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ST. LOUIS , Dec. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Eric Watkins , President of Abstrakt, is shedding light on the significant challenges businesses face when building in-house Sales Development Representative (SDR) teams. Rising costs, complex technology needs, and extended timelines are making outsourcing an increasingly attractive option for companies seeking efficient and effective sales solutions. "We often find companies have already tried to do this all on their own and struggled," said Watkins. "It's a lot of puzzle pieces to put together, and working with a professional team that does this exclusively often gets better results." Watkins noted that businesses often underestimate the full scope of building an SDR team, from recruiting and onboarding skilled personnel to investing in necessary software and AI tools. Additional hurdles include developing outreach strategies, maintaining accountability metrics, and ensuring consistent performance tracking. "Building your own team can be a good route if you have the fully dedicated resources to do so," Watkins said. "But it requires a lot of software, content planning, research tools, and follow-through on sequencing." The rise of AI-driven sales tools has added to the complexity, with many companies struggling to optimize these technologies for maximum impact. Watkins explained that companies often lack the expertise to effectively integrate AI into their outreach efforts, further extending the time and cost required to build a functional SDR team. For many businesses, outsourcing to specialized teams like Abstrakt provides a faster and more cost-effective solution. By eliminating the need for ongoing training, technology investment, and process development, outsourcing offers immediate access to experienced professionals and proven systems. Abstrakt, which handles over 100,000 appointments annually across industries, has seen firsthand how outsourcing delivers measurable results for its clients. "Evaluate your resources, timeline, and ability to stay accountable to your sales goals," Watkins advised. "If there are gaps, partnering with a team that specializes in this work can help you grow faster and more effectively." Abstrakt is a B2B lead generation and marketing agency based in St. Louis, Missouri . With over a decade of experience, the company specializes in omnichannel appointment setting and helping businesses achieve measurable growth. View original content: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/eric-watkins-of-abstrakt-highlights-the-challenges-of-building-internal-sdr-teams-302337750.html SOURCE Abstrakt Marketing GroupMassive Fraud in TTD Bookings
-- Shares Facebook Twitter Reddit Email Republicans quietly made massive progress on their goal to defund the IRS in a last-minute package to avoid a government shutdown. Through the continuing resolution passed last week, funding the government through March and cutting $20 billion in supplemental funding for the taxation agency, Congress automatically extended cuts passed by the GOP in 2023 to a massive IRS investment. The Inflation Reduction Act provided an $80 billion apportionment for the IRS aimed at reducing the national debt and providing more resources for the agency to audit ultrawealthy taxpayers. Congress has halved the investment to stop tax cheating since its passage in 2022, cuts that could balloon the federal deficit. Related IRS crackdown on millionaire tax cheats nets more than $1 billion in revenue A 2021 report from the Congressional Budget Office indicated that the $80 billion in added IRS funding over 10 years would yield approximately $200 billion in added tax revenue without raising taxes. The Biden administration this week said $140 billion would be added to the debt over a decade due to the cuts, per the Washington Post. The IRS will likely be forced to cut audits for the ultrawealthy and large corporations first, the most expensive forms of reviews. Anti-taxation advocates rejoiced over the decision, though Treasury officials also noted that cuts could impact customer service operations for regular-income taxpayers. Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo pointed to the progress the department has made – reducing call wait times to 3 minutes and picking up 85% of calls – as easily unraveled by cuts. Adeyemo told reporters last month that wait times would balloon to 28 minutes and call pick-up rates would fall to 20% if the cuts stayed in the continuing resolution. Democrats hope a future budget package can reverse the cuts, but Republicans will hold complete budget negotiation power come January. The GOP has continued to take aim at the revenue-raising department despite its purported mission to reduce the deficit, instead hoping to cut spending to the tune of trillions through the Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy-led Department of Government Efficiency. Still, critics say any cuts that could close the deficit at the magnitude of IRS funding would also impact crucial Social Security and Medicare funding. Read more about the GOP's attacks on the IRS "Very first bill": McCarthy pledges repeal of IRS funding meant to target wealthy tax cheats Top 1% fails to report over 20% of income using potentially "criminal" tactics: IRS analysis Experts: These churches violate law by endorsing candidates — should have tax-exempt status revoked MORE FROM Griffin Eckstein Advertisement:Enabling lower cost EVs through electric motor development
