Monday Moves v0.4
*Feb 3, 2020*
Elon Musk is actually a pretty talented music producer. We recommend listening to Emo G Records’ newest hit while reading about the last week’s developments.
The Super Bowl this past weekend featured some of the most exciting upcoming business trends. We’re here to break down the insights for you.
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Moves
Raj: Law enforcement officers across the country have used facial recognition software that scrapes the Internet to identify individuals. The AI company Clearview could have easily gone unnoticed had it not been for a report this past week.
Chances are that you might have never heard of Clearview AI, a groundbreaking research company that over 600 law enforcement agencies across the country have started to use without notifying the public. The company has recently come into the public eye thanks to a report in the New York Times, following which New Jersey banned its police from using the software. According to Clearview’s website, the company’s mission is to help track at-large criminals and exonerate the innocent. The way it does this tracking, however, might be a gross violation of privacy and a huge oversight (at best) by law enforcement. Police upload an image of an unidentified person, and Clearview scrapes through the gigantic repository of publicly available images and videos on sites like Facebook, Venmo, Youtube and more to find matches using its facial recognition software. In Clearview’s defense, it isn’t surveilling targeted individuals but merely comparing images. Moreover, it is legal to use publicly available images that have been properly uploaded to the Internet. However, this opens the conversation on legislation surrounding facial recognition. Without a broad moratorium on applications of facial recognition software, can we trust that legislators will develop the technical expertise and timeliness needed to keep pace with this rapidly growing industry? Police in the UK and China are already using real-time facial recognition software at large scale. If Big Tech decides to seriously pursue a partnership with the government in this realm, this may not remain up for debate. With enough pressure, though, the small and untransparent company that is Clearview may be forced to stop its government partnership.
Sam: Amazon who? UPS steps up to the plate as it invests in the future of transportation by buying electric vehicles, focusing on self-driving technology, and exploring delivery via drones.
UPS is focusing on the future of their delivery infrastructure and recently made some major announcements. UPS is partnering with Waymo and using Waymo’s self-driving cars for a pilot project to transport packages in Arizona. The goal is to explore how driverless cars will provide a larger role in UPS’ logistics in the future. The relationship is not exclusive, as UPS has also been working with the autonomous truck company TuSimple in which they own a stake. UPS also announced that it has plans to buy 10,000 trucks from the UK startup Arrival. UPS plans to join Hyundai and Kia in investing in the company which is developing a variety of electric commercial vehicles. Finally, UPS continues to develop their drone delivery technology, and is expanding their testing to include San Diego hospitals. UPS is proving to their customers and stockholders that they are forward-thinking, which is needed positive press among fears that UPS is too dependent on business from Amazon who is working on developing their own delivery network.
Sam: Verizon and T-Mobile are battling over 5G, and they took their fight to the Super Bowl.
Verizon and T-Mobile used one of the United States’ biggest media days to promote their 5G services. Both cell providers aired ads during the game which touted the latest development in cellular technology, and both companies took direct shots at their competition. Verizon’s ads compared their 5G to “other 5G networks” and insisted that their 4G was faster than T-Mobile’s 5G. T-Mobile’s CEO John Legere responded by criticizing Verizon’s coverage and then posting a video on twitter comparing the 5G services in the stadium in real-time. At this point the truth is that only a small group of devices are even capable of using 5G, and the services for all companies are geographically limited. As Verizon, T-Mobile, and other cell providers continue to expand their 5G offerings and 5G-capable devices start ending up in the hands of more consumers, we will begin to get a better picture of which services are better than others. Until then, I will continue to enjoy watching the drama unfold online and in the media.
Sam: Dashlane’s Super Bowl ad is a big deal, and it proves that password management services are also.
When I saw Dashlane’s ad in the Super Bowl I was shocked, and so were other viewers. The company provides password management services, and does a great job. Full disclosure, I have used Dashlane for over 3 years. But to pay a reported $5.6 million for a 30 second commercial seemed a little out of their league. The ad not only shows that Dashlane is working hard to promote their services, but that password managers are becoming increasingly popular. With cyber attacks in the news daily, and more consumers worried about their security online, it makes sense that these products will begin to gain mainstream popularity, throwing unencrypted word docs and post-it notes into the trash where they belong. Dashlane’s ad was a smart move to keep their brand in front of new customers as more people learn about password managers (like 1Password) and decide which one to choose.
Rearview Mirror
Raj: In its yearly review of cultural trends, Ford has found some key takeaways. Loneliness is a worldwide phenomenon. Human touch and interaction are precious commodities. Ethics are just as important to people as technological advancement.
Every year, Ford publishes a report on the technological and cultural trends of the past year. The major theme of 2019's report is the marriage of humanity and technology. The 24/7 connected world promised real-time connection between loved ones and the ability to dictate one’s own pace and productivity. Instead, people are seeing the opposite effects. We are distracted by the incessant dings of push notifications, overwhelmed by information overload, and craving for human connection. Loneliness is now a worldwide phenomenon, making its mark in places such as Korea, Japan, and the UK. The Japanese call it hikikomori, and the UK has launched an official government program to combat it. Unchecked technological development has also left us frustrated by rising inequality, and we want technology to work for ordinary people. Ford sees a role to play in bridging this gap: the car. Ford’s product is one of the few remaining areas of mostly unchecked human interaction. Road trips with friends or family remain a presence in our lives, and making automobile travel a more convenient and comfortable option may be a step toward reuniting humans with each other and strengthening our marriage with technology.
Raj: Millennials love Zillow even though (or because) they may never own a home. “Virtual daydreaming” is a trend that’s here to stay.
Ask any millennial where they begin they begin their search for a new apartment and the answer will almost certainly be Zillow, which averaged over 150 million monthly unique visitors in 2018. Over the past decade, the real estate database site has become the favorite among younger generations looking to relocate or merely daydream about relocating. Wish fulfillment about relocating is no longer done watching Flip or Flop on HGTV, but as with all industries has followed the virtual DIY trend. I, myself, am guilty of perusing listings that I have no business looking at. Angela Lashbrook published a compelling piece on the habit of millennials to follow websites like Zillow and real estate-themed Instagram accounts. This habit reinforces what is already ubiquitous among millennials: insecurity stemming from the pipe dream that is home ownership. The classic American model of working hard and saving up to start a family in one’s own home already seems to belong in ancient history. Zillow and Instagram are virtual arenas where millennials can reclaim short-lived ownership over their lives. If financial instability keeps growing, be on the watch for more virtual wish-fulfillment arenas to enter the millennial headspace.
Eyes on the Road
Sam: TikTok, like other social media platforms, is facing criticism as it wrestles with political content
On January 31st, the founder of Live Action (a pro-life organization) tweeted that their TikTok account had been banned without any explanation. The account has since been reinstated, and TikTok claims the deletion was the result of human error. Live Action is one of many politically oriented accounts on the video sharing platform which continues to capture the attention of users on a global scale. The CEO of TikTok has previously told the media that he does not think the app is designed for political discussion, but that it shouldn’t be tightly controlled. TikTok has a wide appeal with teen and young adults in America, many of whom are forming their political opinions and will be voting in the next election. It is not surprising that political groups are using the platform to broadcast their message to this impressionable group. As the 2020 election nears, the political content will only increase, and we will have to see if TikTok stays true to their word or adjusts their community guidelines.
That’s all for this week. Keep on moving.