News/Business
AI program Xbow becomes top US vulnerability researcher, finding 1,000+ bugs
An AI program called Xbow has become the top-ranked vulnerability researcher in the United States on HackerOne, a platform that coordinates software bug discoveries with major companies. The achievement marks a significant milestone in automated cybersecurity, as Xbow has outperformed human researchers by discovering over 1,000 software flaws across companies including Disney, AT&T, Ford, and Epic Games. What you should know: Xbow has submitted nearly 1,060 vulnerability reports in recent months, with 132 officially confirmed and resolved by affected companies. An additional 303 vulnerabilities were classified as "triaged," meaning they've been acknowledged but not yet fixed, while 125 remain under...
read Jun 24, 2025NiCE rebrands as human-centered AI platform to augment customer service
NiCE, a customer experience technology company, rebranded itself as a human-centered AI platform at its annual Interactions conference, showcasing new products that prioritize augmenting rather than replacing human workers in customer experience operations. The company's strategic shift positions it to compete in the enterprise AI market by emphasizing practical, measurable outcomes over automation hype, targeting organizations seeking to scale personalized customer service through intelligent technology. What you should know: NiCE unveiled two flagship AI products designed to streamline customer experience operations across entire organizations. MPower Agents are AI-powered digital workers that complete end-to-end tasks using reasoning and business context within...
read Jun 24, 2025Salesforce unveils Agentforce 3 with unified studio and monitoring tools
Salesforce has released Agentforce 3, the fourth iteration of its AI agent platform since September 2024, introducing Agentforce Studio and Command Center to help enterprises build and monitor AI agents more effectively. The update addresses growing enterprise needs for comprehensive agent lifecycle management as AI agents proliferate across corporate IT systems, with new observability features designed to give companies confidence to deploy agents in customer-facing environments. What you should know: Agentforce Studio consolidates previously scattered agent-building tools into a unified development environment, while Command Center provides real-time monitoring and optimization capabilities. Studio brings together existing tools that were previously located...
read Jun 24, 2025Le Chat tops AI privacy rankings while Meta AI ranks worst, according to study
Privacy has become the new battleground in artificial intelligence, and the stakes couldn't be higher for businesses choosing which AI tools to deploy. While these powerful systems promise to revolutionize everything from customer service to content creation, they're simultaneously vacuuming up unprecedented amounts of user data to fuel their capabilities. A comprehensive new analysis from Incogni, a data removal service, reveals stark differences in how major AI platforms handle user privacy. The findings matter because the AI assistant you choose for your organization could determine whether sensitive business conversations end up training competitors' models or get shared with unknown third...
read Jun 24, 2025Andrew Ng advocates sandbox-first approach to enterprise AI development
Andrew Ng, founder of DeepLearning AI, advocates for a "sandbox first" approach to enterprise AI development that prioritizes rapid experimentation over early implementation of guardrails and safety measures. Speaking at VB Transform, Ng argued that while observability and safety controls are important, applying them too early in the development process can stifle innovation by forcing engineers to seek approval from multiple executives before testing new ideas. The big picture: Ng's methodology flips conventional enterprise AI wisdom by encouraging companies to build and test AI applications in isolated environments before investing in comprehensive safety infrastructure. • "I frankly tend to put...
read Jun 24, 2025ElevenLabs launches 11ai voice assistant that automates tasks across apps
ElevenLabs has launched 11ai, a voice assistant that can take actions across your digital tools rather than just answer questions. The assistant integrates with Anthropic's Model Context Protocol (MCP) to connect with platforms like Slack, Google Calendar, and Perplexity, allowing users to automate tasks through voice commands while maintaining control over permissions and data access. What you should know: Unlike traditional voice assistants that are limited to answering questions, 11ai can actually execute tasks across your connected apps and services. The assistant is powered by ElevenLabs' library of more than 5,000 voices, and users can clone their own voice if...