Late kickoff return TDs by Turpin and Thomas spark the Cowboys as they end their 5-game skidColorado is gearing up for the rugged Big 12 schedule, but first the Buffaloes wrap up their nonconference slate with two more games, starting Friday night when they host South Dakota State in Boulder, Colo. Colorado (7-2) has won two straight after competing in the Maui Invitational, most recently a 72-55 win over in-state rival Colorado State. Now the focus turns to South Dakota State and shoring up issues before conference play. "Defensively, we're understanding what our jobs are. Now, we're not where we need to be for sure," coach Tad Boyle said. "But we're making strides in that area. And I think the guys are getting used to playing with each other, understanding each other." The Buffaloes lost a lot of talent from last year's NCAA Tournament team but boast some quality players. Andrej Jakimovski (13.0 points per game), Julian Hammond III (12.3 ppg) and Elijah Moore (12.0 ppg) lead the team in scoring. Sophomore big man Bangot Dak has shown he can be a force after scoring a career-high 16 points in the win over Colorado State. The Jackrabbits (8-4) are coming off a 77-63 loss at Nevada on Wednesday night and complete a two-game trip in Boulder. South Dakota State is led by senior center Oscar Cluff, who tops the team in scoring (17.3 points) and rebounding (11.0) but had a subpar night against Nevada when he scored a season-low six points while battling an ankle injury. "I wish he was feeling a little better," coach Eric Henderson said of Cluff. "He's going to be fine, but he's still nursing that ankle a little bit." Freshman Joe Sayler is second on the team in scoring at 12.8 ppg and has reached double figures in each of the last three games. Sophomore Kalen Garry is third on the Jackrabbits in scoring at 9.6 per contest, an average that has been hurt by his last three games when he has averaged just 5.3 points. --Field Level Media
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Cowboys and Commanders ride losing streaks into the NFC East rivals' 1st meeting this seasonThe US Commerce Department has awarded and with a combined over $6 billion in “direct funding under the CHIPS Incentives Program’s Funding Opportunity for Commercial Fabrication,” according to a pair of announcements published on Friday. Samsung will get the larger of the two awards at $4.745 billion. The the company will use this as part of its planned $37 billion investment in Texas chip facilities that include two new “leading-edge logic fabs and an R&D fab” in Taylor, Texas, and the expansion of its plant in Austin. The company was originally slated to receive $6.4 billion. In a statement , the company said that its “mid-to-long-term investment plan has been partially revised to optimize overall investment efficiency,” which suggests the company has dialed back its plans, according to the outlet. Texas Instruments will receive $1.61 billion to bolster the $18 billion it on projects like constructing two wafer fabs in Texas and a third in Utah. The Commerce Department smaller awards this week too, including $407 million in funding for Amkor Technology, a US-based company that tests and packages chips . All three awards were announced earlier this year, with Samsung first in April, and they join other CHIPS Act funding grants given to companies like Micron, Intel, and TSMC. And their finalizations come with just under a month to go before Donald Trump, who has criticized the CHIPS Act, assumes the US Presidency on January 20th. /
Blake Lively , the star of It Ends with Us, has filed a lawsuit against her costar and director, Justin Baldoni , accusing him of sexual harassment. The lawsuit, which has garnered significant attention, claims that Baldoni’s alleged behavior caused Lively "severe emotional distress" during the making of the much-loved adaptation of Colleen Hoover's bestselling novel, as mentioned in a report by People. The allegations highlight a toxic atmosphere on set, with Lively stating that Baldoni’s behavior led her to experience significant emotional suffering. The legal documents reveal that Lively's demands for a safer and more respectful working environment were addressed during a meeting that included various key figures, including her husband, Ryan Reynolds. Some of the requests that were allegedly agreed upon included prohibiting Baldoni from showing nude videos or discussing his alleged past pornography addiction in front of Lively, halting comments about sexual conquests, and stopping