 |
|
|
|||||
Its an understatement to say that Reddit had an excellent second quarter. On Thursday, July 31, the social media company reported a boost in revenue from $281 million to $500 milliona 78% increase year-over-year (YOY). Its the companys fastest quarterly growth in three years and blew past the $425 million predicted by Wall Street, according to consensus estimates cited by Bloomberg. Its also the most significant jump since Reddit went public in March 2024, and investors are responding in spades. Reddits stock price (NYSE: RDDT) has jumped over 15% during after-hours and into premarket trading on Friday. The social media company can thank advertising, in large part. Second-quarter ad revenue increased by 84% YOY, hitting $465 million, Reddit reported. Notably, its daily active users also increased 21% YOY, to 110 million. Feeding the beast with human-powered knowledge Reddit is walking an interesting line between the benefits of AI and the desire among users for real human connections. It has rolled out features like Reddit Answers, an AI tool that summarizes conversations and posts. But Reddit also focuses on the importance of human-centric discussion. For people, conversation and connection are becoming more valuable and rare, Reddit cofounder and CEO Steve Huffman stated in a quarter-two earnings call. In a world increasingly dominated by algorithms and automation, the need for human voices has never been greater. Huffman cites a recent study that reportedly found 80% of users believe some questions can only be answered by humans as opposed to AI-generated summaries. But he follows it up by adding that for LLM and AI search engines, these conversations and the knowledge they create are essential for training. So is Reddits idea to focus on human conversation until it gives AI enough info to replace it? According to Huffman, not necessarily. In an automated world that depends on human knowledge, we view Reddit as one of the most important and differentiated data sources,” he stated. “We believe this validates what weve always thought, human conversation is not being replaced by AI, instead, its becoming more important.” He added: “AI doesnt invent knowledge, it learns from us, from real people, sharing real perspectives. You cant have artificial intelligence without actual intelligence.
Category:
E-Commerce
OpenAI has removed a controversial opt-in feature that had led to some private chats appearing in Google search results, following reporting by Fast Company that found sensitive conversations were becoming publicly accessible. Earlier this week, Fast Company revealed that private ChatGPT conversationssome involving highly sensitive topics like drug use and sexual healthwere unexpectedly showing up in Google search results. The issue appeared to stem from arguably vague language in the apps Share feature, which included an option that may have misled users into making their chats publicly searchable. When users clicked Share, they were presented with an option to tick a box labeled Make this chat discoverable. Beneath that, in smaller, lighter text, was a caveat explaining that the chat could then appear in search engine results. Within hours of the backlash spreading on social media, OpenAI pulled the feature and began working to scrub exposed conversations from search results. Ultimately we think this feature introduced too many opportunities for folks to accidentally share things they didn’t intend to, so we’re removing the option, said Dane Stuckey, OpenAIs chief information security officer, in a post on X. We’re also working to remove indexed content from the relevant search engines. We just removed a feature from @ChatGPTapp that allowed users to make their conversations discoverable by search engines, such as Google. This was a short-lived experiment to help people discover useful conversations. This feature required users to opt-in, first by picking a chat pic.twitter.com/mGI3lF05Ua— DAN (@cryps1s) July 31, 2025 Stuckeys comments mark a reversal from the companys stance earlier this week, when it maintained that the features labeling was sufficiently clear. Rachel Tobac, a cybersecurity analyst and CEO of SocialProof Security, commended OpenAI for its prompt response once it became clear that users were unintentionally sharing sensitive content. We know that companies will make mistakes sometimes, they may implement a feature on a website that users dont understand and impact their privacy or security, she says. Its great to see swift and decisive action from the ChatGPT team here to shut that feature down and keep users privacy a top priority. In his post, OpenAI’s Stuckey characterized the feature as a short-lived experiment. But Carissa Veliz, an AI ethicist at the University of Oxford, says the implications of such experiments are troubling. Tech companies use the general population as guinea pigs, she says. They do something, they try it out on the population, and see if somebody complains.
Category:
E-Commerce
Justin Timberlake has been diagnosed with Lyme disease, the former NSYNC star said on Instagram Thursday.Timberlake shared the news in a post commemorating his Forget Tomorrow tour, which wrapped in Turkey on Wednesday, adding that the disease “can be relentlessly debilitating, both mentally and physically.”The “SexyBack” singer, who described himself as a private person, wrote he considered ending the tour when diagnosed, but wrote that he “decided the joy that performing brings me far outweighs the fleeting stress my body was feeling. I’m so glad I kept going.”Lyme disease is transmitted by Ixodes ticks, also known as deer ticks. It can cause flu-like conditions, neurological problems, joint paint and other symptoms. In the vast majority of cases, Lyme disease is successfully treated with antibiotics.“I honestly don’t know what my future is onstage, but I’ll always cherish this run! And all of them before! It’s been the stuff of legend for me,” Timberlake wrote.Timberlake canceled and postponed multiple shows throughout the tour’s run, citing health issues including bronchitis and laryngitis. Six of his U.S. shows were postponed from October and November to February, the singer announced on Instagram. Timberlake ultimately canceled the last show of the U.S. leg of the tour in Ohio due to the flu in February.Representatives for Timberlake did not immediately respond to The Associated Press’ request for comment. Timberlake pleaded guilty to driving while impaired in New York’s Hamptons in 2024. As part of his plea deal, the singer gave a public safety announcement in September, urging drivers not to get behind the wheel after drinking.The 10-time Grammy winner ended the post thanking his wife, Jessica Biel, and their two sons, Silas and Phin, saying “nothing is more powerful than your unconditional love. You are my heart and my home. I’m on my way.” About Lyme disease Exactly how often Lyme disease strikes isn’t clear. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cites insurance records suggesting 476,000 people are treated for Lyme disease in the U.S. each year.Black-legged ticks, also called deer ticks, carry Lyme-causing bacteria.The infection initially causes fatigue, fever and joint pain. Often but not always the first sign is a red, round bull’s-eye rash.Early antibiotic treatment is crucial, but it can be hard for people to tell if they were bitten by ticks, some as small as a pin. Untreated Lyme can cause severe arthritis and damage the heart and nervous system. Some people have lingering symptoms even after treatment. Itzel Luna, Associated Press
Category:
E-Commerce
All news |
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||