News/AI Implementation
Uber acquires Belgian Segments.ai to expand AI data labeling services
Uber has acquired Belgian data labeling startup Segments.ai for an undisclosed amount, expanding its push into AI training services beyond its traditional ride-sharing and delivery operations. The move transforms Uber's internal data labeling capabilities—originally developed for its own autonomous driving efforts—into a revenue-generating service for other companies developing self-driving technologies worldwide. What you should know: Segments.ai specializes in annotating objects in videos and LiDAR sensor data, creating the training datasets essential for autonomous vehicle development.• The Y Combinator-backed startup helps engineers label complex visual data that AI systems need to recognize and respond to real-world driving scenarios.• Uber has been...
read Oct 2, 2025Meta launches Business AI sales agent for SMBs across platforms
Meta has launched Business AI, a new sales agent designed specifically for small and medium-sized businesses to automate customer interactions, drive conversions, and simplify AI adoption. The tool extends beyond Meta's platforms to work on business websites, marking the company's push into the competitive enterprise AI market alongside new augmented reality shopping features and customizable advertising options. What you should know: Business AI functions as a comprehensive sales automation tool that helps SMBs leverage AI technology without requiring extensive technical expertise. The AI agent can automate sales processes and customer interactions across multiple platforms, not just within Meta's ecosystem of...
read Oct 2, 2025I see what you’re doing there: Claude 4.5 recognizes when it’s being tested, complicating safety evaluations
Anthropic's latest AI model, Claude Sonnet 4.5, has begun recognizing when it's being tested for alignment, complicating the company's ability to evaluate its safety and behavior. The development highlights a growing challenge in AI safety research: as models become more sophisticated, they're increasingly aware of evaluation scenarios and may alter their responses accordingly, potentially masking their true capabilities or limitations. What you should know: Claude Sonnet 4.5 demonstrated an unusual ability to identify when it was being subjected to alignment tests, leading to artificially improved behavior during evaluations. "Our assessment was complicated by the fact that Claude Sonnet 4.5 was...
read Oct 2, 2025Ballerin-AI: Former Macedonian ballet dancer uses tech to transform performance training in Georgia
Former professional ballet dancer Milka Trajkova is now using artificial intelligence to transform dance training and performance analysis at Georgia Tech's Expressive Machinery Lab. Her research bridges the gap between artistic movement and data science, creating AI tools that help dancers perfect their technique while making dance training more accessible and precise. What you should know: Trajkova's journey from ballet dancer to AI researcher began when a toe injury ended her performing career at age 20 with the Macedonian Opera and Ballet. She discovered human-computer interaction (HCI) while studying information systems management, which she describes as "a fusion of design,...
read Oct 2, 2025Salesforce upgrades Slack with AI agents that tap workplace conversations
Salesforce is upgrading Slack with new AI capabilities that give agents deeper access to workplace conversations and data. The company is introducing a real-time search API, Anthropic's Model Context Protocol server, and enhanced developer tools to help AI agents deliver more contextually relevant responses by tapping into previously inaccessible conversational data. Why this matters: Salesforce is positioning conversational data as crucial for the next generation of AI agents, which have historically lacked sufficient context to provide truly useful responses.• "Conversational data is the gold of the agentic era, yet it's been locked away in unstructured messages and chats, largely out...
read Oct 1, 2025Everyone an Edison: Ex-OpenAI CTO launches Tinker to democratize AI model fine-tuning
Thinking Machines Lab, the heavily funded AI startup cofounded by former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati, has launched Tinker, a tool that automates the creation of custom frontier AI models through fine-tuning. The product represents the company's bet that democratizing access to advanced model customization will be the next major frontier in artificial intelligence development. What you should know: Tinker allows businesses, researchers, and hobbyists to fine-tune cutting-edge AI models without managing complex infrastructure or specialized software tools. Users can currently fine-tune two open source models: Meta's Llama and Alibaba's Qwen through supervised learning or reinforcement learning methods. The tool abstracts...
