One morning in the middle of March, a slow-moving spring blizzard stalled above eastern Nebraska, pounding the state capital of Lincoln with 60-mile-per-hour winds, driving sleet, and up to eight inches of snow. Lincoln Electric System, the local electric utility, has approximately 150,000 customers. By lunchtime, nearly 10% of them were without power. Ice was…
This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology. How this grassroots effort could make AI voices more diverse We are on the cusp of a voice AI boom, as tech companies roll out the next generation of artificial-intelligence-powered assistants. But the…
We are on the cusp of a voice AI boom, with tech companies such as Apple and OpenAI rolling out the next generation of artificial-intelligence-powered assistants. But the default voices for these assistants are often white American—British, if you’re lucky—and most definitely speak English. They represent only a tiny proportion of the many dialects and…
Deciding to expand your franchise concept internationally is a challenging one. Doing so can provide growth opportunities far beyond those in your current home market. But doing so before you’re ready can create undue stress on your system. International expansion requires a full investment of time and resources to do it right; it is a serious commitment that reburies hard work, supported by a well-thought-out and well-executed game plan.