inquiries about her weight and her late father. Web Development 12-Factor App Methodology: Principles and Guidelines By - Prince Patni, Software Developer (BI, Data Science) View Program Entrepreneurship Startup Fundraising: Essential Tactics for Securing Capital By - Dr. Anu Khanchandani, Startup Coach with more than 25 years of experience View Program Data Science SQL Server Bootcamp 2024: Transform from Beginner to Pro By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Data Analysis Learn Power BI with Microsoft Fabric: Complete Course By - Prince Patni, Software Developer (BI, Data Science) View Program Finance Tally Prime & GST Accounting: Complete Guide By - CA Raj K Agrawal, Chartered Accountant View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Java Programming with ChatGPT: Learn using Generative AI By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Soft Skills Cross-Cultural Communication Mastery: Connect with Confidence By - Prince Patni, Software Developer (BI, Data Science) View Program Astrology Vastu Shastra Course By - Sachenkumar Rai, Vastu Shashtri View Program Data Science SQL for Data Science along with Data Analytics and Data Visualization By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Web Development Intermediate C++ Skills: Master Pointers, Structures and File Stream By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Entrepreneurship From Idea to Product: A Startup Development Guide By - Dr. Anu Khanchandani, Startup Coach with more than 25 years of experience View Program Office Productivity Microsoft Word Mastery: From Beginner to Expert By - CA Raj K Agrawal, Chartered Accountant View Program Office Productivity Mastering Google Sheets: Unleash the Power of Excel and Advance Analysis By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Finance Crypto & NFT Mastery: From Basics to Advanced By - CA Raj K Agrawal, Chartered Accountant View Program Entrepreneurship Building Your Winning Startup Team: Key Strategies for Success By - Dr. Anu Khanchandani, Startup Coach with more than 25 years of experience View Program Web Development JavaScript Essentials: Unlock AI-Driven Insights with ChatGPT By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Web Development Advanced C++ Mastery: OOPs and Template Techniques By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Data Science MySQL for Beginners: Learn Data Science and Analytics Skills By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) AI-Powered Python Mastery with Tabnine: Boost Your Coding Skills By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Web Development A Comprehensive ASP.NET Core MVC 6 Project Guide for 2024 By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Learn InVideo AI: Create Videos from Text Easily By - Prince Patni, Software Developer (BI, Data Science) View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) AI and Analytics based Business Strategy By - Tanusree De, Managing Director- Accenture Technology Lead, Trustworthy AI Center of Excellence: ATCI View Program Marketing Digital Marketing Masterclass by Pam Moore By - Pam Moore, Digital Transformation and Social Media Expert View Program Furthermore, the lawsuit asserts that Lively requested no additional sexual scenes, such as oral sex or simulated climaxing, outside the scope of the original script she had approved, as per the People’s report. Despite these demands being approved by Sony Pictures, Lively claims that Baldoni retaliated with a “social manipulation” campaign intended to ruin her reputation. In response to the lawsuit, Justin Baldoni’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, issued a statement to People, claiming that Lively's allegations were fabricated. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel )Finward Bancorp Announces Fourth Quarter DividendGoogle CEO Pichai tells employees to gear up for big 2025: ‘The stakes are high'
What Happened To The MirMir Photo Booth From Shark Tank Season 9?ST. LOUIS , Dec. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Eric Watkins , President of Abstrakt, is shedding light on the significant challenges businesses face when building in-house Sales Development Representative (SDR) teams. Rising costs, complex technology needs, and extended timelines are making outsourcing an increasingly attractive option for companies seeking efficient and effective sales solutions. "We often find companies have already tried to do this all on their own and struggled," said Watkins. "It's a lot of puzzle pieces to put together, and working with a professional team that does this exclusively often gets better results." Watkins noted that businesses often underestimate the full scope of building an SDR team, from recruiting and onboarding skilled personnel to investing in necessary software and AI tools. Additional hurdles include developing outreach strategies, maintaining accountability metrics, and ensuring consistent performance tracking. "Building your own team can be a good route if you have the fully dedicated resources to