read Jun 24, 2025Only 24% of small businesses are using AI tools like ChatGPT says survey
A new survey from the National Federation of Independent Business reveals that only 24% of small business owners are currently using AI tools like ChatGPT, Canva, and Copilot in their operations. The data highlights a significant adoption gap, with smaller firms lagging behind larger competitors, though early adopters report that AI is enhancing productivity without displacing workers. What you should know: Small business AI adoption varies dramatically by company size, with the smallest firms showing the lowest implementation rates. Companies with single-digit employee counts have just 21% AI adoption, while firms with 50 or more workers reach nearly 50% implementation....
read Jun 24, 2025AI will automate 78% of marketing tasks within 3 years, upending customer journey
The advertising industry's annual pilgrimage to Cannes Lions has always served as a barometer for where marketing is headed. This year's festival revealed a seismic shift that's been building for over a decade: the traditional advertising agencies that once dominated the iconic Croisette have been replaced by tech giants including Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, Netflix, Pinterest, Reddit, Spotify, and Salesforce. This changing of the guard represents more than a simple industry reshuffling. We're witnessing the death of marketing as we know it, replaced by an AI-driven paradigm that's rewriting every fundamental rule. IDC, a leading market research firm, predicts that...
read Jun 24, 2025AI job applications flood LinkedIn with 11,000 per minute
AI-generated job applications are flooding the hiring process, with LinkedIn now processing 11,000 applications per minute—a 45% surge from last year. This "hiring slop" epidemic has created an escalating technological arms race between job seekers and employers, with both sides deploying increasingly sophisticated AI tools that are fundamentally breaking the traditional résumé-based hiring system. The scale of the problem: The flood of ChatGPT-crafted résumés has overwhelmed hiring managers across industries, creating unprecedented volume challenges. HR consultant Katie Tanner received over 1,200 applications for a single remote role, forcing her to remove the posting entirely and spend three months sorting through...
read Jun 24, 2025$3B AI startup OpenEvidence sues Doximity for alleged corporate espionage
Cambridge-based medical AI company OpenEvidence has filed a federal lawsuit against San Francisco competitor Doximity, alleging corporate espionage that included executives impersonating physicians to steal proprietary technology. The suit claims Doximity's top executives used fake medical credentials to access OpenEvidence's physician-only platform and extract trade secrets, representing what OpenEvidence calls "an egregious case of corporate theft in the emerging AI industry." What you should know: OpenEvidence is valued at $3 billion and backed by major venture capital firms including Sequoia Capital, Google Ventures, and Kleiner Perkins. The company provides AI-powered medical information to physicians, described by Forbes as "ChatGPT for...
read Jun 24, 2025Can you satisfy my query now? Verizon launches Gemini-powered AI customer service with 90% accuracy
Verizon has launched an AI-powered customer service assistant built on Google's Gemini technology, designed to handle complex customer inquiries through the revamped My Verizon app. The initiative represents a significant shift toward AI-driven customer support while maintaining human oversight, as the telecom giant seeks to streamline service operations and improve customer experience efficiency. What you should know: The new Verizon Assistant can manage a wide range of customer tasks that traditionally required human representatives. Customers can use the AI tool to manage upgrades, add new lines, ask billing questions, and find savings opportunities through the My Verizon app. The system...
read Jun 24, 2025CIOs shift from mass AI experiments to focused deployment strategy
CIOs are abandoning the "shotgun approach" to AI experimentation, dramatically reducing the number of proof-of-concept projects they launch after experiencing high failure rates and disappointing returns on investment. Organizations that previously ran hundreds of AI pilots are now focusing on just 30 strategic initiatives, with individual business units limiting themselves to three to five targeted experiments that align closely with operational needs. The big picture: The era of widespread AI experimentation is giving way to a more disciplined approach as companies realize that focused, outcome-driven deployments deliver better results than casting a wide net. An April 2024 IDC survey found...
