AI Developments: From Deepfakes to Self-Driving Cars

📬 McDonald's in beef trouble

Warren Buffet's not red or blue. The billionaire investor isn't backing any candidate or cause, so it'd be wise to ignore the AI deepfakes. McDonald's burgers have been linked to an E. coli outbreak. So far, the outbreak has resulted in 49 illnesses, 10 hospitalizations, and one death. To the dismay of investors, the chain's stock is also facing a downgrade. Nvidia says put the blame on me. The chipmaker has resolved a design flaw in its AI chips that caused production delays, with CEO Jensen Huang admitting it was entirely their fault. ... Meanwhile Starbucks says it's also the problem. The coffee chain has made it "harder to be a customer," but promises to pare down its menu and adjust its prices. Apple and Goldman Sachs were slapped with an $89 million fine. Regulators found multiple customer service failures and misleading information linked to Apple's credit card. The weight loss drug wars are heating up. Novo Nordisk, the pharma giant behind Ozempic, urges the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to target knockoffs. Boeing's bloodbath will continue. The beleaguered aerocraft maker faces a dire outlook, losing $6 billion with $2 billion in negative cash flow projected to persist through 2025. Experts are raising alarms about the troubling rise in listeria-related food recalls, attributing the trend to a "perfect storm" of inconsistent inspections and improved detection tools. It is difficult to pinpoint the culprit, Dr. Darin Detwiler, a food safety advisor, told Quartz. But the issue highlights a fragile food system and one that hinges on assessments that can "restore consumer confidence." What other factors are contributing to the surge in listeria-linked recalls ? Quartz's Bruce Gil breaks down possible culprits. California's about to welcome an exciting new companion to its roads. Yep, it's a self-driving car. Wayve, a London-based startup backed by Uber and Softbank, plans to launch its first on-road tests in San Francisco and the Bay Area. Recently, Wayve secured significant funding, raising $1.05 billion in a Series C round led by Softbank, including participation from notable companies like Microsoft and Nvidia. Two months prior, Uber announced its plans to get in on the fundraising effort as well. As San Francisco becomes a hub for autonomous vehicles, Wayve's expansion into new markets could give it the boost it needs to thrive in this fiercely competitive landscape. What technology powers the self-driving cars? Quartz's William Gavin peels back the details. 🚗 Wall Street is loving GM right now 🔱 Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos isn't interested in running Disney after Bob Iger 🍕 Sam's Club has a new AI-powered store with a pizza robot slinging 100 pies an hour 🌬️ The man named as Bitcoin's creator in an HBO documentary has gone into hiding 🧑🚀 Prada designed NASA spacesuit takes luxury to the next level 🦠 MrBeast and Logan Paul are taking on Lunchables. But they're already dealing with mold complaints 🧑🎤 Delta's CEO thinks he's a rockstar now Singapore has a building with more greenery than ground. Amid the city's density, it showcases four landscaped terraces that span an area twice the hotel's footprint. One-legged stance says a lot about aging. The ability to balance on one leg like a flamingo declines with age sharply but can reflect how well your body's systems are functioning together. PepsiCo says it's not all that in a bag of chips. The Frito-Lay maker is responding to shrinkflation concerns by adding extra chips to bags to address complaints that there's more air than crisps. Goldfish crackers want to grow up. The savory snack is changing its name for a limited time as it aims to capture the attention of adult shoppers. El Niño's pretty old. New research from Duke University indicates that the weather pattern has been fluctuating for 250 million years. Boeing is adding to the space debris problem. The aircraft maker's satellite exploded, contributing to the roughly 3,000 inactive satellites already in space. Did you know we have two premium weekend emails, too? One gives you analysis on the week's news, and one provides the best reads from Quartz and elsewhere to get your week started right. Become a member or give membership as a gift! Our best wishes on a safe start to the day. Send any news, comments, McDonald's burgers, and flamingo stances to talk@qz.com. Today's Daily Brief was brought to you by Francisco Velasquez and Audrey McNamara.

📬 Boeing's bad news bonanza

Jamie Dimon, Kamala Harris cabinet member? There are whisperings afoot that the JPMorgan Chase CEO wouldn't mind being nominated. GM is firing on all cylinders. The automaker raised its full-year guidance after a great quarter where it said it might have figured out how to sell EVs. Boeing has a lot of 'splaining to do. It presents earnings Wednesday amid a number of troubling narratives. Mark Zuckerberg doesn't want people talking about where his plane flies. Threads and Instagram banned accounts that tracked celebrity jets. The United States is playing computer-chip keep-away. It's pressuring allies not to sell semiconductors to China. After Donald Trump installed himself in a Pennsylvania McDonald's restaurant and served campaign supporters choreographed through its drive-through, the fast food company had to distance itself from the stunt. It's not the first company to have to do so. Goodyear had to downplay its dress code policies after a branch told workers not to wear pro-Trump-sloganed Make America Great Again hats at work; Exxon had to assure everyone in earshot that Trump had not solicited the company for bribes to secure necessary permits. It's not hard to imagine every press department on pins and needles every time the former president gives a speech. What other companies have had PR headaches thanks to the Republican presidential nominee? Quartz's Will Gavin recounts a few recent examples. Both Kamala Harris and Donald Trump have professed their support for America's growing cryptocurrency industry, but the sector definitely likes its chances under one candidate's party more than the other's. Political action committees connected to that corner of the finance world are donating 62% more to Republican campaigns. Though cryptocurrency users themselves are more undecided in their political preferences, that's not the case with the companies that support their favorite coins. As Election Day nears, some of that spending could mean the difference in key toss-up states. How much more do digital currency IRL dollars flow to right-leaning campaign coffers? Quartz's Vinamrata Chaturvedi digs into cryptocurrency's political donation divide. 👕 Former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries was arrested for sex trafficking. 🎯 Target is cutting prices on more than 2,000 items ahead of the holidays 🎃 Fry Cook Trump is quickly becoming a popular Halloween costume idea 🫂 A New Zealand airport is putting a time limit on hugs 💻 EY fired a couple dozen employees for taking too many online trainings at once 💊 Walmart is jumping into the prescription delivery business More than 1.5 million swing-state voters do not live in swing states. Overseas Americans remain a major voting bloc pursued by political campaigners. The Fall of Saigon was not the last American defeat during the Vietnam War. Dozens of service members died during a merchant ship rescue operation in Cambodia two weeks later. Tampa Bay's baseball Rays might play some games at Disney World next season. The team's looking for new digs after its stadium was damaged during Hurricane Milton. The next generation of AI tools might surf the internet for you. Anthropic's new "Computer Use" feature can do all the logistical clicking-around online that customers might find boring. (paywall) Facebook friends can help determine the course of a civil war. Researchers used the site's connections as a proxy for remittance flows going to Sri Lanka's government and its Tamil insurgency toward their conflict's end. Did you know we have two premium weekend emails, too? One gives you analysis on the week's news, and one provides the best reads from Quartz and elsewhere to get your week started right. Become a member or give membership as a gift! Our best wishes on a safe start to the day. Send any news, comments, Boeing embarrassments, and Tampa Bay baseball stadium real estate listings to talk@qz.com. Today's Daily Brief was brought to you by Melvin Backman and Audrey McNamara.