 61% of employees say that AI implementation has either slightly or significantly improved their work life balance. (Tech.co)

The use of AI has made life a little bit easier for employees in 2024, with 38% senior leaders noting that AI has slightly improved their work life balance, while 23% have said it significantly improves work life balance.

2. Employees using ChatGPT performed tasks 40% faster than those without. (Bipartisan Policy Center)

AI is actually helping employees get work done faster rather than replacing them, with those using platforms like ChatGPT completing tasks 44% faster than those without. On top of that, those using these platforms also had 18% better output quality.

3. 63% of businesses cite “inaccuracy” as the greatest risk AI poses to their organization (McKinsey)

Out of all the risks posed by AI, businesses are most worried about inaccuracies – or “hallucinations” – generated by AI tools. However, cybersecurity and intellectual property theft rank highly too. While respondents are more likely than they were last year to mitigate the risk of inaccuracy, the level of response is still inadequate.

Source: McKinsey’s State of Generative AI in 2024 report.

4. 43% of senior leaders that use AI are using it to streamline writing tasks. (Tech.co)

It’s no surprise that writing tasks are the primary target for AI usage, with the generative AI platforms like ChatGPT providing a surprisingly impressive means of creating copy from a simple prompt. Other popular use cases include data analysis (37%) and customer support chatbots (33%).

5. 65% of companies are using AI internally, while 74% are testing it (Deloitte)

The vast majority of companies have officially jumped on the AI bandwagon. A huge proportion of companies are using AI internally and an even larger percentage claiming to be “testing” the technology. So, there’s a very small percentage who are yet to explore what AI can do for them.

AI Ethics Statistics

1. 68% of business leaders think it’s unethical for employees to use AI tools without the permission of a manager (Tech.co)

According to a Tech.co survey, the vast majority of business leaders think their employees should be checking in with their employer, manager, or supervisor before they use AI tools in the workplace. However, 12.3% of respondents said they expect their employees to use AI tools, and they don’t need permission to do so.

2. AI-related infrastructure could soon consume six times more water than Denmark, a country with a population of 6 million (arxiv)

Unfortunately, all the computing power needed to train an AI is becoming a bit of a problem for the environment. Some estimates show that just the water required to cool down data centers and other AI infrastructure is far more than that needed for entire countries to survive.

3. 68% of consumers are concerned about misinformation generated by AI-powered technology (Statista)

Misinformation spread across the internet via social media platforms quickly enough without the help of powerful AI tools like ChatGPT, and this study found that search engine queries about the topic are filled with concerns, with the majority worried about the impacts of AI.

4. 35% of businesses do not regulate how employees can use AI chatbots at work. (Tech.co)

Despite the huge implications of using the technology at work, senior leaders are not caught up on regulating the tech, with not even a majority regulating how employees can use the tech. Even worse, only 27% of businesses have a clear, written AI policy in place that can handle concerns.

5. Half of users over 45 years old do not trust AI to make ethical decisions. (Statista)

Whether or not those using AI is one thing, but with the technology being given more and more control over how things operate, trust in its decisions is paramount. However, a slim majority do not believe in AI to make ethical decisions, which could create a long term issue for the tech.

Popular AI Models, Uses, Benefits, and Problems

1. Claude was visited by 72.9 million users per month in June 2024 – but ChatGPT hit 2.4 billion (SimilarWeb)

According to the most recent data available on SimilarWeb, while Claude has steadily grown its user base to tens of millions since its launch in March 2023, it’s a drop in the ocean compared to ChatGPT’s 2.4 billion users.

2. AI is expected to improve employee productivity by 40% (PwC)

According to research from PwC, AI is set to improve the productivity of knowledge workers by as much as 40%.

 3. Chatbots are set to become primary support channel for one quarter of all companies by 2027 (Dashly)

We’ve likely all interacted with a chatbot at some stage of our lives. But Dashly estimates that by 2027, one quarter of all companies will use them as the primary customer support channel.

4. 22% of firms are “aggressively pursuing” AI integration (CompTIA)

Almost one quarter of companies are “aggressively pursuing” AI integration across a range of products and workflows, as per a new report from CompTIA.

5. 11% of businesses have banned the use of AI chatbots entirely for security purposes. (Tech.co)

Security concerns and general functionality have scared many businesses off from using the technology until it has a better footing in the tech industry, with a not insignificant portion of senior leaders full-on banning the tech at their businesses.

ChatGPT (Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer) is a natural language processing chatbot powered by the GPT family of large language models. It was launched on November 30, 2022, quickly gaining millions of users within days and dwarfing the post-launch sign-up rates of the likes of Facebook.

In 2024, ChatGPT is one of the most widely used online tools in the world, with businesses finding new ways to put it to work on an almost daily basis. Now, users can even build their own, custom versions of ChatGPT, and there’s a version specifically designed for enterprises who want to incorporate it into their existing software infrastructure.

But what is ChatGPT, what is it primarily used for, and what’s actually happening behind the scenes when it generates intelligent, human-like answers? We’ll answer all of these questions and more in this comprehensive guide to the world’s most famous chatbot.

• What Is ChatGPT?
• How Popular is ChatGPT?
• How Does ChatGPT Work?
• What Is ChatGPT Used For
• What Is the ChatGPT Official Website?
• How to Sign Up for ChatGPT
• Is there a ChatGPT Mobile App?
• ChatGPT Pricing: Is ChatGPT Free?
• Using ChatGPT Sensibly

What Is ChatGPT?

ChatGPT is a generally available natural language processing tool that has been powered by the GPT family of large language models since its release. Language models are probabilistic models that predict word sequences based on training data. Large language models (LLMs) use deep learning techniques to reach higher levels of linguistic understanding and capability.

GPT stands for Generative Pre-trained Transformer. GPT models are pre-trained on huge corpora of unlabeled text data. What is learned from these datasets is then used by ChatGPT to generate responses to queries from users in real-time.

ChatGPT is owned and maintained by AI startup OpenAI. Microsoft has invested around $13 billion in the company since 2019. Over the past year and a half, several ChatGPT alternatives have been launched, including Google’s Bard and Anthropic’s Claude.

How Popular Is ChatGPT?

Now you’re clued in on what ChatGPT is, here are a few facts about the chatbot that illustrate just how popular it has become.

• More than 180 million people used ChatGPT in August 2023
• ChatGPT receives around 10 million daily queries
• OpenAI spends around $700,000 a day to keep ChatGPT going
• 2 million people in the US pay for ChatGPT Plus
• ChatGPT became the fastest-growing platform in history after it launched*

*This record was later broken by Meta’s Threads app.

How Does ChatGPT Work?

ChatGPT is powered by the GPT family of language models. When it was initially released, it used the GPT-3 large language model to generate responses. In 2024, the free version of ChatGPT is powered using GPT-3.5, while the paid version is powered using GPT-4.

As we’ve covered, GPT stands for Generative Pre-trained Transformer, which is a type of Large Language Model. GPT models are trained on a corpus of text data that includes internet resources like webpages, documents, files, books, and stories.

GPT-4 has more “parameters” than GPT-3.5. Parameters are adjustable components of large language models that play a central role in transforming inputs into outputs. The more parameters, the larger and more powerful the model is.

The GPT models use finely tuned, specialized algorithms to look for patterns and sequences in the training data – the underlying structures that exist in all written text.

This is an example of “non-supervised learning” – which is the kind of learning that ChatGPT does. When it is trained, inputs (i.e. text to respond to) are not associated with any specific outputs. This is why ChatGPT is better at understanding the intricacies of human thought, speech, and written messages unlike, say, a “help” bot you might find on a website.

For comparison, these customer support chatbots – which are simpler and more limited – use a method called “supervised learning” – where inputs and outputs are tied together. This is why they appear more mechanical and don’t answer questions cogently anywhere near as often as ChatGPT does.

Although ChatGPT is extremely capable and useful thanks to its complex training processes, they’re not perfect, nor is ChatGPT powered by a human mind.

Logical and factual inconsistencies are common, as is the generation of false information. Instances of this are commonly referred to as hallucinations. Some requests that pit different parts of ChatGPT’s logical infrastructure against one another can also lead to strange outputs being generated.

This is a simple explanation of an incredibly complex process, but at its core, that’s how ChatGPT works. Due to the fact that the human experience is full of biases, ChatGPT will and does exhibit some biases as it picks apart the underlying structures that written text is based on.