read Jun 24, 2025Augmented Retail: Walmart built internal AI platform serving 1.5M associates daily
Walmart has built Element, an internal AI foundry platform that now serves 1.5 million associates across its operations, handling 3 million daily queries from 900,000 weekly users. Rather than buying enterprise AI solutions, the retail giant created a manufacturing-style approach to AI development that treats applications like products rolling off an assembly line, fundamentally changing how large enterprises can deploy artificial intelligence at scale. What you should know: Element's foundry model eliminates traditional AI deployment cycles by standardizing the entire development process from conception to production. The platform is LLM-agnostic, allowing Walmart to select the most cost-effective model for each...
read Jun 24, 2025Persona blocks 75M deepfake attempts as AI hiring fraud targets US companies
San Francisco-based identity verification platform Persona has expanded its workforce screening capabilities to combat AI-powered hiring fraud, introducing new tools specifically designed to detect deepfakes and fake candidates during remote interviews. The enhanced solution addresses a growing crisis where foreign actors, including North Korean state-sponsored groups, use sophisticated AI tools to infiltrate American businesses through fraudulent job applications. The big picture: Remote work has created an unprecedented vulnerability in corporate hiring, with AI-generated fake candidates now capable of passing video interviews and fooling HR professionals into extending job offers. Persona blocked over 75 million AI-based face spoofing attempts across its...
read Jun 24, 2025Think locally, scrape globally: Web scraping gets easier with Oxylabs’ 175M proxy pool and AI tools
ZDNET's David Gewirtz tested Oxylabs, a web scraping proxy service that offers over 175 million residential proxies across 195 countries, significantly outpacing competitors like IPRoyal (32 million) and MarsProxies (1 million). The platform combines extensive proxy infrastructure with AI-powered data parsing tools, positioning it as a comprehensive solution for enterprise-scale web scraping operations. What you should know: Oxylabs distinguishes itself through both scale and ethical sourcing practices in the competitive proxy services market. The company maintains 175 million residential proxies across 195 countries, dwarfing competitors' offerings. Residential proxy access is obtained ethically by paying computer owners small amounts for bandwidth...
read Jun 24, 2025Newsweek’s AI Impact Summit showcases how 130 leaders implement AI across industries
Newsweek's AI Impact Summit 2025 brought together 130 industry experts and leaders to discuss AI implementation, scaling, and governance across organizations. Google Cloud COO Francis deSouza emphasized that AI will touch every part of companies, requiring strategic workforce development and placing a premium on employee curiosity and experimentation skills. What you should know: The summit focused on demonstrating practical AI value rather than extreme predictions about AI's future impact. Newsweek Contributing Editor Marcus Weldon opened by explaining how AI conversations typically fall into extremes of either saving or ending humanity, with the goal being to "find rational value" without being...
read Jun 23, 2025Salesforce launches Agentforce 3 with real-time monitoring tools
Salesforce has launched Agentforce 3, a major upgrade to its AI agent platform that introduces comprehensive observability tools and support for emerging interoperability standards. The release addresses critical enterprise challenges around AI agent deployment at scale, with new features including a Command Center for real-time monitoring and native Model Context Protocol (MCP) support that enables secure connections across hundreds of business tools without custom coding. What you should know: Enterprise adoption of AI agents is accelerating rapidly, with Salesforce reporting 233% usage growth in six months and over 8,000 customers now deploying the technology. Early adopters are seeing measurable returns:...
read Jun 23, 2025What do the Lakers have to do with loving BBQ ribs? Deloitte, AWS use AI to decode sports fan behavior
Deloitte and AWS are leveraging AI to analyze sports fandom and consumer behavior through Deloitte's Converge service, which synthesizes massive amounts of data to create highly personalized fan profiles. The collaboration demonstrates how AI-powered analytics can unlock deeper insights into consumer preferences across multiple industries, with media and entertainment identified as the next frontier for expansion. What you should know: Converge by Deloitte uses AI and propensity modeling to create granular profiles of sports fans, helping brands understand the intersection of team loyalty, league preferences, and consumer behavior. The service targets what marketers call "that Venn diagram of the team,...