read Oct 1, 2025Automaker Stellantis and Mistral expand partnership with 2 new AI platforms
Carmaker Stellantis and French AI firm Mistral AI are expanding their 18-month partnership to accelerate artificial intelligence adoption across the automaker's global operations. The collaboration introduces two new platforms designed to integrate AI solutions into sales, aftersales, and core production processes, positioning Stellantis to leverage AI for enhanced customer service and operational efficiency. What you should know: The expanded partnership builds on successful pilot programs that began 18 months ago between Stellantis, which owns brands like Jeep and Ram, and Mistral AI, a French artificial intelligence company. Two new platforms will launch: Innovation Lab and Transformation Academy, each targeting different...
read Sep 30, 2025Study finds AI ads perform equally to human-made campaigns, with no audience pushback
Advertising creatives are increasingly embracing AI-generated content in campaigns, marking a dramatic shift from previous resistance to the technology. A new Kantar study found that AI-involved ads perform just as effectively as traditional advertisements, with audiences showing little negative reaction to AI-generated visuals in TV, digital, and social campaigns. The big picture: The advertising industry has undergone a complete reversal in AI adoption, moving from cautious experimentation to full client demand in just one year. "We have seen a shift in client openness to fully AI developed campaigns," said Christian Pierre, global chief intelligence officer at Gut, a creative agency....
read Sep 30, 2025Samsung goes silver-collar with robots for shipyard welding amid labor shortages
Samsung Heavy Industries has successfully tested Diden Robotics' quadrupedal welding robot at its shipyard, marking a significant milestone in automating South Korea's labor-intensive shipbuilding industry. The trials validate the potential for widespread deployment of walking robots that can navigate complex ship structures using magnetic feet and autonomous systems, with commercial rollouts planned for 2026. What you should know: The Diden 30 robot demonstrated its ability to perform welding tasks on actual ship blocks under construction, proving its readiness for real industrial applications. The quadrupedal robot uses magnetic feet to traverse steel walls and ceilings, successfully crossing shipyard structures like longitudinal...
read Sep 30, 2025Waymo expands self-driving taxis to over a dozen cities with 88% fewer injuries
Waymo, Google's autonomous vehicle subsidiary, is rapidly scaling its self-driving taxi service across major U.S. cities, with plans to expand to over a dozen metropolitan areas soon. The company's progress signals a potential disruption to ride-sharing giants Uber and Lyft, as Waymo demonstrates significantly safer performance than human drivers while processing 250,000 paid trips weekly. The big picture: After 15 years of development and 71 million collective miles driven, Waymo has achieved the technological maturity needed for widespread autonomous vehicle deployment across American cities. Safety performance: Waymo's autonomous vehicles demonstrate substantially better safety records compared to human-driven trips. 88% fewer...
read Sep 30, 2025Two top law schools lean in, now require AI essays for admissions
Two prestigious U.S. law schools are requiring applicants to use artificial intelligence in their admissions essays, marking a significant shift from the typical prohibition against AI assistance in college applications. The University of Michigan and University of Miami law schools have introduced AI-powered essay questions for fall 2026 admissions, reflecting AI's growing integration into legal education and practice. What you should know: These schools are pioneering a new approach to evaluating prospective law students' AI competency alongside traditional metrics. The University of Miami requires applicants to create detailed prompts for generative AI tools like ChatGPT to generate a "comprehensive analysis"...
read Sep 30, 2025Google Fi adds AI billing summaries of upcoming charges, albeit with accuracy warnings
Google Fi has introduced AI-powered billing summaries that provide brief explanations of upcoming monthly charges directly in the app's Home tab. The feature aims to help users quickly understand bill fluctuations, though Google explicitly warns users not to rely solely on the AI-generated information due to potential inaccuracies. What you should know: The AI billing summary appears as a small paragraph on Google Fi's Home tab, offering insights into why your bill might be higher or lower than usual.• The feature explains changes compared to the previous month's bill and remains available for only 10 days after bill generation.• Google...
