Wolfspeed Sues Navitas Over GaN and SiC Patent Infringement 
Chinese Chip Stocks Jump as Apple Reportedly Tests CXMT Memory Chips for China Devices 
Why financial hardship is more likely if you’re disabled or sick 
Oil Prices Rise as U.S.-Iran Conflict Fuels Strait of Hormuz Supply Fears 
Japan Regional Bank Stocks Drop After Zentoshin Bankruptcy Sparks Credit Risk Concerns 
Asian Currencies Slip as Stronger US Dollar, Iran Tensions Pressure Regional FX 
Venezuela Earthquake Death Toll Climbs to 3,811 as Government Seeks Sanctions Relief 
SK Hynix’s $28B U.S. IPO Draws Strong Demand as AI Chip Boom Fuels Investor Interest 
China Inflation Cools in June as Producer Prices Hit Four-Year High 
AI is driving down the price of knowledge – universities have to rethink what they offer 
Zhipu AI Stock Jumps on Report of Custom AI Chip Development Plans 
Elon Musk Says Anthropic Leads AI Race as Claude Models Challenge OpenAI 
SK Hynix’s $28 Billion U.S. Share Sale Draws Massive Demand Amid AI Chip Boom 
Gold Prices Slip as Stronger Dollar, Fed Rate Outlook Weigh on Bullion 
Oil and LNG Tankers Turn Back as Strait of Hormuz Security Risks Escalate 
Britain has almost 1 million young people not in work or education – here’s what evidence shows can change that 
Lawson plans to introduce digital avatars at register monitors that are controlled remotely by real humans at over 200 stores in the next three years.
The digital avatars will start showing up at a few Lawson stores as part of a trial phase at the end of November using a system created by Professor Hiroshi Ishiguro, Director of the Intelligent Robotics Laboratory at Osaka University.
Over the next three years, if all goes as planned, the plan is to install them at more than 200 locations. In preparation for the start of the trial phase, the company is actively hiring employees to operate the avatars.
The key selling point of this system is the ability to remotely manipulate digital avatars from a computer, camera, and microphone at home. No need to bring specialized equipment into an office.
From the comfort of their homes, employees will be able to assist customers with questions, give directions to where to find things, and demonstrate how to utilize self-checkout registers.
Avatars at many store locations will also be under the authority of a single individual simultaneously.
According to Lawson CEO Sadanobu Takemasu, the company is actively working on developing the technology such that each avatar emanates warmth like a real person rather than merely being a chilly, robotic depiction of a human.
It is a way for Lawson to address the ongoing labor shortage in Japan. Many convenience stores across Japan tried to tackle the problem by hiring more foreign workers or even robot operators.
