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  • Wednesday, Mar. 20, 2024
Microsoft hires influential AI figure Mustafa Suleyman to head up consumer AI business
Mustafa Suleyman co founder and CEO of Inflection AI speaks to journalist during the AI Safety Summit in Bletchley Park, Milton Keynes, England, Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023. Microsoft has hired Suleyman to head up its consumer artificial intelligence business, adding to its ranks an influential figure in the artificial intelligence world to cement its position at the forefront of the booming AI industry. Suleyman said in a post on LinkedIn on Monday, March 18, 2024, that he'll become CEO of Microsoft AI, leading all of the company's consumer AI products and research, including its generative AI service Copilot as well as its Bing search engine and Edge browser. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, File)
LONDON (AP) -- 

Microsoft has hired Mustafa Suleyman to head up its consumer artificial intelligence business, adding to its ranks an influential figure to cement its position at the forefront of the booming AI industry.

Suleyman, co-founder of AI research lab DeepMind, said Monday in a post on LinkedIn that he'll become CEO of Microsoft AI, leading all of the company's consumer AI products and research, including its generative AI service Copilot as well as its Bing search engine and Edge browser.

The hiring is likely to bolster Microsoft's lead position in the AI industry, as big tech companies battle for position to capitalize on demand for AI services.

Microsoft has teamed up with ChatGPT maker OpenAI, investing billions of dollars into the San Francisco company, and recently partnered with France's Mistral, a hot AI startup.

Suleyman co-founded the DeepMind AI research lab, which that Google purchased in 2014, and worked there until More

  • Wednesday, Mar. 20, 2024
Algeria scolds TV stations for Ramadan advertising blitz and immoral programming
Journalists work at a private television broadcaster in Algiers, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. Algerian officials are chiding television stations over the content choices they've made during Ramadan. Their criticisms come amid broader struggles facing journalists and broadcasters, which have historically relied heavily on advertising from the state and Sonatrach, its largest oil and gas company. (AP Photo/Anis Belghoul)
ALGIERS, Algeria (AP) -- 

Officials in Algeria are chiding television stations over the content choices they've made since the start of Ramadan last week, injecting religion into broader discussions about how the country regulates content and advertising in media.

Their criticisms come amid broader struggles facing journalists and broadcasters, where television stations and newspapers have historically relied heavily on advertising from the government and large state-aligned enterprises in the oil-rich nation.

After meeting with station directors on Sunday, Algerian Communications Minister Mohamed Lagab accused networks of not respecting ethical and professional lines, calling their programmatic choices "out of keeping with the social traditions of our society and especially the sacredness of the month of Ramadan."

Lagab, a former journalism school professor, preemptively rebuffed accusations of censorship, arguing that his ministry's push didn't run counter More

  • Tuesday, Mar. 19, 2024
McDonald's names its CEO as new board chairman
Chris Kempczinski, then-incoming president of McDonald's USA, speaks during a presentation at a McDonald's restaurant in New York on Nov. 17, 2016. Kempczinski will become chairman of the company's board later this spring, the company said Tuesday. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)
By Dee-Ann Durbin

McDonald's CEO will become chairman of the company's board later this spring, the burger chain said Tuesday.

Chris Kempczinksi, who was named McDonald's president and CEO in late 2019, will succeed McDonald's Chairman Enrique Hernandez Jr., who is retiring after 28 years on the Chicago company's board. The transition will happen at the company's annual meeting, which is expected to be held in May.

Historically, McDonald's CEOs have also held the position of chairman. Jim Skinner was McDonald's vice chairman and CEO from 2004-2012, for example.

But the company's subsequent CEOs broke that pattern. Don Thompson served as president and CEO from 2012-2015, while Steve Easterbrook was president and CEO from 2015-2019. Kempczinski took over as president and CEO after Easterbrook was fired for having a non-physical, consensual relationship with an employee.

