HB Exclusive: Q&A with Klaus Kohlmayr Before ITB
In a pre‑ITB interview, IDeaS chief evangelist Klaus Kohlmayr warned that 2026 is a volatile year for hoteliers, with cost pressures, labor shortages and geopolitical shocks disrupting booking patterns. He emphasized that artificial intelligence has moved from a buzzword to an operational reality, reshaping revenue management through faster configuration, richer data ingestion and more transparent decision‑making. Kohlmayr highlighted IDeaS’s AI‑driven platform, which now deploys in hours and delivers 70‑80% of optimal pricing out‑of‑the‑box. He also noted emerging collaborations—such as SiteMinder’s dynamic revenue tool for independents and Apaleo’s AI agent marketplace—that promise to streamline workflows and elevate guest experiences.
ChatOn Reaches 100M Downloads as Its Global Audience Continues to Grow
ChatOn announced it has surpassed 100 million downloads across iOS, Android, and web within three years of launch. The AI assistant aggregates leading large‑language models—including GPT‑5, Gemini 2.5 Pro, Perplexity Sonar and Claude 4.5—under a single subscription, offering users a unified toolbox for writing, research,...
Papa Johns Plans CX Upgrades Following Corporate Cuts
Papa Johns will embed an AI‑powered ordering agent in its mobile app in Q2 2026, enabling voice and group ordering while streamlining re‑orders for Papa Rewards members. The loyalty program now touches roughly 41 million fans and drives 2.5 times more orders than...
How Small Businesses Can Win in the AI Era
AI has become the first stop in many consumer journeys, with 36% of couples now using AI for wedding planning—a near‑doubling year‑over‑year. The Knot Worldwide responded by launching a ChatGPT‑based app that surfaces vetted vendors directly within the AI chat....
Deloitte Unveils Physical AI Solutions Built with NVIDIA Omniverse Libraries to Help Accelerate Industrial Transformation
Deloitte announced an expanded partnership with NVIDIA to launch physical AI offerings built on the Omniverse platform. The new services combine high‑fidelity digital twins, advanced computer‑vision models, and secure edge‑robotics tools for industries such as automotive, life‑sciences, and manufacturing. Deloitte’s...
Ease Health Raises $41M in Series A Funding
Ease Health, a New York‑based AI‑native CRM, EHR, and RCM platform, secured $41 million in Series A financing led by Andreessen Horowitz. The capital will fund expansion of its product and engineering teams and accelerate AI‑driven automation across the suite. The raise...
Agentic E-Commerce Startup ZyG Gets $58M to Help Solo Inventors Compete with the Biggest Global Brands
ZyG Edge Inc., an Israeli AI startup, secured $58 million in seed funding to empower solo inventors in the direct‑to‑consumer market. The company’s autonomous agents automate marketing, logistics, and data‑driven growth tasks, allowing creators to focus on product innovation. ZyG validates...
YouTube’s AI Slop Problem And How Marketers Can Compete via @Sejournal, @MattGSouthern
YouTube’s platform is being flooded by low‑quality, mass‑produced AI videos, dubbed “AI slop,” which now appear in roughly one‑in‑five Shorts recommendations to new users. A Kapwing analysis identified 278 dedicated AI slop channels that together generated 63 billion views, 221 million subscribers...
Criminal IP to Present Decision-Ready Threat Intelligence at RSAC™ 2026
Criminal IP, an AI‑driven attack‑surface management and cyber‑threat intelligence platform, will exhibit at RSAC 2026 in San Francisco from March 23‑26. The company will host visitors at Booth N‑6555, offering live demos, one‑on‑one consultations, and hands‑on guidance. Serving more than 150 countries, Criminal IP combines large‑scale...
Corvic Labs Launched to Standardize Testing and Governance for AI Agents
Corvic Inc. announced Corvic Labs, an open‑source initiative to standardize testing and governance of agentic AI systems. The first offering, the Agentic MCP Evaluator, connects to AI agents via Anthropic’s Model Context Protocol and provides deterministic, repeatable evaluations with structured...
Mycom and Mavenir Announce Strategic Collaboration for Delivering Agentic AI Benefits to CSPs to Support Autonomous Networks L4/5
Mycom and Mavenir announced a strategic partnership at Mobile World Congress to develop Agentic AI use cases for 4G and 5G networks. The collaboration links Mycom’s GenAie NOC Copilot with Mavenir’s Core Domain Intent and NF AI agents, creating an...
