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Inflation is agonizingly high, however some comfort might be coming

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Expansion is agonizingly high, however this ideally is almost more or less awful

Purchaser costs rose 6.8% for the a year finishing off with November, a 39-year high. Numerous financial specialists anticipate that inflation should stay close to this level a couple of more months yet to then direct through 2022 for an assortment of reasons. Furthermore they don’t see a rehash of the 1970s or mid 1980s, when expansion ran above 10% for startlingly extended lengths.

Certainly, financial analysts say expansion will probably remain higher than it was before the pandemic, even after it facilitates through 2022. As a rule over the most recent 10 years, expansion was beneath 2%, and it even scratched under zero during parts of 2015. The greater peril then, at that point, was too-low expansion, which can likewise prompt a feeble economy.

Families could even see help in certain spaces in practically no time. Costs have dropped on worldwide business sectors for raw petroleum and flammable gas, which is separating into lower costs at the siphon and for home warming. That should hold expansion fairly under wraps, regardless of whether costs continue to rise somewhere else in the economy.

“This won’t be a simple fix,” said Nela Richardson, boss financial specialist at ADP. “Since expansion will ultimately direct doesn’t imply that costs will go down. They’re up. We’re simply bringing down the pace of progress, not the degree of costs.”

Russell Price, boss financial specialist at Ameriprise, anticipates that inflation should top at 7.1% in December and January, for instance. From that point onward, he expects the expansion rate to fall toward 4% by the late spring and beneath 3% before the year’s over, yet to remain above 2% through 2023.

“This won’t be a simple fix,” said Nela Richardson, boss financial specialist at ADP. “Since expansion will ultimately direct doesn’t imply that costs will go down. They’re up. We’re simply bringing down the pace of progress, not the degree of costs.”

One justification behind the control, he said, is further developing stockpile chains. They had become ensnarled when the worldwide economy out of nowhere got back to life following its concise closure, and financial analysts trust expanding accessibility of everything from micro processors to delivery holders will assist expansion with facilitating.

Then, at that point, there’s the Federal Reserve. Money Street anticipates that the Fed should say this impending week that it will speed up its exit from a month to month security purchasing program intended to help the economy. That would open the entryway for it to start raising transient financing costs.

“It’s in nobody’s inclinations to have the production network as troublesome as it has been,” Price said.

Both the security purchasing and low rates are planned to spike getting, which gets individuals and organizations to purchase more things. That can assist with driving expansion higher, as request exceeds supply.

Most promptly, Americans should see swings in expansion by means of energy costs.

The U.S. government will likewise possibly offer less guide to families in 2022, regardless of whether that is through youngster tax reduction installments or expanded joblessness benefits. That could likewise prompt less buys by Americans, further diminishing the tension on expansion.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration figures gas will drop again to a normal of $3.13 in December and to $2.88 for all of 2022 subsequent to averaging $3.39 last month, the most elevated starting around 2014.

A gallon of customary gas has fallen around 2.4% throughout the last month, to somewhat less than $3.35 per gallon on Friday, as indicated. That is progress, however drivers are as yet addressing far greater expenses than last year, when a gallon of normal was just $2.16.

Oil costs have dropped for various reasons. On one side, countries have settled on arrangements to help oil supplies. On the other, the omicron variation of the Covid marked assumptions for request on stresses it would cause lockdowns and dropped travel. Benchmark U.S. raw petroleum has fallen almost 15% since the beginning of November.

The normal expense to warm a home this colder time of year will be an expected $972, as per Mark Wolfe, leader overseer of the National Energy Assistance Directors Association. That is not exactly the $1,056 his gathering was projecting in October, yet higher than the $888 shoppers paid to warm their homes a year ago.

Maybe the greatest special case in where expansion is going is the thing that occurs with laborers’ wages.

Home warming expenses are additionally prone to be lower than anticipated, despite the fact that bills will in any case probably be higher than last year, as costs for flammable gas fall with different powers on worldwide business sectors.

“This is a customer be careful circumstance,” Wolfe said. “Try not to get your expectations up that costs will boil down to last year’s levels.”

“We’ve seen a genuine mindfulness on Main Street that costs have gone up,” ADP’s Richardson said.