do so," Watkins said. "But it requires a lot of software, content planning, research tools, and follow-through on sequencing." The rise of AI-driven sales tools has added to the complexity, with many companies struggling to optimize these technologies for maximum impact. Watkins explained that companies often lack the expertise to effectively integrate AI into their outreach efforts, further extending the time and cost required to build a functional SDR team. For many businesses, outsourcing to specialized teams like Abstrakt provides a faster and more cost-effective solution. By eliminating the need for ongoing training, technology investment, and process development, outsourcing offers immediate access to experienced professionals and proven systems. Abstrakt, which handles over 100,000 appointments annually across industries, has seen firsthand how outsourcing delivers measurable results for its clients. "Evaluate your resources, timeline, and ability to stay accountable to your sales goals," Watkins advised. "If there are gaps, partnering with a team that specializes in this work can help you grow faster and more effectively." Abstrakt is a B2B lead generation and marketing agency based in St. Louis, Missouri . With over a decade of experience, the company specializes in omnichannel appointment setting and helping businesses achieve measurable growth. View original content: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/eric-watkins-of-abstrakt-highlights-the-challenges-of-building-internal-sdr-teams-302337750.html SOURCE Abstrakt Marketing Group
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Nuclear sector pins hopes on 2026 for ‘low-carbon’ hydrogen label Nuclear energy advocates are pushing for the European Commission to label nuclear-derived hydrogen as ‘low-carbon’, but several industry sources told Euractiv that would prefer the decision is brought forward to 2026 instead of the scheduled 2028. In late September, the European Commission released for consultation a draft legal text, or ‘delegated act’, setting out criteria to determine whether hydrogen can be officially labeled as ‘low carbon’. This move drew the wrath of nuclear defenders, as the draft text proposed postponing a decision on whether hydrogen produced exclusively with nuclear energy can be eligible for the low-carbon label until 1 July 2028. Hydrogen produced exclusively with nuclear energy would entail a hydrogen producer signing a power purchase agreement, known as a ‘nuclear PPA’ with a nuclear energy provider. The nuclear industry wants a decision made much sooner. told The inclusion of nuclear PPAs would enhance predictability, mobilising private financing for new net zero technologies needed to meet EU climate goals,” a spokesperson for Fortum, the largest Finnish energy producer, In its response to the Commission’s public consultation, Fortum for an earlier recognition of nuclear PPA and said that the Commission should accelerate work by initiating a study in early 2025. Four corroborating sources from European industry and decision-makers suggest that the industry could be satisfied if the review date was brought forward from 2028 to early 2026. Industry sources argued that the move is necessary to meet Europe’s 2030 hydrogen production targets. “This would avoid delaying certain investment decisions in industrial projects requiring low-carbon hydrogen,” one source told Euractiv. In France, for example, Gravithy, which wants to produce ‘carbon-free’ iron, “expresses serious concerns about the proposal to postpone in [sic] 4 years the potential inclusion of nuclear PPAs,” it said in . With the text, “We can now say that Europe will be a long way from achieving its target of installing 40 GW of electrolysis capacity by 2030,” French electrolyser producer McPhy argued in its . Antoine Bizet, Deputy Director of European Affairs at EDF, suggests that rather than waiting for the 2028 deadline, this period should be used to establish a so-called in Brussels ‘regulatory sandbox’, i.e. allowing experimenting with nuclear PPAs and then take stock of their contribution, he tells Euractiv. An energy industry source in Brussels argued that another approach would be for the EU Commission “to retain its approach for this delegated act, but to ensure that it comes back to (i.e. endorses) nuclear PPPs in 2025 or 2026, through another legislative vehicle such as a hydrogen strategy or the Clean Industrial Deal.” The text poses problems on other points, particularly regarding legal certainty, through the possibility given to the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Competition (DG COMP) of imposing additional criteria to qualify or not hydrogen is low-carbon to benefit from state aid. said Having completed the consultation process, the EU Commission will return to the delegated act as soon as the College of Commissioners is in place, according to Mechthild Wörsdörfer, Deputy Director-General of the European Commission’s energy services. Wörsdörfer was speaking the EU Hydrogen Week in Brussels