Big Tech Layoffs, Musk Acquiring TikTok, ChatGPT's New Features, ...
Meta is executing a strategic 5% workforce reduction, but this isn't your typical layoff.
They're specifically targeting their lowest-performing talent while doubling down on AI, AR, and next-gen social.
The real story? This is Zuck's "ship up or ship out" moment. In an internal memo, he's made it crystal clear: 2025 will be "intense" and only the highest performers will have a seat at the table.
💡 Key Insights:
• This affects ~3,600 employees (5% of 72,000)
• Severance packages will match previous rounds
• Clear focus on performance-based assessment
• Strategic backfilling planned for 2025
The bigger picture? This move signals a broader shift in tech. Companies aren't just cutting costs anymore - they're strategically reshaping their workforce for the AI era.
Microsoft’s consulting division is hitting pause on hiring in the U.S.
Why?
Because prioritizing cost management is the name of the game.
Here’s what’s happening:
🔹 Microsoft is halting new hires and backfills in its consulting business through the end of FY25 (June 2025).
🔹 Travel expenses for internal meetings? Scrapped. Remote sessions are the new norm.
🔹 Marketing budgets and non-billable resource spending? Reduced by 35%.
This move isn’t entirely surprising. Microsoft announced last week that it would lay off less than 1% of its workforce. And yet, their stock price has climbed 12% this year, largely due to investments in AI and cloud growth through Azure.
Let’s not forget—cost-cutting strategies can shift focus towards long-term growth.
ChatGPT can now help you schedule reminders and recurring tasks.
💡 What does this mean for you? Imagine this:
• "Remind me when my passport expires in 6 months." ✅ Done.
• "Give me a weekend plan every Friday, based on my location and the weather." 🌤️ Easy.
ChatGPT now acts as a smarter assistant, helping you stay organized with push notifications across platforms.
🧠 What makes this feature unique? This isn’t just a regular assistant. It’s a step toward what OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, calls “agentic systems.”
While Tasks is still in its beta stage, it gives us a glimpse into the future where AI becomes more than just reactive—where it starts working proactively to make your life easier.
Here's what it can do (and what it can't…yet):
✅ Set reminders and recurring tasks.
✅ Check web updates on a schedule (e.g., concert tickets in your area).
❌ Run continuous background searches.
❌ Make purchases.
👀 How to Access? It’s simple:
• Go to the "Tasks" menu in ChatGPT.
• Tell the AI what reminder or action you’d like to create.
📌 A Sneak Peek at What’s Next: OpenAI is planning even more powerful agentic systems like "Operator," an AI that might soon help write code or book travel.
The future is bright, and this is just the beginning.
Meta’s secret obsession to beat GPT-4 just got exposed.
(And the court documents are jaw-dropping.)
Here’s the gist:
Meta’s internal messages reveal that their AI execs were laser-focused on beating OpenAI’s GPT-4 while developing Llama 3.
👉 Ahmad Al-Dahle, VP of Generative AI, said, “Honestly… our goal needs to be GPT-4.”
👉 Meta had 64,000 GPUs and plans to “win this race.”
But what’s shocking?
Prosecutors claim Meta may have cut corners, using copyrighted datasets like LibGen to speed things up. 🚨
Ahmad even asked, “Is there anything you wanted to use but couldn’t for some stupid reason?”
Despite the pressure, Meta released Llama 3 in April 2024, delivering a model that rivaled GPT-4 and surpassed Mistral’s efforts.
Google Search Faces UK Antitrust Investigation 🚨
The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched a bold antitrust investigation into Google Search and its 90%+ market share.
Why now?
New regulations, effective this month, have empowered the CMA to scrutinize Big Tech like never before. First on their radar: Google’s search dominance and its role in AI and advertising.
Key areas of investigation:
1️⃣ Barriers to entry for competitors 🚧
2️⃣ Whether Google gives preference to its own services 🎯
3️⃣ Its use of consumer data without proper consent 🔍
The stakes?
The CMA has the power to impose dramatic remedies:
• Breaking up business units 🛠️
• Opening search and ad platforms to competitors 🆓
• Lowering search ad costs, saving UK households £500/year.
Meanwhile, competition from AI players like ChatGPT and Perplexity is growing. Google’s response? Gemini—its answer to AI-driven search innovation.
My take:
Google’s dominance is a testament to its superior technology and user trust. But mixing innovation with monopolistic practices? That’s a fine line.
What’s your perspective? Should the CMA level the playing field, or is this a punishment for success?
Elon Musk might be taking over TikTok’s U.S. operations. Yes, you read that right.
Here’s the scoop👇
Bloomberg News reports that the Chinese government is considering a contingency plan to sell TikTok’s U.S. business to Musk. The proposal aims to sidestep a potential nationwide ban on TikTok amidst rising security concerns.
But here’s where it gets even more interesting:
• The U.S. Supreme Court is debating a law that would force ByteDance (TikTok’s parent company) to divest its U.S. operations by Jan. 19.
• Post-deadline, internet providers supporting TikTok could face penalties.
If the deal goes through, Musk would oversee TikTok’s U.S. operations alongside his existing empire, including X (formerly Twitter).
However, a TikTok spokesperson calls the report "pure fiction." Meanwhile, the Supreme Court’s decision could align with the government, escalating the situation further.
So, what’s the bigger picture?
This could set a major precedent for how governments handle tech companies and foreign ownership in the digital era. It could also redefine the way we view ownership of social platforms in politically sensitive markets.
TikTok is facing a potential ban in the U.S.
And another app is quietly taking its place.
On January 19, TikTok might get shut down (unless the Supreme Court intervenes). But in the background, Xiaohongshu (known as "RedNote" in English) just hit the #1 spot for free apps on the U.S. App Store.
Here’s what’s interesting:
🔹 Creators are already migrating to Xiaohongshu, promoting it as the next big platform.
🔹 It combines Pinterest-like layouts, Instagram vibes, and powerful social shopping features.
Some quick facts about Xiaohongshu:
• Launched: 2013
• Users: 300 million monthly active users (79% women).
• Valuation: $17 billion after a 2024 funding round.
• Backers: Tencent, Alibaba, and others.
But the big question remains:
Will Xiaohongshu sustain this momentum—or face the same scrutiny as TikTok?
For creators, this is an opportunity. It’s a way to hedge social media risks and tap into a platform that’s growing exponentially.