This is one of several ethical issues surrounding the continued use of artificial intelligence.

Posing an ethical question to ChatGPT.

What Is ChatGPT Used For?

ChatGPT’s use cases are almost endless – people have been using it to complete all sorts of work. Some of its most popular use cases include:

• Summarizing documents and files
• Paraphrasing complex text
• Generating teaching materials (e.g. questions)
• Creating formulas for spreadsheets
• Coding duties in various programming languages
• Analyzing and interpreting data
• Brainstorming and generating ideas
• Proofreading (but not fact-checking*)
• Generating content (articles, product descriptions)
• Reviewing legal and financial documents
• Customer support/service (API)

ChatGPT is much easier to use if you use specific ChatGPT prompts, which elicit specific, useful responses from ChatGPT because they’re designed to minimize confusion.

*ChatGPT is trained on data in a set that was compiled before 2021. This means that it struggles to give accurate answers about events that took place after this time.

Generating formulas with ChatGPT.

What Is the ChatGPT Official Website?

You can access ChatGPT – as well as image generator DALL-E – through OpenAI’s website. However, you can also access it directly through the ChatGPT login page.

If a website is claiming to give you access to ChatGPT outside of the OpenAI domain, treat it with extreme caution. As with all popular websites and tools, it didn’t take long after ChatGPT’s launch for scammers to start to impersonate it.

ChatGPT and AI scams are now extremely common, so it’s crucial you keep your wits about you when using these sorts of tools online.

How to Sign Up for ChatGPT

If you want to sign up for ChatGPT, you’ll need an email address and your phone number to log in. You’ll also need to create a strong, unique password, which is particularly important if you’re going to be using ChatGPT to review things like confidential documents.

OpenAI requires you to hand over your mobile phone number because it stops people from just constantly making accounts with new email addresses. However, once more, it’s also worth bearing in mind that you can’t really use the service anonymously – another factor worth considering when you use it.

Is There a ChatGPT Mobile App?

Yes – ChatGPT now has an official app for Android and iOS, so you can use the chatbot on the go. The app is rated 4.7/5 on the Google Play store and 4.9/5 on the Apple Store.

There are lots of fake ChatGPT apps floating around these marketplaces, so be careful that you’ve definitely got the official app in front of you before you download anything.

ChatGPT Pricing: Is ChatGPT Free?

Yes – there’s a free version of ChatGPT that’s been available since the November 2022 launch. You can get chatting by signing up in the way described above. The free version of ChatGPT is powered by GPT-3.5.

There is also a premium version of ChatGPT called ChatGPT Plus. It costs $20 per month to use, but it utilizes GPT-4 rather than GPT-3.5, which is a lot more powerful. GPT-3.5 has over 175 billion parameters, but GPT-4 has 1.7 trillion.

OpenAI will now also provide developers with the ChatGPT API, which means they can incorporate ChatGPT into their products, services, and business infrastructure.

Planning a trip to Athens, Greece, with ChatGPT’s free version.

Using ChatGPT Sensibly

Throughout this guide, we’ve made reference to a few of the “problems” that are baked into ChatGPT’s mechanisms, as well as the fact many scammers are hopping on the AI bandwagon and using it to con unsuspecting targets through various means.

There are other things worth considering firstly when using ChatGPT, and secondly when looking for AI tools for other uses online.

When using ChatGPT

If you’re using ChatGPT at work, always be transparent about your usage with your manager and follow your business’s AI guidelines if they exist. Always proofread work created by ChatGPT, especially if it’s for public consumption or being sent to clients and customers.

Ensure that you’re given the all-clear to input certain types of information for ChatGPT to review, and we’d recommend deleting conversations that include personal or sensitive information once you feel the chatbot has served its purpose.

As you should with any software or service, ensure you read through ChatGPT’s privacy policy and find out how OpenAI may use your data. For example, conversations you have with ChatGPT might be re-used for training purposes.

When looking for other AI tools online

If you want to use another AI tool, conduct extensive background research. As we’ve said previously, there are quite a few apps on the app store that claim to be useful AI tools, but are severely limited and will coax you into paying hefty subscription fees after only a short period of use.

Google’s Bard, Anthropic’s Claude, and Perplexity.ai are three alternative chatbots that you can use to get started and are perfectly safe. You might also find Grok vs ChatGPT an interesting new chatbot clash to consider. But if you’re hooked on ChatGPT like the rest of the world, then you may not have to.

Budget ecommerce platforms Temu and Shein have both asked for the lawsuits they filed against one another during the past twelve months to be dropped, according to recent reports.

The move ushers in a legal ceasefire between the two warring brands, but it’s unclear at present as to why they pushed for the cases to be dismissed. Neither company has provided an explanation for the seemingly coordinated decision, and it seems no settlements have been paid.

Why Have Temu and Shein Been Fighting?

Both online retailers have filed wholly separate legal against one another, with Temu filing in Boston in July of this year and Shein filing in Chicago in December 2022.

According to Reuters, Shein alleges that Temu paid social media influencers to badmouth the company and also created “imposter” accounts to push their app, tricking consumers into thinking that Shein and Temu are the same brand.

Temu, on the other hand, accused Shein of breaking antitrust laws by making manufacturers sign “loyalty oaths” to stop them from doing business with Temu. Shein responded at the time, saying the lawsuit was “without merit”.

Who Owns Temu and Shein, and What Are They Worth?

Temu is owned by PDD Holdings, a Chinese company founded by Colin Huang in 2015. Huang was recently listed as China’s third-richest man, with a net worth of $37.2 billion.

PDD Holdings also owns Pinduoduo, another online retailer that focuses on the agricultural industry. Its market cap is around $141.96 billion.

Shein was founded back in 2008 in China, but the company is now headquartered in Singapore. It now has over 10,000 employees.

It was created and is still primarily owned by Chris Xu – although very little is known about the now-billionaire, who is considered rather illusive when compared to the celebrity of Alibaba’s Jack Ma and Tencent’s Pony Ma.

In 2022, Shein was said to be worth around $100 billion – but its market cap is now around $64 billion.

Temu and Shein: Are They Worth it?

Temu and Shein both offer clothes at astonishingly low prices – and naturally, the more difficult the economic climate, the more people are going to be looking for cheap deals. Those feeling the pinch are more than prepared to broaden their shopping horizons.

For many right now, western retailers like Amazon just don’t cut it – and when they’re hiking their premium service subscriptions in some territories, the average shopper needs very little motivation to look elsewhere.

However, if you’re shopping on a site like Temu or Wish, make sure to read through ample reviews of the products you’re purchasing-  just like you would on Amazon. However, although Temu is a legitimate website, the quality of some products has been criticized online. So, it’s important to keep your wits about you when ordering, particularly if you’re purchasing cosmetics or kitchen items.

You’ve probably heard of both Bard and ChatGPT by now. However, another highly capable chatbot burst onto the scene earlier in 2023, called Claude. It comes courtesy of Google and Amazon-backed startup Anthropic, which was only founded in 2021.

Claude is definitely one of the most impressive chatbots to be launched in since the AI boom began. More than 350,000 people signed up to the waitlist to use Claude 2, the second version of the language model, before it was released last year. Claude 2.1 was launched in November, making it the company’s most advanced language model in 2024.

In this guide, you’ll learn exactly what Claude is, how it works, and all about its parent company, Anthropic. You’ll also see how Claude differs from ChatGPT in key areas.

• What Is Anthropic AI?
• Who Owns Anthropic, and Who Funds It?
• What is Claude AI? An Intro to the Chatbot
• 8 Questions with Claude [Test]
• Claude Pricing & Tokens Explained
• Claude vs ChatGPT: Key Differences
• Should You Use Claude AI?

What Is Anthropic AI?

Anthropic is an AI startup company based in San Francisco, California. The company describes itself as an AI “safety and research” business and focuses focused on creating “reliable, interpretable, and steerable AI systems.”

It was founded in 2021 by Dario and Daniela Amodei, and now has more than 150 employees.

Anthropic is classed as a public-benefit company – a corporation that is set up to make a profit, but is doing so by working on something that will have a positive impact on humanity.

Anthropic largely focuses its work on building large language models (LLM) and the chatbots that subsequently use them. Its most famous offering so far is Claude, which a sophisticated chatbot similar to ChatGPT.

Who Owns Anthropic, and Who Funds it?

