Companies' RTO plans often include turning to the data. It doesn't always work out that well.

BRIAN SNYDER/REUTERSThis post originally appeared in the Business Insider Today newsletter.You can sign up for Business Insider's daily newsletter here.Happy Friday! Ever wondered what Elon Musk's xAI stands for? (Of course you have.) According to a recent Tesla filing, the startup's full name is "eXploratory Artificial Intelligence." There's just one problem: Neither Musk nor xAI appears to have publicly said that's the case.In today's big story, companies' push to get employees back to the office includes looking at the data. It's working better for some (Microsoft) more than others (AT&T).What's on deck:Markets: Forget "Equities in Dallas," Wall Street is investing big in its Texas offices.Tech: Microsoft wants to show it can do AI all by itself.Business: Flip wanted to take on TikTok. Instead, it flopped.But first, Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?If this was forwarded to you, sign up here.The big storySwiping inPau Barrena/AFP via Getty ImagesAT&T = Attendance taking & trouble.That's the pickle the telecom giant is in when it comes to enforcing its RTO policy. A system meant to track the hours workers actually spend in the office is causing more headaches than it's worth, reports BI's Dominick Reuter.AT&T chief marketing and growth officer Kellyn Kenny told employees last month she understands inaccuracies in the attendance tracking tool are "driving people to the brink of frustration."In case you aren't dialed in to what's going on at AT&T, here's a refresher. AT&T required people to return to the office five days a week at the beginning of the year. The rollout didn't go smoothly, with everything from parking spots to desks filling up quickly. Things seemed to come to a head last month when CEO John Stankey sent a memo telling workers to get on board with RTO or get out of the way.AT&T's attendance tracker was meant to suss out people abusing the system by swiping into the office only for a few hours, known as "coffee-badging." To catch those "freeloaders," as Kenny described them, the company set up benchmarks around the number of hours and days workers were to badge in.But the data wasn't always perfect. Routine things — attending doctors' appointments, taking lunch — complicated matters.In some cases, AT&T's attendance tracker backfired. If the company wanted eight hours a day, workers wondered, why bother putting in more time than that?Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella speaking at a conference in San Francisco.Carlos Barria/REUTERSMeanwhile, another corner of the business world is touting its RTO data.Microsoft executives told employees at an all-employee town hall that internal data shows workers spending more time in the office are "thriving," writes BI's Ashley Stewart.The data comes after Microsoft announced its RTO plans.Microsoft HR chief Amy Coleman said people who spend at least three days in the office, which is Microsoft's new RTO mandate, are energized, empowered, and find meaning in their work.However, CEO Satya Nadella acknowledged the importance of maintaining some flexibility with work, according to internal comments at the town hall reviewed by Ashley."There's tons of empowerment here for people to go organize this in such a way that it works for the folks," Nadella said.3 things in marketsInside a Trader Joe's store in Miami Beach, Florida.Jeff Greenberg/Getty Images1. Inflation came in as hot as expected. CPI data showed inflation in August ticked up to 2.9%, up from 2.7% in June and July. The new numbers have had little effect on the Fed's likelihood of cutting rates next week, which traders and economists still expect to happen.2. Nvidia has finally won over one of Wall Street's biggest skeptics. DA Davidson changed its rating on the chip giant's stock from "neutral" to "buy," raising its price target from $195 to $210 a share. The firm cited rapid development and AI adoption among companies for its flipped perspective.3. Everything's bigger in Texas — even the banks. Big financial players like Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, and the New York Stock Exchange are setting up shop in the Lone Star State, which promises business-friendly taxes. See what they're up to out west.3 things in techGetty Images1. US data center construction breaks new ground. Thanks to ever-rising demand from AI, spending on data center construction hit $40 billion annually in June, up 28% from the year before. That's a new record, and it shows no signs of slowing: Big Tech's spree could total more than $1 trillion by 2028.2. Oh great, now there's AI "psychosis risk" to worry about. Wall Street is beginning to evaluate AI chatbots and models based on "psychosis risk," or the tendency of the bot to exacerbate user mental health problems. A recent study showed stark differences between the models that mitigate risk and those that amplify it, leaving analysts concerned.3. It looks like Microsoft might be trying to forge its own AI path. The company is planning "significant investments" in its own AI chip cluster, Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman said in an all-employee town hall meeting. Microsoft appears to be drifting apart from OpenAI, with Suleyman saying it should be "self-sufficient" in the sector.3 things in businessFlip; Tyler Le/BI1. A TikTok challenger's mysterious demise. Video app Flip looked primed to take over TikTok's dominance in mid-January amid mounting regulatory pressure. Seven months later, the $1 billion company was dead. Former employees, investors, creators, and more told BI how it flew and then flopped.2. David Ellison means business. Paramount's reported bid for Warner Bros. Discovery shows the Paramount CEO is serious about taking on Netflix and Disney for Hollywood's crown. It doesn't hurt that he has the financial backing of his father, Larry Ellison, who briefly became the richest man in the world this week.3. America's oldest workers are taking pay cuts. As part of BI's "80 over 80" series, dozens of older workers told us they earn less than $20 an hour. Many held white-collar or high-paying blue-collar jobs before, but took on low-paying jobs as they got older to make ends meet.In other newsMicrosoft exec defends Gaza protest firings and says company is probing allegations over Israel misusing its tech.OpenAI just created one of the richest charities in the world.Klarna gives employees a rare chance to cash out their shares during the IPO window.Apple is getting in on a phone accessory trend with a $59 strap — and people are buzzing about it.Meet DramaBox, the app that's trying to win the micro drama race by expanding beyond werewolves and billionaire romance.Welcome to Wall Street: 5 market vets share early-career memories from the craziest days in market history.Conservative media figures are rethinking public events after Charlie Kirk's death, while expressing defiance.Gen Alpha's latest slang makes zero sense — and that's the point.The former CEO of Goldman Sachs thinks that America is due for a crisis and pinpoints the area of the market he's most worried about.Anthropic bot crawlers feast on web content and give little back, a new ranking shows.What's happening todayCongressional Budget Office releases its "Current View of the Economy from 2025 to 2028," including short-term projections for major economic indicators.New iPhones are available to pre-order.Dan DeFrancesco, deputy editor and anchor, in New York. Hallam Bullock, senior editor, in London. Akin Oyedele, deputy editor, in New York. Grace Lett, editor, in New York. Amanda Yen, associate editor, in New York.Read the original article on Business Insider

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