The artificial intelligence start-up said the new system, OpenAI o3, outperformed leading A.I. technologies on tests that rate skills in math, science, coding and logic.

A live agent spends hours each week manually documenting routine interactions. Another combs through multiple knowledge bases to find the right solution, scrambling to piece it together while the customer waits on hold. A third types out the same response theyve written dozens of times before. These repetitive tasks can be draining, leaving less time for meaningful customer interactionsbut generative AI is changing this reality. By automating routine workflows, AI augments the efforts of live agents, freeing them to do what they do best: solving complex problems and applying human understanding and empathy to help customers during critical situations.DOWNLOAD THE REPORTEnterprises are trying to rush to figure out how to implement or incorporate generative AI into their business to gain efficiencies, says Will Fritcher, deputy chief client officer at TP. But instead of viewing AI as a way to reduce expenses, they should really be looking at it through the lens of enhancing the customer experience and driving value.Doing this requires solving two intertwined challenges: empowering live agents by automating routine tasks and ensuring AI outputs remain accurate, reliable, and precise. And the key to both these goals? Striking the right balance between technological innovation and human judgment. A key role in customer supportGenerative AIs potential impact on customer support is twofold: Customers stand to benefit from faster, more consistent service for simple requests, whilealso receiving undivided human attention for complex, emotionally charged situations. For employees, eliminating repetitive tasks boosts job satisfaction and reduces burnout.The tech can also be used to streamline customer support workflows and enhance service quality in various ways, including:Automated routine inquiries: AI systems handle straightforward customer requests, like resetting passwords or checking account balances.Real-time assistance: During interactions, AI pulls up contextually relevant resources, suggests responses, and guides live agents to solutions faster.Fritcher notes that TP is relying on many of these capabilities in its customer support solutions. For instance, AI-powered coaching marries AI-driven metrics with human expertise to provide feedback on 100% of customer interactions, rather than the traditional 2%to 4% that was monitored pre-generative AI.Call summaries: By automatically documenting customer interactions, AI saves live agents valuable time that can be reinvested in customer care.Download the full report.This content was produced by Insights, the custom content arm of MIT Technology Review. It was not written by MIT Technology Reviews editorial staff.

Its a stormy holiday weekend, and youve just received the last notification you want in the busiest travel week of the year: The first leg of your flight is significantly delayed.You might expect this means youll be sitting on hold with airline customer service for half an hour. But this time, the process looks a little different: You have a brief text exchange with the airlines AI chatbot, which quickly assesses your situation and places you in a priority queue. Shortly after, a human agent takes over, confirms the details, and gets you rebooked on an earlier flight so you can make your connection. Youll be home in time to enjoy moms pot roast. DOWNLOAD THE REPORTGenerative AI is becoming a key component of business operations and customer service interactions today. According to Salesforce research, three out of five workers (61%) either currently use or plan to use generative AI in their roles. A full 68% of these employees are confident that the technologywhich can churn out text, video, image, and audio content almost instantaneouslywill enable them to provide more enriching customer experiences. But the technology isnt a complete solutionor a replacement for human workers. Sixty percent of the surveyed employees believe that human oversight is indispensable for effective and trustworthy generative AI.Generative AI enables people and increases efficiencies in business operations, but using it to empower employees will make all the difference. Its full business value will only be achieved when it is used thoughtfully to blend with human empathy, ingenuity, and emotional intelligence.Generative AI pilots across industriesThough the technology is still nascent, many generative AI use cases are starting to emerge. In sales and marketing, generative AI can assist with creating targeted ad content, identifying leads, upselling, cross-selling, and providing real-time sales analytics. When used for internal functions like IT, HR, and finance, generative AI can improve help-desk services, simplify recruitment processes, generate job descriptions, assist with onboarding and exit processes, and even write code.Download the full report.This content was produced by Insights, the custom content arm of MIT Technology Review. It was not written by MIT Technology Reviews editorial staff.

