Author: Mei Ling Tan

  • Stasko Drives Telstra’s AI-Optimized Infrastructure and Partnerships

    Stasko Drives Telstra’s AI-Optimized Infrastructure and Partnerships

    In a recent interview with Telecom Review Asia, conducted at ITW Asia 2024, in Singapore, Stasko discussed Telstra’s role in enhancing international connectivity through its submarine cable network by leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to optimize infrastructure and foster key partnerships with hyperscalers and other industry leaders. His vision for Telstra International focuses on expanding its presence in the Asia Pacific by continuing to innovate and serve as a critical enabler of the digital economy. Through strategic partnerships and cutting-edge technological integration, Stasko is guiding Telstra to new heights in the global telecommunications landscape.

    How does Telstra’s submarine cable network contribute to enhancing international connectivity, and what role does it play in supporting the digital economy globally?

    Telstra’s submarine cable network significantly enhances international connectivity by operating at-scale and providing a comprehensive range of services. With over 50 years of experience in the subsea market, Telstra strengthened its position in 2016 by acquiring Pacnet, making it the largest commercial digital infrastructure provider for trans-pacific integration. Currently, it manages about 20% of the internet traffic between the U.S. and Asia, and a third of intra-Asia traffic.

    Telstra manages 400,000 kilometers of subsea fiber. This extensive network allows Telstra to offer not only point-to-point connectivity but also broader solutions that include diversity, resilience, and terrestrial backhaul integration, from cable landing stations to data centers. This comprehensive approach supports customers by handling their capacity end-to-end rather than providing isolated segments.

    Globally, Telstra’s digital infrastructure, which includes Telstra International and Australia-based InfraCo, connects markets and supports the digital economy by ensuring reliable and scalable connectivity solutions across multiple regions.

    As AI becomes more integral, how is Telstra leveraging artificial intelligence to optimize its global infrastructure and improve service offerings?

    As AI becomes more integral, Telstra is leveraging artificial intelligence in two main areas: optimizing internal operations and enhancing its international network infrastructure.

    Within Telstra, including its international business, AI is being used extensively to improve efficiency and support employees. For example, Telstra boasts the largest deployment of Microsoft’s Copilot in Australia, which is integrated with Microsoft 365 tools and allows employees to use AI for tasks like writing emails, preparing documents, and managing data. This foundational deployment helps employees understand and adopt AI in their daily workflows.

    Additionally, Al and automation are used to optimize internal processes, particularly in the consumer business segment. Leveraging the capabilities of Microsoft Azure OpenAl Service and Azure Al Search, Ask Telstra provides Al-driven answers to employee inquiries through a simple search interface. Another tool. ‘One Sentence Summary, condenses customer issues into clear, actionable summaries, improving the speed and accuracy of responses. The focus is not on replacing human interaction but on empowering agents to provide fast, accurate, and effective support.

    On the international side, Telstra is applying AI to achieve automation and an autonomous network. AI-driven tools are being used to digitize data such as inventory, capacity, locations, and sensor inputs. This enables Telstra to build a virtual model of its network to test, predict, and automate operations. For instance, AI helps reroute traffic dynamically, optimizing the network and ensuring reliable connectivity. These AI applications enhance both Telstra’s operational efficiency and its ability to deliver high-quality service globally.

    Can you share key AI-driven initiatives or innovations that Telstra is working on, and elaborate on some of the partnerships that have been forged?

    Telstra is advancing several key AI-driven initiatives and forging strategic partnerships to enhance its capabilities. One of our largest partnerships is with Microsoft, which spans AI tools, digital infrastructure investment, and connectivity across both the international and Australian components. This collaboration underscores Telstra’s commitment to integrating advanced AI capabilities with robust infrastructure solutions.

    In Australia, Telstra has created a joint venture with Quantium, an AI-driven company; the result of which is Quantium Telstra. This partnership focuses on developing AI tools, building skill sets, and fostering innovation in an AI-first framework. Additionally, Telstra collaborates with traditional infrastructure vendors, working closely with them to embed AI into tools and systems that optimize operations.

    On the international front, Telstra is partnering with customers to address the evolving network needs being driven by AI. This involves rethinking network topology to better accommodate AI traffic, which differs significantly from the demands of traditional cloud traffic. Telstra’s approach includes both enabling partner solutions and collaborating with customers to anticipate the future connectivity requirements being shaped by AI.