Anthropic is still headed up by founders Dario and Daniela Amodei, who are CEO and President respectively. They were previously senior figures at OpenAI, which owns ChatGPT.

GPT-3 engineer Tom Brown and fellow Co-founder Sam McCandlish are also among the ranks, along with other former OpenAI employees.

During Anthropic’s first funding round, which took place in early 2021, the company raised an impressive $124 million – which included investment from Skype Co-founder Jaan Tallin.

In 2023, Google invested almost $400 million in the startup and took a 10% stake in the company – then, it stumped up a further $2 billion in October.  Later on in the year, Amazon pledged up to $4 billion, and as part of the latter deal, Amazon employees and cloud customers will get early access to the technology.

2024 is likely to contain much of the same for Anthropic, with reports suggesting the company has plans to raise even more funds to continue their research and development.

What is Claude AI? An Intro to the Chatbot

Claude is an AI assistant (i.e. chatbot) developed by Anthropic. It was first released in March 2023, powered by the language model Claude 1.3. However, a second version – powered by a language model called Claude 2 – was released in July 2023. As we covered in the introduction, in November 2022 Claude 2.1 was released, which is the latest version of Claude currently available in 2024.

Anthropic also says Claude 2 scores higher on Bar tests and that it was twice as good at giving “harmless” responses. However, its dataset was cut off in 2022 and it can’t connect to the internet, so it struggles to give accurate answers relating to events that happened after that point in time.

Anthropic has also released another, nimbler, lighter model that gives quicker responses, called Claude Instant. The company says that this version of Claude is lighter and quite a bit faster than Claude 2, but that Claude 2 is better at complex reasoning and the more powerful offering overall.

Claude expanded its “context window” from 9,000 tokens to 100,000 tokens in May 2023 shortly before releasing Claude 2. This means it can handle inputs of around 75,000 words, so businesses can submit huge reams of documentation for Claude to analyze. However, Claude 2.1 now has a 200K context window, which can help reduce rates of hallucination even further, Anthropic says.

Should You Use Claude AI?

Having written about the AI revolution and the expansion of the chatbot ecosystem for some time now, I’ve used Claude regularly since its release.

Aside from Bard and ChatGPT, I’d say it’s probably the most capable chatbot I’ve tested. Its answers are more cogent than the likes of Character AI, and it’s actually got a really sleek, welcoming interface.

If you’d like to find out how Claude 2, Bard and various chatbots compare, check out our guide to the best ChatGPT alternatives.

8 Questions to Ask Claude

To give you a little bit of a taste of what Claude is like to use and what the interface looks like, I asked the chatbot a series of different questions. Here’s how it responded:

Claude Pricing & Tokens Explained

You can use Claude for free, but you’ll be limited. Now, you can purchase Claude Pro – which was first released in September 2023 – for $20 per month. This makes it the same price as ChatGPT Plus, the paid-for version of the popular chatbot that will let you install ChatGPT plugins, among other paywalled features.

Claude Pro will give you five times as much usage as the free plan, as well as early access to new Claude features.

However, if you’re going to be using Claude a lot, there’s another way you can pay for access to the standard version of Claude as well as the “Claude Instant” version discussed above.

The cost of Claude and Claude Instant, in this case, will depend on how many tokens you buy. “Tokens” are very tiny elements of a language model – they can correspond to words, subwords, characters, and bytes, says Anthropic, which describes them as “atoms”. When you input a prompt into Claude, it’s then converted into tokens.

Claude Instant tokens cost $0.80 per million for prompts and $2.40 per million for completion (i.e. outputs). Claude tokens cost $8.00 per million for prompts and $24.00 per million for completion – all of these price points have been reduced since the launch of Claude 2.1, which now has the most expensive tokens. Here’s the full pricing model:

Claude AI and ChatGPT: Key Differences

Claude is a robust and well-engineered AI chatbot, and it’s a good option to have in your back pocket if ChatGPT goes down. but there are some key differences between Claude  and ChatGPT are good to know about before you start using either chatbot.

Language model

Claude is the name given to both the Chatbot and the large language model developed by Anthropic. It is trained on over 137 billion text and code parameters – the same as Meta’s Llama 2.

Parameters are different variables that are learned by an LLM during training, ones that can be adjusted to sculpt the way it replies to responses. Generally, more parameters mean a more powerful language model.

ChatGPT’s free version uses GPT-3.5, trained on 175 billion parameters – so it’s not that much larger than Claude. GPT-4, which powers the paid version, is trained on an enormous set of 1.5 trillion parameters.

Data retention and usage

Since ChatGPT burst onto the scene in 2022, privacy advocates have been demanding more information about how the chatbot utilizes user data. OpenAI has always been open about the fact that ChatGPT saves data, that user conversations might be used for AI training purposes, and that these may even be seen by humans working at the company. However, the company will retain your conversations for up to 30 days after you delete them.

Anthropic’s Claude will save your conversations too. The company says that it will “automatically delete prompts and outputs on the backend within 90 days of receipt or generation unless you and we agree otherwise”, and that it won’t “use your conversations in our consumer or beta/evaluation services to train our model.” The only exception is if you’re flagged for a trust and safety review.

Response moderation

One big difference between ChatGPT and Claude is that Claude is generally considered better at consistently producing safe responses. The reason? Claude is built with something called Constitutional AI.

Claude is given a set of values that its answers have to adhere to and can then fine-tune itself using the constitution, rather than waiting for human feedback and input, which is how ChatGPT learns what responses it should refuse to answer.

In one phase of model training, Claude was asked to “critique and revise its own responses using the set of principles and a few examples of the process”. In the second phase, reinforcement learning is used to train the model further, but as we’ve covered, it generates its own feedback for itself using the constitution.

Context window size

As we mentioned above, Claude 2 has a context window of 100K tokens, or around 75,000 words – which means you can, in theory, upload large reports, legal documents, etc. However, Claude 2.1 has a much larger context window of 200K tokens – about 150,000 words. This makes it a particularly attractive prospect for Enterprises, as Claude will be able to deal with huge inputs and relay more accurate responses due to the context window.

GPT-3.5 Turbo has a context window of 4,097 tokens, while GPT-3.5-16K has a context window of about 16,385 tokens. GPT-4, which is only available to ChatGPT Plus customers, has a context window of more than 32,000.

Subscribers to rival AI chatbot Perplexity’s Pro account can now also use Claude’s long context window of 100,000.

Revenue

A final big difference is the company’s revenues. Anthropic predicts to make at least $850 million in annualized earnings during 2024.

ChatGPT, on the other hand, is creeping towards $1 billion annual revenue. It’s used by more people and now has a premium version itself. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean either company is hyper-profitable. It costs around $700,000 per day just to keep ChatGPT up and running and responding to user queries.

Google Maps has added a whole bunch of features that are powered by artificial intelligence, allowing you to more effectively reach your destination without getting lost.

While Google is all about providing a seamless experience that doesn’t require a lot of instruction, new features always have a bit of a learning curve. Fortunately, we’re here to help.

In this guide, you’ll learn exactly how to take advantage of these new Google Maps features, including Immersive View and Google Lens in Maps.

What Is Google Maps?

If you don’t know, Google Maps is the popular web mapping service from Google that provides directions to users, as well as a wide range of business information, traffic updates, and route planning.

In a blog post this week, Google announced a wide range of new AI-powered features that will make the service that much more impactful when it comes to planning your next trip, and we’ll go through each of them below.

Immersive View for Routes

The Immersive View for Routes feature is a pretty cool one for those planning their routes with Google Maps. Rather than a standard map setup, this view will give you a realistic view of the buildings, scenery, and weather conditions you might see along the way.

This groundbreaking feature was announced in May 2022, and we haven’t gotten many updates since then. However, this week, the feature will be rolling out to select cities, so you can finally get the immersive view of your route in the Google Maps app on iOS and Android.

As for how, the process is fortunately quite simple. All you have to do is set up your route like you always do. Then, instead of the street view window, you’ll find it has been replaced by the Immersive View window in the bottom left corner of the screen. Once you click on that, you’ll be taken to the route preview, which will take you to the new interface.

Take note, the Immersive View for Routes feature is not widely available to all users just yet. You’ll have to be in one of the cities that have already rolled it out, which includes Amsterdam, Berlin, Dublin, Florence, Las Vegas, London, Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Paris, Seattle, San Francisco, San Jose, Tokyo, and Venice. The feature will be coming to more cities soon, though, so be patient and you’ll be getting in-depth directions in no time.