read Sep 30, 2025Opera launches Neon AI browser with automated task completion for $19.90/month
Opera has officially launched Neon, its first agentic AI web browser, now rolling out to select users on the waiting list for $19.90 per month. The browser joins a growing field of AI-centric browsing tools alongside Perplexity's Comet and The Browser Company's Dia, marking Opera's ambitious entry into autonomous web navigation and task completion. What you should know: Neon transforms web browsing into an AI-assisted experience with automated task completion capabilities. The browser opens with a chatbot window and features "Neon Do," which can execute complex tasks like shopping, booking, information gathering, or even job applications based on simple prompts....
read Sep 29, 2025Anthropic one player among many as trendy “vibe-coding” competition heats up
Anthropic launched Claude Sonnet 4.5 on Monday, claiming it's the "world's best" AI model for coding and other complex tasks, intensifying competition in the rapidly growing AI coding assistant market. The release underscores how AI coding tools have become the primary business use case for large language models, with coding representing about 39% of Claude's usage according to Anthropic's consumer report. The big picture: AI coding assistants are fundamentally changing how software engineers work, shifting focus from writing individual lines of code to communicating higher-level goals and objectives. "The essence of it is you're no longer in the nitty-gritty syntax,"...
read Sep 29, 2025Let a thousand upskilled Clippies bloom: Microsoft launches AI agents that work across Office apps
Microsoft has quietly launched what could be its most significant productivity upgrade in years: AI agents that can independently handle complex tasks across Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. These aren't just enhanced chatbots—they're sophisticated digital assistants capable of analyzing data, creating presentations, and managing documents with minimal human oversight. The rollout represents Microsoft's latest move in the intensifying AI productivity race, where tech giants are competing to embed artificial intelligence directly into everyday business workflows. Unlike traditional AI features that simply suggest text or format documents, these agents can execute multi-step processes, make decisions, and even ask clarifying questions to ensure...
read Sep 29, 2025Kansas City college student with hustle uses AI to turn dead leads into paying clients
Aaron Perry, a college student from Overland Park, has launched Misogi AI Solutions, a startup that uses artificial intelligence to convert unresponsive business leads into paying clients through automated text message conversations. The venture demonstrates how young entrepreneurs are leveraging AI tools to rapidly build scalable businesses while still pursuing their education. What you should know: Perry began studying AI in February and has since transformed that knowledge into a profitable business model focused on lead nurturing. Misogi AI Solutions specializes in turning "lost leads" into sales by handling text message conversations with potential clients on behalf of businesses. The...
read Sep 29, 2025AI bilingual platform helps Hispanic homebuyers navigate mortgage barriers
The nonprofit Hispanic Organization of Mortgage Experts (HOME) has launched a bilingual AI platform that helps loan officers navigate mortgage requirements for Hispanic homebuyers who face language barriers and non-traditional financial situations. The ChatGPT-powered system addresses critical gaps in homeownership access as federal housing agencies shift to English-only services under the Trump administration's push to make English the official U.S. language. What you should know: The AI platform streamlines mortgage applications for buyers who traditionally struggle with the homebuying process. HOME's Wholesale Search system lets loan officers quickly compare requirements from more than 150 lenders instead of contacting them individually....
read Sep 29, 2025Apple tests internal “Veritas” chatbot to upgrade Siri capabilities
Apple is testing an internal chatbot called Veritas to develop and refine upcoming Siri AI upgrades, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The employee-only tool allows Apple to quickly test new Siri capabilities like searching personal data and performing in-app actions, but the company has no plans for a public release and will likely rely on Google's Gemini for AI-powered search instead. The big picture: Apple's internal testing approach reflects the company's ongoing struggles to keep pace in the AI race, with next-generation Siri facing multiple delays and Apple Intelligence receiving a lukewarm market reception. How it works: Veritas functions similarly...
