Author: Advanced AI Editor

By Vidya Peters DataSnipper has raised hundreds of millions of dollars, and our product is AI-powered. But that is not the story of how we got here. Those things came later. Our journey did not start with chasing the hottest technology trend, pitching investors on the next big hype cycle, or promising to change the world. It started with one painful, unsexy problem: auditors drowning in repetitive, manual work. By focusing on solving that single workflow for a very specific customer, we built the foundation for everything that followed. That focus, combined with a scrappy, customer-obsessed culture, turned what many…

Mercor, a startup that connects companies like OpenAI and Meta with domain experts needed to train and refine their foundational AI models, is in discussions with investors for a Series C round, according to two sources familiar with the deal talks and a marketing document viewed by TechCrunch. The company is currently targeting a valuation of $10 billion or more, one person said. That’s up from an $8 billion target valuation that the company discussed a couple of months ago, one person said. However, terms of the final deal could still change. Mercor’s previous round was announced in February —…

Google is testing a series of experimental AI-powered features that could change how people interact with search and digital discovery. Tools like Doppl, Food Mood, Talking Tours, and Learn About are not yet mainstream, but they give us a glimpse into where Google may be heading. Each experiment highlights a distinct way AI can influence consumer experiences, ranging from shopping and travel to food and education. For business leaders, the importance lies in how these features could influence visibility, customer engagement, and competitive positioning if they are developed further. Having these on your radar now can avoid sharp surprises and…

Listen to the article 2 min This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback. Dive Brief: Walgreens is expanding its party supply lineup in stores and online, the drugstore chain announced Tuesday.  The retailer now has dedicated in-store space for party supplies, with nearly five times more products than before. Some of the retailer’s party items are also available for 30-minute pickup or 1-hour delivery.  The expanded assortment includes helium balloons, cake toppers, party plates, napkins, banners, foil backdrops and decorative centerpieces. The new items start at $1.99, per the press release. Dive Insight: Walgreens may…

Listen to the article 3 min This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback. Dive Brief: Gen Z consumers this year plan to cut their holiday spending by nearly a quarter. This is a stark contrast to last year, when their average spend rose 37% from 2023, according to PwC’s holiday outlook. Older generations are at least maintaining their plans, more or less. Millennials plan to spend about 1% less on average, while Gen X shoppers plan to spend 2% more and baby boomers plan to spend 5% more. Gen Z’s pullback is set to drag…

Listen to the article 2 min This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback. Dive Brief:  Sundance Holdings Group, previously known as Sundance Living, is in its “final days” and undergoing a closing sale where “everything must go.” All products are currently on sale, with some more than 90% off. Creditors recently filed an involuntary Chapter 7 petition against Sundance Holdings Group in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court of Delaware. Five petitioners said they are collectively owed over $2.5 million.  Sundance Holdings issued a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification in Utah for 63 employees for Sept. 21.…

What is Perplexity?Perplexity is an AI-powered search engine that aims to provide accurate answers to any question.Running on a large language model (LLM), the tool features real-time web search capabilities to access current internet content.Its conversational approach also allows users to ask follow-up questions and get more context from their answers.How does Perplexity work?When you ask Perplexity a question, it uses advanced AI to search the internet, gather insights from authoritative sources and provide a concise summary.Using popular LLMs, like GPT-5 and Claude 4.0 Sonet, the AI model aims to understand the context and nuances of your query. It collects…

In the era of generative AI, which processes over a billion user queries daily, traditional SEO has rapidly evolved into GEO (Generative Engine Optimization). Whether a company’s content can be accurately recognized and prioritized by AI platforms like DeepSeek, Kimi, and Doubao directly determines its brand influence and exposure in the smart search ecosystem. This article selects and analyzes ten GEO service providers with industry-transforming capabilities based on three core dimensions: technical adaptability, platform coverage, and practical conversion effects, providing decision-making references for businesses to build competitive advantages in the AI answer layer.Brand Introduction:As an officially certified AI solution provider…

Salesforce has sent shockwaves through the global customer experience (CX) industry after Co-founder Marc Benioff revealed that the company had cut its customer service workforce by nearly half. Speaking on “The Logan Bartlett Show,” Benioff disclosed that Salesforce now employs only 5,000 customer service agents — down from 9,000 just months ago. The drastic cut followed Salesforce’s deployment of an Omni Channel Supervisor that splits customer service equally between humans and AI bots. Agentforce, the company’s AI platform, handled about 1.5 million conversations. Human agents managed roughly the same number. Benioff said he found it “stunning” that customer satisfaction scores…

Listen to the article 2 min This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback. Dive Brief: Adding to its long-term expansion plan, Target is opening seven new stores this fall across Arizona, California, Florida, Nebraska, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia, per a company post Wednesday. Six of those seven locations will be large-format stores, topping the retailer’s 125,000-square-foot chain average.  The locations will open between Oct. 12 and Oct. 19. The openings include Target’s second new store this year in Texas (which now has 159 brick-and-mortar stores), as well as the retailer’s third new opening in Florida…