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11 Feb 2026

Tower Semiconductor beats profit estimates as AI chip demand fuels $920M silicon photonics push

Israeli chipmaker Tower Semiconductor surpassed fourth-quarter profit expectations, posting 78 cents per share versus estimates of 68 cents. The company announced a $920 million total investment in silicon photonics technology to meet surging demand from data center operators building AI infrastructure, aiming to quintuple production capacity by late 2026.

2 Sources

China's Top Chipmaker Warns AI Chips and Data Centers Could Sit Idle Amid $3 Trillion Spending

Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp.'s co-CEO Zhao Haijun warns that companies racing to build 10 years' worth of data center capacity in just two years haven't fully thought through what these facilities will actually do. With AI investment projected to exceed $3 trillion over five years, the chipmaker warning raises concerns about potential overcapacity and echoes the dot-com bubble comparison.

2 Sources

Mistral AI commits $1.4 billion to build data centers in Sweden, marking Europe's AI autonomy push

French AI startup Mistral is investing 1.2 billion euros ($1.4 billion) in new data centers in Sweden, marking its first infrastructure investment outside France. The move signals a major step toward building independent AI capabilities in Europe as the continent races to establish tech sovereignty and reduce reliance on U.S. competitors like OpenAI.

6 Sources

Microsoft AI chief predicts artificial intelligence will automate most white-collar jobs in 18 months

Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman claims artificial intelligence will reach human-level performance on most professional tasks within 12 to 18 months, potentially automating roles in law, accounting, marketing, and project management. While some business leaders echo these warnings, skeptics point to studies showing limited productivity gains and question whether AI washing is driving premature layoffs.

12 Sources

Fi Money abandons consumer neo-banking for AI-driven B2B tech services, announces layoffs

Bengaluru-based fintech startup Fi Money is pivoting from B2C neo-banking to B2B technology services, shutting down consumer-facing products and implementing staff layoffs. Co-founder Sujith Narayanan announced the shift follows a period of honest reflection, with the company now focusing on deep technology, AI, and building complex systems for enterprises after years of mounting losses and regulatory challenges.

2 Sources

Freshworks revenue forecast beats estimates as AI adoption accelerates despite profit concerns

Freshworks projected annual revenue above Wall Street estimates, driven by strong AI-driven software demand for customer support and IT services. However, the company's profit forecast fell short of expectations due to higher tax rates and strategic reinvestment. CEO Dennis Woodside defended against AI disruption concerns, citing competitive gains against ServiceNow and growing adoption of Freddy AI across 8,000 paying customers.

4 Sources

DRAM Shortage Fueled by AI Boom Sends Laptop Prices Soaring Through 2028

The AI boom has created a severe DRAM shortage, pushing memory prices up 80-90% in early 2026. Memory-chip makers like Micron, Samsung, and SK Hynix are shifting production to high-bandwidth memory for AI data centers, leaving consumer-grade memory scarce. Major laptop makers including Dell and Lenovo are raising prices 15-30%, with Intel's CEO warning there's no relief until 2028.

7 Sources

10 Feb 2026

Wealth Management Stocks Tumble as AI Tax-Planning Tool Sparks Disruption Fears Across Sector

Wealth management stocks took a sharp hit after startup Altruist unveiled an AI-powered tax-planning tool, triggering investor fears about disruption in the financial sector. Charles Schwab fell 7.4%, LPL Financial dropped 8.4%, and Raymond James declined 8.5%. But industry leaders and Wall Street analysts argue AI will enhance rather than replace financial advisors, calling the selloff an overreaction and a buying opportunity.

13 Sources

Unity Software gets stock upgrade as Oppenheimer sees AI integration driving growth, not threat

Oppenheimer upgraded Unity Software to Outperform with a $38 price target, dismissing fears that AI world models like Google's Project Genie will displace game engines. The analyst sees AI integration as a catalyst that will lower barriers to entry and boost productivity, with EBITDA margins projected to expand to 26% by 2026.

2 Sources

Microsoft Copilot reaches 15 million paid seats, but only 3.3% of users are actually paying

Microsoft disclosed that Microsoft 365 Copilot has 15 million paid seats, representing 160% year-over-year growth. However, this accounts for just 3.3% of the company's 450 million commercial Microsoft 365 users who have free access. The figures highlight a stark gap between Microsoft's $37.5 billion AI investment and actual paid adoption, raising questions about the return on investment for AI.

2 Sources

AI video generation leads hiring surge as companies prioritize AI skills over coding

Companies are racing to hire workers with AI skills, which grew 109% year-over-year according to Upwork's latest report. The fastest-growing AI skill isn't coding—it's AI video generation and editing, with demand surging 329%. While layoffs remain high and overall hiring stays low, businesses are integrating AI into existing roles rather than replacing workers outright.

2 Sources

Half of xAI's founding team exits as Elon Musk calls departures necessary reorganization

Six of xAI's 12 co-founders have now left Elon Musk's AI company, with at least 11 engineers departing in recent days. Musk frames the exits as strategic reorganization for scale, but the departures come amid regulatory scrutiny over Grok AI's content issues and a pending IPO following the SpaceX merger.

36 Sources

European Insurer Stocks Tumble as AI-Powered Tool Triggers Selloff Across Insurance Sector

European insurance stocks fell sharply on Tuesday following a steep selloff in US insurance brokers after Insurify launched an AI-powered comparison tool built on ChatGPT. Major brokers like Willis Towers Watson, Aon, and Arthur J. Gallagher saw shares plunge 9-12% on Monday, triggering investor concerns about accelerating disruption within the insurance sector and sparking a broader market downturn.

2 Sources

Amazon plans AI content marketplace where publishers can license content to AI firms

Amazon is reportedly developing an AI content marketplace where media companies can license their content directly to AI firms. The Information reports that Amazon Web Services circulated slides mentioning the platform ahead of a publisher conference. The move comes as publishers struggle with declining traffic from AI summaries and seek new revenue streams.

10 Sources

AI Productivity Gains Come With a Hidden Cost: Employee Burnout and Longer Workdays

A Harvard Business Review study tracked 200 tech workers for eight months and found that AI tools led to work intensification rather than relief. Employees took on more tasks, worked longer hours, and experienced burnout despite productivity gains. The research reveals AI's promise to save workers from their jobs may be creating a different problem entirely.

12 Sources

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