    Telstra also maintains strong ties with the Australian government. While AI-specific collaborations are less prominent, past initiatives, such as our acquisition of Digicel Pacific, highlights our successful public-private partnerships. This endeavor involved funding from the Australian, U.S., and Japanese governments and demonstrated how commercial and government interests can align effectively.

    In the cybersecurity sector, Telstra is working closely with security agencies in Australia and globally, employing both AI-driven and traditional approaches to ensure its network remains secure, sovereign, and reliable. These initiatives illustrate Telstra’s comprehensive strategy, which prioritizes leveraging AI and partnerships across various domains.

    What is Telstra International’s vision? And what strategies are you employing to grow its presence in the region?

    Telstra International’s vision is to remain the leading digital infrastructure provider in the Asia Pacific. To achieve this, Telstra is focusing on three strategies: offering layer-zero services, including cable landing stations and network operations; partnering with hyperscalers and other investment partners to operate and enable new systems; and becoming the ‘carrier of carriers’ by creating CapEx-light models to support telcos’ subsea and connectivity needs.

    Partnerships are key to success. Hyperscalers, once skeptical about working with Telstra, now see value in these collaborations, recognizing that, in some markets, they benefit from a partner’s expertise. As Telstra adapts, the focus shifts from doing everything in-house to being a good partner, leveraging engineering strengths and operational excellence. This approach ensures continued growth and scalability.

  • Google TV continues to expand its home screen banner ads

    Google TV continues to expand its home screen banner ads

    Google TV is rolling out a new ad format on its home screen, and it’s got some users raising their eyebrows. This isn’t exactly a surprise, as Google has been increasingly incorporating ads into the platform. They’ve even been surveying users about the number of ads shown, which hinted that more might be on the way.

    This new ad format is a banner that shows up underneath the “Continue Watching” row. It can be used to show different types of content, like ads for games. One example of how this new section is being used is an ad for the recently released Bethesda game, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. This game, available on Xbox and through streaming services, is being heavily promoted across the Google TV platform. It’s featured in the “For You” row, has its own sponsored row with related content recommendations, and now, it’s showing up in this new banner section. The banner ad includes a brief description of the game, a link to watch gameplay on YouTube, and a QR code that users can scan for more details.

    This new banner is in addition to the ads that are already shown in the “For You” slider and in recommendation rows. It seems like Google is trying to find new ways to show ads, even though users already been asked about how many ads they want to see. While this new banner ad format isn’t immediately visible, it does contribute to the overall ad load on the platform. And let’s not forget that Google TV also recently started using those giant QR codes in ads.

    The new ad format is just one of the many changes that Google has been making to its TV platform. Recently, they also started using giant QR codes in ads. I’m not sure how I feel about all these changes. On one hand, I understand that Google needs to make money from its products. But on the other hand, I don’t want to see too many ads when I’m just trying to watch TV. I hope that Google finds a way to balance its need for revenue with its users’ desire for a good experience.

  • Shrimp exports expected to hit $4B in 2024

    Shrimp exports expected to hit $4B in 2024

    With double-digit growth in key markets, Vietnam’s shrimp exports are projected to rake in $4 billion in 2024, according to insiders.

    While this figure is lower than the record of $4.3 billion achieved in 2022, it marks a strong recovery compared to 2023, when shrimp exports totalled only $3.4 billion. This recovery highlights the resilience of the shrimp industry as it continues to regain momentum.Vietnam’s shrimp exports showed impressive growth in the first 11 months of 2024, reaching nearly $3.6 billion, a 22% increase compared to the same period last year.

    According to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), the shrimp sector is performing well in several key markets. Exports to both US and European Union have shown consistent growth, while China’s recent policies to stimulate domestic consumption could further drive demand for Vietnamese shrimp.

    Along with an uptrend in shrimp export prices, the processed shrimp sector is growing rapidly, marking a shift towards higher value-added products.

    However, experts held that the Vietnamese shrimp industry faces significant challenges that need to be addressed to ensure sustainable growth.

    Tran Dinh Luan, Director of the Fisheries Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, stressed that, to compete on the international market, Vietnam must improve shrimp quality and reduce production costs. Key issues include enhancing the quality of shrimplets, managing breeding cycles, controlling diseases, lowering production costs, and accurately forecasting the consumption patterns of importing markets. Addressing these challenges is vital to improving the shrimp value chain and boosting farmers’ incomes.

