Author: Advanced AI Editor
(Bloomberg) — SoftBank Group Corp. founder Masayoshi Son is seeking to team up with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. to realize what could be his biggest bet yet — a trillion-dollar industrial complex in Arizona to build robots and artificial intelligence. Most Read from Bloomberg Son envisions a version of the vast manufacturing hub of China’s Shenzhen that would bring back high-tech manufacturing to the US, according to people familiar with the billionaire’s thinking. The park may comprise production lines for AI-powered industrial robots, they said, asking not to be named as the plan remains private. SoftBank officials are keen to…
Several weeks after Anthropic released research claiming that its Claude Opus 4 AI model resorted to blackmailing engineers who tried to turn the model off in controlled test scenarios, the company is out with new research suggesting the problem is more widespread among leading AI models. On Friday, Anthropic published new safety research testing 16 leading AI models from OpenAI, Google, xAI, DeepSeek, and Meta. In a simulated, controlled environment, Anthropic tested each AI model individually, giving them broad access to a fictional company’s emails and the agentic ability to send emails without human approval. While Anthropic says blackmail is…
The next wave of artificial intelligence is reimagining business, with fintech startups developing products to ease workflow and back-office processes and helping financial institutions manage compliance and security. As banks and fintechs are looking to agentic AI to solve pain points or automate their workflows, the latest crop of fintech startups in the Fintech Innovation Lab are working to build those tools. “Almost all of this year’s class, selected by our financial services partners, are using AI to improve internal operations, technology, deployment, data usage, compliance and security,” said Maria Gotsch, president of the Partnership Fund for New York City.…
Accenture CEO Julie Sweet said the firm is merging departments into a new unit called “reinvention services” focused on AI.BRENDAN MCDERMID/Reuters CEO Julie Sweet said Accenture is doubling down on AI in an earnings call on Friday. She said the firm is creating a new business division focused on AI called “reinvention services.” Sweet said that while bookings were down, revenue was up, and Accenture sees future potential in AI. After more than 35 years in the business, Accenture is giving consulting a new name: “reinvention services.” The global consulting firm reported its earnings on Friday, highlighting a generally positive…
Image Credits:Paul Pope/Archaia Paul Pope has written and drawn some of the most gorgeous comics of the twenty-first century — from “Batman: Year 100,” in which Batman challenges a dystopian surveillance state, to “Battling Boy,” with its adolescent god proving his mettle by fighting giant monsters. But it’s been more than a decade since Pope’s last major comics work, and in a Zoom interview with TechCrunch, he admitted that the intervening years have had their frustrations. At one point, he held up a large stack of drawings and said the public hasn’t seen any of it yet. “Making graphic novels…
Howard MarksK. Y. Cheng/South China Morning Post/Getty Images Howard Marks says he enlisted Perplexity, an AI tool, to help write his latest memo. It laid out how he thinks regulations have distorted California’s fire insurance market, reducing coverage. Marks still included colorful commentary from himself and wisdom from Warren Buffett. Howard Marks’ memos are considered must-reads by many in the financial world, including Warren Buffett. Perplexity, an AI-powered search engine, helped write a chunk of his latest missive. Marks, the billionaire co-founder and co-chairman of Oaktree Capital Management, has been writing memos for 35 years and turns 80 next year.…
(Bloomberg) — Lifting up the hood of a Beewise hive feels more like you’re getting ready to examine the engine of a car than visit with a few thousand pollinators. Most Read from Bloomberg The unit — dubbed a BeeHome — is an industrial upgrade from the standard wooden beehives, all clad in white metal and solar panels. Inside sits a high-tech scanner and robotic arm powered by artificial intelligence. Roughly 300,000 of these units are in use across the US, scattered across fields of almond, canola, pistachios and other crops that require pollination to grow. It’s not exactly the…
International Business Machines recently reshaped its debt structure through extended credit agreements, potentially providing the company with greater financial flexibility. This strategic move coincides with a 15% share price increase over the last quarter, a period that also saw market trends align with a 10% annual increase. Notably, IBM’s partnerships, such as the collaboration with Deutsche Bank and the extension with Oracle, may have bolstered its position amidst these market conditions. Despite a drop in Q1 net income to $1.06 billion, the dividend increase and IBM’s ongoing investments signal strong growth intentions, complementing its recent market performance. We’ve identified 4…
(Bloomberg) — Meta Platforms Inc. held discussions with artificial intelligence search startup Perplexity AI Inc. about a possible takeover before moving ahead with a multibillion-dollar investment in Scale AI, according to people familiar with the matter. Most Read from Bloomberg The two companies couldn’t come to an agreement and decided not to pursue the deal, said the people, who asked not to be named as the details of the talks aren’t public. The financial terms under discussion could not be learned. Perplexity recently closed a new round of funding at a $14 billion valuation. Meta also attempted to hire Perplexity…
(Bloomberg) — A Republican effort to block US states from enforcing new artificial intelligence regulations will remain in President Donald Trump’s massive tax and spending package for now, marking a win for tech companies pushing to stall and override dozens of AI safety laws across the country. Most Read from Bloomberg In a surprise decision, Democrats said the Senate parliamentarian ruled the provision aligns with the special budgetary process Republicans are using to consider the tax package. That process allows the GOP to avoid making concessions to Democrats, who otherwise could filibuster legislation. The Senate version of the AI moratorium…