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16 Dec 2025

OpenAI-backed Chai Discovery raises $130M at $1.3B valuation as AI transforms drug development

Chai Discovery, an OpenAI-backed biotech startup, secured $130 million in Series B funding at a $1.3 billion valuation. Led by General Catalyst and Oak HC/FT, the round brings total funding to over $225 million. The company's Chai 2 AI model designs custom antibodies from scratch, solving complex drug development challenges that previously took years in just weeks.

4 Sources

PolyAI Raises $86M at $750M Valuation to Scale Conversational AI for Enterprise Call Centers

London-based PolyAI has secured $86 million in Series D funding at a $750 million valuation for its conversational AI platform. The startup develops ultra-realistic voice AI assistants that handle millions of customer calls daily for banks, casinos, and hospitals. Led by Georgian, Hedosophia and Khosla Ventures, the round brings total funding past $200 million as the company aims to double revenue to over $40 million.

2 Sources

Former Palantir CIO Jim Siders takes helm at Shield Technology Partners to reshape IT services

Jim Siders, who spent over a dozen years at Palantir rising from IT support technician to CIO, has joined Shield Technology Partners as CEO. The AI-enabled managed service provider platform, backed by Thrive Holdings and OpenAI, aims to transform the $700 billion global IT services market through data-driven automation and frontier AI integration.

2 Sources

AI identifies single protein interaction that blocks virus entry into cells before infection

Washington State University researchers used artificial intelligence and molecular simulations to identify a critical amino acid interaction that stops herpes viruses from entering cells. By introducing a targeted mutation to this single interaction among thousands, they successfully blocked viral fusion, pointing toward a new direction for antiviral therapies that intervene before infection begins.

3 Sources

Mark Cuban backs AI sports firm Orreco in $4 million raise to predict athlete injuries

Galway-based Orreco closes a $4 million funding round led by Mark Cuban and Enterprise Ireland while acquiring Melbourne's Data Driven Sports Analytics. The AI-powered sports firm aims to use computer vision and machine learning to identify potential injuries before they occur, supporting teams across the NBA, WNBA, and Premier League.

2 Sources

15 Dec 2025

Google Search adds plus button for instant AI Mode file uploads on desktop

Google has quietly introduced a plus button to its search homepage, allowing desktop users to upload images and documents directly for AI-powered analysis through AI Mode. The feature, which appears on the left side of the search bar, represents another step in Google's pivot to AI as competition with OpenAI intensifies.

5 Sources

Ron DeSantis says Florida has right to AI regulation despite Trump's executive order

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is pushing forward with state-level AI regulations despite President Trump's executive order seeking national AI standards. DeSantis argues his proposed Citizen Bill of Rights for Artificial Intelligence doesn't conflict with federal directives and falls within state authority under the 10th Amendment. The move highlights growing tensions over who controls AI regulation in America.

2 Sources

AI ROI for businesses expected to materialize in 2026 as experts predict shift from hype to results

After years of heavy AI spending with minimal returns, 2026 may finally deliver meaningful AI ROI for businesses. Industry experts from Deloitte, Stanford, and PwC predict a crucial shift from experimental pilots to real business value, driven by strategic AI implementation and the operationalization of AI agents. With 61% of CEOs under pressure to prove tangible value, the focus moves from technology adoption to orchestrating AI for sustained competitive advantage.

3 Sources

AI at Work Doubles to 45% as Gallup Survey Exposes Major Communication Gap Between Employers

A new Gallup survey reveals that 45% of U.S. workers now use AI at work at least a few times a year, more than doubling from 21% in 2023. But nearly one-quarter of employees don't know if their employers have adopted AI at all, exposing a stark communication gap. The data shows AI adoption varies dramatically by industry, with tech workers leading at 76% while retail lags at 33%.

5 Sources

Zoom AI Companion 3.0 launches with browser access and free tier for meeting summaries

Zoom unveiled AI Companion 3.0, bringing its AI assistant to the web and opening access to free users for the first time. Basic plan users can now use the assistant for three meetings monthly, including meeting summaries, AI note-taking, and 20 questions. The update introduces agentic automation, document creation tools, and integration with third-party services like Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive.

4 Sources

Nvidia acquires SchedMD to strengthen open-source Slurm and unveils Nemotron 3 AI models

Nvidia acquired SchedMD, the developer behind Slurm workload management system, while launching the Nemotron 3 family of open AI models. The chipmaker pledges to maintain Slurm as vendor-neutral software while accelerating development for high-performance computing and AI. The move signals Nvidia's push to control more of the AI infrastructure stack while positioning itself as an open-source champion.

11 Sources

Trump launches US Tech Force to recruit 1,000 AI specialists from Apple, Google, and Microsoft

The White House unveiled the US Tech Force, a program to recruit 1,000 technology specialists from Big Tech companies for two-year government terms. The initiative aims to accelerate artificial intelligence implementation and modernize federal systems, with salaries ranging from $150,000 to $200,000. Participating companies include Apple, Google, Microsoft, OpenAI, and Nvidia.

14 Sources

CrowdStrike launches Falcon AIDR to secure AI prompts as company calls them 'the new malware'

CrowdStrike unveiled Falcon AI Detection and Response (AIDR), expanding its platform to 32 modules to address the rapidly growing AI attack surface. The company's president Mike Sentonas declares that prompts are the new malware, positioning the solution to protect organizations against prompt injection and malicious AI agent interactions with real-time detection and response capabilities.

2 Sources

Mirelo Raises $41M from Index and a16z to Solve AI Video's Silent Problem with Audio Generation

Berlin-based startup Mirelo has secured $41 million in seed funding from Index Ventures and Andreessen Horowitz to tackle a critical gap in AI-generated video: the lack of sound. The company's flagship model, Mirelo SFX 1.5, generates synchronized sound effects for silent videos, addressing what CEO Carl-Johann Simon-Gabriel calls the missing half of the viewing experience. With plans to triple its team and expand beyond sound effects into music generation, Mirelo aims to build a competitive moat in an emerging category that's attracting attention from tech giants like Sony and Tencent.

3 Sources

AI skills now required in 11.7% of tech jobs as hiring patterns shift across industries

India's AI-related job hiring is accelerating rapidly, with AI specialisation now accounting for 11.7% of tech job postings, up from 8.2% a year ago. Major platforms Indeed and LinkedIn reveal how AI is transforming hiring across sectors—from analytics to insurance—while traditional entry-level tech roles decline 45%. Experts argue AI tools will augment human work rather than replace it, as companies prioritize AI applications over expensive foundation models.

2 Sources

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