Today's AI Pulse
Odyssey lands $310M Series B, valued at $1.45B
Odyssey announced a $310 million Series B round that values the AI lab at $1.45 billion. The round was led by Natural Capital and included backers such as Amazon, AMD Ventures, GV, EQT and IQT. In parallel, Odyssey struck a preferred‑cloud deal with AWS to use Trainium silicon for large‑scale model training.
Also developing:
Kuka Launches Automation Management Platform
Kuka Group introduced its Automation Management Platform (AMP) at Nvidia’s GTC conference, positioning it as the core of the company’s AI‑first robotics strategy. The platform creates a unified layer between AI agents and physical hardware, translating high‑level intent into safe, repeatable actions across robots, autonomous mobile robots and work cells. By standardizing semantics, actions and data, AMP enables continuous learning through digital twins and closed‑loop optimization. Kuka aims to make industrial automation more scalable, predictable and secure for real‑world production environments.
Letting AI Pilot Is Like Crowdsourcing Flight Control
Can passengers use AI to fly an airplane? Because that is what asking users to build software sounds like. What could possibly go wrong?
AI Grant Tools Spark Endless Competitive Arms Race
Given the number of grants don’t increase with this AI grant writing tool, it seems like this all becomes an arms race to use the tools over your competitors, at best before they do. This is a common trend with AI...
AI Agents Are Cool, But They Won't Fix Your Sales Strategy
AI agents are being marketed as the next breakthrough, with OpenAI, Google, and Microsoft embedding them into productivity suites. However, only about 13 % of organizations consider agents a practical tool today, and most firms still use AI for simple tasks...
Keeping Pace
POPVOX Foundation debuted its monthly "Keeping Pace" newsletter, rebranding from Future‑Proofing Congress, to give congressional staff nonpartisan, vendor‑free AI and technology education. The launch comes amid a rapid AI surge, with Anthropic, OpenAI and China’s DeepSeek unveiling new frontier models...
Research Links: Trading Infrastructure
A wave of recent research and practitioner experiments is linking artificial intelligence to core trading infrastructure. Articles explore everything from ChatGPT‑style investment advice and retail‑built AI day‑trading agents to rapid development of custom AI trading platforms. Parallel academic work examines...
Jama Software Launches Model Context Protocol (MCP) Server
Jama Software announced that its Jama Connect platform now includes a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server, the first engineering management solution to embed this capability. The MCP server lets engineers use AI tools such as Claude, Codex, and GitHub Copilot...
AI Demand Surges as Billions in Compute Remain Locked
Enterprises are pouring billions into AI infrastructure, yet a Cast AI survey of 23,000 Kubernetes clusters reveals average GPU utilization of just 5% and CPU use at 8%. Cloud providers such as Microsoft, Amazon, Alphabet and Meta are reporting double‑digit...
DSN Free AI Classes in Every City 2026 Is Live – Begin Your AI Journey Today
DSN has launched its 2026 Free AI Classes, a five‑day, self‑paced program beginning May 4, 2026. The curriculum includes AI fluency, prompt engineering, data visualization, and Python for data science, targeting beginners with no prior coding or AI experience. Participants receive...
AI Chatbots Fuel Growing, Unseen Privacy Risks
AI Chatbots Are Quietly Creating a Privacy Nightmare As chatbots collect and process massive amounts of personal data, privacy risks are rising — and many users don’t yet realise the implications. Read more 👉 https://lnkd.in/enQ8HDsq #AI #Privacy #TechRisks #BernardMarr
From Stats to First‑Principles: Understanding User Intent
"Instead of just looking at statistical patterns of what types of people engage with what content, for the first time we're going to be able to develop a first-principles understanding of what you care about and what each piece of...
Spotify’s New Natural Language API Interface and Other Examples Explored
Spotify unveiled a Claude‑powered plugin that lets advertisers build and manage ad campaigns through plain‑English prompts, bypassing traditional API calls. The move reflects a broader industry shift toward natural language interfaces (NLIs) that span user‑facing products, internal tools, and developer...
