Today's AI Pulse
Salesforce to acquire AI customer‑service platform Fin for $3.6B
Salesforce announced a $3.6 billion acquisition of Fin, an AI‑driven customer‑service platform, slated to close in fiscal Q4 2027. Fin’s AI agents handle chat, email, WhatsApp, text, phone and Slack, resolving roughly 76% of tickets without human intervention. The deal adds over 30,000 enterprise customers and $400 million in annual recurring revenue.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Waymo acquires Apple’s Arizona Proving Ground for $220M
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How Is AI Voice Assistant Adoption Really Going in 2026? G2's AI Market Report Has the Answer
G2’s 2026 AI Voice Assistant Market Report shows that adoption is accelerating, with 88% of platforms reporting rapid growth over the past year. A striking 76% of users claim significant or transformational operational ROI, yet measuring that ROI ranks as the third‑most‑common challenge. Small‑business users dominate the reviewer base, while overall satisfaction is high—93% of buyers rate their assistants four stars or above. Vendors report that customers are moving from pilot projects to full‑scale deployments, making voice AI a mainstream operational tool.
Firefox Maker Torches Google for Building Prompt API Into Browser
Mozilla has publicly opposed Google’s Prompt API, a new browser feature that lets web pages run local AI models such as Gemini Nano directly in Chrome and Edge. The API requires roughly 22 GB of free disk space for the model,...
I Turned Down a Near-Million Dollar Job With OpenAI. Now My App Has 500,000 People On the Waitlist.
Former Stanford PhD candidate Div Garg turned down a near‑million‑dollar job at OpenAI to found AGI Inc., a startup building a voice‑driven AI assistant that runs on mobile devices. The company secured an $8 million seed round and has amassed about...
AI Twin Amplifies My Principles for Public Access
AI isn’t about replacing humans. It’s about compounding what we know and making it accessible at scale. Over time, I’ve learned that the most valuable thing I can do is capture and refine my principles on life, work, geopolitics, and...
Seven Things Every Medical Device Manufacturer Must Know Before Integrating AI
Artificial intelligence has moved from experimental to production‑ready in healthcare, enabling devices like predictive glucose monitors and AI‑driven oncology tools. For medical‑device makers, integrating AI is now a business imperative but also a complex regulatory undertaking. The article outlines seven...
Tech Industry Backs Anthropic In Copyright Battle With Music Publishers
Tech industry groups including NetChoice and the Computer & Communications Industry Association filed a friend‑of‑the‑court brief supporting Anthropic's claim that using song lyrics to train its Claude model is fair use. The brief argues that AI training involves non‑expressive, transformative...
Agentic Systems Add New Layer of AI Hallucination Risk in Legal Work
Law.com reports that emerging agentic AI systems—software that can act autonomously—are introducing a new class of hallucination risk in legal work. Unlike traditional generative models that require user prompts, agentic tools can initiate tasks, retrieve data, and draft contracts, increasing...
How Libraries Can Help the Public Engage with AI and Their Local Government
Public libraries are adding artificial‑intelligence programs to help residents move from awareness to practical use, positioning themselves as community tech hubs. Cities such as San Jose, Osceola County, and Frisco have opened AI learning centers, coding labs, and even a “library...
Marine Corps Turns to AI to Help ID Pay Delays, Boost Retention
The Marine Corps’ 4th Logistics Group has deployed an AI‑driven tool called PULSE Check to capture real‑time feedback on pay delays, training gaps, and other stressors affecting reservists. The four‑minute mobile survey generates statistically reliable data instantly, replacing the months‑long...
New Second Brain Update, Open Source Skills, and a Request: Show Us How You Use It
Hexact released a public GitHub repository containing five ready‑to‑use Claude skills that extend the Second Brain AI assistant, including a core permission‑first database access skill. The latest app version adds a no‑SQL database management tool and a global search bar...
VCs Fully Embrace AI for Operations
Venture capital firms are rapidly integrating AI agents into core operational workflows, from deal sourcing and due diligence to portfolio monitoring and internal reporting. A recent industry survey shows that over 70% of VC firms now use at least one...
