Microsoft declares war on Google

But I want to kick things off with another episode from our documentary series “Risky Business.” Up today: How sewer diving became one of the most dangerous jobs in India and Pakistan. People put their lives at risk to dive deep into sewers filled with toxic waste to unclog pipes. Watch now.

I’ve heard from so many of you about dangerous jobs that you’ve worked — or that you want more people to know about. I’ll share those responses in our Saturday edition. But now, the news.

— Nicholas Carlson

In today’s edition: How Microsoft caught up with Google on AI, get to know the 43 startups to bet your career on, and go inside a fugitive billionaire’s auction. If this was forwarded to you, sign up here.

Musk, aircraft carrier, & bird flu

• Elon Musk reportedly fired a Twitter engineer on the spot after the worker told him his popularity was sinking on the site. Get the full story.
• Shunned by the US, Turkey is preparing to launch its first aircraft carrier — with drones. Read more.
• A leading bird-flu expert says the “nasty” US outbreak is here to stay: “There’s something different about this virus.” More here.

Inside the AI arms race

Nadella beamed and cracked jokes as he displayed the new Bing, which is powered by the hottest technology in the world right now: GPT, the so-called large language model developed by OpenAI.

Then the usually calm, thoughtful CEO declared war on Google.

“It’s a new day in Search,” Nadella said. “Rapid innovation is going to come. In fact, a race starts today.”

But how has Microsoft caught up with Google, a company that has maintained an unbreakable online search monopoly for 20 years? Well, a lot of it comes down to a little-known executive named Kevin Scott.

TOP READS

Top startups, secret cruise terms, & more

• The 43 startups to bet your career on in 2023. People are reevaluating their jobs right now — just in time for our annual list of the startups that have strong teams and backing. From the social network BeReal to OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, check out our full list.
• Yahoo and Disney are the latest to slash thousands of jobs. The wave of layoffs shows no signs of slowing down. Here’s the full list of major US companies making cuts this year.
• Apple cofounder slams Elon Musk. Steve Wozniak said he felt as if he’d been “robbed” over Musk’s claims about Tesla’s self-driving tech — and he said Musk wanted to be a “cult leader.” Watch the full clip.
• 35 secret terms only cruise workers know — and the ones you don’t want to hear. Crew members use their own language to communicate with one another while keeping passengers in the dark. From “babaloo” to “slop chest,” here are the key terms to listen for.
• Super Bowl commercials are arriving early. Some of the splashiest advertisements of the year premiere this Sunday — but some, including PopCorners’ much anticipated “Breaking Bad” ad, have landed already. Check out the best ones here.
• A Michigan couple paid off their $200,000 mortgage in four years. They’ve been able to set aside thousands of dollars for their children’s college educations in the five years since they paid it off. Read how they found financial freedom.
• An Airbnb owner asks guests to do chores — and still pay a cleaning fee. Michelle Burson, who owns a 4,000-square-foot property in Brookings, Oregon, says it’s helped her attract more quality bookings. Here’s why.

TAKE A LOOK

Billionaire auction

Earthquake in Syria and Turkey

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This edition was curated by Nicholas Carlson and edited by Hallam Bullock, Lisa Ryan, Dave Smith, Nathan Rennolds, Shona Ghosh, and Kevin Kaplan. Get in touch: insidertoday@insider.com.