Trust Is the Real Innovation in Agentic Advertising
PubMatic argues that trust, not technology, is the key to scaling agentic advertising. Early adopters report 87% faster campaign setup, 70% quicker issue resolution, and sub‑millisecond response times that beat manual optimization. The company’s AgenticOS builds on its Activate platform,...
Huawei Braces for $12 Billion in AI Chip Revenue Driven by Homegrown AI Model Demand — Chinese Fabs Can Barely...
Huawei projects AI processor revenue of about $12 billion in 2026, up from $7.5 billion last year, driven by orders from Alibaba, ByteDance and Tencent. The surge follows the launch of DeepSeek’s V4 large‑language model, which was optimized for Huawei’s Ascend 950PR...
MERLIC 26.03: From Machine Vision Software to a Scalable Vision Framework
MVTec released MERLIC 26.03 on March 26 2026, turning its flagship machine‑vision product into a full‑stack framework. The update blends rule‑based and AI‑driven methods with a drag‑and‑drop UI, unified acquisition‑processing‑visualisation environment, and plug‑ins for major PLC brands. New error‑detection, image‑source management, and Frontend...
Supply Chain Leaders Are Being Asked to Do Two Jobs at Once
Supply chain leaders are juggling today’s cost and service pressures while preparing for an AI‑driven future, a dilemma highlighted at Gartner’s Orlando symposium. In 2025, organizations collectively spent about $24 million on AI, yet many initiatives are over budget and won’t...
Web Bot Auth, Google’s New Experimental Method to Validate Authentic Bots
Google announced an experimental protocol called Web Bot Auth that lets websites cryptographically verify that incoming bot traffic is genuine. The company is currently testing the system with a limited set of AI agents hosted on its own infrastructure, while...
Curated AI Resources for Nonprofit Marketing & Fundraising
The AI Hub for Nonprofits is a regularly updated list of useful AI articles, research, podcasts, resources, tools, and webinars relevant to nonprofit marketing and fundraising professionals: https://nptechforgood.com/ai-for-nonprofits/ ✅
AI Reshapes Art Creation without Hurting Artists' Earnings
AI is changing creative work, but not replacing it. Early data shows little evidence of broad income declines for artists, even in fields highly exposed to generative tools. The reality is more nuanced. AI is reshaping how art is made, not whether...
Performance Improvement Partners Acquires AlphaAdvisors to Boost AI for PE Value Creation
Performance Improvement Partners (PIP) announced the acquisition of AlphaAdvisors, a leading AI and data advisory firm, to broaden its AI‑driven services for middle‑market private‑equity clients. The deal adds specialized expertise and a global delivery footprint, positioning PIP to embed AI...
AI Market Hits $1T in Two Years—Go All‑In
In less than 2 years, the AI market will be over $1Trillion. If you want to get rich, go all in on AI.
Saying “Itadakimasu” Before Using AI Shows Gratitude
in japan we say “itadakimasu” before using AI tools to show gratitude to the people who provided training data, the researchers who trained the model, the entire chip supply chain, mother earth for the raw materials, and so on
The AI Hard Drive Shortage Is Making It More Expensive and Harder to Archive the Internet
The surge in AI‑driven data‑center demand has triggered a sharp shortage of hard drives and SSDs, pushing prices up 150%‑300% across consumer and enterprise segments. A 2 TB Samsung SSD that cost $159 last fall now sells for $575, and 28‑30 TB...
AI Marketing Toolkit Grows: New Tools Added
The best list of #AI #marketing tools anywhere continues to expand: https://t.co/Kb2ld19wrv New tools added recently include @HeadshotlyAI, Agentive SEO, Quadratic, @vistasocialapp , @ChatGPTapp Images, @moengage , @amplemarket , @socialpilot_co , Chatterbox Turbo by @resembleai , @lightfld , and @PlanableApp.
