Author: Advanced AI Editor
A number of stocks fell in the afternoon session after the Trump administration announced intentions to impose a 35% tariff on many goods imported from Canada. This move is far more than a typical trade dispute; it targets the United States’ largest and most deeply integrated trading partner. Canada is not merely a neighbor but a critical component of North American supply chains, particularly in sectors like automotive, energy, and critical minerals. This move has sparked concerns about potential retaliatory actions and a wider impact on the North American economy, leading to a risk-off sentiment among investors. The S&P 500,…
It seems impossible that Tim Cook’s legacy as Apple’s spectacularly successful CEO could be in jeopardy. But in recent months, and especially in recent days, the impossible has become at least conceivable. The latest tremors came when Apple announced chief operating officer Jeff Williams would retire by yearend after 27 years. Just a day before, the company’s top AI executive, Ruoming Pang, had left to join Meta, and weeks earlier, another high-level AI researcher, Tom Gunter, had also left. The image of a leadership exodus was forming. More broadly, Apple stock is down 7.2% over the past year, while the…
(Bloomberg) — Meta Platforms Inc. has completed a deal to acquire PlayAI, a small artificial intelligence startup focused on voice technology. Most Read from Bloomberg The “entire PlayAI team” is set to join Meta next week, according to an internal memo that was reviewed by Bloomberg. The PlayAI group will report to Johan Schalkwyk, who recently joined Meta from a separate voice AI startup called Sesame AI Inc. Bloomberg News previously reported that the companies were discussing the acquisition. Meta has made AI the company’s top priority this year, investing heavily in infrastructure such as chips and data centers, as…
File photo of traders working on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange shortly after the opening bell in New YorkReuters AI has powered the market to all-time highs. But this earnings season will be an important moment for Big Tech to show that massive AI spending is paying off. Here are three big questions investors have about AI before tech earnings kick off this month. Big Tech companies are soon going to let investors know if all the hype is still worth it. Amid tariff turmoil and market uncertainty, the tech trade continues to power the S&P 500…
Nvidia is now the first company to surge past $4 trillion in market capitalization, rebounding from its DeepSeek-induced slump earlier this year. Other AI chipmakers, including AMD and China’s Huawei, are reporting strong financial results. Nearly every major chipmaker is now centering its strategy on AI. But what if AI doesn’t work out? This isn’t just a hypothetical question. Some signs suggest that AI growth is stalling, or at least slowing down. New models no longer show significant improvements from scaling up size or the amount of training data. Nobel laureate Demis Hassabis recently noted that “we are no longer…
The Meta AI app is displayed on a mobile phone with the Meta AI logo visible on a tablet in this photo illustration | Image Credits:Jonathan Raa/NurPhoto / Getty Images Meta (META) has acquired Play AI, a startup that uses AI to generate human-sounding voices. A Meta spokesperson has confirmed the acquisition, according to Bloomberg, which also reports that an internal memo stated that the “entire PlayAI team” will be joining the company next week. (TechCrunch has also reached out to Meta for confirmation.) Meta’s memo reportedly said that PlayAI’s “work in creating natural voices, along with a platform for…
(Bloomberg) — UK businesses are dialing back hiring for jobs that are likely to be affected by the rollout of artificial intelligence, a study found, suggesting the new technology is accentuating a slowdown in the nation’s labor market. Most Read from Bloomberg Job vacancies have declined across the board in the UK as employers cut costs in the face of sluggish growth and high borrowing rates, with the overall number of online job postings down 31% in the three months to May compared with the same period in 2022, a McKinsey & Co. analysis found. But it has been the…
Shares of voice AI recognition company SoundHound (NASDAQ:SOUN) fell 4.5% in the morning session after the company received a downgrade from a Wall Street analyst. Piper Sandler adjusted its rating on the voice AI and conversational intelligence company from “Overweight” to “Neutral,” citing concerns about the company’s outlook for the second half of 2025. The firm noted that while SoundHound’s long-term potential remains, there’s a risk that some deals could be pushed into 2026. The analyst also highlighted the challenge SoundHound faces in trying to achieve profitability while investing in its product lines, suggesting that success could lead to higher…
(Bloomberg) — Apple Inc. is facing pressure to shake up its corporate playbook to invigorate its struggling artificial intelligence efforts. Most Read from Bloomberg Alarmed by a share slump that’s erased more than $640 billion in market value this year and frustrated with delays in rolling out AI features, investors are calling for Apple to break with long-standing traditions to make a big acquisition and more aggressively pursue talent. “Historically Apple does not do big mergers and acquisitions,” said Citigroup Inc. analyst Atif Malik, noting that the last major deal was its takeover of Beats in 2014. But, he argues,…
International Business Machines Corporation (NYSE:IBM) is one of the stocks on Jim Cramer’s radar. A caller inquired after Cramer’s thoughts on the company, and he replied: “Oh, I like IBM very much. I mentioned Ben Wright earlier. I think that Ben, he’s really turned me on to this stock. We did a very positive piece about it. I think it goes, I’m going to say not much higher but creeping higher over time, and that’s actually a great place to be. So I like IBM.” Jim Cramer on International Business Machines: “I Like IBM Very Much” A closeup of a…