"Ice Dive" takes viewers under the ice in the Arctic as a diver attempts to break a world record, filmed for Apple Vision Pro.'Ice Dive' arrives on Apple Vision ProApple Vision Pro has seen a slow rollout of content built for its unique 180-degree 8K format called immersive video. Series like "Wild Life" and "Prehistoric Planet" have released a few episodes, but at an unpredictable cadence.The latest episode is for the series "Adventure," titled "Ice Dive," takes viewers underwater. But, unlike the "Sharks" episode of "Wild Life," it is filmed in the frigid waters of the Arctic. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Keeping your kids safe online might seem scary, but it's simple with Mac. Learn how to set up parental controls for your child's Mac in macOS Sequoia.How to enable parental controls on macOS SequoiaRaising kids today can be tough, especially when you realize you need to protect them just as much online as you do in the real world. After all, you want to ensure your child is familiar with technology that they'll be expected to use for school, for future jobs, and to participate in society.However, it's hardly a secret that the internet is often unkind and unsafe, especially for children. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

The newly released M4 Pro MacBook Pro 14-inch is back to its record low price of $1,749, with units in stock with free next day shipping. This deal was last seen on Black Friday and limited supply is available.Black Friday has return on Apple's 14-inch MacBook Pro M4 Pro - Image credit: AppleThe $250 price cut on the standard M4 Pro MacBook Pro 14-inch knocks the price down to the previous record low of $1,749. Equipped with a 12-core CPU, 16-core GPU, 24GB unified memory and 512GB of storage, the standard model in Space Black offers a good deal of performance for the sub-$1,750 price point.Get the $1,749 MBP deal Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Last year was one of the deadliest on recordforconstruction workerssince 2011. The findingsproduced by the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicated that the rate of deaths in 2023 was still unchanged from the previous years survey. The fatality rate (9.6 per 100,000) has been hovering around what OHSA considers to be a relatively high 10 per 100,000 for over a decade, the span in which the workforce has grown some 31%. (h/t Construction Dive).

This edition of Bustler's curated picks of noteworthy architecture and design competitions features four calls seeking designs of new soccer stadium for Czech club, FC Bank Ostrava, outstanding kitchen designs, exceptional projects by North American designers who showcase inventive uses of Italian ceramic tiles in their work, and innovative student-driven proposals that aim to accelerate green urban redevelopment.For the complete directory of newly listed competitions, click here.