AI Code Generators Boost Speed, Demand New Standards
RT AI coding tools can now generate "weeks' worth of code in a matter of hours." That should change your digital operating model more than your headcount plan. Speed without standards is a liability. #CIO #AI @Star_CIO https://t.co/p18hdtdbZn
FINQ Unveils Since‑Inception Returns for First AI‑Managed Large‑Cap ETFs
FINQ disclosed since‑inception performance for its AIUP and AINT ETFs, launched on February 5, 2026, marking the first SEC‑registered AI‑managed U.S. ETFs. The funds carry expense ratios of 0.70% and 1.25% respectively, and the release gives investors the first data on AI‑driven...
Global AI Moves Reveal Ownership Confusion Across Nations
Three things happened the same weekend: South Korea: 560B won into a homegrown AI company. Saudi Arabia: rebranded AWS as sovereign AI. China: AI cannot justify mass layoffs. One exposure map. Five people who all think someone else owns it.
AI‑crafted Waterslide Video Turns Nightmare Dream Viral
AI-Generated Waterslide: This first-person AI video has racked up 5M+ views for feeling like that terrible dream we’ve all had #ArtificialIntelligence #Innovation #Technology #Tech #TechNews
AI Agents Adoption Forces Managers to Overhaul Workflows, Microsoft Leads the Charge
A ZDNet report shows just 19% of organizations have deployed AI agents, sparking a management rethink on workflow design, governance, and cost. Microsoft’s AI leadership and new partnership deals underscore the shift, while CFOs voice concerns over control, value, and...
DeepMind Researcher Says AI Will Never Achieve Consciousness
Google DeepMind’s Alexander Lerchner believes AI will never achieve consciousness. Not in 5 years, not in 500. His recent paper, argues that subjective experience can't emerge from symbolic computation https://t.co/X6eUGvplL1 #ArtificialIntelligence #Innovation #Technology #Tech #TechNews
Google, Microsoft, xAI to Share AI Models with Trump
JUST IN: Google, Microsoft, and xAI agree to share early AI models with Trump administration for security review
SmartCommerce Appoints Anj Yamsani CTO to Drive AI‑Powered Commerce Platform
SmartCommerce announced the appointment of veteran technologist Anj Yamsani as chief technology officer. Yamsani will steer the company’s AI‑native roadmap, building on a platform that already moves more than $15 billion of products into retailer carts each year. The hire signals...
LA Mayor Karen Bass Orders AI‑Powered Permit Overhaul to Speed Housing
Mayor Karen Bass, together with Los Angeles Business Council President Mary Leslie, signed an executive directive that mandates AI‑driven permit reviews and pre‑approved home plans. The policy aims to cut red tape, improve inter‑agency communication, and accelerate housing production across...
AI Tools Fuel New ‘Doom Loop’ in Job Interviews, Candidates Report
A recent Wired interview reveals job seekers are turning to generative AI during live interviews as hiring platforms deploy AI filters, creating an ‘AI doom loop’ that threatens fairness. Candidates report being rejected by automated screens and resorting to AI‑assisted...
Senate Advances GUARD Act, Banning AI Companions for Minors and Prompting ID‑Check Debate
The Senate Judiciary Committee moved the Guidelines for User Age‑verification and Responsible Dialogue (GUARD) Act forward, a bipartisan bill that would prohibit AI companions for anyone under 18 and require proof of identity for all AI chatbot users. Critics warn...
PwC and OpenAI Launch First AI‑Native Finance Function for Enterprise Teams
PwC and OpenAI announced a joint effort to build an AI‑native finance function at enterprise scale, using agentic AI agents to handle planning, forecasting, procurement and more. The partnership aims to shift finance teams from manual execution to supervising AI,...
AI Powers Around-the-Clock Healthcare Member Services
Next up - what AI can do in Healthcare - Ratnakar Lavu of @ElevanceHealth in a conversation with @IBM' @ArcindKrishna - Benefits, Member Services 24x7. #IBMThink https://t.co/yv4a1KSyio
AI's Energy Hunger Outpaces Searches, Threatens Power Grid
A single ChatGPT query uses 10x the energy of a Google search (2.9Wh vs 0.3Wh). AI data centers will soon consume as much power as two-thirds of all American homes. This is why I keep saying: energy is the bottleneck....
