10 Things in Tech: Amazon Slack, industry extinction, and top EVs

Phew, it's Friday, friends. I'm Diamond Naga Siu, and I just got on Jack Dorsey's new social media platform Bluesky (find me here: @diamondnagasiu.bsky.social).

Who knows whether this Twitter alternative will take off (I don't really hear much about Hive Social or Mastodon anymore). But at least the name is catchy. It makes me think of summer, travel, and that I need to book some plane tickets soon.

While making plans, I'll definitely keep in mind the latest airline rankings. The list considers 14 factors including delays, denied boardings, mishandled baggage, and price. This landed Southwest at the bottom, while Delta flew to the top.

Before I go hop on some flights, let's dive into today's tech.

If this was forwarded to you, sign up here. Download Insider's app here.

1. Anguish. Despair. Community: Inside Amazon's little-known Slack channel. Amazon is well known for often being a tough and bruising place to work. And that's playing out inside an internal slack channel called #focus-and-pivot-info for employees put on performance improvement plans — also known as PIPs.

• The channel was created in July 2021 and has nearly 2,000 members. It covers a wide range of topics. Post-Amazon insurance, whether short-term disability or family leave might buy them time to delay the process, and advice on specific PIP situations.
• When contacted for this story, an Amazon spokesperson confirmed the existence of the channel and said employees "regularly create Slack channels to communicate about a variety of topics and they do not need permission to do so."
• My colleague Rebecca Knight talked with eight current and former Amazonians to reveal what the channel and impacts of Amazon's PIP culture look like.

Go behind-the-scenes of Amazon's little-known Slack channel here.

In other news:

2. Reality is stranger than fiction in Sam Altman's world. The OpenAI creator (of ChatGPT fame) supposedly once stopped a plane crash. He's also played chess with Peter Thiel. And sparred with Elon Musk. Insider spoke with many of Altman's friends, colleagues, and critics to dive into "Sam's world." Enter — if you dare — here.

3. Shopify employees brace for more layoffs. Multiple in-person events have been canceled ahead of the earnings call next week — and layoff rumors have been swirling around the company for weeks. More on the looming job cuts here.

4. Tech jobs aren't just getting slashed — they're going extinct. It's a perfect storm. Right as tech companies shrink their headcounts, AI is gaining popularity in the workplace, writes Insider's editor in chief for business, Matt Turner. Peek into the frightful future of tech employment here.

5. TikTok criticism has turned into anti-Asian rhetoric. The digital privacy conversation has largely morphed into rhetoric that many consider xenophobic and outright racist. More on the damaging impacts here amid increased anti-Asian hate crimes.

6. "I used ChatGPT to talk to my boss for a week." Nick Rolle, Insider's associate editor of insights and analytics, said his boss didn't even notice. Neither did his coworkers. But he became much more efficient. Check out his secret experiment here.

7. Tech workers worry about the end of $500,000 salaries. Thousands of anonymous tech employees fretted over the future of tech compensation. Most think it's the end of an era. Though some still feel optimistic about the future. More on their salary negotiations here.

8. These are the most fun EVs to drive. Insider's car connoisseur Tim Levin has driven dozens of electric vehicles. He shares the five most fun models to drive, including "the certifiably outrageous Pininfarina Battista." Get the full list here.

Odds and ends:

9. Hyundai's "crab driving" could solve parallel parking problems. The Korean automaker just showcased its latest wheel technology. The tires can rotate up to 90-degrees, which could unlock entirely new maneuvers. Roll over to see it in action here.

10. A Russian "inspector" satellite appears to be chasing a US military satellite. Kosmos-2558 was launched in August 2022. And observers say it's been stalking USA-326 ever since. Check out the cosmic tag here.

The latest people moves in tech:

• Messenger, product design, and software engineering are just some of the jobs most impacted by Meta's latest layoffs. Get the full list here.
• Amazon Studios and Prime layoffs have started. Until now, these divisions largely seemed immune from Amazon's job cuts. Meanwhile, an internal memo revealed that Amazon Web Services is also likely getting hit.
• In general, it's been another brutal week of job cuts. Here are all the major companies that laid off employees so far this year.

Curated by Diamond Naga Siu in San Diego. (Feedback or tips? Email dsiu@insider.com or tweet @diamondnagasiu) Edited by Shona Ghosh (tweet @shonaghosh) and Hallam Bullock (tweet @hallam_bullock) in London.