News/Business
AI agents from SAS enable customizable, transparent decision-making
SAS's newly unveiled agentic AI framework for SAS Viya aims to transform how organizations implement autonomous AI systems by embedding governance, human oversight, and explainability into the decision-making process. As businesses race toward deploying AI systems that can operate with minimal human intervention, SAS has positioned its platform as a solution that balances autonomy with accountability, transforming experimental AI agents into practical business tools that can be safely deployed even in highly regulated industries. The big picture: SAS is building its agentic AI capabilities on the SAS Viya platform through SAS Intelligent Decisioning, creating a framework that combines governance, flexible...
read May 8, 2025AI opens explosive new distribution channel for business procurement practices
Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming business procurement practices as AI agents begin making vendor selections without human input. This shift represents a fundamental change in how technology products and services are discovered and adopted, creating a new distribution channel that bypasses traditional marketing approaches. As AI systems increasingly handle technical implementation decisions autonomously, companies that position their products to be AI-recommended will gain significant competitive advantages in this emerging procurement landscape. The big picture: AI agents are automating software component selection at unprecedented rates, creating a new form of distribution where machines—not humans—make vendor choices. AI agents are reportedly creating...
read May 8, 2025Forward march: Microsoft expands AI data centers despite initial pullback reports
Microsoft's ambitious $80 billion data center investment plan remains firmly on track, dispelling recent rumors of a pullback due to AI demand concerns. The tech giant's leadership directly addressed the speculation during its recent record-breaking Q3 earnings report, reaffirming its commitment to massive infrastructure expansion. This development underscores Microsoft's conviction that cloud and AI infrastructure represent critical strategic investments despite the quarter-to-quarter volatility that naturally occurs in large-scale capital deployment. The big picture: Microsoft has maintained its historic 2025 capital expenditure plan of $80 billion, aligning with similar massive investments being made by AWS, Google, and Meta. The company spent...
read May 7, 2025AI-powered agentic analytics restores business leaders’ data trust
Business leaders are facing a growing paradox in data-driven decision-making: as data volumes increase, confidence in using that data is plummeting. This disconnect threatens effective leadership in uncertain times, but a new approach called "agentic analytics" promises to bridge this gap by pairing business users with AI agents that can automate data tasks, proactively identify patterns, and deliver insights in accessible language within existing workflows. The big picture: Business decision-makers are drowning in data while simultaneously losing faith in their ability to use it effectively, with leader confidence in data-driven decisions dropping 18% since 2023 to less than half overall....
read May 7, 2025Mistral targets enterprise AI with new Le Chat and Medium 3 models
Mistral's new Le Chat Enterprise brings an AI assistant designed specifically for enterprise needs, with privacy features and cross-application support that could help the French AI startup gain traction against larger competitors. Built on its efficient Medium 3 model, the platform offers a comprehensive solution for businesses seeking to implement AI while maintaining data sovereignty and security. The big picture: French AI startup Mistral has launched Le Chat Enterprise, a unified AI assistant designed for enterprise-scale productivity that outperforms larger models while using fewer computational resources. The platform is built on Mistral's new Medium 3 model, which delivers high performance...
read May 7, 2025Leaders at a loss: Fragmented data frustrates executives’ use of AI
AI's promise of productivity faces a harsh reality check as CEOs discover their data systems are simply not ready to support advanced AI initiatives. The IBM study of 2,000 CEOs across 30 countries reveals a critical disconnect between AI ambitions and the foundational data architecture needed to realize meaningful returns, highlighting the growing urgency for companies to address their fragmented information systems before expecting AI to deliver on its potential. The big picture: While 61% of CEOs are actively deploying AI agents and planning their expansion, half admit their rush to adopt new technologies has created disconnected systems that undermine...
read May 7, 2025Luxury service gets enhanced by AI at private aviation charter firm
Craft Aviation is revolutionizing private air travel by blending investment opportunities with luxury flight access, creating a novel approach to aircraft ownership. Their innovative 721 exchange fund allows investors to contribute stock in exchange for partial ownership of private aircraft while deferring capital gains taxes. This model provides the benefits of private aviation without the typical maintenance and administrative burdens, while the company simultaneously implements AI to optimize fleet operations and sales processes. The big picture: Craft has launched a groundbreaking 721 exchange fund that transforms private aviation into both an investment vehicle and a luxury service. Investors can contribute...
read May 7, 2025Apple expands Safari AI search options amid Google decline
Apple's strategic AI pivot in Safari marks a significant shift in how the tech giant approaches search functionality across its ecosystem. The company's plan to integrate AI search providers like Perplexity and Anthropic into Safari on iPhones, iPads, and Macs comes at a pivotal moment when traditional search behavior is changing and regulatory pressure threatens Apple's lucrative Google partnership. This development signals Apple's recognition that AI-powered search alternatives are becoming increasingly important to users while also representing a potential hedge against regulatory and market disruptions. The big picture: Apple SVP Eddy Cue revealed in court testimony that the company will...