on 19 November. This could happen as soon as 1 December, after the European Parliament’s expected vote of confidence on 27 November. Industry sources do not expect any announcements from the Commission before the beginning of 2025. READ the latest news shaping the hydrogen market at Nuclear sector pins hopes on 2026 for ‘low-carbon’ hydrogen label, Cavendish Hydrogen ASA: Invitation to Q3 2024 results and live Q&A session The quarterly report and a pre-recording of the third quarter presentation will be made available on the company’s... After provisional insolvency, Quantron’s business continues thanks to a core team of employees Constantin Graf Salm-Hoogstraeten from the restructuring law firm BBL, provisional insolvency administrator of Quantron... Five million euros for HydroPulse Stuttgart – hydrogen filling stations, fuel cell transporters and high-temperature fuel cells planned Stuttgart – Stadtwerke Stuttgart (SWS) is delighted to have received a further five...Panjab University (PU) organised two condolence meetings to pay homage to its distinguished alumnus and former PM Dr Manmohan Singh. The morning meeting, held at the Senate Hall, was attended by vice-chancellor (V-C) Renu Vig and registrar YP Verma along with other PU officials and faculty members. Vig expressed profound grief over Singh’s demise stating that his legacy as an academician, economist, and a leader will remain forever etched in the history of the university and the nation. She highlighted his academic excellence, including his bachelor’s degree in economics (1952) and master’s degree in the same domain (1954), both achieved with distinction, as well as his tenure as a senior lecturer, reader, and professor of economics at PU from 1957 to 1965. The V-C mentioned that as finance minister, Dr Singh was instrumental in securing a special grant of ₹ 70 crore for the varsity, a testament to his enduring commitment for his alma mater. Vig also reflected on the honours conferred upon Singh by PU, including the honorary doctor of literature in 1983 and the honorary doctor of Laws in 2009. She recalled his inaugural Prof SB Rangnekar Memorial Oration delivered in 2018, which underscored his lasting association with the university. In the afternoon, the department of economics and the Panjab University Alumni Association (PUAA) jointly organised a hybrid-mode condolence meeting, with the offline session held in the seminar room of the department. Faculty members, including HS Shergill, Pampa Mukherjee and others paid homage to Singh, reflecting on his contributions to academics, public service, and economic reforms. In both the meetings, students, scholars, and faculty members observed two minutes of silence to pay their respects and offer prayers for Dr Singh, who served as India’s 13th PM (2004–2014) and spearheaded transformative economic reforms as the finance minister (1991–1996). Chandigarh Congress pays floral tributes Chandigarh Local Congress unit paid floral tribute to Dr Manmohan Singh. The Congress urged the government to award Bharat Ratna to him for his remarkable services rendered as the governor of Reserve Bank of India, finance minister, and the PM. This recognition would be a fitting tribute to the leader who was the architect of liberal economic polices adopted in modern India, said local Congress president HS Lucky. While remembering Dr Singh as an economist par excellence, Lucky stated that Dr Singh introduced economic liberalisation which laid the foundation for the country’s emergence as a major economic power. Lucky further stated that Dr Singh’s tenure as PM was marked by significant achievements, including the nuclear agreement with the nuclear club countries, which enhanced India’s global standing. Dr Singh knew me since I opened my eyes: Tewari Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari expressed profound grief over the demise of former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, describing him as a source of inspiration for millions. “Very Sad to learn about the unfortunate demise of Dr Manmohan Singh. My association with him goes back to the time when my parents and Dr Singh were neighbours in PU. He knew me almost from the day I opened my eyes in this world,” he said. The MP also shared his regret over missing an opportunity to meet Dr Singh, saying, “I was supposed to call on him tomorrow (Saturday) in the morning. How strange are the ways of god.” His humility was his greatest strength: Pawan Bansal Four-time Chandigarh MP Pawan Bansal expressed deep condolences at the passing away of Dr Singh. “Deeply saddened to learn of the passing away of Dr Manmohan Singh ji. The nation shall forever remain indebted to him for turning around the country’s economy in the time of national crisis,” he wrote on X. Bansal recalled how the former PM used to converse very politely with everyone. He always took everyone in consensus and was a workaholic. He used to work and not show off and never speak loudly, he said adding that Dr Singh’s humility was his greatest strength.
