1. EU Cracks Down on Google & Facebook
The EU voted to approve copyright laws that will have big implications for tech giants like Google and Facebook. The new laws will force online platforms to sign licensing agreements with news publishers, authors, and musicians. European publishers and journalists are happy because companies like Google will now have to pay for their content. Google argues that this will “lead to legal uncertainty and will hurt Europe’s creative and digital economies” as tech giants will have to filter content. When will this happen? It’ll take about two years for new copyright laws to be implemented. Additionally, countries will have to write their own specific laws concerning copyright. It may take awhile, but this could change the way European users consume media.
2. McDonald’s Creates AI Drive-Thru
McDonald’s recently agreed to acquire Dynamic Yield, a tech startup that provides algorithmically driven “decision logic” technology to consumers. The acquisition will cost $300M. During the last few years, McDonald’s has replaced menus with digital displays. New AI will account for factors like time of day, weather, local traffic, and demand for popular products to provide customers a personalized drive-thru experience. The software will allow Mickey D’s to increase sales and upsell by pushing specific items to customers. It could even allow for recognition of a customer’s license plate number and purchase history to provide personalized product recommendations. What else? McDonald’s hopes to expand AI services beyond drive-thrus. “Like anything else, we’re going to see that this has a capability for in-store kiosks, it has a capability for kitchens, for mobile order and pay,” said Daniel Henry, McDonald’s executive vice president and global chief information officer.
(Source: Wired, Business Insider)
3. UPS Launches Drone Delivery Service
UPS made its first successful drone delivery yesterday in North Carolina. Even though companies like Amazon, FedEx, and Uber have tested drone services, UPS is the first to launch a fully-operational, revenue-generating system. UPS collaborated with tech company Matternet to get the service off the ground. The first delivery was at WakeMed medical facility, cutting transportation time from 30 minutes to 3, which will be crucial for sensitive medical deliveries in the future. UPS plans to make 10 deliveries per day at WakeMed. How’d they do it? UPS beat competitors by working closely with regulators like the U.S. Department of Transportation, The Federal Aviation Administration, and the North Carolina Department of Transportation.
(Source: Business Insider, The Hustle)
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