Kempczinski joined McDonald's in 2015 as executive vice president of More

  • Tuesday, Mar. 19, 2024
Ex-girlfriend of actor Jonathan Majors files civil suit accusing him of escalating abuse, defamation
Grace Jabbari, second right, the accuser in the assault case against Jonathan Majors, leaves court after giving testimony, Dec. 5, 2023, in New York. Jabbari is suing Jonathan Majors on civil allegations including assault, battery, defamation and infliction of emotional distress. The lawsuit comes three months after Majors was convicted in a criminal trial of assaulting her in New York City last year. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews, file)
By Dave Collins

Jonathan Majors' former girlfriend sued him Tuesday on civil allegations including assault, battery, defamation and infliction of emotional distress, three months after the actor was convicted in a criminal trial of assaulting her in New York City.

Grace Jabbari, a 31-year-old British dancer, filed the action in federal court in Manhattan, claiming Majors subjected her to escalating incidents of physical and verbal abuse from 2021 to 2023.

"Grace Jabbari's resolve has never wavered," her lawyer, Brittany Henderson, said in an email to The Associated Press. "She has shown tremendous bravery in her quest for accountability. This action will shed light on the truth, bringing her the finality and justice that she deserves."

Majors, 34, maintained his innocence during the criminal case. A Manhattan jury convicted him in December of one misdemeanor assault charge and one harassment violation stemming from a confrontation with Jabbari the More

  • Tuesday, Mar. 19, 2024
Unilever to cut 7,500 jobs and spin off its ice cream business, which includes Ben & Jerry's
A Unilever logo is displayed outside the head office of PT Unilever Indonesia Tbk. in Tangerang, Indonesia, Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2021. Unilever, the company that makes Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, Dove soaps and Vaseline, says it's cutting 7,500 jobs and spinning off its ice cream business to reduce costs and boost profits. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana, File)
By Courtney Bonnell, Business Writer
LONDON (AP) -- 

Unilever, the company that makes Ben & Jerry's ice cream, Dove soaps and Vaseline, said Tuesday that it is cutting 7,500 jobs and spinning off its ice cream business to reduce costs and boost profits.

London-based Unilever said its ice cream business, which also includes Magnum bars, has "distinct characteristics" from its other brands and would benefit from separate ownership to increase growth. It said the split is expected to be completed by the end of next year.

The British consumer goods company with 128,000 employees also said it is launching a "productivity program" that is expected to lead to a reduction of about 7,500 mostly office-based jobs worldwide.

Unilever said it will invest in technology to find efficiencies and avoid duplication that it anticipates will help it save 800 million euros ($867 million) over the next three years. The company also laid off 1,500 staffers in early 2022.

"Simplifying our More

  • Monday, Mar. 18, 2024
Supreme Court seems favorable to Biden administration over efforts to combat social media posts
App logos for Facebook, left, and X, formerly known as Twitter, are seen on a mobile phone in Los Angeles, Saturday, March 16, 2024. The Supreme Court is taking up a dispute Monday, March 18, between Republican-led states and the Biden administration over how far the federal government can go to combat controversial social media posts on topics like COVID-19 and election security. The case involves posts on Facebook, X and other media platforms. (AP Photo/Paula Ulichney)
By Mark Sherman
WASHINGTON (AP) -- 

The Supreme Court seemed likely Monday to side with the Biden administration in a dispute with Republican-led states over how far the federal government can go to combat controversial social media posts on topics including COVID-19 and election security in a case that could set standards for free speech in the digital age.

The justices seemed broadly skeptical during nearly two hours of arguments that a lawyer for Louisiana, Missouri and other parties presented accusing officials in the Democratic administration of leaning on the social media platforms to unconstitutionally squelch conservative points of view.

Lower courts have sided with the states, but the Supreme Court blocked those rulings while it considers the issue.

Several justices said they were concerned that common interactions between government officials and the platforms could be affected by a ruling for the states.

In one example, Justice Amy Coney Barrett More

  • Sunday, Mar. 17, 2024
David Breashears, mountaineer and filmmaker who co-produced Mount Everest documentary, dies at 68
This photo provided by Arcturus Motion Pictures, Inc., shows Mountaineer, filmmaker and author David Breashears while filming the IMAX documentary “Everest” that premiered in 1998. Breashears, 68, died on Thursday, March 14, 2024 at his home in Marblehead, Mass. (Arcturus Motion Pictures, Inc. via AP)
MARBLEHEAD, Mass. (AP) -- 

David Breashears, a mountaineer, author and filmmaker who co-directed and co-produced a 1998 IMAX documentary about climbing Mount Everest, has died, his business manager confirmed Saturday. He was 68.

