Latest news with #JasonSmith
Globe and Mail
2 hours ago
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Vancouver software company Klue Labs cutting work force in half for AI reboot
Vancouver software company Klue Labs Inc. is preparing to lay off up to half its work force, or about 100 people, to reposition itself for the artificial intelligence age. Co-founder and chief executive Jason Smith told The Globe and Mail that he informed staff about the restructuring last week and said that Klue is finalizing plans for layoffs to be implemented this coming Wednesday. 'We need to do this because it's a wake-up call for companies that aren't AI native to start to think that way,' he said, adding that the restructuring is not because of financial concerns or a lack of funding. While the number of layoffs could change, Mr. Smith said that it could affect between 40 per cent and 50 per cent of the company. Klue, which makes AI-powered business intelligence tools for sales professionals to gather information on competitors, has to reboot as a result of AI, according to Mr. Smith. Generative AI tools have become more adept since the release of ChatGPT in late 2022, forcing software-as-a-service (SaaS) companies founded before that date to drastically rethink operations, he said. Your brain on AI Klue has already adopted AI to a large extent internally, but Mr. Smith felt that the company was not moving fast enough. After an employee responsible for writing help documentation left Klue recently, Mr. Smith realized that AI could handle much of the work before the company would need to hire a replacement. 'That became a pivotal moment for me to think that we need to do something more dramatic than inching our way to AI improvement,' he said. 'My belief is you kind of need to shock the company.' Klue was founded in 2015 and has raised US$80-million in funding, including from Tiger Global Management, and services customers such as Autodesk and Salesforce. Its platform uses AI to analyze millions of data points, including news articles and websites, to deliver insights to customers about the competition. The impact of AI on the labour market is hotly debated and uncertain. Some executives, such as Anthropic's Dario Amodei, have argued that AI could replace large swaths of entry-level office jobs. Others contend that AI will change the nature of work but allow people to focus on higher-value tasks, while also creating new roles. Announcing layoffs beforehand was unusual, he acknowledged, but said he did so in order for employees to have time to process the news and ask questions and decide if they want to leave voluntarily. The company is offering voluntary exit packages to all employees with the same severance as involuntary layoffs. Mr. Smith said the downsizing is not about replacing employees directly but equipping smaller teams to work faster and more efficiently with AI, particularly with agents, which are tools that complete a range of multi-step tasks such as coding and developing software prototypes. 'This is about creating a reduction, so you can't turn to an automatic hire. You have to turn to see if an AI agent can help you first,' he said. A seasoned tech executive and entrepreneur, Mr. Smith said that if he were to start Klue today, he would begin with using AI agents and grow from there. Klue is the latest Canadian company reckoning with the impact of AI. Shopify CEO Tobi Lütke told employees in April that using AI is a 'fundamental expectation' and that before asking for more headcount or resources, employees will have to justify why the work cannot be done with AI. Open Text Corp. has adopted an AI-first approach, too. 'We will only hire new talent where the work cannot be done by AI,' CEO Mark Barrenechea said on a May earnings call. In the U.S., Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said in a memo on Tuesday that adopting generative AI and agents 'will reduce our total corporate workforce' in the next few years. But at least one company is backtracking. Klarna, which is based in Sweden and offers buy-now-pay-later services, made headlines last year for its attempts to cut its work force in half, implementing a hiring freeze and replacing customer support agents with AI. The company is recruiting again. Mr. Smith said that could be a possibility for Klue. 'If we need to, we can ramp back up,' he said. 'I want my company on the edge of knowing what it can and can't do. If you don't live on that edge, you're not moving fast enough.' With reports from Sean Silcoff
Los Angeles Times
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
How ‘The Rings of Power' translated Tolkien's Balrog to the screen
'I wanted this to be something that would have been hanging on my bedroom wall,' says senior visual effects supervisor Jason Smith about the heroic depiction of King Durin III (Peter Mullan) sacrificing himself to a fiery monster during the climactic Season 2 finale of 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.' The immortalizing moment, which follows a tearful goodbye between father and son, drew inspiration from J.R.R. Tolkien's description of the Balrog as a being of 'shadow and flame.' 'We didn't want to ruin the poetry of Tolkien's writing by showing too much. He leaves space for your mind to help tell the story in a way that you will find compelling, so we tried to do that,' explains Smith. A mixture of milky blacks and crimson hues brought the photorealistic scene together, the contrast in color elevating the nightmarish image where every detail, down to the white-hot flames and lava-red horns, was designed to captivate the viewer. 'The first thing we wanted is for people to feel the emotional journey of the story,' says Smith. 'Then we leaned into the symbolism while maintaining realism. You'll notice the creature is a creature of shadow and flame.'
CTV News
13-06-2025
- Sport
- CTV News
Sea Bears donating tickets to wildfire evacuees
The Winnipeg Sea Bears are giving wildfire evacuees a chance to take in a basketball game this weekend. The team has donated 800 tickets to Sunday's game against the Saskatchewan Rattlers for 800 evacuees to attend. 'We hope this small gesture offers evacuees a bit of comfort and fun during a challenging time,' said President Jason Smith, in a news release. 'This is what community is about, standing together in difficult times and doing what you can to help.' The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs identified people to come to the game and is distributing tickets. Tip off on Sunday at 2 p.m.
Bloomberg
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Bloomberg
Balance of Power: Early Edition 6/10/2025
On the early edition of Balance of Power, Bloomberg Washington Correspondents Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz discuss the latest developments from protests in Los Angeles to trade talks in London. On today's show, Bloomberg Washington Correspondent Tyler Kendall, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress Senior Democracy Fellow Jeanne Sheehan Zaino, Stonecourt Capital Partner Rick Davis, Republican Senator David McCormick of Pennsylvania and Constitutional Accountability Center President Elizabeth Wydra. (Source: Bloomberg)
Bloomberg
10-06-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Senate Parliamentarian to Rule on Trump Tax Provisions
House Ways and Means Chair Jason Smith says some minor provisions in the House-passed tax-cut package may have to be dropped to meet Senate budgetary rules, but the bulk must remain intact for House Republicans to agree. (Source: Bloomberg)