Kinstak Launches Canva Integration, Bringing AI-Powered Asset Organization Directly Into the Creative Workflow
Kinstak announced a native integration with Canva that embeds its AI‑powered asset organization directly into the design canvas. The platform automatically tags, categorizes and surfaces relevant files, allowing creators to locate and reuse assets without leaving Canva. By eliminating manual...
Agentic Software Development: Defining The Next Phase Of AI‑Driven Engineering Tools
Agentic software development (ASD) marks a shift from AI‑assisted coding to AI agents that can plan, generate, test, and document software across the entire development lifecycle. These agents operate with a degree of autonomy, handling tasks from design artifacts to...
![Why SEO Now Depends on Citation-Worthy Content [Webinar] via @Sejournal, @Hethr_campbell](https://hixhlmpcokxhartfkpyi.supabase.co/storage/v1/render/image/public/images/thumbnails/0e7a6e922f23c0e0633be05c5fd71eaa.webp?width=1200&resize=cover&quality=75)
Why SEO Now Depends on Citation-Worthy Content [Webinar] via @Sejournal, @Hethr_campbell
Large language models now power AI‑driven search experiences such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and Google AI Overviews, shifting visibility from traditional blue‑link results to answer snippets that cite trusted sources. Marketers must create citation‑worthy content—research, educational, comparison, and expert contributions—to be...
Zilliz Cloud Brings BYOC to Azure
Zilliz announced the general availability of its Zilliz Cloud BYOC (Bring Your Own Cloud) on Microsoft Azure, completing support across AWS, Google Cloud, and Azure. The BYOC offering lets enterprises run a fully managed Milvus‑based vector database inside their own...
Agencies Aim to Harness AI for Cyber Defense
The upcoming national cyber strategy will make artificial intelligence a cornerstone of federal network security, as emphasized by National Cyber Director Sean Cairncross. Agencies are urged to secure AI use cases while leveraging AI to strengthen information security across government....
AI Agents Are Increasingly Being Leveraged by Crypto Crime Networks, Report Reveals
TRM Labs reports that autonomous AI agents are now handling cryptocurrency fund transfers without human oversight, dramatically accelerating money‑laundering operations. Illegal crypto flows reached $158 billion in 2025, while AI‑powered scams grew roughly 500 % year‑over‑year. These agents can split funds, select...
AI Bots Don’t Need Markdown Pages
Publishers are experimenting with serving Markdown‑only versions of pages to generative AI bots, hoping to reduce crawl load and boost bot traffic. Early tests show modest increases in bot visits but no measurable lift in search visibility. Google and Bing...
Yonyou Unveils the Large Ontology Model (LOM)
Yonyou released its Large Ontology Model (LOM) on February 24, a 4‑billion‑parameter AI that shifts enterprise data from static tables to a dynamic knowledge‑graph architecture. The model automates multi‑source ontology construction and delivers multi‑hop reasoning across procurement, production, sales and...
Upwind Doubles Down on India and Expands Footprint Across Asia-Pacific and Japan to Meet Growing Demand for Real-Time Cloud and...
Upwind announced a major expansion across Asia‑Pacific and Japan, adding local SaaS instances in India, Australia, Singapore and Japan while tripling its regional workforce in just three months. The cloud‑security vendor says its global customer base has grown 200% year‑over‑year,...
NetQuest Launches NetworkLens for Hyperscale AI Threat Detection
NetQuest unveiled NetworkLens, a portfolio of hyperscale, real‑time network intelligence datasets designed for AI‑driven cyber threat detection. The datasets are continuously generated by the NetQuest Streaming Network Sensor, which captures wire‑speed traffic and transforms it into structured records covering application...
Criteo Joins OpenAI Advertising Pilot in ChatGPT
Criteo has become the first advertising‑technology partner in OpenAI’s ChatGPT Free and Go advertising pilot in the United States. The integration lets brands run Criteo‑powered ads directly within the ChatGPT interface, leveraging the platform’s commerce‑focused AI decisioning. Early data shows...
The Week Ahead in AI: Anthropic’s Stand, Oura’s New Model for Women’s Health, New AI Agent From Perplexity & OpenAI...
Anthropic refused a Pentagon request for unrestricted AI access, prompting a six‑month federal phase‑out and a legal challenge. OpenAI announced 900 million weekly active users, 50 million paying subscribers, and a $110 billion funding round while securing a new Pentagon agreement with safeguards....
