Author: GT

At SC25, Dell Technologies and NVIDIA introduced new updates to their joint AI platform, aiming to make it easier for organisations to run a wider range of AI workloads, from older models to newer agent-style systems.As more companies scale their AI plans, many run into the same issues. They need to manage a growing mix of hardware and software, keep control of their data, and make sure their systems can grow over time. Recent research shows that most organisations feel safer working with a trusted partner when adopting new technology, and many see more value when AI can operate closer…

With consumers increasingly asking questions of ChatGPT — not Google — product discovery is changing. And the promise to give brands visibility and control over this fast-growing search channel has made Peec AI one of Europe’s hottest startups. Just four months after its Seed round led by 20VC, the Berlin-based startup has raised a $21 million Series A led by European VC firm Singular. CEO Marius Meiners declined to disclose the valuation, but said it had tripled and was now above $100 million.  This comes after Peec AI grew its annual recurring revenue to more than $4 million in only…

Roblox is stepping up its age verification system for users who want to privately message other players and implementing age-based chats so kids, teens and adults will only be able to message people around their own age.The moves come as the popular gaming platform continues to face criticism and lawsuits over child safety and a growing number of states and countries are implementing age verification laws.The company had previously announced the age estimation tool, which is provided by a company called Persona, in July. It requires players to take a video selfie that will be used to estimate their age.…

In its pursuit of a direct-to-consumer (DTC) first business model, Levi Strauss is weaving AI and cloud platforms into its core operations.The nearly 175-year-old apparel company is leveraging Microsoft technologies to modernise its consumer experiences and improve internal productivity. Levi Strauss’ approach provides a case study for other enterprises in using a unified technology stack to address a specific commercial objective.AI ‘superagent’: A unified front-end for operations at Levi StraussA central component of this initiative is the development of agentic AI solutions. Levi Strauss is deploying an Azure-native “orchestrator agent” embedded within Microsoft Teams, which functions as a “superagent”.This agent…

The one area outside of AI where investors are still enthusiastic is expense management fintech, at least if Ramp’s 2025 is anything to judge by. Every few months, Ramp has raised another large sum at another giant new valuation. On Monday, the fintech announced it had raised $300 million led by Lightspeed, which also included an employee tender offer. This is just a few months after a $500 million Series E-2 at a $22.5 billion valuation led by Iconiq, announced on July 30. That round was just a few weeks after a $200 million Series E at a $16 billion…

One year ago, e-commerce giant Amazon kicked off its new online car sales business with Hyundai. Now, Ford is joining in with a certified used car twist. Ford announced Monday that customers will be able to shop for, finance, and purchase certified pre-owned Ford vehicles on Amazon Autos. The partnership still keeps dealerships — a key revenue driver for Ford — in the loop. Customers can browse a participating local dealer’s inventory directly through Amazon’s website, complete most of the paperwork online, and then schedule a time to pick up the selected vehicle, according to Ford. Ford said any certified…

Facebook creators are getting a new tool to help them protect their work from being ripped off by others. On Monday, Meta introduced Facebook content protection, a mobile tool designed to detect when a creator’s original reels posted to Facebook are being used without their permission. If the creator is alerted that someone else is using their reels, they’ll also have the ability to block the reel’s visibility across both Facebook and Instagram or track the reel’s performance and optionally add attribution links to their work. Or they can opt to release their claim on the reel, allowing it to…

A pro-AI super PAC backed by Andreessen Horowitz and OpenAI President Greg Brockman has chosen New York Assembly member Alex Bores — and his congressional bid — as its first target.  The PAC, dubbed Leading the Future, formed in August with a more than $100 million commitment to support policymakers with a light-touch — or a no-touch — approach to AI regulation. And that means going after policymakers who want to regulate AI. The super PAC has backing from a number of other prominent leaders in tech, including Palantir co-founder and 8VC managing partner Joe Lonsdale as well as AI search engine…

WASHINGTON (AP) — For years, Washington has been warning others not to trust loans from Chinese state banks fueling its rise as a superpower. But a new report reveals an ironic twist: The United States is the biggest recipient of all — by far. And the security and technology implications have yet to be fully understood.China’s state lenders have funneled $200 billion into U.S. businesses for a quarter of a century, but many of the loans have been kept secret because the money was first routed through shell companies in the Cayman Islands, Bermuda, Delaware and elsewhere that helped obscure…

Google is rolling out new AI-powered features to book and plan travel in Search, the company announced on Monday. The tech giant is expanding availability for its AI-powered “Flight Deals” tool, adding the ability for users to organize travel plans with its “Canvas” tool in AI Mode, and launching agentic booking capabilities to more people. Google first launched Flight Deals back in August in the U.S., Canada, and India. Now, the company is expanding the AI-powered search tool within Google Flights globally to help people quickly find affordable destinations. To get started, users need to describe where, when, and how…