Breashears was found unresponsive at his home in Marblehead, Massachusetts, on Thursday, Ellen Golbranson said. She said he died of natural causes but "the exact cause of death remains unknown at this time."

Breashears summited Mount Everest five times, including with the IMAX camera in 1996, his family said.

"He combined his passion for climbing and photography to become one of the world's most admired adventure filmmakers," the family said in a written statement.

In 2007, Breashears founded GlacierWorks, which describes itself on Facebook as a nonprofit organization that "highlights changes to Himalayan glaciers through art, science, and adventure."

"With GlacierWorks, he used his climbing and photography experience to More

  • Friday, Mar. 15, 2024
Gerald Levin, the former Time Warner CEO who engineered mega-merger with AOL, dies at 84
Turner Broadcasting Chairman and President Ted Turner, left, and Time Warner Chairman and CEO Gerald Levin pose for photographers prior to a news conference at the Time Life Building, Friday, Sept. 22, 1995, in New York. Levin, who led Time Warner Media into a disastrous $112 billion merger with the internet provider America Online, died Wednesday, March 13, 2024. He was 84. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)
By David Hamilton, Business Reporter
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- 

Gerald Levin, who led Time Warner Media into a disastrous $182 billion merger with the internet provider America Online, died Wednesday at the age of 84, according to media reports.

Levin had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, although his cause of death was not immediately reported. The former executive's grandchild, Jake Maia Arlow, confirmed his passing to the New York Times and the Washington Post, but did not reply to a request for confirmation from The Associated Press.

Levin joined Time in the early 1970s as the company was just starting to shift its focus from print magazines to cable television. A lawyer-turned-idealist who had spent a few years working for an international development company in Colombia and Tehran, Levin found himself captivated by the transformative potential of business, particularly that of cable television, according to "Fools Rush In," a 2004 book by journalist Nina Munk.

Levin once even drew More

  • Thursday, Mar. 14, 2024
Writer-director Michael Fiore’s documentary "Veselka" captures a Ukrainian community’s hunger for native food--and freedom
Pictured (l-r) are Tom Birchard, Jason Birchard and NYC Mayor Eric Adams in "Veselka: The Rainbow On The Corner At The Center Of The World."
NEW YORK -- 

In 2016 Michael Fiore--in tandem with Erik Sharkey--earned a slot in SHOOT’s New Directors Showcase for Floyd Norman, An Animated Life, a documentary which told the story of Norman, the first African American animator at Disney, chronicling his career and ongoing impact on the filmmaking community.

Fast forward to today and Fiore’s penchant for telling human stories that are interesting unto themselves yet carry a greater consequence on the world at large is again evident in Veselka: The Rainbow On The Corner At The Center Of The World, a feature documentary which is currently playing in theaters in New York and L.A., vying for extended release with this weekend’s box office performance pending.  It has already been extended three times — for a 4-week play to date — since it’s opening on Feb 23.

Written and directed by Fiore, Veselka: The Rainbow On The Corner At The Center Of The World tells the story More

  • Thursday, Mar. 14, 2024
The One Club’s 14th "Where Are All The Black People" confab set for September
NEW YORK -- 

The One Club for Creativity has announced its annual Where Are All The Black People (WAATBP) diversity conference and career fair will take place on September 26-27, 2024 in New York.

Now in its 14th year, WAATBP is the leading annual gathering to address and correct the lack of diversity within the ad industry, bringing together Black voices from across the ad community--from students to C-suite leaders--to celebrate successes, examine challenges, and assert their rightful place at the table alongside their allies. 

The conference is a hybrid event, with the first day taking place online and the second in person at Convene at Brookfield Place in downtown New York.  

In order to make the event as accessible as possible, WAATBP is free for job seekers and students to attend.  Partnership opportunities are available for agencies and brands looking to help promote industry diversity. 

“GUT is proud to sponsor  ‘Where Are All The More

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