Immersive View for routes in action
Image: Google

Google Lens in Maps

Lens is the image recognition technology offered by Google, which allows you to take a picture of a particular item and it can tell you what it is, within a reasonable doubt. However, the technology hasn’t been available on Google Maps… until now.

Google Lens in Maps is a helpful and effective tool for understanding your surroundings a bit better. It uses image recognition technology to show you exactly where your destination is with Google Map indicators displayed on top of your in-person camera view.

Again, this feature is quite easy to use once you know where to look. In your basic view of Google Maps, look up at the search bar at the top of the screen. Click the Google Lens icon (a small camera), which should be next to the microphone icon. This will open your camera up, giving you the option to choose what kind of establishment you’re looking for (restaurant, bar, salon, etc.). The screen will then display all of locations within your parameters when you point your camera in that direction.

Detailed Map Functionality

While this isn’t necessarily a new feature, it does provide a convenient update that will make driving in particular that much easier. After all, new features aren’t helpful if the basic Google Maps interface doesn’t work for you. In this new update, the Google Maps interface gets a substantial improvement, allowing for in-depth map details that can help you along your route.

More specifically, Google Maps will now alert US drivers when an HOV (carpool) lane is available on the way to their destination. For European users, AI-powered speed limit information will now be available directly on screen, so you can see if your kilometers are getting to dangerous new heights.

Fortunately, you don’t have to do anything to utilize these new features. Just make sure you have the updated version of the app and that you’re living in a city that has rolled out these features, then keep an eye out for these new features on your next trip.

Improved EV Charging Information

Electric vehicles are a sustainable and environmentally friendly way to get around your city. However, unless you have a charging dock at home, you’ll have to find a charging station to fill up your ride, and they aren’t as easy to find as the nearest gas station. Fortunately, Google Maps just changed that.

With this new feature, electric vehicle drivers will be able to get detailed information about EV charging stations near them. Not just location either; you’ll be able to see what kind of charging stations are available and how fast they can charge your vehicle.

To utilize this handy feature, you don’t have to put much work in. Simply search for charging stations on Google Maps, and you’ll see a selection of options pop up, just like if you were searching for a bar or restaurant. Then, just scroll up from the bottom, and you’ll be privileged to all the new information you need to get your car charged up fast.

Image-First Results in Google Maps Search

Being a visual learner means that your brain is more attuned to seeing images than reading words when looking for something in particular. With Google Maps, these kinds of learners are going to be able to find what they’re looking for a lot faster thanks to image-focused search in Google Maps.

This new update (again, not necessarily a feature) will allow users to do a bit more visual digging for their particular destination. The image-first search results for queries like “animal latte art” or “pumpkin patch with my dog” will bring up images when you scroll up and even show specific images on the map icons.

Again, you don’t have to do much to take advantage of this feature. Just make a search in Google Maps that requires a bit more visual focus, and scroll up from the bottom of the screen to see more images and views that coordinate with your search.

The kids are not alright. At least, that’s what a new claim against Meta says, with 41 states joining various lawsuits that accuse the social media company of nefariously marketing to kids.

Meta is no stranger to controversy. From Facebook and WhatsApp scams to the Cambridge Analytica scandal, the Mark Zuckerberg-led company is more than familiar with a bit of bad press.

However, this new lawsuit is one of the largest of its kind and could have a lasting impact on social media as a whole if Meta is held accountable.

Meta Sued Over Impact on Children

In a joint lawsuit signed by representatives from 33 different states, Meta is accused of using misleading marketing to encourage and foster addictive behavior in children to improve engagement on its social media platforms, which include Facebook and Instagram.

“Meta has harnessed powerful and unprecedented technologies to entice, engage, and ultimately ensnare youth and teens. Its motive is profit, and in seeking to maximize its financial gains, Meta has repeatedly misled the public about the substantial dangers of its Social Media Platforms.” – the lawsuit against Meta

On top of that, eight other states have filed separate lawsuits against Meta accusing it of the same behavior, which makes for a total of 41 out of 50 states bringing charges up against the social media company.

How Did Meta Respond?

Considering the size and scope of this lawsuit, Meta was bound to respond with its trademark brand of seemingly feigned shock, and the social media giant, of course, didn’t disappoint.

“We’re disappointed that instead of working productively with companies across the industry to create clear, age-appropriate standards for the many apps teens use, the attorneys general have chosen this path.”

Meta also specified that it had made more than 30 different interface updates aimed at protecting children and creating age-appropriate standards for its many young users.

The Fight Against Social Media Addiction

While Meta may have made strides in making its social media platforms more friendly to children overall, the reality is that social media addiction continues to wreak havoc on the wellbeing of its young users.

More and more studies have started coming out that show the negative health impacts of social media on kids. Most have found that children that use social media more often are prone to depression, with suicide rates showing a notable increase since the advent of social media.

“We refuse to allow Meta to trample on our children’s mental and physical health, all to promote its products and increase its profit. We refuse to allow the company to feign ignorance of the harm that’s causing, we refuse to let it continue business as usual.” – Rob Bonta, California Attorney General

As the primary company in the social media world, this lawsuit against Meta could shape how it and other businesses are mandate to deal with children. But given the fact that little more than fines have been levied against Meta for its nefarious actions, we’ll have to wait and see if anything actually happens this time.

Social media platform X (formerly Twitter) has added audio and video calling functionality to its app for the very first time. Here’s how to use it or disable it, depending on how you’re feeling about the new feature.

The addition of video calls is the first in a series of new features the social media platform is getting, with the ability to make payments also incoming and rumors that shopping, banking, food delivery and even ridesharing could feature in the Elon Musk owned app’s future.

The tech giant has already undergone a significant transformation since Musk took over the company last year.  The rebrand to X is a major part of that, as is finally sharing ad revenue with creators  and testing out a new subscription fee model.

Call functionality had been teased by Musk for a while prior to its addition, but don’t worry if the thought petrifies you: we’re here to show you how to disable video calling in X right away. Alternatively, here’s how to use it if that’s what you’d prefer to do.

How to Use Video and Audio Calling in X

X released its latest update this Wednesday, and with it the ability to make audio and video calls to your contacts via the Direct Messages section of the app. Prior to this, it was only major social media app that didn’t let you do this.

If you actually want to use this, it’s straightforward and you’ll find it’s turned out by default. That means to use video and/or audio calling in X, all you need to do is go to your Direct Messages, then open a window with the person you want to call.

How to Disable Video and Audio Calling in X

However, if the idea of yet another app for people to call you on is raising your anxiety levels already, it’s easy to disable this feature. Just follow these simple steps:

• Select your profile picture
• Select Settings and support
• Select Settings and privacy
• Select Privacy and safety
• Select Direct messages
• Turn off the slider that says, Enable audio and video calling

If you don’t mind leaving this feature switched on, you can also be more specific about who can call you. Simply select from any combination of the the three check boxes to restrict certain users from contacting you via audio or video call:

• People in your address book
• People you follow
• Verified users

That’s all there is to it. You have now disabled X’s new calling feature, or customized your permissions so you can only use it with people you actually want to speak to.

Could X Become the First True “Everything App”?

The trend for social media platforms across the board to add on features similar to those that once defined their competitors is growing. This has been demonstrated by numerous features such as Stories being used on almost all apps – even LinkedIn briefly gave them a try before ditching the idea in 2021.

Disappearing images, once a unique feature for Snapchat, is now (thankfully) commonplace on virtually all apps. Most recently, Instagram launched its text-based “social conversations” app, Threads, to try and take advantage of the huge number of people searching for legit Twitter alternatives, as X was then called.

Now, X isn’t just playing catch up with features like video calling, it apparently has bigger ideas, with Elon Musk’s grand plan for the platform apparently also including not only direct payments, but everything from shopping and banking to meal delivery and ridesharing.

The idea of becoming an “everything app” carries a certain amount of appeal, especially given X’s difficult year since Musk acquired the platform for $44 billion in October 2022.

Vacation rental giant Airbnb has recently introduced a new artificial intelligence (AI) powered software system to weed out potential party throwers and stop them from making a booking.

Airbnb renting is one of the best side hustles around. However, the risks of your home getting trashed by folks getting trashed has emerged as a real concern in recent years. The scenario has played out all too often in the news, with mass gatherings and raucous parties happening in the homes of unassuming Airbnb hosts all around the world, some of who have been left with hundreds or thousands of dollars worth of damage.

