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Hurricane Helene may disrupt a part of the entire global tech supply chain,
79% of U.S. corporate CEOs predict the end of remote work in next three years,
Facebook Admits Scraping All Public Data of Australian Adults to Train AI, No Opt-Out Provided, Microsoft ramps up its AI offerings with a redo of Recall
Welcome to Hashtag Trending. I’m your host, Jim Love. Let’s get into it.
Hurricane Helene may disrupt a part of the entire global tech supply chain
Hurricane Helene has slammed into Spruce Pine, North Carolina, a small town with an outsized role in the tech world. The town, which received more than two feet of rain, is one of the only places on earth where ultra-pure quartz is mined — a crucial material for manufacturing silicon chips and solar panels. Damage from the storm has destroyed infrastructure, isolating the town and halting quartz mining operations.
Spruce Pine’s quartz is vital for making semiconductors and solar panels, as it meets the high purity standards required for creating silicon wafers. With rail lines damaged and mining halted, experts warn that while chipmakers might have some reserves, a long-term disruption could severely impact global tech supply chains. The storm reveals how dependent the semiconductor and solar industries are on this small Appalachian town, and no viable alternatives to Spruce Pine’s quartz have yet been found.
79% of U.S. corporate CEOs predict the end of remote work in next three years
A new KPMG survey has found that 79% of U.S. corporate CEOs predict the end of remote work within the next three years. This is a sharp increase from earlier this year, when only a third of CEOs believed that office-based roles would go back full-time. Companies are planning to make their predictions come true by rewarding in-office employees with raises, promotions, and more opportunities, leaving those who work remotely potentially at a disadvantage.
Amazon’s recent return-to-office mandate is one of several influencing this trend, with many large companies reeling from a softening labor market and choosing to tighten their in-office requirements. But this push creates a unique opportunity for smaller businesses and startups willing to offer flexible work. As remote work remains popular among employees, these smaller players could leverage hybrid work options to attract top talent dissatisfied with rigid in-office mandates.
While the CEOs surveyed by KPMG appear driven more by a dislike of remote work than by workforce reduction strategies, there is no doubt that for some companies, RTO mandates may serve as an indirect way to downsize, as employees unwilling to work in the office full-time voluntarily leave.
Facebook Admits Scraping All Public Data of Australian Adults to Train AI, No Opt-Out Provided
And because its a day ending in Y, another revelation of how much social media has of our data and how they use it without our awareness or consent.
In Australia, Facebook has admitted to scraping public data from all adults to train its AI models — and without offering an opt-out option. During a Senate inquiry, Meta’s global privacy director, Melinda Claybaugh, confirmed that any public photos or posts shared on Facebook and Instagram since 2007 have been collected to develop Meta’s AI tools. Users in the European Union have the option to refuse consent, but Australian users are not given this choice, as Meta is acting in accordance with local privacy laws.
The company claims that collecting large amounts of public data helps build a safer and more flexible AI tool, but critics argue that Australia’s lack of strict privacy regulations is allowing companies like Meta to exploit user content. This admission follows the government’s recent pledge to ban social media for children, emphasizing the need for stronger privacy protections.
I wonder what other countries have privacy legislation that is so feeble that it allows this kind of thing?
Microsoft ramps up its AI offerings with a redo of Recall
Microsoft is ramping up its AI efforts, introducing new features to its Copilot+ PCs while addressing privacy concerns. The company’s “Recall” feature — which logs on-screen activity to assist users — is being relaunched with added security, this time requiring opt-in and biometric authentication. Other updates include a “Click to Do” feature that offers AI-powered actions, like image edits or text summarization, based on what users see on their screens.
Microsoft is also expanding Copilot+ to work on PCs with Intel and AMD chips, bringing AI capabilities to more users. Head of consumer AI Mustafa Suleyman envisions a future where AI agents adapt to users’ habits and preferences, while protecting privacy and data security.
While there will undoubtedly be more controversies about how deeply AI agents should integrate into our daily lives, there is no doubt that Microsoft has to finally find ways to drive a return on what might end up as tens of billions invested in AI.
And that’s our show for today.
Thanks to our sponsor, CDW and KJ Burke’s CDW Canada Tech Talks. Check it out if you get the chance. You can find it like us on Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts.
Reach me at editorial@technewsday.ca
I’m your host Jim Love, have a Wonderful Wednesday.
