9 stories from AI Pulse, newest first.
CNBC, as relayed by TechCrunch, reports OpenAI is working on a private round of roughly $30 billion led by Coatue and UAE-based investors, at a $1.25 trillion pre-money valuation. The discussions may involve computing capacity arrangements with UAE-based partners. OpenAI declined to comment.
Microsoft says its MAI-DxO diagnostic system scored 83.2% on complex simulated cases, against 36.1% for generalist physicians. The study is now peer-reviewed in Science. Microsoft plans clinical testing at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston within a couple of months. Gizmodo notes that the cost savings come from simulations and that the gap would probably narrow against specialists.
Microsoft researchers say attackers stole application credentials from ConnectWise's cloud backup service and used them to sign in to customers' Microsoft-hosted environments, reaching emails and files at roughly 2,250 organisations. The attackers reportedly used AI agents built on the open-source ARTEX framework, at close to 3,000 sign-in attempts a minute. ConnectWise suspended cloud backup access while it investigates.
UK angle: ConnectWise is widely used by managed service providers, so UK firms relying on MSPs may want to check their exposure.
Gizmodo reports that large US lenders, including Morgan Stanley, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, JPMorgan Chase and Charles Schwab, are updating security measures and terms of service as consumer AI assistant apps gain users. Banks say some customers are giving agents their login details, and many institutions are limiting agents to read-only access. JPMorgan's Jamie Dimon said the bank will not let just any outside agent inside, citing risk to clients.
Bloomberg reports Meta raised its AI spending outlook after its third-quarter results, with Mark Zuckerberg saying the company's AI investments are paying off. Other outlets report Meta shares rose as much as 5% in after-hours trading, though some of the gain later faded. Analysts say investors still want clarity on returns from the heavy capex, which signals continued heavy AI investment from one of the largest AI spenders.
Bloomberg, cited by TechCrunch, reports the Chinese AI lab has raised around 100 billion yuan (about $15 billion), with investors reportedly including CATL and Tencent. It comes two days after US federal agencies were ordered to remove DeepSeek technology over security concerns. The company is said to plan more spending on AI infrastructure and open models.
The BBC reports Barclays is cutting around 5,000 staff this year as it brings more artificial intelligence into its processes. It is a concrete example of a major UK employer linking headcount reductions to AI adoption, which is relevant to firms planning their own workforce and automation strategies. Only the feed summary was available, so detail on which roles are affected is not covered here.
UK angle: Barclays is a major UK bank and employer, so the cuts affect UK jobs directly.
Goldman Sachs has set up a Small Business AI Institute as part of a $500 million expansion of its 10,000 Small Businesses programme. Google, Anthropic, OpenAI and Meta will supply AI training and tools to entrepreneurs. Goldman's survey of programme alumni found 86% use AI, but only 15% have fully integrated it into core operations.
