Innovation Insider December 17th, 2024

It seems that C-137 Rick from the hit show Ricky and Morty may have been right. There are multiple universes and infinite realities. At least, that’s what Google’s new quantum computing Chip “Willow” may indicate.

Google has unveiled its latest quantum computing chip, "Willow," which reportedly solves complex problems in mere minutes. Tasks that would take classical supercomputers an unimaginably long time, up to 10 septillion years. This advancement addresses a significant challenge in quantum computing by reducing error rates through the addition of more qubits, bringing practical quantum computing closer to reality. The announcement has positively impacted Alphabet's stock, reflecting investor optimism about the potential applications of this technology in various fields, including medicine, battery chemistry, and artificial intelligence.

On a much more deep and spiritual note, Google Quantum AI founder Hartmut Neven wrote in his blog post that this chip was so mind-boggling fast that it must have borrowed computational power from other universes. Therefore the chip's performance indicates that parallel universes exist and "we live in a multiverse."

So the question becomes, who is our Rick Sanchez and when will we have the portal gun to travel to alternate universes.

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Let’s jump into this week’s highlights.

News

The escalating technology conflict between the United States and China is increasingly impacting Asian allies, particularly Japan and South Korea. In response to U.S. restrictions on semiconductor technology, China has imposed export controls on critical materials like gallium and germanium, essential for various high-tech industries. This strategic move leverages China's dominance in the supply of these materials, potentially disrupting the tech supply chains of neighboring countries.

A recent study has refined the timeline of interbreeding between Neanderthals and modern humans, indicating that this genetic exchange began approximately 50,500 years ago and persisted for about 7,000 years. This period of interaction has left contemporary Eurasians with 1% to 2% of their genomes inherited from Neanderthal ancestors

General Motors (GM) has announced its decision to discontinue funding for its autonomous vehicle subsidiary, Cruise, effectively ending its robotaxi development efforts. This strategic shift comes after significant investments exceeding $10 billion in Cruise, which faced escalating costs and intense competition in the autonomous vehicle sector.

Microsoft has introduced "Recall," an AI-powered feature in Windows 11 designed to enhance user productivity by capturing periodic snapshots of on-screen activity. This functionality allows users to revisit and search through their past interactions, effectively creating a visual timeline of their computer usage. The introduction of Recall has sparked discussions regarding user privacy and data security.

Amazon has launched "Amazon Autos," an e-commerce platform that enables customers to purchase new vehicles directly through its website. The service debuted in partnership with Hyundai, allowing users in 48 U.S. cities to browse, select, finance, and arrange delivery of Hyundai cars, trucks, and SUVs. This initiative marks Amazon's entry into the online car sales market, aiming to streamline the vehicle purchasing process by offering transparent pricing and eliminating the need for negotiation. While Hyundai is the exclusive launch partner, Amazon plans to expand the service to include additional automotive brands and cities in 2025

The Federal Reserve is anticipated to reduce interest rates despite recent upticks in inflation and a robust economy. This expectation is based on several factors including economic growth, inflation dynamics, labor market conditions and global economic considerations.

Developer Profiles of the Week

Mario is a talented backend developer who specializes in Ruby on Rails. He has 15+ years of professional experience including 8 years of Rails specific experience. Today, he’s primarily using Rails, AWS, PostgreSQL as well as Redis and Docker. Mario is located in Argentina.

Diego’s a fullstack engineer with 10+ years of experience. He primarily works with NodeJs and React. He also has some experience with Laravel and VueJS. Diego has experience with many databases included PostgreSQL, mySQL and MongoDB. He’s experience with Digitalocean and AWS.Diego lives in Brazil.

Please email us at hiring@donestreet.com to learn more about these talented developers and how you can bring them onto your team.

Engineering and Security

A new investment scam is leveraging AI and social media to deceive victims by using sophisticated tactics such as deepfake videos of celebrities and malvertising to promote fake financial opportunities. Fraudsters direct victims to phishing websites to collect personal information and then use social engineering to convince them to invest in nonexistent schemes.

