Top AI news of the week #22: Advsr AI Spotlight

Advsr AI Spotlight

Highlighting notable AI moves at the intersection of strategic operating companies and emerging startups. Big ideas in the works.

Strategic Deployments of AI 

• IBM and Groq partnered to give clients immediate access to Groq’s inference technology, GroqCloud, on watsonx Orchestrate, while Groq and IBM plan to integrate and enhance RedHat open source vLLM technology with Groq’s LPU architecture
• Oracle and AMD expanded their partnership, with Oracle Cloud Infrastructure becoming a launch partner for the first publicly available AI supercluster powered by AMD Instinct MI450 Series GPUs
• NVIDIA and Google Cloud partnered to accelerate enterprise AI and industrial digitalization
• Salesforce and AWS partnered to accelerate agentic AI transformation for agentic enterprises
• Microsoft announced a strategic investment to enable local data processing for Microsoft 365 Copilot in the United Arab Emirates, exclusively for qualified UAE organizations, reinforcing Microsoft’s commitment to supporting the UAE’s AI vision while helping ensure local processing, security, and regulatory compliance
• Amazon revealed plans to build one of the first modular nuclear reactor facilities in the United States, called the Cascade Advanced Energy Facility, or Cascade, to help power AI
• Calix, an agentic AI cloud and appliance-based platform, announced the next generation of the Calix Broadband Platform, fully evolved for agentic AI and purpose-built to address the workflow, data, security, and insight requirements of broadband service providers, built on Google Cloud’s AI and data infrastructure, including Vertex AI and Google’s Gemini models
• Lenovo unveiled new agentic AI capabilities as the centerpiece of its AI-Enabled Workforce portfolio, a suite of devices, services, and lifecycle solutions that turn AI investments into measurable business value
• Stellantis, an automotive holding company, and Pony.ai, a provider of autonomous driving technology, partnered to integrate Pony.ai’s autonomous driving software with Stellantis’ medium-size van (K0) AV-Ready Platform – BEV version
• WPP and Google expanded their partnership, dedicated to advancing cloud and AI technology, with a $400 million spending commitment from WPP for Google technologies
• Spotify partnered with Sony Music Group, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, Merlin, and Believe to develop artist-first AI music products
• Arm and Meta partnered to enable AI across multiple types of compute, workload, and experiences that power Meta’s global platforms
• Google and the World Bank Group partnered to accelerate digital transformation in emerging markets by combining Google Cloud’s AI technology, including its Gemini models, with the World Bank Group’s development expertise
• Mercedes-AMG F1 announced an official team partnership with Meta AI, bringing Meta’s latest advancements in artificial intelligence to the world of F1
• Tensor Networks, a provider of Predictive AI, and Carahsoft Technology, a government IT solutions provider, partnered, with Carahsoft serving as Tensor Networks’ Public Sector distributor
• Anthropic and Salesforce expanded their partnership to make Claude a preferred model for Salesforce’s Agentforce platform, enabling Salesforce customers in financial services, healthcare, cybersecurity, and life sciences to use AI while keeping sensitive data secure
• Snowflake and Palantir partnered to integrate Snowflake’s AI Data Cloud with Palantir Foundry and Palantir Artificial Intelligence Platform

Strategic and AI Startup Collaborations

• DDN, a provider of AI and data intelligence solutions, partnered with Yotta Data Services, a provider of cloud and AI infrastructure, to deliver a foundation for India’s sovereign AI initiative under the IndiaAI Mission
• NSG Group partnered with Voxel, which enhances workplace safety and operational efficiency by transforming existing security cameras into intelligent monitoring systems, rolling out its AI-powered safety platform across manufacturing facilities in 10 countries
• Northwell Health, the largest not-for-profit health system in the Northeast, partnered with Abridge, an AI platform that transforms medical conversations into clinically useful and billable documentation at the point of care, to deploy its ambient AI platform across its 28 hospitals
• Inception, a provider of AI-powered domain-specific products and enterprise solutions, and McKinsey partnered to enhance board and executive effectiveness through the power of AI
• Albert Invent, a digital platform for materials science research and development, partnered with Kenvue, maker of consumer health products like Zyrtec, Neutrogena, and Listerine, to accelerate end-to-end R&D efforts across the company’s global portfolio of brands
• CoreWeave partnered with Poolside, a foundation model company, to deliver advanced AI cloud services that support Poolside’s mission to build artificial general intelligence and power the deployment of agents across the enterprise
• Global Mobility Solutions, a provider of global relocation and mobility services, partnered with Rentsmart AI, a provider of AI-powered destination services, to introduce enhanced artificial intelligence solutions within MyRelocation.com
• Randall County partnered with Boodle AI, a platform connecting back to other large language models like Chat GPT and Claude, to improve department efficiency
• Penguin Ai, a healthcare artificial intelligence company, partnered with UPMC Enterprises, the innovation and commercialization arm of healthcare provider and insurer UPMC, to accelerate the advancement of AI models specifically designed for the healthcare industry

AI Startup Acquisitions

• Fullcast, a provider of Go-to-Market and revenue operations automation, acquired Copy.ai, a generative AI platform for sales and marketing workflows
• Cairns Health, a provider of digital health solutions for seniors and individuals with chronic conditions, acquired Together by Renee, which uses novel AI and computer vision to make routine health tasks easier
• Nextech3D.ai, an AI-powered provider of 3D modeling and AI event technology solutions, acquired Eventdex, an AI Powered registration and badge-printing software company
• Capgemini, a global business and technology transformation partner, acquired WNS, a digital-led business transformation and services company, to expand its agentic AI-powered intelligent operations
• Revolut, a global fintech company, acquired Swifty, an AI-powered travel agent startup
• Accenture acquired Decho, an AI consultancy that helps organizations reinvent through the design, delivery and scaling of Palantir solutions
• Skan AI, a provider of enterprise process intelligence, acquired Metaculars, a company specializing in the development of AI agents for enterprise operations
• Capacity, an AI-powered support automation platform for contact centers, acquired Creovai, a provider of real-time agent assist and automated quality assurance solutions
• CUBE, a provider of Automated Regulatory Intelligence and Regulatory Change Management, acquired Kodex AI, a company using agentic AI to transform compliance and risk management across the global financial industry
• lemlist, a sales engagement platform, acquired AI sales assistant Claap
• IBM acquired Cognitus, an SAP S/4HANA services provider, with industry-specific, AI-powered solutions

AI Outtakes

• Reddit’s AI chatbot, called Answers, recommended heroin to a user seeking pain relief. A healthcare worker on a subreddit for moderators caught Answers suggesting a post that claimed, “Heroin, ironically, has saved my life in those instances.” In another question regarding pain relief, the user found the chatbot recommending kratom, a tree extract that’s illegal in multiple states. The FDA has also warned against it “because of the risk of serious adverse events, including liver toxicity, seizures, and substance use disorder.” Reddit Answers, which pulls information from its own user-generated content, has been tested by the company within conversations

Disclaimer: This information is provided for general information purposes only and does not constitute any form of endorsement, recommendation, or advice. Links to third party websites are provided for reference and convenience purposes. This information has not been independently verified.