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VAST pivots to 'AI operating system' with $1B Series F funding at $30B valuation

VAST pivots to 'AI operating system' with $1B Series F funding at $30B valuation

VAST is shifting to become an 'AI operating system' that joins storage, database, vector search, and execution in one platform. The company says this may help make data processing faster and easier for AI applications. VAST recently raised about $1 billion at a $30 billion valuation, which suggests investors see potential in this new direction. Analysts note that the move appears to answer the needs of AI systems that require quick access to organized data. It is unclear if this new type of platform will become a standard in the market, as it depends on how competitors respond.

The Information launches new app with AI-powered Deep Research

The Information launches new app with AI-powered Deep Research

The Information has launched a new app featuring alerts, audio, video, and an AI-powered Deep Research tool for busy executives. The app includes push notifications, article narration, short video clips, and an AI Q&A feature that uses the outlet's own archive. The Deep Research tool may limit errors by using only verified articles but could have less coverage compared to broader tools. Early user reviews appear to be scarce, and it is unclear how widely the app has been released. The company's success might depend on how well the new features help subscribers and if enough people sign up during the discounted launch period.

CapCut tops 2026 AI design tool rankings, boosts ByteDance's creative push

CapCut tops 2026 AI design tool rankings, boosts ByteDance's creative push

CapCut has been named a top AI design tool for 2026, which may help ByteDance attract more marketing teams looking for fast creative solutions. Experts suggest its easy-to-use AI features and generous free tier let beginners make ads quickly. Early reviews show CapCut might make the design process much faster for small teams. However, rivals like Canva and Adobe Express still offer more templates and better brand management, so CapCut appears best for simple, short-form visuals.

Anthropic files confidential S-1, targets $1 trillion IPO by October 2026

Anthropic files confidential S-1, targets $1 trillion IPO by October 2026

Anthropic has filed a confidential S-1 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and may go public on the Nasdaq as soon as October 2026. The company appears to be aiming for a valuation of around one trillion dollars, though bankers say the timeline is aggressive and could change if markets remain unstable. Anthropic is also exploring building a custom chip with Samsung, but these talks are still early and there is no final design yet. The company might offer only about 5 percent of its shares in the IPO due to broader market conditions. Anthropic continues to grow its business while the exact schedule and size of the public listing could still shift.

Lumin Digital raises $115M, hits $1.6B valuation with client funding

Lumin Digital raises $115M, hits $1.6B valuation with client funding

Lumin Digital has raised $115 million, reaching a company valuation of about $1.6 billion. The funding comes from both institutional investors and 15 client credit unions, which may help better align the company's products with user needs. The new money is planned for improving digital lending, payments, AI-powered customer management, and self-service tools. Analysts say Lumin's platform reportedly gives a strong return on investment, and the company's growth may lead to more strategic choices in the future, such as going public. Lumin competes in a busy market, and the fresh funds could help it stand out, though other companies are investing in similar technology.

Europe Reconsiders Copyright for AI Training, Citing 1710 Statute of Anne

Europe Reconsiders Copyright for AI Training, Citing 1710 Statute of Anne

Europe is considering using ideas from the 1710 Statute of Anne for AI training, which would give creators exclusive rights for a short time and then allow free public access. This approach may help Europe stay competitive, but the current EU copyright rules make AI training on data complicated and uncertain. The 2024 AI Act keeps some opt-outs for rightsholders and adds more transparency rules, but challenges remain, like different national laws and unclear access. Supporters suggest a fixed-term model might increase available data for AI over time, yet no new law has been proposed yet, and future rules remain uncertain.

Media Hits Saturation: Time Spent Stagnates, AI Cuts Creation Costs

Media Hits Saturation: Time Spent Stagnates, AI Cuts Creation Costs

Media time spent by people appears to have reached a limit, with only small increases in recent years. Doug Shapiro suggests that while content is becoming easier and cheaper to create through digital tools and AI, people's attention is spread thin and trust is now scarce. Companies may need to focus more on building trust, data, and real community, rather than just reaching more people. There also appears to be a shift in what people value, with authenticity and emotional connection seeming more important than high production quality. Experts warn that it might take years for new ways to make money off engagement to make up for falling ad revenue, as total time spent with media is not growing much.