read Jun 23, 2025Judge weighs in on OpenAI’s $6.5B Jony Ive partnership and trademark dispute
OpenAI has temporarily removed all mentions of its $6.5 billion partnership with legendary iPhone designer Jony Ive from its website following a federal judge's ruling in favor of a trademark dispute. The legal challenge comes from IYO, an AI hardware startup that claims OpenAI's "io Products" branding infringes on its trademark, forcing the tech giant to halt marketing efforts for the high-profile collaboration until an October hearing. What you should know: U.S. District Judge Trina Thompson ruled that IYO has a strong enough case to proceed, issuing a temporary restraining order against OpenAI, CEO Sam Altman, and Jony Ive. The...
read Jun 23, 2025The end of free AI is coming—and ads will replace VC funding
AI-powered consumer applications are currently subsidized by venture capital funding, similar to how companies like Uber and DoorDash operated at losses to build market share in the 2010s. This "AI lifestyle subsidy" is expected to end as companies shift toward advertising-based revenue models, fundamentally changing how users discover and interact with AI-generated content. The big picture: Just as venture capital previously funded unprofitable startups that sold services below cost, investors are now subsidizing AI applications that provide expensive large language model access at artificially low prices. Dedicated groups are already exploiting free trial accounts from AI startups to resell access...
read Jun 23, 2025Google’s Flow AI creates cinematic videos with sound and dialogue. Here’s how to enjoy it.
Google's Flow AI transforms text descriptions into professional-quality videos complete with sound effects, dialogue, and sophisticated camera work. Unlike basic AI video generators that produce silent clips from simple prompts, Flow offers filmmaking-grade controls that let users specify camera angles, add orchestral soundtracks, and script character dialogue—essentially putting a full video production studio at your fingertips. This comprehensive capability comes with a learning curve, but the results can be remarkably cinematic. After extensively testing Flow's features across multiple video projects, here's a complete guide to creating compelling AI-generated videos that go far beyond basic text-to-video conversion. Understanding Flow's pricing and...
read Jun 23, 2025Chinese VC firm launches AI benchmark testing real-world business value
Chinese venture capital firm Hongshan Capital Global has launched Xbench, an AI benchmarking system that evaluates models on both traditional academic tests and real-world task execution. The platform addresses a critical gap in AI assessment by testing whether models can deliver actual economic value rather than just pass standardized tests, with regular updates designed to keep evaluations current and relevant. What you should know: Xbench takes a dual approach to AI evaluation that goes beyond conventional benchmarking methods. • The system includes traditional academic testing through Xbench-ScienceQA, which covers postgraduate-level STEM subjects from biochemistry to orbital mechanics, rewarding both correct...
read Jun 23, 2025Perplexity launches Comet browser for Windows as Apple eyes $14B acquisition
Perplexity is expanding its AI browser Comet to Windows users through a selective testing program, following its initial macOS beta launch in May. This development comes amid reports that Apple executives are considering acquiring the AI search company for what could be Apple's largest acquisition ever at $14 billion. What you should know: Comet is a Chromium-based browser that replaces traditional search engines with Perplexity AI's conversational search experience. The browser provides curated responses to queries similar to Google's AI Mode, complete with source links and product purchase options. Built-in features include an ad blocker, page summarization, and an Ask...
read Jun 23, 2025Apple faces class-action lawsuit over delayed Siri AI features
Apple faces a federal securities class-action lawsuit from shareholders who claim the company knowingly promoted incomplete Siri AI features for the iPhone 16 despite lacking a functional prototype. The lawsuit, filed by shareholder Eric Tucker, targets CEO Tim Cook and current and former CFOs, alleging violations of US securities laws after Apple's stock fell in March 2025 following confirmation that advanced Siri features won't arrive until 2026. What you should know: The lawsuit represents all individuals or entities who purchased Apple shares between June 10, 2024, and June 9, 2025, seeking damages for alleged securities violations. • Filed against CEO...
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