This problem was exacerbated during the pandemic when the usual watering holes that allowed youngsters to let off steam were closed, so house parties became the natural way to bridge the gap.

Airbnb’s Party Ban Gets High-Tech

In 2020, Airbnb announced a global ban on organized parties and open-invite gatherings, led by Naba Banerjee, head of safety and trust at Airbnb. Since then, they’ve reported a 55% reduction in reported parties globally.

Now Airbnb is going one step further. With its reputation as a party-pooper at the point of no return, it is implementing AI in a bid to restore trust in its platform among hosts.

Artificial intelligence lends itself to this kind of task very well, with its ability to process large quantities of data and profile users based on a mixture of their characteristics and their platform usage.

How Does AI Vetting Actually Work?

The AI models look at hundreds of factors, including the reservation’s closeness to the user’s birthday, the user’s age, length of stay, the listing’s proximity to where the user is based, weekend vs. weekday, and whether the listing is in a popular location or during a public holiday.

The software works on a system of probability, “if someone is booking a room during New Year’s Eve for one night only, and they are from the same city as the host, that’s likely to be a party,” says Naba Banerjee, the person in charge of the anti-party strategy at Airbnb in a BBC report.

Ms Banerjee adds that if the AI deems that the risk of a party booking is too high, it will prevent the booking, or instead guide the person to the website of one of its partner hotel companies. She says it is an issue of trust, the company wants to reassure people that they are doing everything they can to stop people breaking this rule.

Will AI Unfairly Profile Younger Renters?

Since the worldwide launch of Banerjee’s party crackdown initiative in May, the company reports that more than 320,000 guests have been blocked or redirected from booking attempts. Its rental terms now include restrictions on under 25s renting, which another factor the AI algorithm will consider in making its decisions.

As with all AI-powered software, from AI website builders to AI resume builders, it should only get better over time. The more data it processes, the more it will learn, and theoretically the better it will get at detecting the people most likely to throw a party.

However, Edward McFowland III, assistant professor of technology and operating management at Harvard Business School, raised the concern that under 25s are at risk of getting shut out of the platform when they need to find a bed for the night. While he is in favor of the benefits, he explained that even a perfectly calibrated AI model can create false negatives.

Ultimately, Airbnb appears to have taken the stance that protecting its hosts is a priority, to increase the inventory on its platform, giving the potential guests more choice for places to stay. This approach seems to be working as the company announced revenue of $2.5 billion in its year-on-year Q2 revenue report, an 18% increase year-over-year indicating travel is on the rise again.

There’s no rest for the wicked, and romance scam artists are constantly hard at work trying to separate lonely victims from their hard-earned funds.

But actually telling scammers apart from innocent people in need can be nerve-wracking. So, the Federal Trade Commission is here to help.

The FTC has compiled a list of the most common tricks that scammers use to establish a romantic connection. It’s based on keyword analysis conducted on thousands of reports from 2022, thanks to work from the FTC’s Consumer Sentinel Network.

Last year, nearly 70,000 victims reported romance scams. Be on the lookout for those with sick relatives, jobs on oil rigs, and a lot more.

“Someone Close to Me Is Sick, Hurt, or in Jail”

Scammers trying to create a romantic connection with their victim don’t have a lot of time. They need to open with a line that will instantly hook someone, and get them to keep responding. Then, once they have someone to talk to, they can steadily get closer over a long period of time.

Finally, they’ll be able to rely on that connection to ask for money, which they’ll likely keep doing as long as they can. So what lines can reel in the most victims?

Likely something related to financial hardships — whether they claim to be facing one themselves, or claim to be able to help their victim avoid one. The most common line, used nearly a quarter (24%) of the time, is “I or someone close to me is sick, hurt, or in jail.”

Here are all of the top eight most frequently used lines, as determined by a study of over 8,000 romance scam reports from last year:

“I’m on an Oil Rig”

You might expect to hear about a fake occupation from a romance scammer — and you keep an eye out for two in particular: A soldier at a far-off military post, or someone on an oil rig.

Why? Because picking these occupations makes it easier to a romance scammer to explain why they’re never able to actually visit. The scammer can then debut a sick relative down the road, giving them an excuse to shake down a victim.

Romance scam losses in 2022 alone added up to a whopping $1.3 billion, with the median amount reported coming in at $4,400.

Common ways a scammer might contact a victim include social media (40% of reported incidents) as well as a dating website or app (19%). When they ask for money, they’ll likely suggest a cryptocurrency exchange or a bank transfer, although they may go for gift cards instead.

Top Tips for Spotting Romance Scammers

But not everyone who texts you to chat will be a scammer. So how can you actually tell who’s who? The FTC has a checklist of suggestions that can help anyone with a shred of doubt about the intentions of the person they’re texting.

According to the FTC, these four tips will help you judge:

• Nobody legit will ever ask you to help—or insist that you invest— by sending cryptocurrency, giving the numbers on a gift card, or by wiring money. Anyone who does is a scammer.
• If someone tells you to send money to receive a package, you can bet it’s a scam.
• Talk to friends or family about a new love interest and pay attention if they’re concerned.
• Try a reverse image search of profile pictures. If the details don’t match up, it’s a scam.

Stay safe, and remember: Don’t give money to anyone on an oil rig.

Widespread layoffs have plagued the tech industry since late 2022. But according to a new study, the worst may well be over.

Earlier this month, a survey found that 29% of business leaders were planning to or currently were conducting layoffs — which is down from 45% in Spring 2023. Granted, that’s still a lot of layoffs on the horizon, but it’s an indication that the rash of job cuts in the sector are slowing down significantly.

The same survey found that many businesses are anticipating a recession, which may have spurred the cost-cutting measures that led to so many job losses in the first place. Here’s what to know about the future of tech industry jobs.

Business Leaders Who Anticipate Future Layoffs Have Fallen by 50% Since Spring 2023

The survey, out from Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc., polled 200 human resource and business leaders to determine their thoughts on topics including AI, remote work, and employee priorities as well as the present and future of layoff trends.

In addition to a big drop in the number of leaders who plan to issue job cuts currently, the number of respondents who say they “anticipate the need for future layoffs” has been cut in half since this past spring.

Just 4% said they see layoffs in the future, compared to 8% in Spring 2023.

Andrew Challenger, workplace and labor expert and senior vice president at the firm, noted in a statement that the reduction in planned layoffs indicates companies have met their cost-cutting goals earlier in the year.

“We know that many companies have conducted layoffs during the first three quarters of the year, since announcements are up 198% over the same period last year. It seems a lot of the cost-cutting companies planned was carried out prior to the fourth quarter.” -Andrew Challenger

In other words, the onslaught of tech layoffs in Spring 2023 represented the worst of the trend.

76% of Companies Are Cutting Down on Business Travel

With the job cuts on the decline, companies are looking into other ways to reduce business expenses.

The biggest perk on the chopping block is business travel: Over three in four (76%) of the business leaders surveyed said they are cutting costs by reducing travel. That’s up from 59% who said the same in the spring survey.

The rise of remote work might be behind the drop in travel plans, given that workers are much more used to the concept of picking up a video conferencing headset rather than a plane ticket.

Plus, 23.7% said that they were eliminating some other perks, such as free meals or gym memberships, an amount that remains fairly low, even while it has nearly doubled from the 11.8% who said this in Spring 2023.

Remote Work Holds Steady: 54% of Leaders Have No “Return to Office” Plans

Finally, there’s a little good news for those who have been fearing a remote work backlash that could send them back to the physical office for a full five days a week: Over half (54%) of respondents to the recent survey say that they have no plans to drop their remote or hybrid workplace schedules.

This has risen slightly since the spring, when just 42% said they had no return-to-office plans.

The long battle for better workplace flexibility continues to rage, and despite some high-profile moves — like Amazon’s recent decision to give managers the ability to lay off those who rejected a return to the physical office — this new survey is evidence that many workplaces are accepting a new, more much flexible normal.

And, fingers crossed, tech layoffs will continue to slow as businesses everywhere figure out how to do the best by their employees.

Another week, another generative AI feature being tested by Google. Although this time, we’re not talking about using Google’s AI image generator or an AI security update to Google Workspaces, but rather new developments in its ads business.

On an earnings call this week, Google confirmed that it’s working on creating different ad formats for its generative AI-powered search experience.

