Good morning readers. Ever thought your earbuds could eavesdrop on your brain? Enter Niura. Founded by four high-school friends, this startup gives 'listening' a deeper meaning. It's no longer just about the Top 40 hits but the top neural signals your brain emits. While other companies are wrapping bands around heads, Niura's wrapping minds around music, and in doing so, might just strike the right chord in healthcare. The future sounds not just harmonious but also insightful. Earbuds in, world out, brain on with Niura.

Let’s jump into today’s storylines.

In today’s digest:

• Meta’s new bet

• Headline Hustle: Ford workers in Canada get wage bump, Regulators say ‘no dice’ to betting on Capitol Hill, NASA collects samples from an asteroid

• Employers are tracking your office appearances

• Pulse Points: What’s Trending

ARTIFICAL INTELLIGENCE

Meta’s personality-driven AI chatbots

In a lively attempt to recapture the teen demographic from rivals like TikTok, Meta Platforms, Inc. is stirring up the social media scene with its latest venture into personality-driven AI chatbots. These digital personas, aimed at heightening user engagement, are gearing up for their debut at the forthcoming Meta Connect conference, as Zuck and co. look to showcase their latest and greatest in AI.

From video snippets to AI dialogues

This move follows in the wake of ChatGPT's launch, showcasing the leaps in large-language-model technology. It's a vivid display of Meta’s readiness to adapt amidst shifting competitive landscapes. While TikTok's flashy short videos have had teens hooked, Meta's innovative counter is all about engaging conversations with AI, which might just be the new cool. But the initiative is more than just a play for popularity; it’s a calculated maneuver towards potentially ramping up ad revenues. As young users find camaraderie in code-assisting chatbots, the time spent on Meta's platforms could see a hearty rise, subsequently pulling in heftier advertising dollars.

A bumpy road ahead. The internal testing phase has witnessed some rough interactions, underlining the necessity for meticulous refinement, especially around ethical guidelines to dodge any unsavory backlash. Moreover, a close watch post-launch and a keen eye on revenue metrics are part of Meta's playbook to ensure this venture doesn’t end up as a fleeting gimmick but morphs into a lasting bond with younger crowds.

Looking ahead…Meta's latest gamble mirrors the dynamic essence of the digital age. As we inch closer to the chatbot's grand debut, the social media titan is not just looking for a technological win, but to reignite a connection with the next generation.

Headline Hustle

🚗 Ford’s autoworkers in Canada get wage bump. In a wheel-spinning victory for auto-workers up North, Canada's Unifor union just clinched the biggest wage hike in their history from Ford: a 15% increase over three years. How's that breakdown? A 10% jump right off the start line in year one, followed by 2% and 3% in years two and three. Plus, a cherry on top - the first quarterly cost-of-living adjustments since 2008. While their U.S. counterparts juggle talks with multiple automakers, Canada's shining its headlights with enhanced pensions and revved-up retiree healthcare.

🎲 Regulators say ‘no dice’ to betting on Capitol Hill. Regulators give a firm 'no' to a political-betting marketplace, spoiling startup Kalshi's plan to play bookie for congressional control. Critics caution: why turn democracy into Vegas, especially with fears of sneaky insiders skewing the stakes? Kalshi's rebuttal: think of it as hedging election outcomes, like how a bread-maker might play wheat futures. The CFTC, however, isn't keen on moonlighting as an "election cop". Kalshi's in for the long game though, having previously won CFTC nods. Meanwhile, the agency continues its tradition, having already benched similar pitches in 2012.

🚀 NASA collected a sample from an asteroid for the first time. Yesterday marked the finale of NASA's ambitious OSIRIS-REx mission, as the spacecraft's sample capsule breezed through Earth’s atmosphere, ending a monumental 1.2 billion-mile voyage from asteroid Bennu. This venture, launched in 2016, has secured possibly several hundred grams of pristine asteroid material poised to unlock insights into the early solar system. As Melissa Morris, the OSIRIS-REx program executive puts it, we're delving into "our own origin story.” This isn't just a space endeavor, it's an existential expedition.

CAREERS

Your work ID badge has a new role

The post-pandemic world is changing, and so is the office landscape. Remember those company badges once used just to buzz you in? Well, they've got a new job now—tracking your office attendance. It's not just any employer; the big guns like Meta Platforms, Google, and JPMorgan Chase are leading the pack. Swipe to enter? It’s now swipe to record.

For the bosses, it's about maximizing office space usage and ensuring their hybrid working policies are being followed. For instance, Meta's mandating a three-day a week office rule. JPMorgan isn’t just watching; they’re documenting employee moves for reasons ranging from real estate management to security.

Not everyone's on board. Unions and workers are raising eyebrows, with reactions suggesting these measures are a touch too "Big Brother." Concerns of over-monitoring and an overbearing corporate parent attitude loom, especially when that report can be just as easily written from a cozy home office. So why the 007-level of surveillance? Blame the pandemic-induced hybrid work model. Combine that with tech that makes employee monitoring look like child's play, and you've got yourself a corporate strategy.

Zoom out: at the heart of it all, it’s about evolving. Evolving to foster a culture that values both the urgency of corporate needs and the flexibility that comes with employee autonomy.

SNIPPETS

Pulse Points

Credit card companies are experiencing losses at the swiftest rate in nearly three decades.

Bluesky saw a rise in its user base following Elon Musk's decision to implement a monthly fee for users on X, formerly known as Twitter. The social network Bluesky hit a record in daily active users shortly after this announcement.

X is discontinuing its Circle feature. The feature will be deactivated on October 31, preventing users from adding others to their circle.

Amazon is adding advertisements in shows and movies on its Prime Video platform. Starting early next year, ads will be displayed for U.S. viewers unless they opt to pay an additional fee to avoid them.

Usher is set to headline the halftime show of Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas next winter.

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