read May 7, 2025Abu Dhabi-based AI firm Presight expands to Global South markets for growth
Presight AI is leveraging its strong domestic performance to fuel ambitious global expansion plans, particularly across emerging markets. The data analytics provider's strategic pivot toward international growth comes amid impressive financial results, with first-quarter sales more than doubling year-over-year, signaling the company's growing influence in the global AI analytics landscape. The big picture: Presight AI reported first quarter sales of 563.9 million dirhams ($153.5 million), marking a substantial 115% annual increase as the company accelerates its international expansion strategy. Key details: Around 23% of Presight's current sales originate from outside the United Arab Emirates, with the company targeting an ambitious...
read May 7, 2025TransUnion’s AI-driven platform transformation led by Venkat Achanta
TransUnion is transforming from a traditional credit bureau into a modern platform enterprise by consolidating its fragmented technology infrastructure. Under the leadership of Venkat Achanta, who joined after the $3.1 billion Neustar acquisition, the company has developed OneTru—a unified platform that standardizes operations across its global network spanning 30 countries and 13,000 associates. This technology modernization represents a strategic shift for the $4.5 billion company as it evolves beyond data provision to becoming an insight-driven organization powered by advanced analytics and emerging AI capabilities. The big picture: TransUnion's technology infrastructure had become unwieldy with over 20 different tech stacks resulting...
read May 7, 2025Most Americans aren’t that into AI. But they do like it for photo editing.
Despite tech companies' enthusiastic push to integrate AI assistants into products, new research reveals a significant gap between corporate ambition and actual consumer demand. A March 2025 ZDNET-Aberdeen survey shows a striking 71% of Americans are unwilling to pay extra for AI capabilities in their products, with resistance particularly strong among older demographics. This reluctance raises important questions about whether the tech industry's AI-centric strategy actually aligns with what users currently value and need. The big picture: Americans across all age groups show surprising resistance to AI assistant features, with only 8% willing to pay extra for such capabilities in...
read May 7, 2025AI-driven LinkedIn updates boost job search success
LinkedIn's AI evolution signals a significant shift in job searching, transforming the traditionally mechanical process into a more intuitive, personalized experience. By introducing AI-powered natural language search and coaching features, the platform is fundamentally changing how job seekers identify opportunities and prepare for crucial career interactions. These tools represent LinkedIn's strategic positioning at the intersection of professional networking, career development, and AI-enhanced productivity. AI redefines the job search: LinkedIn's new AI-powered search allows users to find opportunities using conversational language rather than rigid keywords and filters. Users can enter complex, nuanced requests like "Role that involves writing about AI at...
read May 7, 2025Executive Decisions: AI leadership skills essential for success in 2024
Transforming business uncertainty into opportunity is becoming an essential leadership skill in the age of artificial intelligence. As AI disruption threatens traditional business models like accounting services, leaders must adapt their mindset from panic to strategic pivoting. Understanding how to leverage AI-induced chaos as a competitive advantage is increasingly critical for executives facing technological displacement of established revenue streams and business practices. The big picture: Forbes columnist Michael Ashley explores how business leaders can transform fear-inducing AI disruption into opportunities for innovation and growth. Imagine a hypothetical scenario where an accounting firm CEO loses their largest client to AI automation,...
read May 7, 2025Marketing strategist Mark Ritson pushes for broad reach over personalization in ad strategy
Marketing strategist Mark Ritson challenges the industry's obsession with personalization and AI-generated ads, advocating instead for fundamental marketing principles that emphasize broad targeting and creative effectiveness. His contrarian views come from decades of academic experience at prestigious institutions like London Business School and MIT Sloan, where he observed a widening gap between marketing education and practical application—a disconnect he now addresses through his Mini MBA in Marketing program. Ritson's perspective offers a refreshing counterpoint to digital marketing's current fixations on technology over fundamentals. The big picture: Ritson believes marketers have become fixated on digital tactics at the expense of proven...
read May 7, 2025After decades of dominance, Google’s search empire faces erosion
Google's search dominance is showing signs of erosion for the first time in decades, dropping below 90% market share amid growing user frustration with ad-heavy results and declining search quality. This shift marks a significant moment in internet history, as Google's near-monopoly on how people find information online—established when PageRank revolutionized search in the late 1990s—faces meaningful competition from emerging AI-powered alternatives. The big picture: Google's global search market share has fallen below 90% for the first time since 2015, marking a slow but steady decline from its peak of 93.11% in May 2023. According to StatCounter, Google's global search...
read May 7, 2025How Asian tech leaders are navigating the AI transformation
Asian IT leaders are showcasing powerful strategies for navigating AI transformation, offering valuable lessons as the technology reshapes industries worldwide. Companies like Tencent, Alibaba, and Samsung demonstrate how visionary leadership can leverage artificial intelligence for competitive advantage in some of the world's fastest-growing digital economies. Foster a culture of innovation: Great IT leaders create environments where experimentation and calculated risk-taking thrive, essential conditions for AI success. Tencent's co-founder Pony Ma built an innovation-driven empire by integrating AI into products like WeChat, which serves over one billion active users. Tencent's AI Lab focuses on machine learning applications in gaming, healthcare, and...
