Happy Friday! Got any shows you're looking to binge this weekend? Sometime soon you might be tuning into Chick-fil-A TV . It might sound funny, but brands launching their own shows could be the future.
In today's big story, an unofficial doc looks at pay packages across Microsoft , including the one group getting rewarded handsomely.
The doc includes more than 500 submissions from people who identified themselves as Microsoft employees in the US. Ashley broke down the numbers to calculate Microsoft software engineers' average total comp, base pay, cash bonus/stock awards, and raise/bonus percentages for this year across multiple levels.
Such an expansive view of a tech giant's salary ranges is always fascinating. But Microsoft's comp data is particularly interesting considering its tumultuous recent history around pay.
The pay boon was short-lived, though. Last year Microsoft initiated a salary freeze and reduced its bonus and stock award budget. But this year the company restarted performance-based raises.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.
Drew Angerer/Getty Images; Chelsea Jia Feng/BI
Microsoft comp data is another example of how big the company is betting on AI.
The average total comp for software engineers in the new Microsoft AI org — $377,611 — was at least $120,000 higher than the averages in Microsoft's other orgs (Azure, Cloud and AI, Experiences and Devices.)
The group was formed in March as a way to supercharge Microsoft's consumer-AI strategy, which includes its Copilot AI chatbot and Bing search engine. Mustafa Suleyman, a DeepMind cofounder, runs the team.
As a reminder, this pay data is based on Microsoft employees' self-reporting, so it's not a complete picture. However, the pay gap between Microsoft AI and the rest of the company is undeniable.
On the one hand, it's understandable why Microsoft would shell out big for AI talent. The company clearly believes it's the future of the industry, and they're not alone. So many deep-pocketed tech firms chasing after a small pool of AI talent is bound to drive the price up.
But that doesn't make it an easier pitch to the other employees. While they work on the products keeping the lights on at Microsoft, their colleagues get paid significantly more to focus on stuff with a questionable path to profitability .
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Justin Sullivan/Getty Images;Chelsea Jia Feng/BI
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These are the 100 most-used AI apps, according to a top VC. Andreessen Horowitz just released its third installment of Top 100 Gen AI Consumer Apps, which rounds up the most-used apps in the space. Creative tools are particularly popular, with many of the apps generating songs, images, and more. See which apps are rising through the ranks .
Engineers are bootstrapping their way to smarter AI models. As they wait for the release of ChatGPT-5, some developers are finding ways to improve AI outputs without an entirely new model . Layering AI models can be more costly, but the marked improvement may be worth it for some problems.
3 things in business
Getty Images; Jenny Chang-Rodriguez/BI
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Jack of all trades, employed by none. Instead of being a generalist, having niche work experience might help you land a job. That's because as hiring slows, companies are looking for workers with specific expertise.
Fast food innovates to solve its Gen Z problem. Chains are trying a variety of quirky new tactics to reach Gen Z consumers , the least likely age group to see fast food as a good deal. Chick-fil-A is betting on efficiency; it just opened a two-story drive-thru-only restaurant with four dedicated lanes.
Goodbye backpacks. The cool kids are going back to school with a $155 Longchamp tote in hand .
What's happening today
Jerome Powell speaks at Jackson Hole Economic Policy Symposium.
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The Insider Today team: Dan DeFrancesco, deputy editor and anchor, in New York. Jordan Parker Erb, editor, in New York. Hallam Bullock, senior editor, in London. Milan Sehmbi, fellow, in London. Amanda Yen, fellow, in New York.
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