    Meanwhile, diseases on shrimps are considered a threat to the production and quality of shrimp products, he said.

    Phan Thanh Lam at the Research Institute for Aquaculture No. 2 noted that upgrading the shrimp industry’s value chain is a significant challenge, noting the industry’s poor linkages between production and consumption, and small scale of the majority of shrimp producers.

    Tran Ngoc Hai at the Can Tho University highlighted the importance of adopting high-tech, environmentally friendly shrimp farming practices that are resilient to climate change. The industry must also focus on meeting international standards and linking production across the value chain to better serve market demands.

    Despite environmental, disease, and production challenges, Luan highlighted that Vietnamese shrimp businesses have introduced many innovative solutions, such as applying new technologies and improving infrastructure. These efforts are helping to reduce emissions, extend the value

  • Thailand’s average employee salary to grow 5% in 2025

    Thailand’s average employee salary to grow 5% in 2025

    Thai employees’ average salary is expected to rise by 5% in 2025, maintaining the same growth rate as this year, according to a recent survey.

    Key factors that affect salary hikes are performances of individuals and organizations, salary range and the organization’s competitiveness in the job market, the Total Remuneration Survey 2024 by professional services company Mercer shows.

    Some 91% of the organizations polled reported having short-term incentive plans such as bonuses, said the survey, which was cited by The Bangkok Post.

    The ratio of businesses offering long-term incentives (such as stock options) grew by 1.8 percentage points to 80.7% this year.

    The auto industry is expected to award its employees with the highest short-term incentives which accounts for 23% of total remuneration packages.

    The highest paying sector is the life sciences industry which compensates 20% more than the average for annual base salaries.

    “The average salary increase of 5% in 2025 reflects an ongoing commitment by Thai organisations to invest in their workforces,” said Thira Laulathaphol, career principal at Mercer’s Thailand, as reported by The Nation.

    “With 100% of surveyed companies planning salary increases, it is clear that Thailand has a competitive job market.”

  • Vietnam becomes top banana supplier to China

    Vietnam becomes top banana supplier to China

    Vietnam has surpassed the Philippines to become the largest banana supplier to China with a 40.7% market share in the first eight months.

    China increased its imports from Vietnam by 19.6%, according to data from its customs department, while cutting its imports from the Philippines by 39.2%. Unfavorable weather and diseases reduced the Philippines’ banana output this year and pushed up prices, according to its Ministry of Industry and Trade.

    This allowed Vietnamese exporters to claim a bigger share.

    Aeon supermarkets in China earlier this year began selling only Vietnamese bananas and stopped stocking imports from the Philippines and Taiwan.

    Some other retailers have also followed suit.

    Exporters say Vietnamese bananas have reliable quality and quantity and competitive prices, with the country’s proximity to China helping reduce logistics costs.

    Vietnamese companies have been trying to meet China’s strict quarantine standards, resulting in higher exports.

    But there are also challenges in selling in China.

    Vo Quan Huy, CEO of agriculture export firm Huy Long An, said banana prices there sometimes fluctuate hugely, with local produce flooding the market during harvest season and sending prices tumbling.

  • Thailand expects to collect global minimum corporate tax from Jan 2025

    Thailand expects to collect global minimum corporate tax from Jan 2025

    Thailand expects to implement a global minimum corporate tax of 15% on multinational companies from January 2025, its finance minister said on Friday.

    The government will urgently issue a law on the tax collection, Pichai Chunhavajira said on a local television program. Pichai’s comments came after a Reuters report that the cabinet on Wednesday approved draft legislation to collect the global minimum corporate tax.

    Under new rules being shepherded by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), a minimum 15% tax will be charged on multinationals with an annual global turnover of more than 750 million euros (US$784.58 million), regardless of their location.

    Thailand’s corporate tax is currently set at 20%, but companies receiving incentives from the Thailand Board of Investment can get an exemption of up to 13 years.

    Vietnam’s parliament approved the minimum global tax rate last year.

    Indonesia, Southeast Asia’s largest economy, Malaysia and Singapore have also said they will implement the minimum tax rate in 2025.

