"If OpenAI can deliver technology that matches its ambitious vision for what AI can be, it will be transformative for its own prospects, but also the economy more broadly," Hamish Low and other analysts at Enders Analysis wrote in a recent research note. "Falling short could be fatal."
The stakes are high for OpenAI, which is facing off against a growing list of wealthy, big-spending rivals. The analysts added that staying at the cutting edge of AI was key to the startup justifying itself to the big tech backers on which it depended.
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BT: Mixed results but on track for the fibre future
30 July 2024BT’s revenue growth in Q1 was hit by lower price increases, but positive EBITDA growth was achieved thanks to strong cost control as inflationary pressures abate.
Subscriber figures were decidedly mixed, with mobile much improved, retail broadband much the same in a difficult market, and Openreach broadband much worse (but still manageable in context).
The bigger picture is that BT is successfully keeping all metrics roughly stable as it completes its fibre roll-out and waits for the inevitable cashflow turnaround as a result.
Off the back of the Euros, ITV’s advertising revenue grew in H1 (+10% to £889 million) but this was not enough to balance a drop in Studios revenue, which declined 13% (to £869 million), hit by phasing and a tough market
Nonetheless, profits were up on a very tough 2023, with group adjusted EBITA rising 40% to £213 million, as cost-cutting proved successful—total costs were down 7% YoY
ITVX is moving from its launch phase to one of consolidation, with a changing approach to content release and an increasingly nuanced relationship with its array of users
Vodafone: A challenging year begins
29 July 2024Q1 was always going to be tough for Vodafone with lower in-contract price increases a very significant drag on performance (across the sector), TV losses in Germany ramping up, and ongoing struggles to turn around broadband performance there. A deterioration in German mobile is an unwelcome addition.
Encouragingly, Vodafone continues to optimise its portfolio and is guiding to a U-shaped recovery, with Q2 particularly weak and B2B driving a better 2H.
While there are particular headwinds this year and tailwinds next which point to an improving outlook, better operational performance remains critical to the company's future, and we continue to await evidence of this.
Karen Egan was quoted in The Times on "Why broadband and phone bill crackdown may actually cost you more"
29 July 2024Karen Egan, a telecoms specialist at Enders Analysis, said that inflation-linked rises helped firms to offer competitive upfront deals to entice new customers and to make up for the fact that it had become harder to make profits in other areas.
“Traditionally operators made their real profits from things such as roaming, international calls and out-of-contract pricing. Regulation has really chipped away at many of these, leaving operators with fewer and fewer ways to make money.”
Karen Egan was mentioned in The Telegraph on "Record 200,000 customers ditch BT Openreach broadband"
26 July 2024Karen Egan at Enders Analysis said the losses would be a concern for investors. However, she added that the figures tended to be erratic and that alt-net gains were unlikely to be sustained over the longer term.
François Godard was quoted in Les Echos on "Basketball: NBA signs record $76 billion contract"
26 July 2024Amazon Prime Video has also signed a deal in several territories, including France, to broadcast NBA games. French fans will therefore have access to American basketball from 2025. "This is an indication that Amazon does not intend to stop in sports and could have even more appetite in Europe," notes François Godard.
According to Enders' calculations, all sports combined, Amazon will spend "at least" 3.3 billion euros on an annual basis from 2025. "The platforms are present in all the major calls for tender, particularly in the United States, becoming direct competitors of traditional broadcasters," continues Christophe Lepetit.
Google has permanently shelved the 2025 deadline for removing all third-party cookies from Chrome, but publishers should prepare for much higher rates of users blocking cookies.
The online economy is still moving towards more privacy and user controls on the major platforms, with Android the next target for the Privacy Sandbox.
Regulators are increasingly setting the terms online, limiting Google's freedom of movement, and with the conflict between competition and user privacy protections defining the next phase of the internet.
OpenAI: Still leading the AI race?
23 July 2024The next generation of the largest and most powerful 'frontier' AI models will be a key test for the pace of AI progress, with OpenAI's upcoming GPT-5 the most highly anticipated.
For OpenAI, the stakes are high, facing a growing assortment of rivals and with huge spend on training and running models to recoup. Staying at the cutting edge is key to justifying itself to the big tech backers on which it depends.
If OpenAI can deliver technology that matches its ambitious vision for what AI can be, it will be transformative for its own prospects, but also the economy more broadly. Falling short could be fatal.