Former Facebook and Google Employees Team Up To Tackle Tech Addicition
Tackling tech addiction - that's the goal of a coalition formed by former Apple, Facebook, and Google employees. The Center for Humane Technology is launching a new campaign called "The Truth About Tech" to inform parents, teachers, and students about the potentially harmful effects of the gadgets we use every day.
Rob Marvin, Associate Features Editor at PCMag, explains how the coalition plans to fix the problem of tech addiction. The group is partnering with hundreds of schools around the country to explain the dangers of gadget use.
So far, companies like Facebook and Google haven't been incredibly forthright about the issue of tech addiction, but that could slowly change. Marvin says all of these companies are especially concerned with how they are viewed by the public. If people begin to view these companies as potential dangers, then they will likely step in to change things.
A bipartisan bill introduced by U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) aims to tackle the spread of misinformation on social media platforms, as well as the addictive nature of the sites and negative mental health impacts they have on users. The 'Nudge Act' would require studies to find and compile potential interventions that platforms could use to encourage people to think before they share a post, or log off after spending too much time on an app. The FTC would create rules based on these findings, and hold the platforms accountable. But will it work? Jesse Lehrich, co-founder of Accountable Tech, joins Closing Bell to discuss the bill, whether real results and regulations could come from it, and more.
A.I.-based entertainment company, Deedub, recently raised
$20 million in a Series A round, led by Insight Partners. Deepdub uses A.I. technology to automate the dubbing process for foreign-language movies or TV shows, while using actors' original voices. The company says it can take just two to three minutes of data from an actor's voice and transform the voice into a different language. The funding comes as foreign-language films and shows like Netflix's 'Squid Game' have recently become more popular with audiences in the U.S. and around the world. Oz Krakowski, Chief Revenue Officer at Deepdub, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Energy Vault, the company developing sustainable, grid-scale energy storage solutions, is now trading on the New York Stock Exchange following the completion of its business combination with Novus Capital Corporation II. Energy Vault develops sustainable, grid-scale energy storage solutions designed to advance the transition to a carbon free, resilient power grid. Robert Piconi, co-founder and CEO of Energy Vault, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to disucss.