Here are five things in business tech news that happened this week and how they affect your business. Did you miss them?
SAN ANSELMO, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 27: In this photo illustration, the DeepSeek app is displayed on … [+]
This Week in Business Tech News
Business Tech News #1 – What to know about DeepSeek AI, from cost claims to data privacy.
Chinese artificial intelligence startup DeepSeek – founded in 2023 by Liang Wenfeng – has fired up the tech world with capabilities that rival OpenAI and others. DeepSeek’s success has been described as “upending AI” and has led to its chatbot app surpassing ChatGPT as the most-downloaded free app on the iOS App Store. The company has claimed it costs $5.6 million to train its V3 model – a small fraction of the costs in comparison to Google’s Gemini for example. Some experts have surmised five million only reflects a portion of the actual total. DeepSeek’s privacy policy has also raised concerns. Data that’s collected and stored on “secured servers located in the People’s Republic of China” – as the company states – include IP addresses, date of birth, and emails, among other sensitive information. (Source: ZDNet)
Why this is important for your business:
First of all, everyone needs to calm down. DeepSeek’s model may be challenging for Nvidia, but it opens up all sorts of great opportunities for other American startups and tech firms who will be copying what DeepSeek is doing (hmm…sound familiar?) and deploying in their own applications. It will make the cost of building AI applications much, much lower for smaller companies and it will speed up the rollout of AI tech across the enterprise world. Oh, and it could be good for the environment too. I don’t think for one minute that U.S. businesses will be risking their data with a Chinese platform. But they’ll be using the tech, for sure.
Business Tech News #2 – X’s payments app will be available later this year.
X Money – X’s new payments app – is set to launch later this year. The app will be a collaboration with Visa and will support peer-to-peer payments via users’ debit cards. Users will also be able to transfer funds to their bank accounts and deposit money into an X Wallet – CEO Linda Yaccarino detailed in an X post.This move is part of X’s broader vision to become an “everything app” under Elon Musk’s leadership as plans to expand the platform into the financial services field has been part of the company’s ongoing strategy. (Source: Engadget)
Why this is important for your business:
This is big news for small businesses. I’m all in on X. I’ve been using the platform both professionally and personally for years and I think it’s significantly improved both in content, value and performance since Musk took over. I should lean into Grok more, I admit. But this payment app has the potential to be a standard tool that I use to get paid by clients. It depends on the ease of use, fees and any potential restrictions.
Business Tech News #3 – Outlook for Microsoft 365 cheat sheet.
Preston Gralla of Computerworld outlines some valuable guidance for Windows users. (Source: Computerworld)
Why this is important for your business:
His “cheat sheet” for Outlook for Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365) highlights key features and new updates in the Windows desktop client. Gralla explains the differences between Classic Outlook and New Outlook, with the latter set to replace the former in the future. The cheat sheet also includes useful tips and keyboard shortcuts, and lesser-known tips on the Search bar function that involve filtering and message attachments. Gralla also details how users can perform research directly within Outlook: When adding informational content to an email start with highlighting relevant key words noted in a new message. “Outlook then uses Bing to do a web search on the word or words, displaying definitions, related Wikipedia entries, pictures and other results,” Gralla demonstrates.
Business Tech News #4 – AI, faster chips, better battery life: business laptops leap forward at CES.
Tech expert Michael J. Miller reviewed the major advancements that are being made with business laptops. Showcased at CES 2025, these advancements include faster chips, enhanced battery life, and the integration of AI features. Major vendors like Dell, HP, and Lenovo have introduced new models powered by the latest processors from AMD, Intel, and Qualcomm. These new laptops offer improved performance, manageability, and battery efficiency compared to previous generations. Additionally, Microsoft’s Copilot+ PC initiative is expanding, supporting the latest chips and introducing new AI features like Live Translations and Click to Do. “This promises to be an interesting year for buyers of business class notebooks,” Miller reported. (Source: PCMag)
Why this is important for your business:
Laptops are getting more power to gear up for AI applications. I’m still in the market for a new laptop (waiting for primary one to show more significant signs of wear and tear) and I’m committed to spending a little extra to make sure I’ve got the processing needed to handle what’s coming.
Business Tech News #5 – New York state requires employers to disclose AI related layoffs.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced a new requirement during her 2025 State of the State Address: Employers in New York who engage in mass layoffs or closings must disclose if AI automation played a role in the layoffs. This mandate is part of the state’s Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act and aims to track the impact of AI on jobs and inform reskilling efforts. The goal is to understand the potential impact of new technologies through real data. (Source: SHRM)
Why this is important for your business:
It’s not just New York. Eight states are rolling out new AI legislation targeted at employers who use AI for hiring, recruiting and talent management. AI apps are biased – they’re written by humans and they need to be used carefully. Meanwhile, job seekers are using AI tools to generate many more resumes than ever before. So it’s a double-edged sword. Bottom line is that it’s fine to use an AI app in your recruiting and workplace management, but be careful. Also – if an employee is remote and out of state make sure to check if your business needs to be in compliance with that state’s AI legislation.
Every week I provide a roundup of the five most important stories in business tech news and how the news impacts your business.