On top of that is whether the spike previously found in expansion will terrify U.S. families into accelerating buys to advance beyond any further cost increments. That could make its own input circle, driving costs higher.

“It’s a worry since when you’re fighting expansion on different fronts — it’s not simply the production network, it’s the work market deficiencies, yet presently you have the customer who’s in the blend — it expands the trouble in managing expansion.”

“We’ve seen a genuine mindfulness on Main Street that costs have gone up,” ADP’s Richardson said.

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Character AI Tests New Games to Boost User Engagement

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Character AI Tests New Games to Boost User Engagement

Character AI, a platform that lets users interact with AI-powered characters, is testing games on its desktop and mobile web apps to enhance user engagement.

The games are available to paid subscribers and a select group of free-plan users. For this initial rollout, Character AI has introduced two games: Speakeasy and War of Words.

To access the games, users can select any character they are chatting with and click the new controller icon. The app prompts users to start a separate chat for the game to preserve their ongoing conversations with the character.

In Speakeasy, players aim to get the chatbot to say a specific word without using five restricted words. For example, they might try to make the bot say “croissant” without mentioning “pastry,” “butter,” “bake,” “French,” or “flaky.”

In War of Words, users engage in a verbal duel with the character. An AI referee evaluates each round, with the competition spanning five rounds.

The company sees these games as a way to make the platform more entertaining. “Our goal as an AI entertainment company is to enhance the Character AI experience by making it more fun and immersive. This feature allows users to play games with their favorite characters while preserving the experience they enjoy,” a spokesperson said.

Users have already created their own text-based games, such as the Space Adventure Game. However, Character AI aims to expand its offerings by developing in-house games.

The company has recently undergone leadership changes. Co-founders Noam Shazeer and Daniel De Freitas departed for Google, while a former YouTube executive joined as Chief Product Officer. Dominic Perella, previously the company’s General Counsel, is now serving as interim CEO.

In an interview with TechCrunch in December, Perella emphasized that Character AI is focused on building a platform for entertainment rather than creating AI companions. “We want to create a wholesome entertainment platform where people can craft and share stories. To achieve this, we are continuously evolving our safety practices to the highest standards,” he explained.

The introduction of games aligns with strategies employed by platforms like YouTube, LinkedIn, and Netflix to boost user engagement. According to Sensor Tower, Character AI users already spend an average of 98 minutes per day on the app, and the addition of games could further increase this figure.

Last year, Character AI implemented new safety measures for teens, including clearer labels indicating that AI characters are not real people and a time-out notification for users who spend over 60 consecutive minutes on the app. These changes followed multiple lawsuits involving the company.

With the introduction of games, Character AI is taking another step toward cementing its position as a leading AI-driven entertainment platform.

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Hyzon is the most recent startup backed by SPAC to fail

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Hyzon Motors, a hydrogen fuel cell developer, has shut down after struggling to sustain operations since going public during the 2020-2021 SPAC boom. Despite positive press, warning signs persisted, culminating in the company’s downfall.

A Rocky Start and SEC Troubles

Hyzon, a spinoff from Singapore’s Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies, raised $550 million in 2021 through a reverse merger with Decarbonization Plus Acquisition Corp. However, its operations were focused on Europe, Australia, and China, with no U.S. or North American business initially.

In 2021, short-seller Blue Orca Capital accused Hyzon of fabricating orders in China, leading to an SEC investigation. The company paid a $25 million fine, and CEO Craig Knight was replaced in 2022 by Parker Meeks, a former McKinsey & Co. partner.

Attempts to Revive the Business

Under Meeks, Hyzon closed its European and Australian operations and focused on specific markets like refuse trucks. The company also partnered with Fontaine Modification to retrofit Freightliner Cascadia trucks with 110-kilowatt fuel cell systems while developing a larger 200-kW system.

Despite technological progress, Hyzon struggled to generate sales. By the third quarter of 2023, it had only $100,000 in revenue. With just $14 million in cash, the board decided on December 19 to pay creditors and shut down operations. Remaining employees in Michigan and Illinois are set to lose their jobs by February 2024.