LAX Deploys Adaptive Cross-Border Liquidity Intelligence Layer for Web4 Commerce
LAX has launched an Adaptive Cross‑Border Liquidity Intelligence Layer that embeds AI‑driven routing and liquidity‑optimization directly into decentralized payment infrastructure. The layer continuously analyses transaction flows and network conditions, dynamically reallocating capital to keep settlements efficient across multiple blockchains. By...
Why DEP26K AI Is the Most Undervalued AI-Utility Crypto in 2026
DeepStitch AI (DEP26K) offers real‑time, AI‑driven blockchain intelligence through five autonomous agents that track wallet movements, token launches, smart‑contract risks, and sentiment shifts. Its AuditStitch module instantly flags honeypots and custody vulnerabilities, while StitchFeed surfaces dominance changes before they trend....
Radiology Artificial Intelligence Firm Asks FDA to Exempt Certain Devices From Premarket Review
Harrison.ai filed a citizen petition asking the FDA to grant optional pre‑market exemption for radiology computer‑aided detection (CAD) devices, allowing manufacturers with an existing cleared product to launch similar tools without a new 510(k). The agency must issue a rapid...
Stack Overflow Adds New Features (Including AI Assist), Rethinks 'Look and Feel'
Stack Overflow announced a beta redesign that introduces AI Assist, open‑ended questions, coding challenges, and an updated UI component library. The changes come as the platform’s monthly question volume has fallen 78% from its 2014 peak of 200,000 questions. The...
Duxbury Lands Exclusive Milesight Surveillance Distribution Deal in SA
Duxbury Networking has secured an exclusive distribution agreement for Milesight’s AI‑enabled surveillance solutions in South Africa. The partnership expands Duxbury’s video‑security portfolio with a platform that promises rapid deployment and open integration with existing IT and security systems. According to...
Is Anthropic Building Rwanda’s AI Future — or Its Dependence?
Anthropic signed a three‑year memorandum of understanding with Rwanda to deploy its Claude AI tools in health and education, offering developer access and training for public‑sector coders. Rwanda’s ICT minister touts the deal as a boost for national AI capacity,...
AI Voice Agents Are Getting Smarter — But Enterprise ROI Remains the Real Test
Enterprise adoption of conversational voice AI is shifting from experimental pilots to profit‑driven rollouts. Gallup’s global phone‑interview tests reveal that while modern agents can handle open‑ended speech, each stack layer adds latency, audit and reliability risks. CEOs and CIOs are...
AI Fraud Hits Canadian Companies’ Bottom Lines: KPMG
KPMG Canada’s latest survey reveals AI‑driven fraud is now a major threat to Canadian firms, with 72% reporting a profit loss of up to five percent last year. Eighty‑one percent of businesses that experienced fraud say the attacks were AI‑enabled,...
A Cauldron of Ideas to Fight Misinformation
Entrepreneur Nessa Kiani has launched Culldron, a blockchain‑enabled app that rewards users with tiny crypto payments for sharing and verifying real‑time information from Ukraine’s war zones. The platform blends peer‑review, AI‑generated content, and a dynamic credibility score to surface accurate...
Huawei and E& Unveil Next-Gen, 10-Gbps Access Network and AI-Driven Smart Home Use Cases
Huawei and e& UAE have launched the Optical Innovation Center to accelerate AI‑ready connectivity in the UAE, unveiling five high‑value use cases across a 10 Gbps intelligent access network and AI‑driven smart home solutions. The network upgrades include a 50G PON...
Segmed Partners with Verily to Expand Access to Real-World Imaging Data
Segmed, a leader in real‑world medical imaging, announced a partnership with Verily to make its de‑identified, diagnostic‑grade imaging datasets available on Verily’s AI‑native Pre Exchange and Workbench platforms. The initial offering is a longitudinal breast‑cancer cohort featuring digital breast tomosynthesis...
Ericsson Maps Out the Road to Fully Commercial 6G Networks at MWC 2026
Ericsson announced that commercial 6G networks are slated for rollout toward the end of this decade, positioning the technology as "intelligence" rather than merely a carrier for AI. Marie Hogan highlighted the surge in AI agents, autonomous devices, and data‑intensive...
What Is Query Fan-Out? Understanding the Hidden Queries Driving AI Search
Query fan‑out is the technique AI search engines use to turn a single user prompt into dozens of related sub‑queries, enabling richer, context‑aware answers. Research shows an average of 9‑11 fan‑out queries per prompt, with some cases exceeding 20 searches,...
Medline Expands AI Platform and Warehouse Robotics
Medline Industries is scaling its AI‑driven supply‑chain platform, Mpower, in partnership with Microsoft, to provide a digital control tower that automates forecasting, inventory management and disruption alerts for hospital customers. The company is also expanding warehouse robotics, now operating AutoStore...