For the past three decades, Maharashtra has seen continuous fragmentation of various caste groups, but notably the Maratha-Kunbi caste cluster. The idea of ‘vote bank’ is always employed in discussing the close connection between the Maratha community and the Congress. That vote bank was practically dissolved in the 1995 Assembly election. As the Congress in the State went on declining, its base among Other Backward Classes (OBCs) too became invisible. Since then, the BJP and the Shiv Sena together and separately kept trying to win a larger share of both the Maratha and the OBC vote. In 2014, the BJP emerged as a major player in State politics and began attracting both the Marathas and the OBCs. In the latest election, the process of coming together of the Marathas and OBCs as supporters of the BJP has gone one step further. In the Lokniti survey, almost three of every 10 Marathas (including the Kunbis) and a little less than four of every 10 OBCs have indicated their preference for the BJP. The rest of the Marathas and OBCs were divided among the Congress, and the Shiv Sena and NCP factions. With one-fourth of the Adivasi respondents and one-fifth of the Scheduled Caste (SC) respondents supporting the BJP, the party has managed to craft an invincible Hindu umbrella. In the process, these social sections have also supported the other two partners of the Mahayuti, making its community-based support quite wide — except among Muslims and somewhat among the SCs and Adivasis (Table 1). With most social sections turning to the Mahayuti, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) was left with only skeletal support across social sections. Even among SCs, the larger share went to ‘Others’ rather than the MVA. In particular, almost half of the Buddhists and former Mahar respondents among SCs vote non-MVA and non-Mahayuti parties. Trends of caste-community voting in this election are in a sense a continuation of the process that started with the election of 2014 — a consolidation of upper castes, Marathas, and OBCs behind BJP, and a somewhat divided political support of SCs, Adivasis and Muslims, who vote less for the BJP but do not necessarily operate as a vote bank supporting any single party. Suhas Palshikar taught political science and is chief editor of Studies in Indian Politics; Nitin Birmal is Lokniti’s State Coordinator, Maharashtra and a retired professor of Political Science based in Pune Published - November 25, 2024 02:51 am IST Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024 / Maharashtra
The AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll is back every week throughout the season! Get the poll delivered straight to your inbox with AP Top 25 Poll Alerts. Sign up here . COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — Ethan Taylor’s 21 points helped Air Force defeat Mercyhurst 82-48 on Sunday night. Taylor added 10 rebounds for the Falcons (2-4). Wesley Celichowski scored 14 points, going 6 of 11 and 2 of 3 from the free-throw line. Luke Kearney had 12 points and shot 4 for 5 from beyond the arc. The Lakers (4-3) were led by Aidan Reichert, who posted 11 points. Jeff Planutis added 10 points for Mercyhurst. Mykolas Ivanauskas also had seven points, six rebounds and three blocks. Air Force took the lead with 15:21 left in the first half and never looked back. The score was 31-24 at halftime, with Taylor racking up nine points. Air Force extended its lead to 45-26 during the second half, fueled by a 14-0 scoring run. Taylor scored a team-high 12 points in the second half as Air Force closed out the win. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .Google executives held a 2025 strategy meeting with employees last week, setting the stage for a year of increased competition, regulatory hurdles and advancements in AI. CEO Sundar Pichai said Google will introduce a number of AI features in the first half of the year. He also warned it would be a challenging year, as "we are facing scrutiny across the world." Google CEO Sundar Pichai told employees last week that "the stakes are high" for 2025, as the company faces increased competition and regulatory hurdles and contends with rapid advancements in artificial intelligence. At a 2025 strategy meeting on Dec. 18, Pichai and other Google leaders, donning ugly holiday sweaters, hyped up the coming year, most notably as it pertains to what's coming in AI, according to audio obtained by CNBC. "I think 2025 will be critical," Pichai said. "I think it's really important we internalize the urgency of this moment, and need to move faster as a company. The stakes are high. These are disruptive moments. In 2025, we need to be relentlessly focused on unlocking the benefits of this technology and solve real user problems." Some employees attended the meeting in person at Google's headquarters in Mountain View, California, and others