Optimism Faded

Until its third-quarter earnings call, Meeks expressed hope, citing potential fleet contracts and falling hydrogen prices, which were projected to drop to $10-$12 per kilogram by 2025. However, Hyzon’s high truck costs and inability to secure large orders sealed its fate.

Broader Industry Struggles

Hyzon’s collapse is part of a broader trend among hydrogen fuel cell and SPAC-funded startups. German company Quantron AG entered insolvency in late 2023, while Nikola Corporation faces funding challenges. Other SPAC-backed ventures like Lordstown Motors and Embark Trucks also failed due to financial difficulties.

Hyliion, however, has managed to thrive by pivoting to a fuel-agnostic stationary generator business, securing contracts, and achieving a significant stock price increase in 2023.

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Japan’s efforts to create a dual-purpose defense startup environment

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To stay competitive in the global technological race, Japan must merge its defence and civilian innovation ecosystems, which involve diverse stakeholders. In September 2024, Japan’s Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry unveiled the concept of a “dual-use startup ecosystem.” This initiative seeks to integrate startups into research and development (R&D) to meet the technological demands of defence equipment.

Strengthening Defence Innovation

Prior to the announcement, the government identified approximately 200 startups in July 2023, outlining plans to support these companies with defence-related equipment and financial assistance to ease their entry into the market. The startups specialize in advanced fields such as drones, cyber defence, satellite communications, and electromagnetic wave technologies.

Leading this initiative is the Ministry of Defense’s Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics Agency through its newly established Defense Innovation Science and Technology Institute (October 2024). The aim is to efficiently incorporate civilian technologies into defence equipment, aligning with global trends where private-sector innovation plays a growing role in defence development. The model draws inspiration from the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the Defense Innovation Unit, which rapidly integrate private-sector advancements into defence projects.

Historical Roots and Persistent Challenges

Japan’s push for dual-use technologies is not entirely new. Efforts began with the 2013 National Security Strategy and the 2014 Strategy on Defense Production and Technological Bases, emphasizing public-private partnerships. These policies responded to challenges like globalized supply chains, Japan’s deteriorating security environment, the shrinking defence industry, and the need for technological cooperation with allies.

However, gaps between policy and implementation have hindered progress. A major issue is the low profitability of the defence industry, which has driven many private companies out of the sector. Reform efforts must offer stronger incentives for startups to participate. While increased defence spending has benefited traditional firms, smaller companies and startups face uncertain gains.

Another obstacle is the private sector’s cautious stance on defence R&D, rooted in Japan’s post-war anti-militarist norms. Many academic and industrial players perceive military involvement as a reputational risk in the predominantly civilian-focused business landscape.

For instance, the Ministry of Defense’s 2015 research funding initiative faced strong opposition from the academic community, including the Science Council of Japan, which criticized it for potentially restricting free scientific inquiry. This resistance has limited the impact of defence-related reforms, and startups entering the sector may encounter similar challenges.

Emerging Opportunities in a Changing Context

Despite these hurdles, Japan’s new dual-use startup ecosystem reflects an evolving political and social landscape. Since the 2010s, Japan’s national security policies have shifted to address growing security threats and fiscal constraints. Public opinion has gradually become more open to pragmatic national security measures, although resistance persists in some sectors.

Startups, particularly those led by younger entrepreneurs who are less tied to traditional business norms, are poised to play a pivotal role in this policy’s success.

Economic Security as a Catalyst

Economic security policies are further driving changes in Japan’s defence innovation ecosystem. The 2022 Economic Security Promotion Act has marked the beginning of “economic securitisation,” incorporating critical and emerging technologies into national policy. Initiatives like the “Key and Advanced Technology R&D through Cross Community Collaboration Program” have expanded R&D budgets, with applications spanning both civilian and military domains under the label of “multi-use” technologies.

By framing defence-related R&D as part of economic security, the government is addressing concerns within Japan’s political culture. This approach may reduce normative barriers for companies and universities to engage in defence-related activities.

A Defining Moment for Japan’s Innovation Ecosystem

As economic securitisation gains traction, Japan faces an opportunity to establish a robust defence innovation ecosystem. However, this moment also demands tough decisions from the private sector about their involvement in defence projects. Balancing commercial interests with normative considerations will shape the future of Japan’s defence and civilian innovation integration.

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