AI Reveals Hidden Revenue, Not Just Headcount Cuts
If you're in a meeting right now talking about how AI will let you cut 40% of your team, you're playing the small game. IKEA just showed why. They deployed a chatbot named Billy to handle level 1 customer service. It...
AI Turns Menu Text Into Realistic Dish Images Instantly
karpathy just admitted that his own app got oneshotted and he thinks yours is next. he built menu gen. where you take a photo of a restaurant menu and it shows you pictures of what the food actually looks like (because 30-50% of...
ACM TechBrief: AI ‘Vibe Coding’ Could Reshape Software Development but Lacks Key Safeguards
The ACM Technology Policy Council’s new TechBrief warns that “vibe coding”—AI‑assisted software development driven by natural‑language prompts—can dramatically accelerate code creation but often bypasses essential engineering safeguards. While developers report higher productivity, the brief highlights rising security flaws, inconsistent testing,...
C.H. Robinson Posts 15% EPS Rise, Leverages AI to Offset Spot‑Market Costs
C.H. Robinson reported a 15% year‑over‑year increase in adjusted earnings per share for Q1 2026 while keeping North American Surface Transportation (NAST) gross margin at 14.6%. The logistics firm credited a Lean AI strategy and disciplined volume mix for offsetting...
Kyla Robinson Joins Bed Bath & Beyond as Chief Technology & Transformation Officer
Kyla Robinson, who spent 5.5 years leading technology at Spanx, announced her move to Bed Bath & Beyond as Chief Technology and Transformation Officer. The hire comes as CEO Marcus Lemonis signals a major AI‑driven restructuring that could cut headcount...
Auto‑rigged Soldier Model Brings Full Movement to Three.js
Also waited quite long with this because I was scared it'd be difficult But I generated a new soldier model now in @tripoai (sponsor of the Vibe Jam), and will also try auto-rig it, that gives it a skeleton, so I...
The Viral Notes Writer GPT Is Now Available on Claude. And You Can Schedule Your Notes Directly From The Chat.
The creator of the Viral Notes Writer GPT announced its rollout as a Claude skill, letting users access the same AI‑driven note generation inside any paid Claude plan. A companion bundle pairs the skill with Finn’s Substack Notes for Claude...
AI-Powered Permitting Takes Off in Bakersfield with Symbium Partnership
Bakersfield has become the first U.S. city to roll out an AI‑driven instant permitting system, teaming with San Francisco‑based startup Symbium. The platform automates approvals for solar, EV charging, energy storage, reroofs and HVAC upgrades, offering developers a faster path...
Litera Appoints Grant Hewlett to Spearhead AI‑driven Firm Intelligence Portfolio
Litera announced the hiring of Grant Hewlett, a 15‑year legal‑tech veteran, to head its AI Firm Intelligence portfolio. The move underscores Litera’s strategy to embed artificial intelligence into the tools lawyers already use, aiming to boost efficiency and growth for...
‘If You’re Boring, It’s Good to Know that You’re Being Boring.’
Harvard’s Barker Center hosted a panel on the ethical fallout of empathetic AI chatbots, highlighting how design tricks that simulate caring can mislead users, especially in health contexts. Panelists cited a JAMA study showing patients rate AI responses as more...
Abbott Secures FDA Clearance for Ultreon 3.0 AI‑Powered OCT Platform
Abbott announced FDA approval and CE Mark for its Ultreon 3.0 AI‑powered optical coherence tomography platform, enabling real‑time, high‑resolution coronary imaging during PCI procedures. The clearance removes a key regulatory barrier and positions Abbott at the forefront of AI‑driven cardiac...
Klaar Unveils AI‑Native Compensation Planning Module Powered by Comprehensive
Klaar announced the launch of a new compensation planning module built on Comprehensive’s platform, bringing AI‑powered performance signals into pay decisions. The integration promises faster, more defensible and equitable compensation cycles for enterprises that already use Klaar’s performance management suite.