The invasive northern giant hornet, also called a murder hornet, has been eradicated from the United States. Karen Ducey / Getty ImagesThe name alone advertises that this insect is no joke: When the murder hornet was first spotted in the North American continent in 2019, entomologists were abuzz with worry and sprang into action to eradicate the invasive species.Five years laterand after four nests were successfully destroyedofficials have declared a rare victory against the murder hornets for having exterminated them from United States soil.Ive gotta tell you, as an entomologistIve been doing this for over 25 years now, and it is a rare day when the humans actually get to win one against the insects, Sven Spichiger, pest program manager with the Washington State Department of Agriculture, told journalists in a virtual news conference, per Gene Johnson of the Associated Press.The murder hornet, more formally known as the northern giant hornet or the Vespa mandarinia, is originally from northern parts of Asia, such as Japan and China. Its the largest member of the wasp family, measuring two inches in length. Their stingers deliver as much venom as a snake or seven times that of a honeybee. That makes its stings excruciatingone victim described the pain as like having red-hot thumbtacks being driven into my fleshand it also makes them deadly. These hornets cause an estimated 30 to 50 human deaths each year in Japan, not all of them due to venom allergy. An entomologist shows off the size difference between a dead northern giant hornet (bottom) and a dead bald-faced hornet, which is a native species. Elaine Thompson / POOL / AFP via Getty ImagesMoreover, giant hornets are known for their grisly methods for bee murderunfortunate beekeepers have found their hives filled with bee carcasses, the heads ripped from their bodies. The rapacious killers can wipe out an entire bee colony within hours. Asian bees that have evolved alongside these predators have developed a curious way of dealing with their threats: Bees will swarm onto the hornet interloper and beat their wings until they cook their quarry alive. Such bee-induced temperatures have been measured to reach 115 degrees Fahrenheit.Bees in the U.S. and Europe, however, have yet to devise similar defensive strategies. So, murder hornets pose a major threat not just to bees but also to other local insects. In areas where agriculture is a key economic driver and thus is dependent on pollinators, such murder hornet sightings can be a major cause for concern.Bees Kill A Giant Hornet With Heat | Buddha, Bees and The Giant Hornet Queen | BBC EarthWatch on The first murder hornet sighting in the United States occurred in Whatcom County in northwest Washington, an area near the Canadian border that produces millions of pounds of raspberries and blueberries annually, according to Mike Baker of the New York Times. The report came just about four months after a separate murder hornet detection on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. Officials said the first hornet to reach North America likely stowed away in a shipping container or plant pots.These first observations triggered a flurry of pest control activity to hunt the hunters. Pest managers created search grids and set traps. Trackers used thermal cameras to scan the forest floors in search of the hornet colonys signature heat. For live individuals that were captured, entomologists tied tiny trackers onto their bellies using dental floss to suss out the location of their nests. Sven Spichiger, Washington State Department of Agriculture managing entomologist, holds a canister of Asian giant hornets vacuumed from their nest on October 24, 2020, in Blaine, Washington. Elaine Thompson / POOL / AFP via Getty ImagesNow, officials think their multi-year efforts have paid off in the state. There have been no confirmed sightings of murder hornets in the last three years, enough to clear the bar for a pronouncement of eradication, according to the definition of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In October, officials received a tip of a giant hornet sighting 100 miles away from the original nest site, but they found no evidence confirming the report. But to be safe, the officials set up traps in the area and plan to continue the effort through next year.If the entire community hadnt stood up and taken action, there is a real good chance that we would just all be living with the northern giant hornet, even for years to come, Spichiger told the New York Times. It is a very difficult task to eradicate an insect once it has become well-established.Experts are celebrating for now, but they recognize the achievement came only at great hassle. It proves that the permanent removal of invasive species is possible, but only when given ample funding and public attention, entomologist Chris Alice Kratzer, author of The Social Wasps of North America, tells National Geographics James Bittel.The victory against murder hornets doesnt mean they wont pop up again in the future. Another wayward insect might find its way to U.S. shores again. We will continue to be vigilant, Spichiger tells the AP.Elsewhere, humans are waging war against other kinds of invasive insects. Georgia and South Carolina are fending off the invasion of the yellow-legged hornet, a smaller relative of the giant hornet that also makes quick work of local pollinators. In northern Spain, officials are scrambling to contain the recent invasion of the southern giant hornet, a second blow to the beekeeping sector thats already spread thin from the assault of another hornet, the Vespa veluntina.In an increasingly interconnected world, where humans and trade crisscross the globe, species invasion will only grow more common without intervention. Models predict that insect invasions will increase by 36 percent between 2005 and 2050. Since the mid-1800s, at least 930 foreign insect species have snuck onto U.S. soil. The terrorizing hornet is yet one more instance in humankinds long history of unwitting pest introductions, and it likely won't be the last.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.Filed Under: Agriculture, Animals, Bees, Biology, Ecology, Good News, Insects, Invasive Species

