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December 24, 2024
 

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Jo Constantz
"Agent" technology goes further than chatbots, not just performing parlor tricks and spitting out plausible responses to queries but actually doing the kinds of repetitive tasks that today are handled by millions of humans.
BUSINESS / Tech
Dec 14, 2024
Big Tech's new AI obsession: 'Agents' that do your work for you
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman calls agents "the next giant breakthrough," while Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff says the shift "is really the rise of digital labor.”
Workers picket outside of the APM container terminal at the Port of Newark in Newark, New Jersey, on Tuesday.
BUSINESS
Oct 2, 2024
U.S. dockworkers strike to stop automation already seen at other ports
Longshoremen have gone on strike for the first time since 1977 as the union takes a hard-line stance against automation.
The annual South by Southwest Conference (SXSW) in Austin, Texas, was held on Saturday.
BUSINESS / Tech
Mar 20, 2024
Will AI help or hurt workers? At SXSW, that depends on who you ask.
According to a global survey from Slack, 42% of office workers say they’re excited about AI, but some 27% find the prospect concerning.
Elon Musk has gone as far as to say that with technological advances, “there will come a point where no job is needed.” Musk revealed his own artificial intelligence chatbot, dubbed Grok, last year.
BUSINESS / Tech
Feb 9, 2024
Firms pausing hiring and axing staff quietly as AI craze persists
While some industry leaders have been outspoken about AI’s potential to transform work, there is caution over citing the new tech as a reason for cuts.
More than 75,000 Kaiser Permanente health care workers went on strike from Oct. 4 to 7 across the U.S.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 1, 2023
Unions in the U.S. are winning big for the first time in decades
Recent victories mark a potential turning point for the country’s labor movement, which has seen union ranks and power dwindle for decades.
A new study suggests that the benefits from shifting to a four-day week may last and grow stronger over time, rather than dissipating.
BUSINESS
Aug 4, 2023
Employee health benefits of four-day weeks persist, study shows
Self-reported physical and mental health scores held steady over a full year of the pilot program, while work-life balance continued to improve.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Apr 24, 2023
First real-world study showed generative AI boosted worker productivity by 14%
Lower-skilled workers benefited the most: With the assistance of AI, a firm’s least-skilled workers were able to get their work done 35% faster.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Mar 21, 2023
Nearly half of firms are drafting policies on ChatGPT use
What those policies will look like may end up varying widely. Some firms have banned the chatbot, while others have embraced it.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 7, 2023
As layoff wave sweeps the tech sector, a clear target emerges: middle managers
The moves come as middle managers are under increasing pressure, enforcing return-to-office policies and navigating new hybrid work arrangements.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Nov 18, 2022
Workers will keep their power in the job market despite recession fears, study says
While fears of a recession may temporarily put a freeze on hiring, the study says that over the long-term, the market is likely to skew toward job-seekers.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Oct 28, 2022
Quiet quitting surges in finance as it gains steam across sectors
The share of workers who said they're 'very likely” or 'extremely likely” to try their hardest to do a good job for their company has waned overall since last year.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Sep 16, 2022
Almost 80% of remote workers think they’d be fired for declining to return to the office
A survey also found that nearly 60% of employers say they'd be content with employees resigning rather than returning to the office.
Bankruptcies and suicides rise as Japanese struggle with mounting debt
Lawyers estimate that personal bankruptcies in Japan are on track to reach the highest since 2012 this year.
Honda-Nissan megamerger in the works
Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida (left), Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe (second from left) and Takao Kato, CEO of Mitsubishi Motors, hold a news conference on merger talks on Monday in Tokyo.
Is Japan ready for 60 million tourists?
Visitors to Kyoto walk along a street near Kiyomizu Temple in April. A popular tourist spot, Kyoto has seen what locals feel to be an overwhelming amount of tourists in 2024.
Japan accuses Google of violating antimonopoly law
The Japanese antitrust watchdog said that Google forced smartphone makers to preinstall its search app on their devices, sources say.
Okinawa people stage rally against sexual assaults by U.S. servicemen
Sorane Sakihama, a 22-year-old college student, speaks at a rally in the city of Okinawa on Sunday protesting against sexual assaults by U.S. soldiers.
For baseball fans, 2024 brought The Summer of Shohei Ohtani
Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani reacts to a standing ovation from fans after hitting his 50th home run of the season, against the Marlins in Miami on Sept. 19.
A brief history of ‘osechi ryōri,' Japan's edible tradition for the new year
Japan's traditional New Year cuisine has a long history, though modern developments have led to slight changes in the way things work.
Japan accuses Google of violating antimonopoly law
The Japanese antitrust watchdog said that Google forced smartphone makers to preinstall its search app on their devices, sources say.
Casual workouts, cool living, ‘complete’ food: Japan’s health trends of 2024
In 2024, efficiency trumped effort among Japan's fitness-focused aspirants.
Is Japan finally ready to tap its abundant geothermal energy potential?
Steam rises from a geothermal plan in Yuzawa, Akita Prefecture. Despite its long history and potential, geothermal provided just 0.3% of Japan's overall energy mix in the fiscal year from April 2023

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

Visitors to Kyoto walk along a street near Kiyomizu Temple in April. A popular tourist spot, Kyoto has seen what locals feel to be an overwhelming amount of tourists in 2024.
Is Japan ready for 60 million tourists?
By Kathryn Wortley

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