Anthropic Opens Claude Security Public Beta to Scan Enterprise Codebases for Vulnerabilities
Anthropic has rolled out Claude Security in public beta, giving Enterprise‑tier Claude customers a tool that scans entire codebases for vulnerabilities and generates targeted patches using the Opus 4.7 model. The launch follows a closed preview that reportedly helped hundreds of...
Amazon Q Developer End-of-Support Announcement
Amazon announced the end of support for its Q Developer IDE plugins, with full deprecation scheduled for April 30, 2027. New Q Developer sign‑ups cease on May 15, 2026, and the Opus 4.6 model will be retired, while Opus 4.7 is available only on the new...
Los Alamos Scientists Team Up to Advance Lab’s AI Mission
Los Alamos National Laboratory’s ArtIMis project hosted a winter hackathon that brought together about 30 team members to integrate the URSA agentic AI system with newly‑trained scientific foundation models. The effort linked URSA’s ability to summarize literature, write code, and...
AI Server Power Density Triggers Global Data Center Power and Cooling Overhaul
Rising AI server power density is compelling data‑center operators worldwide to adopt centralized, higher‑voltage (400V‑800V DC) power distribution and upgraded cooling architectures. The shift promises greater energy efficiency but creates new challenges for suppliers, investors, and carbon‑reduction goals.
CoStar Posts 23% Q1 Revenue Surge, Extends Double‑Digit Growth to 60 Quarters
CoStar Group announced a 23% jump in first‑quarter revenue, its 60th consecutive quarter of double‑digit growth. The surge, driven by a 20% lift in new bookings and AI‑enhanced Homes.com activity, prompted the company to raise its full‑year adjusted EBITDA guidance...
‘Just Looping You in’: Why Letting AI Write Our Emails Might Actually Create More Work
Generative AI tools such as ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot are increasingly being used to draft, summarize and reply to emails. A recent ARC Centre survey found that 45.6% of Australians have tried generative AI, and 82.6% of those users employ...
Voice AI Investment Surges as Enterprise Applications Gain Traction
Venture investors poured over $7 billion into voice‑AI startups in Q1 2024, eclipsing any prior period. Companies such as ElevenLabs, Synthesia and Runway secured large funding rounds as the technology moves beyond consumer gadgets into enterprise workflows. The global voice‑recognition market,...
Magnificent Seven Earnings Set to Sway S&P as AI Spending Comes Under the Microscope
Alphabet, Amazon, Meta Platforms and Microsoft will release quarterly results after the close on Wednesday, together accounting for nearly one‑fifth of the S&P 500’s market cap. Traders are watching AI‑related capex guidance and the implied $750 billion options move, while futures...
US Stocks Hit Record Highs in Wall Street’s Best Month Since 2020
U.S. equities surged in May, with the S&P 500 posting a 7% monthly gain – the strongest performance since 2020. The Nasdaq and Dow Jones also reached fresh all‑time highs, buoyed by robust corporate earnings and a softening inflation outlook....
SAP Blocks AI Startups by Locking API Access
the latest from the API wars front: SAP is now locking down its API access to third parties, essentially blocking AI companies. Like many others, SAP can't really compete on building its own agents, so the next best thing is...
Selective LLM Regulation Is Performative, Drives Local Adoption
Regulating LLMs for biology but not every other potentially dangerous activity like turning on a gas stove in your home (unintentional fuel-air explosion device) is just performative knee-jerk and will just force people to use local LLMs. AGI soon but not...
AI Chatbot Cheat Sheet: Comparing ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, and More
The 2026 AI chatbot cheat sheet ranks the leading conversational agents by capability, ecosystem integration, and ideal use cases. ChatGPT remains the most widely adopted with 900 million weekly users and the powerful GPT‑5 model, while Google Gemini offers the best...
AI Designs Life Using only 19 Amino Acids
Not something you'd see everyday—changing the alphabet of life. All of life organisms are are built from 20 amino acids. Now genAI is enabling life to be built with 19 amino acids, making isoleucine dispensable. @ScienceMagazine https://t.co/7CBn0Xhuxs https://t.co/tkxtCrFx9Y
AI Beats Human in F1 Sim Racing Challenge
This is so cool @brcullum built a machine learning model to race @dvassallo's #vibejam F1 sim and ran thousands of simulations to become the fastest Now we could have AIs competing against AIs in F1 races (like that IRL competition already does?)