Druva Uses Graph Relationships to Mine Metadata
Druva has introduced Dru MetaGraph, a graph‑database layer that stores backup metadata as interconnected nodes, enabling AI agents to answer security and compliance questions with real‑time context. The approach stems from three drivers: security queries are fundamentally relationship‑based, customers need instant,...
Jio and Airtel Step Into Early 6G Ecosystem as Qualcomm Targets 2029 Rollout
Qualcomm announced a global coalition at MWC Barcelona 2026 to accelerate AI‑native 6G development, targeting commercial deployments from 2029. The roadmap emphasizes networks that learn, adapt, and optimise in real time, promising dynamic spectrum use and energy efficiency. Indian operators...
22+ Communities Powering the Baltic AI Ecosystem
Baltic AI startups secured €607 million in 2025, a 20 percent rise from 2024, underscoring growing investor confidence. The surge is supported by a dense network of associations, incubators, and industry hubs that translate funding into market‑ready pilots. However, OECD data highlights...
Osaki Electric Signs EMS Development Pact with Kyocera, Taiwan Plastics
Osaki Electric has entered a development pact with Kyocera and two Taiwan Plastics Group affiliates to co‑create an AI‑driven energy management system called SmaRe:C. The platform integrates solar generation, lithium‑iron‑phosphate battery storage and an edge AI terminal to optimise electricity...
VisibleFirst Launches Free WordPress Plugin to Help Businesses Get Discovered by AI Search Platforms
VisibleFirst has released a free WordPress plugin that enhances AI‑search visibility, enabling businesses to be recommended by platforms such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Google AI Overviews. The tool provides an AI Visibility Score dashboard, auto‑generates an llms.txt file, adds...
New “Voiceprint” Claude Plugin Clones Your Writing Style via @Sejournal, @Martinibuster
A new Claude Code plugin called Voiceprint generates a linguistic fingerprint of a user's writing style by analyzing five sample texts across varied emotional tones. Leveraging stylometric techniques—function‑word frequency, sentence‑length burstiness, and punctuation habits—the tool creates personalized output that mirrors...
Project Evident Launches Equitable AI Adoption Framework
Project Evident unveiled its Equitable AI Adoption Framework, a practical guide co‑created with 34 nonprofit practitioners to help mission‑driven organizations integrate AI responsibly and equitably. The framework spans eight core components—from data readiness and governance to safe practice and a...
Forthcoming Machine Learning and AI Seminars: March 2026 Edition
AIHub has published a comprehensive calendar of free virtual machine‑learning and AI seminars scheduled from 2 March to 30 April 2026. The lineup features more than twenty talks covering explainable AI, generative screening, bias mitigation, robust optimisation, and emerging applications such as AI‑driven...
Mint Explainer | The Hidden Climate Cost of Your AI Query
Artificial intelligence workloads are increasingly hosted in purpose‑built data centres that consume massive electricity and water, raising environmental concerns. The International Energy Agency says a typical AI‑focused data centre uses as much power as 100,000 households, and the largest under...
Bug in Google's Gemini AI Panel Opens Door to Hijacking
Google patched a high‑severity vulnerability (CVE‑2026‑0628) in the Gemini AI side‑panel of Chrome that could let a malicious extension with basic permissions hijack the panel, capture screenshots, and access the camera, microphone, and local files. Palo Alto Networks’ Unit 42 demonstrated...
Samsung Showcases Galaxy AI, Intelligent Networks and Next-Gen Devices at MWC 2026
Samsung used Mobile World Congress 2026 to unveil its Galaxy AI strategy, centering on the new Galaxy S26 series powered by a custom Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip and an industry‑first Privacy Display. The rollout extends AI‑driven features across wearables,...
Melbourne AI Agency Enterprise Monkey Quits ChatGPT Over Pentagon Deal
Melbourne‑based AI agency Enterprise Monkey announced it will move all internal AI operations, agents, and new product development from OpenAI to Anthropic’s Claude. The switch follows OpenAI’s introduction of advertising in ChatGPT and the company’s Pentagon contract, which the CEO...
Infovista Launches an AI-Enabled Platform Unifying Network & CX Intelligence
Infovista introduced VistaOne™, an open AI‑enabled platform that merges network intelligence with customer‑experience (CX) intelligence for communication service providers and enterprises. The solution uses the VistAI framework, embedding three decades of telecom expertise to deliver persona‑based, intent‑driven insights across both...