2: Two AI researchers, Geoffrey Hinton and John Hopfield, were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics on Oct. 8. The pair were credited as pioneers of artificial neural networks, the machine learning technique that has powered the artificial intelligence revolution. Neural networks help computers learn by mimicking the activities of the human brain. “Thanks to their work humanity now has a new item in its toolbox, which we can choose to use for good purposes,” the Nobel committee wrote on X.
157 billion: OpenAI raised $6.6 billion last week in a new funding round led by Thrive Capital, including other investors such as Microsoft, SoftBank, and Nvidia. The company behind ChatGPT is now the second-most-valuable private company in the world, worth $157 billion, behind ByteDance ($220 billion) and just ahead of China’s Ant Group ($150 billion) and SpaceX ($125 billion).
9: Google is expanding its Gemini AI services in India. Since 40% of users there rely on voice interactions with the chatbot, the company says it will soon support not just Hindi, but nine total Indian languages — Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Telugu, Tamil, and Urdu.
14 million: The gay dating app Grindr wants its 14 million users to have AI “wingmen.” These agents will help people find the most meaningful connections, plan dates, and — eventually — book reservations so you don’t have to lift a finger. Grindr says these features will be fully up and running by 2027 at the latest. Will your next date have to make any effort at all?
100,000: Supermicro, a company that makes servers for data centers, said it is shipping 100,000 graphics processors per quarter. The announcement sent its stock soaring more than 15% on Oct. 7, a day when the Dow Jones fell 400 points.With the US leading production and China driving new reactor development, Bank of America breaks down the who, what, where, when, and why behind nuclear’s return. Stay ahead of global energy trends with Bank of America Institute.
Chris, an Army veteran, started his Walmart journey over 25 years ago as an hourly associate. Today, he manages a Distribution Center and serves as a mentor, helping others navigate their own paths to success. At Walmart, associates have the opportunity to take advantage of the pathways, perks, and pay that come with the job — with or without a college degree. In fact, more than 75% of Walmart management started as hourly associates. Learn more about how over 130,000 associates were promoted into roles of greater responsibility and higher pay in FY25.
Last week, at the Munich Security Conference, a group of global technology providers, including Microsoft, announced the Trusted Tech Alliance — committed to shared, verifiable principles for trusted, transparent, and resilient technology across borders. At a moment of economic volatility and zero-sum technological competition, countries and customers are demanding greater accountability from technology providers. The Alliance addresses this by bringing together companies from across Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America around shared commitments: transparent governance, secure development practices, supply chain oversight, open digital ecosystem, and respect for the rule of law — ensuring the benefits of emerging technologies strengthen public trust while driving job creation and economic growth. Explore the Trusted Tech Alliance here.