Opinion: AI’s ability to replace jobs shouldn’t be flaunted

AI is here to stay, for better or for worse. According to arecent surveyby EY, more than two in three employees in Europe are worried thatAIwill eliminate jobs. Blunt announcements by prominent Europeantechcompanies are doing nothing to help alleviate these concerns. 40% off TNW Conference! This translates to about 1,800 fewer employees. The fintech unicorn implemented an AI-relatedhiring freezealready in December 2023. A few months later, itstatedthat its AI chatbot could do the work of 700 human customer service agents....

August 28, 2024 · 1 min · 147 words · Theresa Carlson

This app makes it easier for neurodivergent people to navigate daily tasks

Copenhagen-based Tiimo has raised an additional $1.6mn infundingto expand its app supporting neurodivergent individuals in their daily life. However, tailored tools to boost productivity and daily life management for people who think differently are still insufficient. Tiimo is on a mission to change this. Behind thestartupare Helene Lassen Nrlem and Melissa Wurtz Azari, who herself has ADHD. The female duo founded the company in 2015 with the aim of developing a neurodivergent tool kit....

August 28, 2024 · 1 min · 180 words · Alejandra Becker

TNW Podcast: Pavel Durov’s arrest in France, concrete-based CO₂ storage, renewables in Iceland

Its a fascinating story, Im so happy to share it with you. 40% off TNW Conference! Feel free to email us with any questions, suggestions, and opinions atpodcast@thenextweb.com.

August 28, 2024 · 1 min · 28 words · Darlene Griffith

When everyone is in the wrong: Telegram’s Durov must remain in France and post a €5M bail

Over the four days since Durovs arrest, the backlash has been coming in from all the wrong directions. 40% off TNW Conference! Whats Telegram been up to The issues with Telegram are aplenty. The amount of mis- and disinformation spread through it has been staggering too. Take for instance Durovs flight that brought him to Le Bourget on Saturday. Telegram has also been used by dissidents and protesters around the world for communication and coordination....

August 28, 2024 · 1 min · 80 words · Robin Smith

AI upskilling is essential for Python developers, says education expert

It seems that every workplace is pushing towards leveraging the technology some with more consideration and ethics than others. He says upskilling in AI is no longer just a valuable addition to a programmers toolkit. 40% off TNW Conference! Developing AI skills is becoming increasingly essential, Katanforoosh says. One example iscodeautocompletion and code generation, which automates the creation of boilerplate code and functions. Meanwhile, code refactoring improves the structure and readability of code, without altering its functionality....

August 27, 2024 · 1 min · 106 words · Larry Arias

Dublin rejects Google’s new data centre plans over energy concerns

Googles plans for a third data centre in Dublin have hit a snag. This utility reflects our ongoing commitment to meeting the growing demand for our services and supporting Irelands digital economy. 40% off TNW Conference! Google now has one month to appeal the Councils decision. This is set to rise further and make up a third of the total electricity consumption by 2026. The total energy consumption of France in 2023 was 438TWh....

August 27, 2024 · 1 min · 101 words · Paul Garner

Europe’s unicorns have risen to €447.4B in total value, report finds

Specifically, it jumped from 1bn in Q1 to 2.4bn in Q2. The continuous valuation growth of 2024 implies a 12.3% increase for the full year from 2023. Deal count is following the same upward trend. It’s free, every week, in your inbox. The medial deal size stands at 98.7mn, with AI dominating the largest rounds. These includefundingrounds from machine translation startupDeepLand Stable Diffusions developerStability AI. There are now 141 active unicorns in Europe, with eight newborns making the list so far in 2024....

August 27, 2024 · 1 min · 139 words · Todd Escobar

Telegram’s Pavel Durov arrested: 12 charges France is investigating

French prosecutors have shed further light on the arrest of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov. Durov was apprehended on Saturday at Le Bourget Airport after landing on his private jet. The Russia-born billionaire a dual citizen of France and the UAE was detained over alleged offences related to Telegram. Durov and his brother Nikolai launched themessaging and social media appin 2013. With almost 1 billion users, the platform has become immensely popular....

August 27, 2024 · 1 min · 205 words · Holly Frank

Volkswagen will soon offer in-car gaming in Europe via AirConsole

AirConsole offers a large number of casual games, ranging from racing and sports to puzzles and quizzes. The German carmaker expects to launch the feature in the first European countries in September. It will add more countries by the end of the year. 40% off TNW Conference! AirConsole will be available on the vehicles infotainment displays, which will work as gaming consoles. Users can use their smartphone as a controller....

August 27, 2024 · 1 min · 137 words · Samuel Lyons

Netherlands hits Uber with €290M fine for transfer of ‘sensitive’ driver data to US

40% off TNW Conference! However, Uber failed to ensure this level of protection, he added. LDH then filed a complaint to Frances data protection watchdog CNIL. As Ubers base is in the Netherlands, the DPA led the probe. The DPA said that Uber has now stopped the practice. Its also going to appeal the decision. This is the third fine the Dutch watchdog imposes on Uber. Story byIoanna Lykiardopoulou Ioanna is a writer at TNW....

August 26, 2024 · 1 min · 93 words · Ryan Smith

New €2M fund launches for Dutch early-stage tech startups

Named the Dutch Operator Fund I, it has raised 2mn in capital. Investments will range between 75K and 200K, with the possibility of follow-upfunding. The fund targetsstartupsin the (pre-)seed phase. The equivalent amount for Series A was $186.4mn and $407.5mn for Series B. It’s free, every week, in your inbox. The fund is looking for companies that have developed their own technology. They also need to have a scalable business model and demonstrate initial commercial traction....

August 26, 2024 · 1 min · 168 words · Nathan Lucas

Independence Day: how Ukraine’s tech sector is fuelling the fight for freedom

Whats your work from home situation like these days? 40% off TNW Conference! One such company is Klens ownPetcube a startup that sells interactive pet monitoring devices including a vet chat feature. It has also kept developing its products, recently adding a GPS tracker to its offerings. The company has completed over 160 projects for movies, music, and AAA video games to date. (Respeecher delivered the audio files forObi-Wan Kenobito Skywalker Sound on the same day....

August 24, 2024 · 3 min · 489 words · Lisa Cunningham MD

Meta, Spotify CEOs slap down European officials for ‘stifling’ AI innovation

That opportunity, of course, is the rise of artificial intelligence. 40% off TNW Conference! At the time, Austrian non-profitNoybcriticisedMetas framing of the delay as a collective punishment. While Meta is perhaps exaggerating in this case, the fact thatEuropean innovation is lagging behindis undeniable. Almost all of theworlds most valuable startupsare based in the US and Asia. Europeneeds a new approach, with clearer policies and more consistent enforcement, said the two founders....

August 23, 2024 · 1 min · 90 words · John Howard