To Make Amends, Uber Looks Ahead, and Facebook Looks Back
*By Madison Alworth*
Uber's new [national TV ad](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMZyw5lPKgE) doesn't tout new services or offer limited-time discounts. This minute-long video makes a solemn promise, from Uber's new CEO himself, Dara Khosrowshahi, "to always do the right thing."
It's part of Uber's effort since Khosrowshahi took over last August to present the company as a better, more caring corporate citizen of the world. After years of bad news about Uber's cutthroat strategy to grow at any cost, this ad represents a carefully crafted pivot.
"I do think its effective," said Jon Swartz, a senior reporter at Barron's. "I actually think of it as kind of a State of the Union address from Dara."
Khosrowshahi inherited from the founder and former CEO Travis Kalanick a company dealing with investor lawsuits, a federal investigation into stolen trade secrets, and software used to hide its vehicles from law enforcement. Not to mention an incriminating video of Kalanick [berating an Uber driver](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-02-28/in-video-uber-ceo-argues-with-driver-over-falling-fares). The advertisement serves as a reset of public expectations.
"I think what Dara is doing is really, really good," said Swartz. "In fact, what he's doing is he's starting his administration, so to speak, on a positive angle."
Uber is not the only company looking to publicly make amends for past transgressions. Facebook has also released an advertisement, ["Here Together,"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4zd7X98eOs) which promises a return to what users may have first liked about Facebook.
Swartz said the Facebook ad is different from Uber's because the social media company is in a different stage of the so-called public apology tour.
"The difference between the two is that Uber is trying to take a first wave of the new administration and set a precedent," Swartz said in an interview Thursday on Cheddar. "While Facebook is kind of retrenching and trying to correct what has been a problem and what will continue to probably be a problem when we hear about other data breaches or problems that occur there."
It remains to be see how the public ー and investors ー will respond to the companies' new promises.
"I think there's this general sense that tech is not well liked throughout the rest of the country," Swartz said, adding that these ads cold have a broad impact with consumers who have impressions of the companies shaped by what they hear as much as what they experience.
"You're resetting the company and its expectations, because again, in Silicon Valley, the companies are reflected by their CEOs," Swartz said. "That's the personality of the company, whether good, or bad, or indifferent."
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/silicon-valley-is-sorry).
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.
A new mobile app has launched just in time for Valentine's Day. Our.Love bills itself as an A.I.-powered, gamified, relationship wellness app for couples. The app is set in what the company calls the Coupleverse, a virtual world where each couple can build a virtual relationship home as they also build their real-world relationship. Founder and CEO Tal Zlotnitsky joined Cheddar to discuss how the app works. "The concept behind Our.Love is to give people the opportunity to understand where they stand in their relationship through very simple metrics that we provide within the app that will help them in real-time, see where they stand, see where their partner is, and be able to get closer together," he said.
Alyson Wilson, VP of Brand Innovation at Alo Yoga, joins Cheddar News to discuss the yoga apparel company entering the metaverse and teaming up with Spring Studios for New York Fashion Week.
