Fast food chains have had an interesting year with the return of McDonald's dollar menu and America's desire to eat healthier. So what does it mean for the industry going into 2018? Jeff Tomasulo, CEO at Vespula Capital, and Chris Versace, Chief Investment Officer at Tematica Research, join Cheddar to discuss which chain will come out on top.
McDonald's stopped using the value meal strategy in 2013, and it has cost them $2.9 billion in sales, according to Tomasulo. He says the fast food restaurant game is all about volume and getting people in the door. Now that McDonald's brought it back, it's bringing in more foot traffic but also forcing other chains to discount their menus. Wendy's beefed up its "4 for $4" bundles in response to McDonald's dollar menu revival.
Other than price, these fast food chains also need to worry about food safety, something Chipotle has had a rough time with. Versace says if the company can fix the safety issue and get its cost structure in line, the stock could turn for the better in a very quick manner. He says company turnarounds tend to take time and unfortuneatly that shakes investor confidence.
OpenAI has announced that ChatGPT will soon engage in "erotica for verified adults." CEO Sam Altman says the company aims to allow more user freedom for adults while setting limits for teens. OpenAI isn't the first to explore sexualized AI, but previous attempts have faced legal and societal challenges. Altman believes OpenAI isn't the "moral police" and wants to differentiate content similar to how Hollywood differentiates R-rated movies. This move could help OpenAI, which is losing money, turn a profit. However, experts express concerns about the impact on real-world relationships and the potential for misuse.
CNN is launching a new “All Access” streaming subscription in the U.S. on October 28th, priced at $6.99 a month, or just $69.99 if you sign up for a full year.
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