In Bastogne, Belgium, dignitaries and American veterans who fought in the Battle of the Bulge gathered to commemorate the conflict's 80th anniversary. U.S. Army / Kristin SavageOn December 16, 1944, more than 200,000 German soldiers launched a surprise attack on Allied troops in a forested region of Belgium and Luxembourg known as the Ardennes. The ensuing World War II conflictwhich lasted until January 25, 1945became known as the Battle of the Bulge.In the end, the Allies managed to quash Adolf Hitlers last-ditch effort to win the war. But their victory, which paved the way for a full Nazi defeat, came at a high cost: More than75,000 American troops were killed, wounded or went missing in the conflict.This month marks the 80th anniversary of the start of the Battle of the Bulge. Some of the few surviving American veterans gathered in Belgium and Luxembourg last weekendalong with American lawmakers and other dignitariesfor several commemorative events.Now in their late 90s and early 100s, the aging former service members hope to keep the Battle of the Bulges memory alive to prevent any future war, as David Marshall, a 100-year-old veteran who manned a mortar during the conflict, told theAssociated Press Virginia Mayo and Bryan Carter last week.Other veterans echoed that sentiment, including Joseph R. Picard, who was just 19 when he fought in the deadly battle.[Younger Americans] dont know much about it, Picard toldStars and Stripes Phillip Walter Wellman at an event in Bastogne, Belgium, on December 14. And you know what they say: If you dont keep the story alive, its going to happen again. We dont want it to happen again.Living History: Battle of the Bulge (Part 3)Watch on Earlier this year, veterans and officials commemorated the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings at Normandyan invasion that would ultimately set the stage for the Battle of the Bulge. On June 6, 1944, more than 160,000 American, British and Canadian soldiers arrived on a 50-mile stretch of Frances coastline in what was thelargest amphibious attack in history.Over that summer, Allied troops slowly advanced into northern France and Belgium. The Allies liberated Paris in August 1944, then headed east toward the border with Germany.The Battle of the Bulge was Hitlers counteroffensive. German soldiers initially outnumbered Allied forces and were able to penetrate the front line so deeply they made a large bump, or bulge, which is how the battle got its name.But soon, reinforcements showed up. Fighting in cold, snowy weather, the Allies held on and eventually retook the ground they had lost.The frigid winter conditions are what many surviving veterans remember most to this day.It started out rainy and foggy, but it got colder, American veteran Harry Miller tells theWashington Posts David Kindy. Then we had snow up to our hips. I had an overcoat that was like a horse blanket. When it got wet, it was heavy and cumbersome. We slept under tanks or on the ground. It was so cold and miserable. The Battle of the Bulge was fought in cold, snowy conditions. U.S. ArmyBy the end of January 1945, the Allies had succeeded in pushing the Nazis back to Germany. The Germans suffered between 80,000 and 100,000 casualties in the battle and used up much of their supply of weapons, vehicles and other equipment.That was the beginning of the end of the war in Europe, says Mike Malone, director of veterans affairs for the Best Defense Foundation, a nonprofit that supports American veterans, to theAsbury Park Press Jerry Carino. It was an incredible outpouring of grit from these guys, who were 18 and 19 years old and barely had enough clothes on during this freezing winter.Winston Churchill, then the British prime minister,described the Battle of the Bulge as the greatest American battle of the war and a conflict that would be regarded as an ever-famous American victory. Brigadier General Anthony McAuliffe (right) was given a Distinguished Service Cross by General George S. Patton (left) for his leadership during the Battle of the Bulge. U.S. ArmyOne of the mostmemorable moments of the conflict occurred just before Christmas in Bastogne, when the Germans demanded that the American troops surrender. American Brigadier General Anthony McAuliffe famously replied NUTS!So there would be no misinterpretation, an officer translated It means the same as Go to Hell, according to a January 1945 issue ofTime magazine.After a commemorative parade in Bastogne earlier this month, attendees honored this reply bytossing nuts from the balcony of the citys town hall.This years commemorative World War II events were special because Normandy, D-Day and [the Battle of the Bulge] are the last anniversaries that well be celebrating because there won't be any veterans five years from now, American veteran Jack Moran tellsWCVBs Shaun Chaiyabhat.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.Filed Under: European History, Government, History, Nazis, US Government, US Military, Warfare, Weapons, World War II