The long-term consequences of deploying low-quality code that, while functional, can lead to technical debt, security vulnerabilities, and maintainability challenges. It critiques the over-reliance on basic unit tests in CI/CD pipelines, which often fail to assess deeper issues like readability and robustness.

Krispy Kreme recently experienced a cyberattack that disrupted its IT systems, leading to the temporary closure of several stores and affecting online ordering services. The company responded by implementing security measures to contain the breach and restore operations.

Integrating automation and artificial intelligence (AI) into software testing can enhance efficiency and accuracy. By automating repetitive tasks, teams can focus on complex testing scenarios, while AI-driven tools improve defect detection and predictive analysis. This combination leads to faster development cycles, reduced human error, and higher-quality software products.

HR Notices

Chief Human Resources Officers (CHROs) are increasingly expected to deliver more with fewer resources, a trend highlighted in a recent article. This shift is driven by economic pressures and organizational demands for efficiency, compelling HR leaders to adopt innovative strategies and technologies to maintain productivity and employee engagement despite budget constraints.

A recent analysis by Phenom reveals that 68% of companies continue to rely on manual hiring processes, hindering their ability to scale efficiently, especially for high-volume roles such as frontline, hourly, seasonal, and high-turnover positions. The "State of High-Volume Hiring: 2025 Benchmarks Report" evaluated 101 companies across various industries, including Retail, Hospitality & Travel, Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals, Manufacturing, and Transportation & Distribution

Strategies for HR leaders to maximize the business value of their technology investments. The recommended approaches include adopting a building-block method to implement foundational technologies that support transformative tools, shifting mindsets to focus on value by addressing staff concerns about technological impacts, and fostering collaboration to prevent siloed operations and enhance user experience.

Lumina, a company specializing in AI-driven video solutions, has announced a strategic partnership aimed at enhancing its video capabilities. This collaboration is expected to integrate advanced technologies into Lumina's platform, offering users improved video quality and innovative features.

Calendly's CEO has informed employees of a workforce reduction involving 70 job cuts. The decision is part of a strategic restructuring to streamline operations and align resources with the company's long-term objectives.

Funding

Sublime Security, an AI-driven email security platform, has raised $60 million in Series B funding, bringing its total funding to $80 million. The platform offers customizable, open solutions to detect and block email threats such as phishing, malware, and Business Email Compromise (BEC). Unlike traditional black-box systems, Sublime enables organizations to tailor their defenses and collaborate to address evolving risks.

Databricks, a data analytics and AI company, is nearing a significant venture capital funding round, expected to raise over $9.5 billion and value the firm at more than $60 billion. This funding, led by Thrive Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, Insight Partners, and GIC, will facilitate the repurchase of expiring employee stock options and support the company's growth amid increasing demand for AI-driven data solutions.

Verkada, a security camera startup, is reportedly in discussions to raise new funding that could value the company at approximately $3.2 billion. The potential funding round indicates investor confidence in Verkada's cloud-based building security solutions, despite previous controversies related to data breaches and internal culture.

Twelve Labs is developing AI technology capable of analyzing and searching through video content. The total new investments came to $30 million, bringing Twelve Labs’ total raised to $107.1 million. By leveraging advanced machine learning models, the company aims to enable users to extract meaningful insights from videos, facilitating applications such as content moderation, recommendation systems, and enhanced search functionalities.

Book Recommendation of the Week

Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity" by David Allen is a productivity and time-management book that introduces the "GTD" system, a practical framework for organizing tasks and responsibilities. The book focuses on helping individuals manage their work and life commitments effectively while reducing stress

This Day in History

On December 17, 1903 Near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, Orville and Wilbur Wright make the first successful flight in history of a self-propelled, heavier-than-air aircraft. Orville piloted the gasoline-powered, propeller-driven biplane, which stayed aloft for 12 seconds and covered 120 feet on its inaugural flight.

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