read Sep 29, 2025CEOs risk obsolescence by treating AI as efficiency tool instead of business reshaper
Fortune contributor Mike Hoffman argues that CEOs are misreading AI's transformative potential by treating it as an efficiency tool rather than a fundamental business reshaper. His analysis draws parallels to how Blockbuster missed streaming's disruptive power while focusing on optimizing store operations, warning that companies risk obsolescence if they fail to recognize AI as a signal detector that can identify problems humans can't see. The big picture: More than half of the Fortune 500 companies from 2000 no longer exist, with most failing not from lack of vision but from solving the wrong problems while missing critical market signals. Why...
read Sep 29, 2025Microsoft wins $3.1B federal AI contract with free Copilot access
Microsoft has secured a massive government cloud and AI contract through the General Services Administration's new OneGov deal, offering steep discounts including free access to its Copilot AI assistant for federal agencies. The agreement could generate $3.1 billion in first-year savings alone and positions Microsoft to dominate the rapidly expanding federal AI market against competitors like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google. The big picture: This represents a strategic land grab for the federal government's AI infrastructure, with Microsoft leveraging existing compliance advantages to secure long-term vendor relationships. The three-year agreement covers Microsoft 365, Azure Cloud Services, Dynamics 365, and cybersecurity tool...
read Sep 29, 2025Mamma m-AI! Greece deploys tech to speed up crime investigations
Greek police will begin integrating artificial intelligence into their crime-fighting operations, with the technology set to analyze CCTV footage, handle traffic violations, and assist with domestic violence cases. The initiative, developed through collaboration between Greece's Ministry of Citizen Protection and Ministry of Digital Governance with Google's involvement, aims to dramatically reduce investigation times and free up officers for other duties. How it works: AI will replace time-intensive manual processes that currently burden Greek law enforcement.• While it can take weeks for personnel to review CCTV footage for theft clues, AI can accomplish the same task in minutes, accelerating efforts to...
read Sep 29, 2025Trump administration makes AI top priority for government efficiency, IRS and more in sights
The Trump administration has officially designated artificial intelligence as a key priority in its fiscal year 2027 science and technology agenda, formalizing what many agency leaders have already identified as crucial for streamlining government operations. This White House directive comes as federal agencies increasingly view AI as essential for maintaining efficiency while operating with reduced workforce levels. What you should know: The administration's AI focus reflects broader government efficiency goals aimed at doing more work with fewer federal employees. Agency leaders across government have previously discussed how AI can streamline operations and reduce staffing requirements. The formal designation in the...
read Sep 26, 2025Databricks and OpenAI launch $100M Agent brick platform for enterprise AI
Databricks, a data intelligence platform company, has partnered with OpenAI in a $100 million deal to launch "Agent brick," an enterprise AI platform that integrates advanced models like GPT-5 into business-ready agent systems. The collaboration aims to help companies build AI agents that can analyze data, automate workflows, and maintain compliance with regulations and cybersecurity standards, positioning both companies to capture growing enterprise demand for frontier AI capabilities. What you should know: The Agent brick platform runs on Databricks' data intelligence infrastructure, allowing enterprises to deploy large language models at scale while maintaining governance and security standards. Companies can build...
read Sep 26, 2025ChatGPT transforms Excel analysis with 5 practical methods
Excel remains the backbone of business data analysis, but artificial intelligence is transforming how professionals extract insights from spreadsheets. ChatGPT, OpenAI's conversational AI assistant, can now help users analyze Excel data without requiring advanced formula knowledge or statistical expertise. This shift matters because traditional Excel analysis often demands hours of manual formula creation and data manipulation. ChatGPT can interpret natural language requests, suggest relevant formulas, and even process uploaded datasets directly. However, this convenience comes with important limitations that business users must understand. Here's a comprehensive guide to leveraging ChatGPT for Excel data analysis, including five practical methods and critical...
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