While no introduction date has been discussed, it’s speculated that the rollout is imminent. Which is just as well, as Google’s attempt to diversify its revenue has not been as successful as hoped, meaning ads are more important now than ever.

The Shift From Traditional Search is On

Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai led the 2023 third quarter earnings call in which the new native ad formats were announced. He stated that the company plans to ensure customers’ Search Generative Experiences (SGE) are “customized” at every step of the search journey.

While specifics around the formats weren’t shared, Chief Business Officer Philipp Schindler said “advertisers [will] still have the opportunity to reach potential customers along their Search journeys.”

Despite it being early days for the project, Pichai said he felt confident that a shift from traditional search to a new one was underway, leaving plenty of opportunity for AI innovation within the space:

“We’ve always worked through these transitions, be it from desktop to mobile, or from now mobile to an AI-enhanced experience. I feel very comfortable that as we go through it, the strength of our teams – both on the organic side as well as on the ad side – to drive the right experience for users, including ads, will pay dividends.” 

Customization at the Heart of Google’s Ads Model

Google first introduced its AI-powered search experience back in May, at the Google I/O developer conference. The new functionality meant generative AI would do “a lot of the heavy lifting” of search, helping users understand information faster and with better context, viewpoints, and insights. 

A single search question would provide key information along with links to dig deeper and the opportunity to ask follow-up questions, in a new conversational style. The feature was first available to users in US and later to those in Japan and India.

This latest announcement is set to build upon that functionality by embedding customized ads with a sponsored tag. The example Google gave was if you were searching for a surfing experience in Maio, the SGE may show you a customized ad for related travel experiences in the area.

You Can Rely on Ad Revenue

While Google has made several recent attempts to diversify revenues source – through Cloud, hardware, and services – ads are its failsafe area. In Q3 2023 alone, the majority of the overall $76.7 billion revenue was made up of $59.7 billion from ads.

Ads are quite simply big business, so it pays to be invested.

Related: Best AI Website Builders

Whether you use one of the best password managers or just scribble your details on a crumpled sticky note, the days of having to remember a million different security phrases may soon be over. That’s because of passkeys, which are quickly emerging as the authentication method of choice for Silicon Valley heavyweights like Apple, Google, Microsoft and Amazon.

From offering a slicker login experience to greater cybersecurity protection against threats like malware and phishing scams, the benefits of passkeys are clear. Yet despite their flaws, traditional passwords aren’t just going to go away overnight – even though most security experts reckon that their days are numbered.

Whether you’re a password traditionalist or a biometric backer, we put the two authentication methods head-to-head, comparing their security, convenience, login success rate, and more. Read on to see how the passkey vs password battle is shaping up and discover what it means for your online life.

What is a Password?

A password is a unique string of characters typically comprised of upper and lower case letters, numbers, and symbols used to confirm a user’s identity. They were designed to be memorized or logged down manually, but can now be stored online securely using password managers like NordPass.

First invented by an MIT computer science professor in 1961, passwords became the most popular form of digital authentication to date due to their simplicity.

However, their unsophisticated nature also makes them vulnerable to being guessed, shared, stolen, or forgotten, making them a pretty poor security mechanism overall.

What is a Passkey?

Enter passkeys – the cooler, more tech-savvy younger bro of passwords. Passkeys rely on PINs, swipe patterns, or biometric information – like fingerprints or facial scans – to verify a user’s identities.

Passkeys use the WebAuthn standard for public-key cryptography, which generates a public-private key pair on user devices. As a result, they can’t be stolen or forgotten like a password or physical key.

Passkey vs Password: Which is More Secure?

Passkey and password security fundamentally differ in their design, approach, and effectiveness. We break down some of the key differences between the authentication measures below.

Passkey cybersecurity is in a different league

It’s no secret that passwords are easy to compromise. According to research from Hive Systems, simple passwords under 10 characters can be guessed within 24 hours, and those with six or fewer characters can be compromised instantly.

This wouldn’t be a major issue if password hygiene was consistently high, but it’s not. In fact, the most common password continues to be ‘password’ year after year, and 85% of people have admitted to reusing passwords across multiple sites.

Fortunately, by utilizing biometric data and cryptographic methods that are almost impossible to forge, passkeys are able to rectify many of these cybersecurity concerns.

Only cyber criminals with access to your authenticator device and your biometric information will be able to breach your account, making instances of breached passkeys almost unheard of. This also makes passkeys completely immune to phishing attacks as passkeys can’t be typed out or written down, and stolen credentials are only valid when used on specific, user-owned devices.

With research from Deloitte attributing 91% of cyberattacks to phishing, the advantages passkeys can bring to businesses and individual users is clear.

Aside from enabling passkeys, learn what other steps your business can take to avoid data breaches.

Passkeys are more convenient

No one enjoys creating, remembering, and using clunky, complex passwords. It’s tedious, time-consuming, and inconvenient. A phrase has even been coined to describe the anguish people feel when having to remember an excessive amount of passwords as part of their daily routine: password fatigue.

Passkeys, on the other hand, only require users to set up a private key once initially, allowing them to authenticate themselves seamlessly and quickly after this point. Not only does this speed up the sign-in process, it also means that users no longer need to remember several different passwords at once.

Passkeys have higher login success

Unless you’re using a password manager, or have an Einstein-like photographic memory, you’re going to occasionally forget your password. Forgetting your password will make it harder for you to enter your account, and could even lead to your account being blocked if you enter in the wrong credentials too many times.

In contrast, passkeys have a much higher login success rate because while it’s easy to forget a complex code, it’s harder to misplace your own biometric material. This distinction is backed up by data from Google, which revealed that while passwords have an average success rate of 13.8% on the platform, passkeys were successful 63.8% of the time.

What’s more, when passkeys are paired with other security methods like Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), their success rate is near-perfect. Learn more about how MFA works, and its different types, in our Multi-Factor Authentication explainer.

Passwords still remain more popular overall

Passkeys are becoming a lot more common, but they’re still not supported universally.

WebAuthn authentication is compatible with most platforms, but there are a number of reasons why websites are slow to make the transition away from passwords. First, passwords are familiar. Everyone knows what they are and how they work, so sticking with them curtails the need for staff training or customer explainers.

Secondly, with the verification method still in its infancy, many websites have complained about its ability to handle errors consistently across platforms. Specifically, its error handling on Chrome and Firefox browsers isn’t as comprehensive as it appears to be on Safari, deterring many sites from making the switch.

Also, while cryptography is largely regarded to be very secure, concerns over biometric privacy are also preventing many employees and consumers from warming to the method. You can use the passkeys-directory to learn more about which websites do and don’t support passkeys with the passkeys.

The Death of the Password Will Be a Slow One

When it comes to the battle of passwords vs passkeys, there is no debate – passkeys are more streamlined, user-friendly, and of course much more secure. It’s not surprising, either – the concept of a password has been around for decades, so it’s no wonder that a new kind of authentication method is finally arising.

However, while Google may be correct about it being the “beginning of the end of the password,” we shouldn’t expect the change to happen overnight, or even in the next few years. It’s now easy to set up Google Passkeys, sure, but replacing a computer security system that has been dominant for over half a century is going to take time.

Passkeys are still a relatively new concept, and lots of aspects of the technology need to be smoothed out before they can be deployed universally. Moreover, humans are creatures of habit that have been relying on passwords since PCs were first created, so we need to account for the pace of behavioral change too.

At the moment, most experts think we could still be using passwords in some shape or form for another five years at the very least. However, 2024 promises to be a pivotal year for the authentication method, with more companies than ever before set to make passkeys their default sign-in method and hardware keys such as Google’s Titan Security Key now available for purchase.

Currently, the use of passkeys is very rarely obligatory, as most servers using passkeys will still let you choose which verification measure you’d like to use. And for websites that only support password protection, we’d definitely recommend outsourcing password creation and storage, especially as there are loads of great ways to test your password strength for free.

Several of X’s (formerly Twitter) API changes introduced earlier this year have led to Slack getting rid of the platform’s integration.

The app within Slack has not been functional since the changes, so the platform has this week decided to remove it from a small set of customer workspaces who still had it installed.

Slack is the latest to join a long line of services and platforms who have severed ties with the social media site over these changes, that were likely introduced following X CEO Elon Musk’s plan to recoup some of the site’s dwindling costs. The changes, however, have led to developers reporting that the new ‘free’ offering was unusable.

