Tuesday newspaper round-up: Food prices, AI, Home Reit

(Sharecast News) - Food prices dropped in the UK in September for the first month in almost two years, according to retail industry figures, offering consumers some respite amid the cost of living crisis. The British Retail Consortium (BRC) said price reductions for dairy, margarine, fish and vegetables and fierce supermarket competition helped to bring down the cost of an average food basket by 0.1% compared with the previous month. - Guardian Employers who spy on staff have been threatened with fines by the privacy watchdog amid a rise in home working. The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has said it will "take action" against companies that conduct "excessive" monitoring of workers following an uptick in bosses tracking calls, messages and keystrokes since Covid. - Telegraph

Artificial intelligence will eventually enable people to live to 100 and work just three-and-a-half days a week, the boss of Wall Street's biggest bank has said. Jamie Dimon, chief executive of JP Morgan, made the forecast amid fears that generative AI technology could cause significant disruption to workplaces, with some even predicting that it poses an existential threat to humanity. - Telegraph

Further questions will be asked of the quality of Home Reit's tenants after the self-styled "landlord for the homeless" collected only 3 per cent of rent due last month. In a monthly update, the company also warned that it expected more of its tenants to go bust. - The Times

Rising costs hit annual profits at Walker's Shortbread, even as the family-owned biscuit manufacturer increased its sales at home and abroad last year. Growth was especially strong in Britain and the United States, with group turnover rising by 16 per cent to £164.6 million. Domestic sales increased by 23 per cent to £77 million, while exports rose by 10 per cent to £87.6 million, according to accounts filed for 2022. The company sells overseas in 100 markets. It also noted an uplift in travel retail sales as more passengers returned to airports. - The Times