tuned in virtually. Pichai's comments come after a year packed with some of the most intense pressure Google has experienced since going public two decades ago. While areas like search ads and cloud produced strong revenue growth, competition picked up in Google's core markets, and the company faced internal challenges including culture clashes and concerns about Pichai's vision for the future. Additionally, regulation is now heavier than ever. In August, a federal judge ruled that Google illegally holds a monopoly in the search market. The Justice Department in November asked that Google be forced to divest its Chrome internet browser unit. In a separate case, the DOJ accused the company of illegally dominating online ad technology. That trial closed in September and awaits a judge ruling. That same month, Britain's competition watchdog issued a statement of objections over Google's ad tech practices, which the regulator provisionally found are impacting competition in the U.K. "It's not lost on me that we are facing scrutiny across the world," Pichai said. "It comes with our size and success. It's part of a broader trend where tech is now impacting society at scale. So more than ever, through this moment, we have to make sure we don't get distracted." A Google spokesperson declined to comment. Google's search business still has dominant market share, but generative AI has served up all sorts of new ways for people to access online information, and has brought with it a host of new competitors. OpenAI's ChatGPT kicked off the hype cycle in late 2022, and investors including Microsoft have since propelled the company to a $157 billion valuation. In July, OpenAI announced it would launch a search engine of its own. Perplexity is also promoting its AI-powered search service and recently closed a $500 million funding round at a $9 billion valuation . Google is investing heavily to try and stay on top, principally through Gemini, its AI model. The Gemini app gives users access to a number of tools, including Google's chatbot. Pichai said "building big, new business" is a top priority. That includes the Gemini app, which executives said they see as Google's next app to reach half a billion users. The company currently has 15 apps that have hit that mark. "With the Gemini app, there is strong momentum, particularly over the last few months," Pichai said. "But we have some work to do in 2025 to close the gap and establish a leadership position there as well." "Scaling Gemini on the consumer side will be our biggest focus next year," Pichai later added. At the meeting, Pichai showed a chart of large language models, with Gemini 1.5 leading OpenAI's GPT and other competitors. "I expect some back and forth" in 2025, Pichai said. "I think we'll be state of the art." He acknowledged that Google has had to play catchup. "In history, you don't always need to be first but you have to execute well and really be the best in class as a product," he said. "I think that's what 2025 is all about." Executives took questions that were submitted by employees through Google's internal system. One comment read aloud by Pichai suggested that ChatGPT "is becoming synonymous to AI the same way Google is to search," with the questioner asking, "What's our plan to combat this in the upcoming year? Or are we not focusing as much on consumer facing LLM?" For the answer, Pichai turned to DeepMind co-founder Demis Hassabis, who said that teams are going to "turbo charge" the Gemini app and that the company has seen progress in the number of users since launching the app in February. He said "the products themselves are going to evolve massively over the next year or two." Hassabis described a vision for a universal assistant that "can seamlessly operate over any domain, any modality or any device." Project Astra, Google's experimental version of a universal assistant that the company announced in May, will be updated in the first half of the year. Another employee question asked whether Google will be able to get AI products to scale without charging $200 a month "like other companies." "Right now, we don't have any plans for this kind of subscription level," Hassabis responded, adding that he thinks the $20 monthly charge for Gemini advanced is a good value. "I wouldn't necessarily say never but there are no plans for that at the moment." Toward the end of the meeting, Google welcomed to the stage Josh Woodward, the head of Google Labs. He took the microphone as the Zombie Nation song "Kernkraft 400" played loudly in the background. "I'm going to try to do six demos in eight minutes," said Woodward, who's known for his high level of energy. Woodward started by showing off Jules, a coding assistant that's in a trusted tester's program. He said, "It's where the future of software development is headed." Woodward then shifted to AI notetaking