X Officially Retired on X

While X posts will continue to unfurl within Slack, if your settings allow, the Twitter app within the platform will no longer be available thanks to “upstream API limitations”. On the feature retirement’s page, X’s status is set to “retired”.

According to Slack, the integration functionality was affected too much. Slack’s VP of software engineering Rod Garcia explained “Slack’s integration with X relies on access to its API, and changes to that API this spring impacted the integration’s functionality and the services it supports”. 

Not Just Slack Cutting Out X

Slack joins the likes of Sprout Social, who last month changed several features because of a lack of API endpoint support, as well as thousands of developers who are unwilling to pay to gain access to the X/Twitter developer platform.

Earlier this year X/Twitter cut the majority of developers’ API access in order to provide paid access to different levels and versions. The cheapest starts at $42,000 a month for access to 50 million tweets, while more expensive packages can run up to $125,000 and $210,000 a month for 100 million and 200 million tweets respectively.

When asked for comment, X/Twitter’s press email auto-replied with a standard “Busy now, please check back later”, which is a small step up from the poop emoji at least.

Cutting down the free API offering is just one of the ways that X has got worse under Musk.

Cutting Ties with Musk’s Platform is Becoming More Common

Slack’s decision isn’t totally out of the blue, as it appears to be rapidly cutting ties with the platform. Only last week it announced it was retiring the Slack status account on X/Twitter, which is where it previously shared updates about issues and outages on the platform.

On this change, Kevin Albers, VP of customer experience at Slack explained “We made the decision to retire the @SlackStatus account in order to consolidate our communications around incidents and focus resources on those most widely used by our customers”. 

While it’s unknown if any other API or developer-access changes are on the horizon, what’s clear is that the wild ride of X/Twitter under Musk isn’t about to let up any time soon.

If you’re still wondering if Temu is legit or not, then a new report shedding light on its rock-bottom prices and overall financial health is something you’ll want to read. Despite smashing its US sales targets, the company’s bottom line suggests it’s set to end the year $3.56 billion in the red, meaning the real reason Temu is so cheap is because it’s losing money.

Since entering the US market, Temu’s minuscule price tags and promise of free delivery propelled it to the top of the US app store charts and enabled its sales to overtake its fast-fashion rival, Shein.

However, it’s uncertain whether the company’s “loss leader” strategy will secure its success outside of China in the long run, especially as criticisms over its product quality and data collection practices continue to mount. Here’s what the latest figures reveal about why Temu is really so cheap.

Temu’s Low Prices Places It in the Red

Temu’s endless product selection and unbelievably low prices have dazzled American consumers since it first expanded into the US market last September.

However, new findings reveal that sky-high sales numbers aren’t necessarily translating into profits for the ecommerce retailer. Wealth management firm Sanford C. Bernstein estimates that while Temu made around $13 billion globally this year, it may still be incurring a loss of $3.65 billion.

If Bernstein’s estimates are correct, there’s no denying these are massive losses. However, the researchers also point out that the company’s losses may shrink to $1.9 billion by 2025 if the app keeps hitting targets.

Temu’s revenue figures are also on track to double the predictions made by the retailer in January. So how exactly did the Chinese app rise to such heights so quickly throughout 2023?

Temu’s Meteoric Rise in the US

While Temu is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, the company is owned by Chinese-based company PDD Holdings. PDD Holdings has connections with direct wholesalers throughout China, allowing Temu to significantly undercut its competition.

Its high-profile backer also allows it to operate with a “loss leader” strategy when entering a foreign market. This is essentially when a company accepts it won’t be making a profit immediately, but still offers low prices to stimulate sales and to improve its brand exposure.

These tiny prices, alongside perks like free shipping and no minimum spend, made Temu an instant hit with cash-strapped US shoppers, especially as the cost-of-living crisis continues to drive up the price of everyday goods.

However, it wasn’t until the landslide success of Temu’s February Super Bowl ad that the website really started to take off in the US. In the wake of the 30-second commercial, Temu saw a 45% surge in downloads, and its growth even superseded major retail competitors like Target.

Temu’s success wasn’t fleeting either. Its app secured the number one position on the iOS App Store for most of 2023, and still retains the top spot to this day.

Temu’s meteoric rise also saw its sales overtake fast-fashion rival Shein, as the two engage in a heated legal battle over market monopolization and copyright infringement behind the scenes.

Temu’s position in the iOS App Store in the US.
Source: apptopia.com

Temu’s Cheap Products Also Cost Consumers

Unfortunately, it’s average US consumers looking for bargain clothes and home essentials that are losing out from Temu’s radical business strategy too.

Temu has routinely come under fire for its inconsistent and poor product quality, as well as misrepresenting goods with false photos. The company isn’t accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) either — it only secured a user rating of 2/5 stars on the platform.

@beowulftiktok

Replying to @Charlie Lundh yeah, so probably dont buy stuff from temu #tech #techtok #temu temu pinduoduo malware news is temu safe

♬ original sound – Nathan Espinoza

Aside from cutting corners, Temu has also been called out by the US government for its shady data hoarding practices — with accusations against the site reflecting those recently levied against fellow Chinese-based company TikTok.

All things considered, while Temu is probably the only place online that sells sneakers for under five dollars, it’s definitely sensible to approach the app with caution. If you’re realistic about what to expect, our first-hand experience shopping on Temu suggests it’s not all that bad, though much depends on what you’re looking for.

Think it might finally be time to delete Instagram? If it’s the social network’s lack of custom sticker making abilities that’s dented your faith, then hold fire as the feature is now being tested on the platform.

Instagram head honcho Adam Mosseri used his broadcast channel to show off how the new sticker creation tool will work over the weekend.

You’ll simply select a photo from your phone, identify the subject of it that you want to turn into a sticker, and presto: Instagram will make you a free-floating sticker to plaster all over your Reels and Stories.

Custom Stickers on Instagram Still in Testing

The good news is that Instagram is clearly considering adding custom stickers to its arsenal of ways you can pimp your posting.

Like other new Instagram sticker features, such as the ability to use AI prompts to generate custom stickers, it’ll be relevant when you post Reels or Stories on the popular social network.

However, unlike that feature – which is now widely available – making custom stickers from photos on Instagram is still shrouded in mystery.

Apart from Mosseri’s recent broadcast, there’s been no official word from Instagram about the tool, so it’s unclear how many users are being asked to test it or where they might be based.

How to Make Custom Stickers on Instagram

As a result, the only hint we have as to how the new sticker creation feature might work – and where in the app it might be found – is based on Instagram’s existing sticker features.

These are available when creating a Story or Reel. Once you’ve selected or recorded the content you want to use in your post, you’ll see the icon at the top of your device’s screen.

Tap this and you’ll be taken to all the available sticker options, as well as the current customization options. These include ‘Add Yours’ where you can use AI prompts to get Instagram to make you a custom sticker, or you can currently tap the photo icon to overlay your Story/Reel with an icon of another photo.

However, these don’t appear as free-floating stickers like the feature Mosseri demoed on his broadcast – you’re literally just cutting and pasting one image on to another. You can also make yourself a custom avatar, but again this is different to what users are now being promised.

Instagram’s Busy 2023 Continues

It’s been a busy year for Instagram. On the positive side, the Meta-owned social media platform has introduced new AI features by the boatload, as well as unveiling one of the best Twitter alternatives in the form of Threads.

On the flipside, Instagram’s settlement of a major lawsuit has seen it forced to cough up over $68m to users who had their privacy rights violated by the app according to Illinois state law.

There’s no saying where adding free-floating sticker creation would rank in the platform’s year, but one thing is sure: it’d be an especially neat addition if it rolled out to users in time for Halloween.

The five-day workweek was first popularized by Henry Ford back in 1926, so it has taken nearly 100 years for a viable alternative to emerge in the form of some companies offering a four-day workweek.

There’s not much from a century ago that’s still as widely used as the 40-hour week, which is why four-day workweek supporters argue that shifting to a more progressive model is long overdue.

The trials and studies support them, suggesting that employees who work a day less each week are not only happier and healthier, but more productive as well.

With all that in mind, we’ve rounded up the latest and best four-day workweek job openings that are currently live in October 2023. They include vacant positions from established companies like Bolt, Kickstarter and Awin, alongside more roles at newer and more boutique-style organizations.

ThredUp

Online pre-loved clothing marketplace ThredUp started working a four-day schedule in 2020 as part of a one-year trial brought about by the pandemic.

