

The Peak Daily
The Peak / Curiouscast
Fast Canadian business news. Get up-to-speed quick with a fun and smart breakdown of the three biggest Canadian and global business stories in less than 10 minutes.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Aug 14, 2023 • 9min
AI love ❤️ — AI is trying to win your heart. The question vexing economists: Why did inflation fall? The record-breaking business of Guinness World Records
Nothing quite says romance in the year 2023 like sending sweet nothings to an AI chatbot.In the past month, Canadians have broken Guinness World Records for the deepest underwater model photoshoot (6.4 metres), most pancakes served in eight hours (17,182 flapjacks) and, most impressively, the largest dinosaur costume dance party (1,187 costumed dinos).The US is stepping up its effort to cripple China’s advanced high-tech sectors.Celebrating something? Let us know here: https://thepeak.typeform.com/to/MNdYA3TO

Aug 11, 2023 • 9min
Hunt for T-Swift tickets 🎤 — My kingdom for a T-Swift ticket. Hacking contest aims to fix holes in AI models. US escalates tech war with China.
Good luck, indeed. As we enter the final day of ticket sales for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour shows in Toronto, we wish luck to anyone trying to snag a ticket… but also caution you not to get your hopes up.What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas… unless it's at this weekend’s AI hacking competition in the City of Sin.The US is stepping up its effort to cripple China’s advanced high-tech sectors.Celebrating something? Let us know here: https://thepeak.typeform.com/to/MNdYA3TO

Aug 10, 2023 • 8min
AI music 🎶 — A pipeline’s debt debacle. Record labels seek deal on AI-generated music. China’s topsy-turvy pricing problem.
Whom amongst us hasn’t spent a little too much on something we really wanted? The federal government certainly has on its newest pipeline.If you’ve ever wanted to hear Iron Maiden sing Taylor Swift’s “Shake it off,” you may soon be in luck.While here in Canada we contend with eye-popping price increases, on the other side of the world, people in China are facing a different pricing problem: Deflation.Celebrating something? Let us know here: https://thepeak.typeform.com/to/MNdYA3TO

Aug 9, 2023 • 9min
New energy source 🔌 — Are big sporting events worth it? Workcations are booming. A major energy breakthrough.
With one year to go until the 2024 Paris Olympics, the event’s budget has already ballooned to €8.3 billion, up from an estimated €6.8 billion in initial costs.Thinking of extending the long weekend without taking time off work? You’re not alone.There’s nothing like waking up after a long weekend to learn that while you were busy throwing small bean bags onto a wooden board for points, scientists were making history.Celebrating something? Let us know here: https://thepeak.typeform.com/to/MNdYA3TO

Aug 8, 2023 • 9min
New energy source 🔌 — Are big sporting events worth it? Workcations are booming. A major energy breakthrough.
With one year to go until the 2024 Paris Olympics, the event’s budget has already ballooned to €8.3 billion, up from an estimated €6.8 billion in initial costs.Thinking of extending the long weekend without taking time off work? You’re not alone.There’s nothing like waking up after a long weekend to learn that while you were busy throwing small bean bags onto a wooden board for points, scientists were making history.Celebrating something? Let us know here: https://thepeak.typeform.com/to/MNdYA3TO

Aug 4, 2023 • 8min
E-commerce battle 🛍️ — Alberta pauses on renewables. An e-commerce turf war is brewing. Ozempic vs. berberine.
Wind and solar are the [fastest-growing sources](https://www.cnbc.com/2023/04/12/wind-and-solar-generated-a-record-amount-of-global-power-in-2022.html#:~:text=Solar was the fastest-growing,electricity demand of South Africa.) of electricity in the world.Too fast, if you ask Alberta.Many contests over the years have been dubbed the “Fight of the Century,” but Walmart vs. Amazon might live up to that hyperbole, at least on the e-commerce front.TikTokers (who else?) have found a “natural” alternative to Ozempic in berberine, a chemical found in plants like barberry and goldenseal.Celebrating something? Let us know here: https://thepeak.typeform.com/to/MNdYA3TO

Aug 3, 2023 • 8min
New space station 🛰 — US credit is no longer #1. Hope you like chatbots. The race to replace the ISS.
Fitch Ratings has downgraded America's credit rating from the highest-possible “AAA” to a meagre “AA+”... just like its northern neighbour.“Four-score and seven years ago, I snagged a great deal on Marketplace!”In space, no one can hear you scream… about how great your business venture is going!Celebrating something? Let us know here: https://thepeak.typeform.com/to/MNdYA3TO

Aug 2, 2023 • 8min
Economics of aliens 👽 — Saudi Arabia eyes the mining game. Canada wants tech-savvy immigrants. The (hypothetical) economics of alien contact
Saudi Arabia may have been snubbed by soccer superstar Kylian Mbappé, but it can keep its head up knowing that its foray into mining is taking off.Is your ‘type’ an accomplished tech professional with a six-figure salary? Then you might have to battle it out with Canada’s immigration office.Aliens: Terrifying threat from beyond the stars… or untapped economic opportunity?Celebrating something? Let us know here: https://thepeak.typeform.com/to/MNdYA3TO

Aug 1, 2023 • 9min
Economics of aliens 👽 — Saudi Arabia eyes the mining game. Canada wants tech-savvy immigrants. The (hypothetical) economics of alien contact.
Saudi Arabia may have been snubbed by soccer superstar Kylian Mbappé, but it can keep its head up knowing that its foray into mining is taking off.Is your ‘type’ an accomplished tech professional with a six-figure salary? Then you might have to battle it out with Canada’s immigration office.Aliens: Terrifying threat from beyond the stars… or untapped economic opportunity?Celebrating something? Let us know here: https://thepeak.typeform.com/to/MNdYA3TO

Jul 31, 2023 • 9min
New trains 🚊 — Your pension fund’s next investment: Transit. OpenAI’s deal with AP comes with a catch. El Salvador’s gang crackdown.
A new train system launching today in Montreal is set to reshape how people get around the city—and could become a proof of concept for a new way of building infrastructure elsewhere in the country.The Associated Press might’ve been the first news outlet to cut an AI licensing deal, but they made sure they weren’t giving OpenAI an early-bird discount.In Central America, El Salvador’s president has become more popular than the Pope—and no, it’s not because he decided to make Bitcoin legal tender.Celebrating something? Let us know here: https://thepeak.typeform.com/to/MNdYA3TO