*By Conor White*
Automation doesn't have to be a job-killer.
That's according to Wade Foster, the CEO of Zapier, which creates technology that allows different workplace apps to communicate with each other.
"The key thing that automation provides is it allows machines to do the things they are really, truly best at," explained Foster in an interview on Cheddar Wednesday. "And then it allows humans the creative angle to work. We're able to find better stories to tell our customers, we're better able to invent new ways of doing things that we haven't done before."
It might be a good thing for those in sectors like technology and media, but others ー those, for example, in manufacturing industries ー will feel the negative effects of technological advances. The World Economic Forum estimates that five million jobs will be lost to automation by 2020. In an interview Wednesday on Cheddar, Foster said it's important not to forget about those workers.
"When you look at blue collar work and things like that, I think we will have to find ways to transition the knowledge that's learned there to help folks find new ways of helping society move forward."
Overall, Foster is optimistic when it comes to automation and about the impact it will have on the world at large.
"Instead of replacing jobs, it's actually helping \[companies\] achieve more, grow revenue," he said. "And in turn they're able to actually create more jobs because they're better able to do things they haven't been able to do before."
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/could-automation-actually-be-good-for-workers).
Cloud-based AI-powered writing assistant Grammarly recently raised $200 million in a funding round that values the company at $13 billion. The funding will be used to help Grammarly achieve its goal of becoming more ubiquitous, as the company says it wants to be the go-to writing assistant for wherever people type. Grammarly also says it aims to solve what it calls one of the most critical problems facing people and businesses today -- ineffective communication. Grammarly global head of product Rahul Roy-Chowdhury joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
The Competition and Markets Authority in the UK moved to block Facebook parent company Meta from acquiring the image sharing platform Giphy after saying advertisers and consumers would be adversely impacted. Hatem Dhiab, managing partner at Gerber Kawasaki Wealth & Investment, joined Cheddar to break down the decision and noted that the CMA's order could also halt other big tech firms from making similar purchases in the future. "I think this is going to be true for Facebook, it's going to happen for other big tech companies — Amazon, perhaps Google, so it's interesting that the UK is starting this wave," he said.
Namita Dhallan, Chief Product Officer at Brightcove, joins Cheddar to discuss how artificial intelligence and machine learning are creating room for more personalization in video, and how these technologies are shaping the future of the video tech industry.
NASA indefinitely delayed a spacewalk to repair an ISS antenna, citing concerns about space debris. It was unclear if the warning from the space agency to astronauts aboard the ISS was related to the recent destruction of a non-functioning Russian satellite.
Jack Dorsey has officially stepped down as CEO of Twitter.
In a statement -- he says he is leaving because the company is ready to move on from its founders. Tom Morton, Global Chief Strategy Officer, R/GA joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss the implications of the move.
Mike Proulx, VP and research director at Forrester, joined Cheddar to talk about what Jack Dorsey's departure from Twitter as CEO means for the social media platform. He noted that while Dorsey had been the face of the company, "he's been a part-time CEO" since also taking on the leadership position at Square. Stepping down from leading Twitter allows his replacement Parag Agrawal, the former CTO, to be a dedicated leader of the company. However, Proulx noted that Agrawal faces headwinds on policy and political ramifications that will come with the job.
The UK's Competition and Markets Authority blocked Facebook parent company Meta's acquisition of the image sharing platform Giphy, stating that the deal would harm UK advertisers and social media users. Meta responded and said that it is considering an appeal.
Jill and Carlo cover the latest developments with the Omicron variant that are spooking markets once again. Twitter's @Jack is leaving, SCOTUS takes up abortion rights and the world has a brand new republic.