Amazon Updates AI Content Policy Amid Flood of AI-Written Books

Amazon Updates AI Content Policy Amid Flood of AI-Written Books

Amazon's Kindle marketplace is seeing a flood of AI-written biographies, which may make it hard for human authors to stand out. Amazon asks publishers to disclose AI-generated content, but buyers do not see this information, and undisclosed AI books might be removed. Researchers suggest that most new Kindle books now use some automation, and this surge appears to push human-written books lower in search results. Some legal uncertainty remains, as AI books are not protected by copyright, but creators may still face legal risks if their work closely copies others. Independent authors are trying new strategies, like focusing on unique topics and building direct connections with readers, to stand out from the automated books.

Cursor Realigns Product, Org for SpaceX's $60B Acquisition

Cursor Realigns Product, Org for SpaceX's $60B Acquisition

Cursor is changing its product plans and company structure as it may soon be bought by SpaceX for $60 billion. Leaders say these changes are to help prepare for more AI use after the deal is done. Cursor is making its product bigger, changing how teams work, and adding stronger rules for handling data. The company is also trying to keep workers informed and reduce worry by sharing updates often. These steps may help Cursor and SpaceX work better together once the deal closes, though some details still appear to be undecided.

OpenAI Restores ChatGPT to WhatsApp in Europe, Raises Privacy Concerns

OpenAI Restores ChatGPT to WhatsApp in Europe, Raises Privacy Concerns

OpenAI has brought ChatGPT back to WhatsApp for users in the European Economic Area as of July 13, 2026, following a Meta antitrust order. This allows people to send texts, images, and voice messages, but some features are missing and usage is limited compared to the main app. There are concerns about privacy, as messages may be used to train OpenAI's models unless users opt out, and deleted chats might still be kept for training. Experts suggest that current data processing measures may not fully meet EU privacy laws, especially for business use. The upcoming EU AI Act might lead to stricter rules and closer checks on how ChatGPT is used in messaging apps.

EU Lawmakers Ban Addictive Social Features for Minors

EU Lawmakers Ban Addictive Social Features for Minors

EU lawmakers are working on a new law to protect children from addictive social media features. They suggest banning personalized content feeds and making non-personalized feeds the default for minors, along with turning off things like infinite scroll and autoplay videos. The plan may also require age checks and set a minimum digital access age. Researchers say these changes might help reduce mental health risks linked to social media algorithms, but tech companies warn the rules could be costly. The law is not final yet, and it appears that different rules in some countries could make agreement harder.

Fanvue's AI tools double revenue to $200M run rate

Fanvue's AI tools double revenue to $200M run rate

Fanvue's revenue doubled to a $200 million annual run rate by May 2026, which may be due to many creators using new AI tools. About 72 percent of creators making money on Fanvue now use at least one AI feature, and those who do might earn 3-6 times more than others. AI-generated content already makes up around 15 percent of total revenue, but human creators with outside fame still earn the most. The company's fast growth suggests it may have found a strong way to keep growing, but there are still questions about trust, copyright, and proper labeling of AI content. Fanvue has not set a revenue target for 2027 and says human oversight is still important.

Meta Nears $10 Billion Deal to Lease AI Compute to Anthropic

Meta Nears $10 Billion Deal to Lease AI Compute to Anthropic

Meta is in early talks to lease some of its AI computing power to Anthropic, in a deal that may be worth up to $10 billion over two years. The agreement could help Anthropic get more GPUs, which it says it needs for its Claude models, while giving Meta extra income. The deal appears to be Meta's possible first move toward acting like a cloud provider, though talks are still in the early stages. Some experts suggest that the deal could affect competition in the market and raise questions among regulators, but nothing has been finalized yet.

Fireworks AI Raises $1.5B Series D for Enterprise Custom AI

Fireworks AI Raises $1.5B Series D for Enterprise Custom AI

Fireworks AI has raised $1.5 billion in Series D funding, which may value the company at $17.5 billion. The company helps large businesses use and customize AI models with their own data while managing costs. Fireworks reportedly handles over 15 trillion tokens daily for more than 10,000 customers and its revenue may have reached $800 million by May 2026. The company appears to be ahead of some similar firms, but experts suggest it will need to keep its prices and technology competitive as customers may still use other AI providers.

Wonder raises $650M Series D at $9B valuation

Wonder raises $650M Series D at $9B valuation

Wonder, a New York-based food technology company, has raised $650 million in Series D funding at a $9 billion pre-money valuation. The company plans to use the money to expand to about 200 locations, improve technology, and build new delivery systems. Wonder may still lose about $618 million in 2026 and could need more funding before going public, but management suggests they might be profitable by 2030. The company's valuation appears higher than some competitors, though analysts note that the funding round was smaller than originally targeted, which may show increased caution in the food tech market.