product NotebookLM, which featured a series of updates in 2024, including a podcasting tool. Woodward demonstrated how the company is trying a new feature that allows the user to "call in" to a podcast. He then moved onto Project Mariner, an AI-powered multi-tasking Chrome extension. Woodward asked it to add the top restaurants from Tripadvisor to the Maps app. After a brief pause, the demo successfully worked, leading employees in attendance to erupt in applause. Throughout the meeting, Pichai kept reminding employees of the need to "stay scrappy." Google has gone through an extensive phase of cost cutting that included eliminating about 6% of its workforce in 2023 and a continued focus on efficiency. As of the end of the third quarter, Alphabet had 181,269 employees, down about 5% from the end of 2022. At one point, Pichai referenced Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin , who started the company 26 years ago, long before cloud computing or AI tools existed. "In early Google days, you look at how the founders built our data centers, they were really really scrappy in every decision they made," Pichai said. "Often, constraints lead to creativity. Not all problems are always solved by headcount." WATCH: Will AI stocks push higher in 2025?EDMONTON - The Alberta government has announced plans to ban new mountaintop removal and open-pit coal developments on the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains, but the new rules wouldn’t apply to advanced projects like a contentious mine proposed for the Crowsnest Pass. Energy and Minerals Minister Brian Jean announced Friday the new policies expected in late 2025, along with a round of consultations with industry players on how to implement them. Jean said under the “long overdue” rule revamp, all coal mining projects would be held to the highest environmental standards. “Our job will be to develop a policy that will attract investment and create jobs while respecting and protecting the air, land, water and wildlife,” he said. Jean said royalty revenues are also to be “substantially increased,” with rates to be revised after the consultations. “They’re too low. We’re going to bring them up,” he said of the province’s current rates. The new bans wouldn’t apply to advanced proposals, including the proposed Grassy Mountain open-pit mine in the Crowsnest Pass, which has been fought by environmental groups and communities downstream. Alberta Energy Regulator hearings into that project are to continue in January. Jean said the Grassy Mountain project, which aims to reclaim a site that was mined over 60 years ago but was never properly restored, would be monitored closely if approved. He said the province needs to find innovative ways to clean up those contaminated sites. “I hope (Albertans) look at us and say, ‘Wow, that’s smart. What a smart government,’” he said. Concerns over coal mining blew up in spring 2020, when the province announced it would remove rules that had protected the eastern slopes of the Rockies from open-pit coal mining since 1976. Public reaction was swift and angry, and the United Conservative Party government reinstated the protections and stopped selling exploration leases. Friday’s announcement also comes three years after the government received a report and recommendations on the issue, including public feedback ranging from environmental concerns to dissatisfaction with the regulatory process. Jean said the COVID-19 pandemic, last year’s provincial election and fights with the federal government over resource jurisdiction led to the delay of the new initiative. NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi said the plan to collect more royalties represents a plan to increase production in Alberta, with no economic benefit and a lot of environmental risk. “They may want to mess around with the rates, but what they really are trying to do is increase the amount of coal mining in the province,” he said. He said the policy previously in place since 1976 was lifted for a brief period so the UCP could “sneak” a few projects through the regulatory process. “It’s economically illiterate. It’s not going to create the jobs and the economic benefits that we need in Alberta,” Nenshi said. Under the new rules, companies would be required to show they can prevent toxic selenium from leaching into watersheds. Jean said technology, including “high wall mining” to catch overburden, the layer of soil and rock that sits above coal, would be used to keep it in check. But NDP environment and protected areas critic Sarah Elmeligi said she’s skeptical technology to remove selenium from waterways works at scale, outside a lab. “That technology doesn’t currently exist and, if it does, I would love to see it.” This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 20, 2024.
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