This Week in Tech News: 10 Stories You Need to See

A roundup of the week's most newsworthy technology industry press releases from PR Newswire, including IBM's next-gen quantum processor and employees' anxiety about AI.

NEW YORK, Dec. 8, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- With thousands of press releases published each week, it can be difficult to keep up with everything on PR Newswire. To help journalists covering the business technology industry stay on top of the week's most newsworthy and popular releases, here's a roundup of stories from the week that shouldn't be missed.

The list below includes the headline (with a link to the full text) and an excerpt from each story. Click on the press release headlines to access accompanying multimedia assets that are available for download.

1. IBM Debuts Next-Generation Quantum Processor & IBM Quantum System Two, Extends Roadmap to Advance Era of Quantum Utility
   "As we continue to advance how quantum systems can scale and deliver value through modular architectures, we will further increase the quality of a utility-scale quantum technology stack – and put it into the hands of our users and partners who will push the boundaries of more complex problems," said Dario Gil, IBM SVP and Director of Research.
2. New EY research reveals the majority of US employees feel AI anxiety amid explosive adoption
   On the heels of a year of generative AI-fueled disruption, about half (48%) of respondents said they are more concerned about AI today than they were a year ago, and of those, 41% believe it is evolving too quickly.
3. McDonald's and Google Cloud Announce Strategic Partnership to Connect Latest Cloud Technology and Apply Generative AI Solutions Across its Restaurants Worldwide
   McDonald's plans to leverage a wide range of Google Cloud's hardware, data, and AI technologies to implement innovation faster and create even better experiences for its customers, restaurant teams, and employees. 
4. AI Poised to Enhance Student and Faculty Experiences: Info-Tech Research Group Publishes New Industry Guide
   The newly published resource includes use cases on the topic of AI in the classroom and covers the technology involved, the benefits to the institution, the risks associated with the technology, and the rate of adoption in education.
5. Email Automation from GoDaddy Offers Custom Emails to Deliver the Right Message at the Right Time
   This powerful new tool allows businesses to customize, schedule and trigger email communication automatically using intuitive templates, freeing up time to allow entrepreneurs to focus on growing their business.
6. OATS from AARP Opens Senior Planet Miami: The First Technology-Themed Community Center for Older Adults in Miami
   As the area's first technology-themed community center for older adults, visitors can get help with technology and learn new skills in a spacious, modern center packed with 72 screens, featuring state-of-the-art computer equipment and Wi-Fi – all free of charge.
7. data.ai releases its top five predictions for 2024
   "2024 will see consumers demand authenticity, video-first content, and control of their social media experiences through the power of a dollar. Next year will unleash the next wave of innovation in AI and cement how we consume content," said Lexi Sydow, Head of Insights, data.ai.
8. Pluralsight's AI Skills Report finds 90% of executives don't completely understand their teams' AI skills and proficiencies
   "AI is transforming the way that business is done, but many companies are behind the curve when it comes to preparing and training their employees for AI because they don't understand the skills that are needed to deal with AI effectively," said Aaron Skonnard, CEO and co-founder of Pluralsight.
9. Opera Launches Updated Lucid Mode and Sunrise-Emulating Wallpapers to Help Users Ward Off Seasonal Sadness
   "With many people already suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder, we don't want them to also have to deal with SDD – Standard Definition Disorder," said Joanna Czajka, product director at Opera.
10. World's First Fully Autonomous, AI-Powered Restaurant Opening in Southern California Utilizing the most advanced systems in food technology, both grill and fry stations are fully automated, powered by proprietary leading-edge artificial intelligence and robotics. Guests will watch their food being cooked robotically after checking in with their PopID accounts on self-ordering kiosks.

Read more of the latest business technology releases from PR Newswire and stay caught up on the top press releases by following @PRNtech on Twitter.

Helping Journalists Stay Up to Date on Industry News

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