Autodesk Hires Mike Kelly as CIO to Spearhead Internal AI Rollout
Autodesk announced the appointment of Mike Kelly, a former Andreessen Horowitz operating partner, as chief information officer. Kelly will drive the company's internal AI adoption, overhaul its enterprise infrastructure and tighten cybersecurity as Autodesk pushes generative design and machine‑learning features...
Broadcom Bets Big on VMware Cloud Foundation 9.1
Broadcom unveiled VMware Cloud Foundation 9.1, branding it as an AI‑ and Kubernetes‑native private cloud that supports AMD, Intel and Nvidia hardware. The release targets three pillars: mitigating hardware supply constraints, accelerating AI‑enabled application delivery, and enforcing zero‑trust security. New...
Embedded AI Will Transform All Sectors, Not Just Healthcare
This isn’t just healthcare. Education, banking, and daily decision-making will all be guided by an embedded AI layer that works alongside us. https://t.co/as0yqLleRs
Enzo Health Secures $20 Million Series A to Expand AI Home‑Health Platform
Enzo Health announced a $20 million Series A round led by venture firm N47, bringing its total funding to $26 million. The capital will accelerate the rollout of its AI‑powered platform across home‑health agencies and into skilled‑nursing and hospice settings, addressing a...
Skepticism Grows Over Selling Spare Compute Capacity in RAN
Listening to panel on #AIRAN with @SoftBank @Northeastern @deepsignl & @MobileExperts1 Really not convinced by some of the narrative about selling “spare compute capacity” in the RAN Unclear how it’s sold, exposed, managed, interconnected, secured etc My own panel is next...
Nvidia Unveils Open‑Source Ising Model, Sending Quantum Start‑Ups’ Shares Soaring
Nvidia announced the open‑source Ising AI model, a control‑plane framework for quantum processors. Within minutes, IonQ jumped 21%, Rigetti rose 13.3% and D‑Wave surged 22.6%, signaling investor optimism that Nvidia’s AI expertise will accelerate quantum error mitigation and commercial adoption.
The Anticipation Gap: Why 4 Problems Have to Be Solved Together for Consumer AI to Work
The episode explores why consumer AI has hit an "anticipation gap" in 2026, where powerful software creates more management overhead than value. It argues that chatbots and isolated agents are insufficient, as users are burdened with juggling multiple tabs, prompts,...
WaveMaker’s Agentic AI Application Generation System Sees Strong Early Momentum Following Launch, Enterprise and Partner Trials Surging Across Industries
WaveMaker’s agentic AI application generation platform, launched in February, is gaining rapid traction among enterprise development teams across finance, energy, supply chain, telecom and banking. Early trial sign‑ups on wavemaker.ai have highlighted a two‑pass, architecture‑first code generation engine that cuts...
My Husband And I Used AI To Improve Our Sex Life. Here's How.
The author experimented with Anthropic’s Grok AI, using its new “animate photos” feature to transform a self‑portrait into a polished, flirtatious image and then generate a short, sexy dance and a sultry kiss. She shared the AI‑enhanced clips with her...
Backblaze Posts 24% Q1 Revenue Surge as AI Storage Demand Accelerates
Backblaze announced that its first‑quarter 2026 revenue grew 24% year over year, beating the top end of its guidance. The boost came from a surge in AI‑focused customers, including a $1.5 million annual contract and 76% growth in AI accounts.
Volkswagen Launches Fully Automated 'Gamechanger' Production Line at Wolfsburg
Volkswagen Group has begun testing a fully automated production system, code‑named Gamechanger, at its Wolfsburg headquarters. The initiative combines AI‑driven robotics, megacasting and “unboxed” manufacturing to slash costs and help the automaker meet its goal of producing affordable electric vehicles...
From Diagnosis to Deterrence: The Emerging U.S. Response to Adversarial Distillation
In April the White House and the House Foreign Affairs Committee moved to counter Chinese adversarial distillation of U.S. frontier AI models. The Deterring American AI Model Theft Act of 2026 (DAAMTA) would require a 180‑day assessment, publish an attackers...