  • Vietnam needs $14B to develop EV charging stations

    Vietnam needs $14B to develop EV charging stations

    Vietnam will need nearly US$14 billion to develop a network of charging stations to develop a green transport system, said insiders.

    This is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and create great tremendous opportunities for the electric vehicles (EV) market.The transition to EVs is a huge effort toward Vietnam’s net zero goal and environmental protection, and it will also boost the national economy, especially in reducing oil import costs and creating millions of jobs.

    According to a report from the World Bank, for EVs to become mainstream, especially among first-time car buyers, the charging station system plays a key role. It is estimated that Vietnam needs $2.2 billion by 2030 to build a network of public charging stations, and this figure will increase to $13.9 billion by 2040, and $32.6 billion by 2050 to meet most of the population’s EV demand.

    With the rapid development of EV technology and the trend towards green transportation, the demand for this type of vehicles is expected to increase strongly in the near future. It is predicted that more than 2.8 million EVs will be consumed from 2024 to 2035, and another 3 million in the 2036 – 2050 period if the development of the charging station network is accelerated.

    Major manufacturers such as VinFast have pioneered in this field, not only investing themselves but also implementing the franchise model that enables businesses and people to participate in developing the charging network. This model helps promote not only the use of EVs but also the sustainability of the EV industry in Vietnam.

    Public-private partnership models are also evaluated as a key for luring investment in charging stations. Electricity companies, fuel distributors, and specialized charging service providers can also contribute to the scheme.

    Insiders said to further promote the scheme, the Vietnamese Government needs to have favorable and clear policies that facilitate the engagement of the private sector. This can be achieved through financial and non-financial incentives and the formation of a clear roadmap for EV adoption with strict technical standards for charging infrastructure.

    International studies have shown that subsidies for developing charging infrastructure are 5-6 times more effective than subsidies for purchasing EVs. This demonstrates that if the Government focuses on building charging stations, Vietnam can accelerate the transition to EVs while reducing the dependence on fossil fuel energy sources.

    Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dam Hoang Phuc from Hanoi University of Science and Technology said a clear mechanism will attract investors, thereby driving the development of Vietnam’s charging station network.

    Meanwhile, Nguyen Thi Phuong Hien, Deputy Director of the Institute of Transport Strategy and Development, said strong policies on energy transition are now available, but there is still a shortage of support policies for charging infrastructure development. Given this, investing in charging stations is an essential step for the Government to effectively boost the transition to EVs and green transport.

  • Chinese kiwi prices in Vietnam start at $0.8/kg

    Chinese kiwi prices in Vietnam start at $0.8/kg

    Chinese green kiwi is being sold at VND20,000 (US$0.79) per kilogram onwards by wholesalers in Vietnam, a third of the prices of imports from Australia and New Zealand.

    Australian and New Zealand wholesale prices start at VND60,000 and go up to VND120,000. But the VND20,000 price is unusually low for a fruit considered an upmarket item in Vietnam.

    Thanh Hoa, a fruit wholesaler in HCMC, said these are the lowest prices in years. “I import thousands of boxes at a time to get the best prices.”

    Retailers are selling the fruit at VND50,000-80,000 per kilogram. In China, green kiwi is primarily grown in provinces with a temperate climate such as Sichuan, Shaanxi and Henan.

    Thanks to advanced breeding technologies and large scale of production, China is able to produce large quantities of the fruit and maintain low prices.

    Vietnamese importers say Chinese kiwi is able to enter Vietnam at current rates because logistic costs have been optimized.

    Dang Phuc Nguyen, general secretary of the Vietnam Fruits & Vegetables Association, said China has acquired kiwi varieties from other countries and breeds them with low labor costs.

    Vietnam’s imports of Chinese agriculture produce in the first 10 months were worth $800 million, a 24% increase year-on-year, according to the customs department. The main fruits it imported were apple, grape, persimmon, and kiwi.

  • 45% of Singapore workers fear admitting to AI use

    45% of Singapore workers fear admitting to AI use

    Nearly half of employees in Singapore feel uncomfortable admitting to their managers that they use artificial intelligence (AI) in their jobs, a survey has found.

    The top concerns among these workers include the fear of being perceived as incompetent, lazy, or cheating, The Independent Singapore reported, citing AI-powered work management tool Slack’s Workforce Index report, which in August surveyed more than 17,000 workers across 15 countries, 1,008 of which are from Singapore.

