Sarah Friar joined OpenAI two years ago. The books still closed the old way. Manual hunts for records. Endless spreadsheet stitching. Late-night explanations of variances. Forecasts assembled from static snapshots.
That changed. Not with incremental automation. With a full rethink of how finance should work when the most powerful models sit at every desk. Friar laid it out this week in a detailed post on the company’s own site. The goals sound almost absurdly ambitious. A zero-day close. Continuously refreshed forecasts that update without waiting for month-end.
The history of artificial intelligence stretches back further than most people realize, with roots in philosophical questions about thinking machines that date to ancient times. Yet the practical development of systems capable of learning from data and making decisions began in earnest during the middle of the twentieth century. Early pioneers such as Alan Turing laid conceptual groundwork through ideas about universal computation and the imitation game that would later become known as the Turing Test.
The role of the chief marketing officer has stretched far beyond its original boundaries. Where once the position centered on brand campaigns, advertising budgets, and creative oversight, many of today’s most influential marketing leaders now carry profit-and-loss accountability, direct operational duties, investor communications, and broad revenue-growth mandates. This expansion has prompted a quiet but noticeable shift in titles across large organizations.
French publishers have taken their fight with Google to the country’s competition authority. On August 11, nearly 300 newspapers represented by the Alliance de la Presse d’Information Générale filed a formal complaint. They argue that Google’s rollout of AI Overviews and AI Mode in France violates binding commitments from 2022.
Samsung has scrapped plans for a variable aperture camera on the Galaxy S27 series. The decision comes after internal testing showed limited gains against added complexity and cost.
ET News first reported the shift. Samsung worked with partners including Samsung Electro-Mechanics and MCNEX on the hardware. Executives concluded the benefits did not justify thicker modules or higher expenses, according to industry sources cited by the Korean outlet.
Google rolled out the Pixel 11 series today with a fresh accessibility tool that lets deaf and hard-of-hearing users sign directly into the phone camera. The feature converts American Sign Language into English text on the spot. It feeds the output straight into Gboard or Live Transcribe for messages, searches, or notes.
Zoom faced a serious security issue this week after researchers exposed a chain of flaws in its annotation tools. The problems allowed zero-click remote code execution during meetings. Attackers could join or host sessions and target other participants without any action from victims. No clicks, downloads, or visible signs appeared on affected devices.
A security researcher known as Nightmare Eclipse has released details of a fresh Windows zero-day that bypasses protections in the built-in Defender engine. The move comes after Microsoft warned of legal steps against uncoordinated disclosures earlier this year.
A woman confronted her doctor over Meta smart glasses during an examination that required her to undress. She called for a ban. The exchange, captured in a widely shared video, captures a growing unease about camera-equipped wearables in places built on confidentiality.
Google rolled out its Pixel 11 lineup today at the Made by Google event in New York. The Pixel 11 Pro XL stands out with a larger display, upgraded cameras, and the new Tensor G6 chip. Pre-orders opened immediately. Devices reach stores August 20.
The base Pixel 11 starts at $899. The Pro model begins at $1,099. The Pro XL lists for $1,299. These prices reflect a modest increase over last year. Storage starts at 256GB across the board. Google Blog detailed the hardware refinements.