'Little luxuries': The affordable treats driving consumer spending
If 2023 was the year consumers helped stave off a recession with an unexpected surge in spending, many economists predict 2024 will be the time shoppers finally tighten their belts.
The INFORMS Analytics+ Conference showcased how companies are turning advanced analytics and AI into measurable operational results
Fake Hermès Birkin bags and other counterfeit luxury goods are popular not only with people on a budget, but also with those with deeper pockets, a new study suggests.
Researchers from the National University of Singapore analyzed millions of counterfeit purchases by American consumers from more than 24,000 U.S. zip codes on a major cross-border, e-commerce platform. They found that both lower- and higher-income individuals are “significantly more likely” to buy fake luxury items than middle-income consumers, according to a press release by INFORMS on Monday.
'Ghost ships' are vessels that disappear from public tracking systems, their location manipulated or their digital record misleading. An estimated 65% of outbound tankers crossing the Strait of Hormuz operate in dark mode, reducing visibility and increasing supply chain uncertainty. Misinformation in vessel tracking can cause manufacturing delays, compliance risks and financial losses. Layered verification processes, combining AIS data with other sources and escalation triggers for handling uncertain shipments, can help mitigate risk.
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Jeff Cohen
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INFORMS
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If 2023 was the year consumers helped stave off a recession with an unexpected surge in spending, many economists predict 2024 will be the time shoppers finally tighten their belts.
New research has found a way to leverage the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to more efficiently screen out bad ideas to focus on only good ideas in the crowdsourcing process within ideation. More specifically, the research has arrived at a simple model for screening out ideas that experts might consider "bad." Importantly, managers can adjust their model to determine how many bad ideas to screen out, without losing good ones. The research also found a single new predictor that screens out atypical ideas and preserves more inclusive and rich ideas.
Organizations are rushing to create hyperlocal supply chains by using products that are sourced and made in specific areas, down to a neighborhood level.
As Washington putters on AI watermarking legislation, TikTok and Adobe are leading the way with transparency standards.
The newspaper publisher is the first major news outlet to sue the AI creator. While the suit might not reach court, it still has a significant impact on the AI community.

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