    The report noted that workers, lacking clear guidance, are uncertain about when it is appropriate to use AI at work, leading many to hide their usage.

    Hence, employers should establish clear guidelines on which AI tools are considered “approved and trusted” for use in their organizations, as well as the specific tasks these tools are intended for, Christina Janzer, senior vice president of research and analytics at Slack.

    Too much of the burden today has been put on workers to figure out AI. It is important that leaders not only train workers to use AI, but encourage employees to talk about it and experiment with AI out in the open,” she said.

    Despite their concerns, 88% of employees in Singapore are keen to develop their AI skills and feel a pressing need to become experts in the field. However, 63% of them have spent fewer than five hours total learning how to use AI.

    Workers in the city-state are also prioritizing AI-enabled workplaces, with 87% viewing a company’s ability to provide and implement AI tools as a key consideration when searching for jobs.

    As a result, employers there must invest in AI training to attract and retain top talent.

    Globally, 30% of workers worldwide have not received any AI training, including self-guided learning or experimentation, according to Slack.

    Among those who did receive guidance on AI usage, adoption has increased by 13% since January, compared to just 2% for those without such training.

  • Gold price gains in Vietnam, drops globally

    Gold price gains in Vietnam, drops globally

    Gold price went up marginally in Vietnam but fell globally as investors took profit Tuesday morning.

    Saigon Jewelry Company gold bar increased by 0.23% to VND87.1 million (US$3,430.49) per tael.

    Gold ring price went up 0.23% to VND85.9 million per tael.

    Globally gold slipped as investors booked profits after prices hit more than one-month high earlier in the day on increased expectations of an interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve next week.

    Spot gold shed 0.5% to $2,704.41 per ounce. It hit the highest since Nov. 6 earlier in the session.

    U.S. gold futures fell 0.5% to $2,744.60.

    “It’s just profit booking because we’ve seen a good rally in gold due to various factors this week, including geopolitical tensions, China resuming gold purchases and the inflation number yesterday being in line with expectation,” said Ajay Kedia, director at Kedia Commodities, Mumbai.

  • WhatsApp adds new calling features for the holidays

    WhatsApp adds new calling features for the holidays

    WhatsApp is making it easier to connect with loved ones this holiday season with new calling features for desktop and mobile. You can now select specific participants when starting a call from a group chat, so you can call exactly who you want without disrupting the rest. This is ideal for planning surprise parties or presents.

    Video calls are also getting a makeover with ten new effects that can transform your calls into even more fun conversations. You can add puppy ears, take yourself underwater, or even hand yourself a microphone for karaoke. Additionally, video calls are getting a boost in quality. Whether you’re calling from desktop or mobile, calls are now more reliable, and you can enjoy higher resolution video with a clearer picture on both 1:1 and group calls.

    Calling on desktop is also getting an upgrade. When you click the calls tab on the WhatsApp desktop app, you’ll easily find everything you need to start a call, create a call link, or dial a number directly.

    WhatsApp has been around since 2009 and has quickly become one of the most popular messaging apps in the world. It’s known for its simplicity and reliability, and it’s used by people of all ages and backgrounds. In recent years, WhatsApp has been adding more and more features to its app, including voice and video calling. Unlike in the United States, where protocols like SMS, MMS, RCS, and iMessage dominate messaging across the country, WhatsApp has remained extremely popular globally. Additionally, it has always been a popular backup option for Americans to use when the other existing options fail.

    I think these new calling features are a great addition to WhatsApp. I especially like the ability to select specific participants when starting a call from a group chat. This is a really useful feature that I can see myself using all the time. I also like the new video call effects. They look like a lot of fun, and they can help to make video calls more engaging. I think these new features will make WhatsApp even more popular, and I’m excited to see what the future holds for the app.

  • ChatGPT down for hours globally

    ChatGPT down for hours globally

    AI chatbot ChatGPT suffered outage globally for several hours Thursday before resuming services.

    “ChatGPT, API, and Sora were down today but we’ve recovered,” the parent company OpenAI said in a post on X at around 1:00 p.m.

    It referred to API, a cloud interface that gives users access to AI models, and Sora, the new video generation AI model.

    OpenAI’s data shows that a “major outage” occurred for 4 hours and 10 minutes Thursday morning.

    But at the time of publishing the issues have been resolved.

