This Week in GAFAnomics #33
5 tech giants to protect humans against AI / Facebook launched its own Craigslist / Google is the new Apple / The way Amazon teams innovate
“This week in GAFAnomics” features top articles from FABERNOVEL’s internal Slack discussions on the Network Economy. Subscribe to our “Inside GAFAnomics” publication for your weekly dose of curated news about the Network Economy.
5 tech giants to protect humans against AI
Amazon, Facebook, Google, IBM and Microsoft (Apple is in discussion ) are launching a nonprofit project to “advance public understanding” of artificial intelligence and to formulate “best practices on the challenges and opportunities within the field”. They released eight tenets (high level ideals) that are evocative of Isaac Asimov’s original “Three Laws of Robotics”. Among these tenets, one of them calls on engineers to oppose the use of AI in weapons or sticky ethical situations. However, if tech companies can protect humans from potential AI threats, should they lead the governance alone on this topic ? — Curated by Stéphane Renault
Facebook launched its own Craigslist
Facebook is getting more deeply involved in e-commerce with the launch of Marketplace, its new user-to-user exchange for buying and selling goods with others in your community. It will replace the Messenger shortcut in the bottom center of the main Facebook app. Marketplace has three main assets to face Craigslist : trust, convenience and thrill. The platform is not supposed to generate revenue so far. Foster usage and retention first, then monetize your platform. — Curated by Patrícia Santos Silva
Google is the new Apple
During its hardware keynote, Google released Pixel, the first fully-made smartphone (design and software) by the Mountain View firm. It’s not actually a smartphone, but a personal assistant device powered by AI. It also has many exclusive features such as the best smartphone camera ever, the compatibility with Daydream VR and so on. With that all “Made by Google” phone, software and hardware improvements can create a synergy that only Apple reached, and then take on the iPhone. — Curated by julien breitfeld
The way Amazon teams innovate
Amazon has a secret sauce for working new ideas. They start the project with a fake “aspirational” press release ignoring any technical issues they could face, and encourage everyone to give its opinion, from junior to VP because “when they agree to be on the team, that’s the same as giving their approval”. Once they think they have something that can be fundamentally important for their customer, they start working on it. This very original way of designing products has led to great hits such as Echo or Marketplace , but also big failures like the Fire Phone… — Curated by Louis Moullard
That’s all for this week, but follow us for more news about GAFAnomics next week! In the meantime, you can check our new study about the 2nd Space Revolution.