A year later, it announced a four-day workweek would become a permanent fixture of life at the company, having noted improved employee morale and productivity during the pilot.

Bolt

Fintech company Bolt successfully implemented a four-day workweek trial over a three-month period in 2021 and kicked off last year by announcing the switch permanent.

Employees and managers were both hugely positive about the trial: 94% of staff wanted the pilot to continue and 87% of managers said they felt productivity levels were maintained effectively.

Bolt also operates a “Remote First” policy when it comes to location and office attendance, so it’s one of the most flexible employers around.

Here are the roles Bolt is currently looking to fill in October 2023.

• Lead Business Development Representative
• Senior Engineering Manager
• Senior Product Manager (multiple vacancies)
• Senior LLM Technologist
• Senior Site Reliability Engineer – NGC Cloud

You can learn more about them and apply on Bolt’s careers page.

Kickstarter

Kickstarter is a household name and the crowdfunding platform is also one of the biggest companies to operate a flexible four-day workweek.

Of more than 900 global employees, Kickstarter says that “most” now work a four-day week after it kept the schedule following participation in the 4 Day Week Global six-month trial.

Chief strategy officer Jon Leleland told Employee Benefit News: “Work was taking a great deal of our time without much productivity. It just made sense to reduce the hours people were working.”

Whether you’re a lawyer or a developer, there might be a four-day week job at Kickstarter for you, based on these live vacancies:

• Senior iOS Engineer
• Data Scientist
• Legal Counsel
• Senior Product Designer (multiple vacancies)

You can visit the Kickstarter job website to learn more about the roles and find out how to apply.

Wanderlust

The Wanderlust Group is an outdoorsy tech company that’s been working a four-day week since 2020 and participated in some of the earlier studies about the practice.

In addition to operating a Tuesday-to-Friday week, Wanderlust is also fully remote, so it’s a great fit for anyone who really values flexible working.

The company reported healthy profits and growth after implementing a four-day workweek, really highlighting that working more hours doesn’t mean working more effectively.

Wanderlust has a couple of interesting job vacancies right now:

• Senior Manager, Software Engineering
• Senior Product Manager, POS

Find out more about these roles and The Wanderlust Group over at the company’s website.

Awin

Awin is a global affiliate marketing platform that made its four-day “Flexi-Week” permanent earlier in 2023 after a successful pilot run.

The company knows that a four-day workweek is right for its business model, as it operated an extensive 18-month four-day week trial period including over 1,300 employees spread across 17 offices all over the world.

In addition to reporting growth in gross profits over the period, it also found that “regrettable employee turnover decreased by 33% and sick leave days decreased by 21%” during the trial.

Right now, these US-based Awin jobs are listed to be filled, alongside many more global vacancies at the company.

• Account Executive (multiple vacancies)
• New Business Operations Executive

Check out the Awin website to learn more about these roles or see what positions are going further afield.

DNSFilter

DNSFilter is an AI-driven cybersecurity company that went permanent with its version of a four-day workweek back in 2021.

The firm operates a rotating, shift-style workweek where employees work a 32-hour week followed by a 40-hour week. This combines to give customers five-day coverage, while employees get two three-day weekends per month as well as full salary and benefits packages.

It may not be quite as “complete” as the four-day week offerings of some other companies, but it works for DNSFilter.

The following jobs are currently listed on the DNSFilter website as being actively recruited:

• Backend Software Engineer
• Business Development Representative
• Senior Site Reliability Engineer
• Marketing Operations Manager
• Senior Product Marketing Manager

You can learn more and apply on the company’s Workable jobs page.

In 2023, remote work is easier, more effective, and keeps employees happier than ever. So, naturally, tech companies everywhere seem hell-bent on pulling everyone back to the office five days a week.

But that leaves an opening for other companies to give potential new employees a counter-offer: The remote positions that they actually want.

We’ve rounded up the latest job openings at household name brands like Paypal or Shopify, as well as a few just slightly lesser-known companies (sorry, Atlassian, we know you’re great).

Here are the tech organizations that have shown their support for remote workers in the recent past, along with a laundry list of open remote positions currently available from each of them in October 2023.

Intel

The multinational Intel Corporation has been a heavy-hitting computer part manufacturer for decades. It’s also a big proponent of remote work.

According to a April 2021 internal survey, an impressive 90% of Intel’s employees prefer a hybrid workplace. As a result, Intel leaned into the idea, increasing flexibility for some, depending on the nature of their job responsibilities.

As Intel puts it, the “majority of employees will split their time between working remotely and in the office,” though some workers are fully remote while others are fully on-site. Currently open fully remote positions include:

• Brand Strategy Analyst
• Federal Compliance Program Manager
• Data Architect
• Information Security Professional
• Cloud Software Engineer/Architect

Nvidia

According to data from job search site Indeed, exactly 80% of employees at the artificial intelligence hardware and software supplier Nvidia report being able to work remotely. Granted, they don’t say how many are hybrid workers rather than fully remote, but that’s still an impressive percentage.

The company is a key supplier of AI-related equipment for everything from supercomputers to smartphones. In 2023, you’ve probably heard a little something about artificial intelligence, and all that buzz is a sign that Nvidia isn’t going anywhere any time soon.

Here are a few open and full-time job titles that are fully remote at the company:

• Digital Marketing Intern
• System Verification Engineer
• Group Product Manager – Autonomous Vehicles
• Senior LLM Technologist
• Senior Site Reliability Engineer – NGC Cloud

Check out hundreds more remote positions on Nvidia’s job listings.

Paypal

Popular payments service Paypal is no stranger to anyone who has bought something on Etsy or donated to a website tip jar since the company IPO’d way back in 2002. And since it’s all about pioneering online payments, the company has plenty of remote positions open.

Granted, not all the execs who have passed through the Paypal HQ doors agree: One former company executive made headlines last July with the claim that “it’s time to admit that remote work doesn’t work.” Still, if you’re trying your luck, here are some positions to consider:

• Staff Software Engineer
• Group Product Manager
• Application Security Engineer
• Machine Learning Engineer
• Benefits Analyst

More remote positions are available on their website.

Salesforce

According to Salesforce company policy, any employee can work remotely full time, as long as they get approval from their managers. That’s in part due to CEO Marc Benioff’s public stance on the issue: He’s said that he himself doesn’t “work well in an office.”

As for the company itself, it’s a (Sales)force to be reckoned with, as one of the most universally recognized cloud-based customer relationship management (CRM) platforms on the market today. It’s good, too… although we’re on record saying that the Salesforce price plans can be very confusing.

With nearly 80,000 employees, Salesforce has a lot of jobs. Check out these fully remote titles, open at Salesforce now:

• Small, Medium and Growth Business Account Executive
• Physical Security Technology Lead
• Weekend Senior Manager, Escalations
• Software Engineer, Android 
• Staff Data Scientist

Visit the Salesforce company recruitment website to see more details on those positions, among others.

Atlassian

Australian software developer Atlassian introduced a work-anywhere policy in late 2020, allowing its over 8,000 employees across 13 countries to work remotely full-time, if needed. There’s a small caveat worth mentioning, though: You might have to show up to an in-person site four times a year.

Since Atlassian launched its remote-friendly policy, over 10% of the company’s U.S.-based workers have moved to another state than the one they started in. Which makes sense, given that the company’s US headquarters is located in the famously pricy city of San Francisco.

Here are a few remote openings to consider:

• Lead Designer, Central AI
• Principal Data Software Engineer
• Data Engineer
• Team Manager, Leadership Operations
• Strategic Account Manager

Check out the company’s job listings for more details and open positions.

Shopify

Shopify is a top ecommerce platform, helping micro business owners establish an online presence with a website as well as tools for payments, marketing, shipping, customer engagement, and more.

It’s also big on remote work: Shopify CEO Tobi Lutke shut down physical offices and pivoted to a “digital by default” company during the first months of the Covid pandemic. Those offices have opened back up in 2023, but employees can still stay full remote, marking a sharp contrast against the return-to-office ethos at giants including Amazon, Meta, and even Zoom.

Here are a few open tech positions you’ll find at Shopify currently:

• Solutions Architect, Professional Services
• Marketing Automation Manager
• Certifications Program Lead
• Sales Lead, Core Cross-Sell
• Senior Partner Marketing Manager (Event Marketing)

And as always, you can visit the company’s job website to see more details and open positions.