    “All services are now fully operational,” OpenAI said in a note on its website, adding that it will run a full root-cause analysis of the outage and will share details when complete.

    Users began reporting outages at around 7:00 a.m, according to Downdetector, a platform which tracks the status of websites.

    In the U.S., nearly 28,500 people were unable to access ChatGPT as of 7:40 a.m.

    ChatGPT, launched in 2022, has more than 300 million weekly active users, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said earlier this month.

  • Diesel hits 6-week low, gasoline steadies

    Diesel hits 6-week low, gasoline steadies

    Vietnam’s gasoline prices inched up while diesel dropped to a six-week low Thursday afternoon.

    The popular fuel RON95 gained 0.15% to VND20,590 (US$0.81) per liter.

    Diesel dropped 0.71% to VND18,250.

    Regulators said that fuel prices in the last seven days were affected by rising geopolitical tension in the Middle East, ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and OPEC+’s reduced oil demand growth forecast for 2025.

    Gasolines went up 0.2% while oils fell 0.8-4.3% in the period. RON95 is now at $84.1 per barrel and diesel at $86.9.

  • WhatsApp working on a way for you to forward a message to Meta AI

    WhatsApp working on a way for you to forward a message to Meta AI

    WhatsApp is working on making Meta AI more useful and with the help of an upcoming update, you could be getting more context about the messages you are receiving.

    WhatsApp has been putting a lot of effort into tackling scams and fake news on its platform. Now, there’s a new feature being developed that would let you forward messages to Meta AI so you can get more context on them.

    Meta AI has been present on WhatsApp since April of this year. The AI chatbot is there to answer your questions, give advice, and also generate content among other things. However, previously you weren’t able to forward messages or media you’ve received to the chat with Meta AI. But that seems to be about to change.

    The folks at WABetaInfo have found that WhatsApp will be letting you get more context of messages you’ve received thanks to Meta AI. The new feature will let you select Meta AI from the contact list when you decide to forward a message. Right now, the functionality has been found for WhatsApp for Android.

    Right now, you can send media or messages to Meta AI by copy-pasting it in the conversation with the chatbot. Also, you will be able to add your question along with the forwarded message with a new “Ask a question” box which will appear at the bottom when you’re forwarding to Meta AI.

    If you choose not to provide context when you’re forwarding the message to the AI chatbot, it will just analyze the message as is and generate a response. If you want it to check the authenticity of a message, it would be better to ask things like “Is this information accurate”, so Meta AI will know what you want it to do with the forwarded message.

    Right now, the feature is under development. It is not clear when it will launch to the public, but hopefully it’s sooner rather than later.

    I’m a big fan of generative AI and I feel like it’s super useful. The above use case is another great way to take advantage of the power of AI.

    You will be able to check if a message is a scam, but you can also verify how truthful the info in a message is as well, which will help you think critically about things that you receive. And we all know that critical thinking is super important on the internet these days. Just don’t forget to think critically about the Meta AI answer as well.

  • Google Docs users can now use 40 more document templates

    Google Docs users can now use 40 more document templates

    Google Docs grows and grows: the Big G has introduced a refreshed library of templates, featuring 40 new designs.

    The rollout of these templates began on December 10, 2024, and will be accessible to Google Workspace customers, Workspace Individual Subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts.

    The new collection focuses on improving both the visual appeal and functionality of documents. Designed to be pageless, these templates come with features like document tabs for better organization, placeholder chips that streamline data entry, and building blocks with pre-set layouts and styles to give documents a polished and premium look.

    Users can find these templates by selecting the “Templates” button in a new document or navigating to File > New > From template gallery in an existing one.

    A wide range of use cases is covered by the templates, from blog posts and press releases to business proposals and journals.

    Business users are taken care of as well: they can take advantage of templates for project roadmaps, marketing plans, and sales emails, while HR teams are offered options like interview guides, onboarding guides, and training manuals.

    Recently, Google Slides also got decorated with a new collection of cool templates to help users create presentations quickly and effectively. This new collection has sales pitches, product roadmaps, and strategic plans for business users. Education-focused options include lesson plans, book reports, and project reports. Additionally, templates for milestone celebrations, workshops, and team games are designed to enhance collaboration. Pretty versatile!

    I guess templates help users save time by eliminating the need to start documents from scratch, but… probably many people are just asking various AI clients to provide the