Technology industry news covering tech companies, startups, venture capital, tech layoffs, and Silicon Valley business developments.
Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge will integrate on-device AI directly into their browsers, utilizing Gemini Nano and Phi-4-mini respectively. The features require at least 20GB of free storage, with Edge including a fail-safe to delete models if space drops below 10GB.
Microsoft stock jumped 15.5% on July 30 after beating fiscal fourth-quarter revenue and earnings estimates. Azure cloud revenue surged 43% annually, while CEO Satya Nadella highlighted up to 40% efficiency gains from custom chips and external AI technologies.
The article argues that US tech leaders are offering disconnected explanations for public opposition to AI data centers, ranging from claims of Chinese propaganda to assertions of American mathematical illiteracy. It highlights the industry's struggle to address bipartisan scrutiny over energy use and AI sentiment as political pressure mounts.
Salesforce stock rose nearly 5% over the past five days ahead of its August 26 earnings report. The rally was driven by news that its AI platform, Agentforce, surpassed $1 billion in annual sales, signaling strong commercial adoption of its artificial intelligence strategy.
Alphabet Inc. stock dropped 4% on Friday following news that Demis Hassabis stepped down as day-to-day leader of Google DeepMind to become chairman and Alphabet's chief scientist. Koray Kavukcuoglu took over operations, while longtime researcher Jeff Dean left to launch a new startup.
Generation Z accounted for 69% of new hires in high-paying AI engineering roles last year, according to Wall Street Journal reporting. While Millennials hold most senior positions, companies are prioritizing technical fluency over tenure, compressing career timelines and reducing entry-level opportunities for younger workers.
Billionaire investor Chamath Palihapitiya stated on Friday that artificial intelligence contributes literally zero to earnings growth for Global 2000 companies. This critique comes as Microsoft reported a $37 billion annual run rate for its AI business, despite doubling capital expenditures and seeing free cash flow drop by 23%.
Counterpoint Research forecasts Samsung will reclaim the top spot in global smartphone shipments this year, projecting 0.8% growth while the overall market declines by 14.3%. The drop to 1.07 billion units is driven by soaring chipset and memory costs from AI demand, prompting manufacturers like Apple and Google to raise prices or cut lower-margin models.
Over 40 major technology and AI firms, including Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic, have agreed to comply with new Texas regulations requiring full funding for supporting electric infrastructure and strict water conservation. This voluntary compliance follows Governor Greg Abbott's August order pausing new approvals for a statewide grid audit.
Jasmine Sun argues that the AI industry misjudged public sentiment, overlooking local opposition to data center construction in favor of abstract existential risks. Based on reporting from Wisconsin and Michigan, she contends developers must address community concerns to secure social license.