read May 7, 2025How Acer is evolving beyond hardware in India
Acer marks 25 years in India with a strategic evolution from PC manufacturer to comprehensive technology solutions provider, highlighting its adaptability in a rapidly changing tech landscape. In an interview with Chief Business Officer Sudhir Goel, the company reveals how it's expanding its retail footprint, embracing gaming's mainstream adoption, and integrating AI across its product lineup. This transformation reflects broader industry shifts where traditional hardware companies are repositioning themselves as integrated technology ecosystem providers to remain competitive in an increasingly AI-driven market. The big picture: Acer's quarter-century journey in India demonstrates how tech companies can successfully evolve beyond their original...
read May 7, 2025OpenAI reverses course to reinforce nonprofit control
OpenAI's reversal of its for-profit transformation represents a significant shift in the company's governance structure amid increasing scrutiny. The decision to maintain nonprofit control while converting its for-profit arm to a public benefit corporation creates a hybrid model that attempts to balance investor interests with the organization's original mission. This compromise comes after months of controversy, including litigation from Elon Musk and opposition from former employees concerned about the company's founding commitment to develop artificial general intelligence that benefits humanity. The big picture: OpenAI announced Monday it will maintain its nonprofit governance structure while converting its for-profit subsidiary into a...
read May 6, 2025AI platform Korl customizes messaging with multiple LLMs
Korl's new multi-agent platform represents a significant advancement in customer communication technology, leveraging AI to bridge the persistent gap between disconnected customer data systems. By orchestrating information from various sources like Salesforce, Jira, and Google Docs, the startup offers a solution to a fundamental business challenge: creating truly personalized customer materials that align with both customer needs and product capabilities without the traditional manual effort. The big picture: Korl has launched a multimodal, multi-agent AI platform that automatically creates highly customized customer communications by aggregating data across disparate business systems. The startup enters the market with $5 million in seed...
read May 6, 2025AI firms Musk’s xAI, TWG Global and Palantir target finance industry
Elon Musk's xAI is forging a strategic partnership with Palantir Technologies and TWG Global to capitalize on surging AI demand within the financial services sector. This collaboration represents a growing trend of tech companies forming alliances to integrate advanced AI capabilities into enterprise operations, particularly in finance and insurance where data-driven decision making is becoming increasingly critical. The big picture: xAI is partnering with data analytics firm Palantir Technologies and investment firm TWG Global to develop AI solutions specifically for the financial services and insurance industries. The collaboration will integrate xAI's Grok family of large language models and its Colossus...
read May 6, 2025Palantir stock drops 12% amid international growth worries
Palantir's stock tumble following its earnings report highlights the growing challenge of meeting market expectations amid its AI-fueled growth trajectory. Despite strong revenue and earnings performance, investors focused on modest guidance updates and international commercial weakness, illustrating how high stock multiples create vulnerability even for companies delivering substantial growth. This reaction underscores the increasing pressure on AI-focused companies to continually exceed expectations as valuations climb. The big picture: Palantir shares dropped more than 10% Tuesday despite beating earnings expectations and raising full-year revenue guidance. Analysts pointed to the company's modest guidance upgrade, sequential margin decline, and international commercial revenue contraction...
read May 6, 2025Taiwan’s foreign minister heads to Texas for trade boost amid tariff kerfuffle
Taiwan's foreign minister is heading to Texas to promote AI collaboration and deepen economic ties amid ongoing U.S. tariff negotiations. This diplomatic mission reflects Taiwan's strategic efforts to balance trade relations with the United States while strengthening its position as a key technology partner, particularly as Taiwan recently received a 90-day pause on potential 32% import tariffs from the Trump administration. The big picture: Taiwan is leveraging AI diplomacy as part of a broader strategy to address trade imbalances with the United States while encouraging Taiwanese investment in American manufacturing. Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung will speak at a Taiwan-Texas AI...
read May 5, 2025MediaTek’s Q1 results reveal 4 key AI and mobile trends
MediaTek's first quarter results reveal a complex picture of growth amid margin pressures and strategic investments in AI and advanced wireless technologies. The Taiwanese chipmaker's performance highlights both the opportunities and challenges facing semiconductor companies as they navigate shifting product demands, geopolitical uncertainties, and the race to capitalize on AI computing capabilities. These financial indicators offer valuable insight into the broader tech ecosystem's health and strategic priorities. The big picture: MediaTek posted mixed Q1 results with revenue growth but declining profits, showcasing the semiconductor industry's volatile nature amid AI and wireless technology transformations. Revenue reached NT$153.3 billion ($4.7 billion), increasing...
read May 5, 2025AI transforms sales as Rippling CEO and 20VC + SaaStr return
SaaStr's latest roundup showcases the intersection of AI innovation and B2B software trends through its most popular content of the week. The compilation highlights how artificial intelligence is transforming sales processes, enterprise customer experiences, and venture capital dynamics, while also featuring insights from prominent SaaS leaders like Rippling's CEO Parker Conrad and Gainsight's Nick Mehta. This curated collection serves as a barometer for the current priorities and future direction of the SaaS industry. The big picture: AI's impact on sales processes dominates SaaStr's top content this week, reflecting the industry's focus on practical AI applications in B2B environments. The most...
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