Author: insighter

  Actor Scarlett Johansson says OpenAI CEO Sam Altman used a voice similar to hers for its artificial intelligence voice software despite declining his invitation for its use. The response comes after OpenAI said it would pull its ChatGPT AI voice dubbed “Sky”, which launched last week amid controversy over it sounding like Johansson’s voice in the movie “Her.” Johansson said Altman approached her last September and then again two days before it announced ChatGPT-4o on May 13. The actor played the voice character in the film “Her” about a man who forms a relationship with an AI virtual assistant…

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Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase, testifies during the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee hearing titled Annual Oversight of Wall Street Firms, in the Hart Building on Dec. 6, 2023. Tom Williams | Cq-roll Call, Inc. | Getty Images Jamie Dimon thinks shares of JPMorgan Chase are expensive. That was the message the bank’s longtime CEO gave analysts Monday during JPMorgan’s annual investor meeting. When pressed about the timing of a potential boost to the bank’s share repurchase program, Dimon did not mince words. “I want to make it really clear, OK? We’re not going to buy back…

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Redstone Federal Credit Union, based in Alabama, offers two $0-annual-fee credit cards: A Visa Traditional, for those with less-than-ideal credit histories. It’s the latter version, though, that’s northern Alabama’s well-kept secret. The Redstone Federal Credit Union Visa Signature card boasts reward rates and perks that outshine some of the best credit cards on the market from some of the biggest banks. And as you might expect from a credit union, the interest rate is also lower than you’ll find on credit cards at those bigger institutions. But the bar for membership at Redstone Federal Credit Union is high, so not…

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In just a few years, Hims & Hers Health Inc. reached almost $1 billion in sales by making it easy to buy cheap, generic versions of popular drugs such as Viagra. Now it’s using that playbook to jump into the hottest part of health-care: weight-loss shots. And in typical fashion, a big part of the company’s pitch is the discount. Wegovy, made by Novo Nordisk A/S, costs roughly $1,350 for a month of injections without insurance, and Eli Lilly & Co.’s Zepbound is similarly priced. Hims said it’s offering a treatment with the same active ingredient as Wegovy for $199 a month.…

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A pedestrian walks by a Peloton store on May 08, 2024 in Palo Alto, California.  Justin Sullivan | Getty Images Peloton shares plunged on Monday after the connected fitness company said it’s launching a “global refinancing,” as it looks to stave off a cash crunch amid falling sales.  The company is offering $275 million in convertible senior notes due 2029 in a private offering and plans to enter into a $1 billion five-year term loan and $100 million revolving credit facility.  Peloton plans to use the proceeds to buy back about $800 million of its 0% convertible senior notes, which…

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Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase, at the U.K. Global Investment Summit at Hampton Court Palace in London, U.K., on Nov. 27, 2023. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images Jamie Dimon’s days as CEO of JPMorgan Chase are numbered — though its unclear by how much. In a response to a question Monday about the bank’s succession planning, Dimon indicated that his expected tenure is less than five more years. That’s a key change from Dimon’s previous responses to succession questions, in which his standard answer had been that retirement was perpetually five years away. “The timetable isn’t five years,…

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The average cost of a 5kW solar panel system in Texas is $11,982, or $8,387 after tax incentives. according to May 2024 data from EnergySage, a solar and home energy product comparison marketplace[0]. Texas weather typically requires air conditioning, which is why the state has relatively high electricity needs and why solar panel systems also tend to be larger on average. Texas contains regulated and deregulated energy-provider zones. In deregulated zones, many companies compete for customers. In regulated zones, the municipality has only one electricity provider. This combination can make it a little more challenging to determine the financial benefits…

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Knowledge advantage can save lives, win wars and avert disaster. At the Central Intelligence Agency, basic artificial intelligence—machine learning and algorithms—has long served that mission. Now, generative AI is joining the effort. CIA Director William Burns says AI tech will augment humans, not replace them. The agency’s first chief technology officer, Nand Mulchandani, is marshaling the tools. There’s considerable urgency: Adversaries are already spreading AI-generated deepfakes aimed at undermining U.S. interests. A former Silicon Valley CEO who helmed successful startups, Mulchandani was named to the job in 2022 after a stint at the Pentagon’s Joint Artificial Intelligence Center. Among projects…

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Dollar Car Rental and Thrifty Car Rental joined the Hertz brand in 2012 when the Hertz Corporation acquired the two rental car agencies. Both companies primarily serve cost-conscious leisure and business travelers, so if you’re choosing between Dollar versus Thrifty, you might want to know which one would serve your needs better. So, let’s get this show(down) on the road. Winner: Thrifty In addition to 330 corporate locations in the U.S. and Europe, Dollar has more than 600 additional franchised locations in about 65 countries and maintains a strong presence in almost every U.S. and Canadian airport. You also can…

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Signage of Macy’s, Kohl’s and Nordstrom retail stores. Getty Images Department stores are aging — and so are their customers. For more than a century, the stores won over multiple generations with a promise to sell shoppers a wide variety of everything. For many millennial and Gen Z consumers, that hasn’t been enough — especially as they discover items on social media and specialty retailers, big-box stores and online players steal away sales. Department stores like Macy’s, Kohl’s and Nordstrom face an existential crisis, as they try to persuade investors to bet on their futures while sales slow and their…

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As Gen Z graduates enter the workforce this summer, real estate millionaire and Shark Tank star Barbara Corcoran has a warning: Don’t be dazzled by big paychecks. Focus on who will be signing them. After years of low pay in part-time jobs or surviving on loans, choosing the highest offer can be tempting. However, Corcoran advises that two factors outweigh salary in a first job: a good boss and opportunities for learning. “Don’t take any job based on how much it pays, but take it on the important thing: how much it will teach you because that will push you…

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Coroimage | Moment | Getty Images Americans traveling this summer have broadly seen prices fall for airline fares, a welcome trend after last year’s sticker shock. But airfare remains more expensive in 2024 for some regions and destinations, largely for trips abroad, data shows. For example, an average round-trip flight to Tokyo, Japan — one of the top hot spots for American tourists — costs $1,372 this summer, up 2% from 2023, according to travel site Hopper. Flights to Canada, South America, and the Middle East and Africa regions are also up 6%, 2% and 1%, respectively, from summer 2023,…

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