5WPR Launches 'In Tune With AI' Index Ranking 50 AI‑aligned Celebrities
Talent Resources and 5WPR unveiled the second‑volume "In Tune With AI" index, ranking 50 celebrities, athletes and creators by how generative AI engines describe them. The index, released April 29, 2026, highlights 22 non‑U.S. figures and scores operators up to...
Rigorous Solution Proposed for AI Unemployment Domino Effect
one of the better papers i've read (way outside of my expertise) about the domino effect of AI unemployment. i like how they try to find a *solution* in a rigorous way, as opposed to merely whining about the problem,...
Judge Bars Musk From Discussing AI Extinction Risks
Dear @elonmusk, If you still genuinely care about AI safety, you can’t let the Trump administration leave the AI industry almost entirely unregulated. You just can’t. - Gary
Google Cracked AI Monetization. Meta, Microsoft, and Amazon Haven't.
Google’s latest earnings showcase a coherent AI monetization strategy that hits all three value‑creation modes—removing middlemen, unlocking new revenue streams, and expanding the ecosystem—propelling its stock up 9%. In contrast, Meta, Microsoft and Amazon all beat forecasts but lack clear...
AI's Role in Misinformation and Deep‑Fake Threats
Twin pieces by @kakape in the new issue @ScienceMagazine on AI, used as a purveyor of misinformation and deep fakes, open-access https://t.co/lw22frYbKY https://t.co/HWm659MERp https://t.co/akkXh59eYB
AI Productivity Gains Modest Now, Will Surge with New Models
AI productivity gains: More modest than expected https://t.co/xW6Scx6ATH < checks out, so far. But once the agentic operating model really takes hold, team structures change, and better platforms improve the build-to-prod stages, these numbers will jump.
Excel's Automation Features Are Faster than ChatGPT, but Most People Never Find Them in the Menus
Microsoft Excel packs a suite of automation tools that can outpace generic AI solutions like ChatGPT for routine data tasks. Features such as Power Query, PivotTables, Office Scripts, Flash Fill, and dynamic array functions let users import, clean, analyze, and...
Design Guardrails to Stop Malicious AI Robot Exploits
A new Science #Robotics Focus calls for the careful design of guardrails to prevent malicious users from tricking AI-enabled robots into dangerous or violent behaviors. @AlexRobey23 @zicokolter @pappasg69 https://t.co/AS5v7FEOon
Self‑driving Robot Labs Spark Debate on Replacing Biologists
Will self-driving ‘#Robot labs’ replace biologists? Paper sparks debate by Ewen Callaway @Nature Learn more: https://t.co/CfOHJ2PcV3 #Robotics #Engineering #ArtificialIntelligence #Innovation #Technology https://t.co/utwGlUIRVV
Amazon Deploys AI Hiring Platform Connect Talent and Introduces 'Humorphism' Agents
Amazon announced Connect Talent, an AI-powered hiring system that screens, interviews and notes candidates with minimal human input, and unveiled its 'humorphism' approach to make software feel more human. The rollout, revealed at an April 27 event, signals Amazon's deeper...
AI: Monopolies, Money Manipulation, and Boring Reality
The truth is that AI is a boring story of monopolization, financial manipulation, and extraction, clothed in techno-optimistic fraud. Obviously AI matters, it just matters in a boring way.
Non‑competes, Not AI, Are Shrinking Labor’s Income Share
There's no evidence for broad AI labor displacement, but there's plenty of evidence for the labor share of income dropping dramatically due to noncompetes and employer consolidation. Gee I wonder why elites want to talk about AI's threat to jobs....
Employers Are Blindsiding Candidates with AI Interviews—And Scaring Them Off
AI-driven interviews have become mainstream, with Greenhouse reporting that two‑thirds of job seekers have already faced an AI screening, a 13‑point rise in six months. The lack of disclosure is prompting candidates to abandon processes—38% quit after an AI interview...