AI This Week
Adobe is acquiring software platform Semrush in a massive $1.9 billion deal. The move represents a major push by the software giant to strengthen its AI-powered marketing suite amid fierce competition. Adobe will pay a steep 77.5% premium for Semrush’s technology, which specializes in search engine optimization and digital advertising analytics. This purchase provides Adobe’s clients with tools to understand how consumers perceive their brands through online searches and on generative AI platforms like ChatGPT. Under pressure from investors to better capitalize on AI, Adobe made a decisive strategic investment to expand its digital marketing capabilities.
A restaurant in Dubai has replaced its head chef with an artificial intelligence. The new eatery, Woohoo, now features a kitchen run by an AI, a development that tests the very definition of the culinary arts. This move creates a central question for the dining industry. Is this a genuine innovation in gastronomy or an elaborate marketing stunt for a city known for futuristic attractions? The AI operates in a real-world kitchen, testing whether automation can redefine one of humanity's oldest professions. The experiment examines if code can replace the creativity of cooks, offering a look at a potential new future for the entire food industry.
Jeff Bezos is returning to a hands-on executive role with a new AI company, Project Prometheus. The venture launches with an extraordinary $6.2 billion in funding, and Bezos will serve as co-chief executive alongside former Google X physicist Vik Bajaj. Project Prometheus aims to build AI systems for the physical world, focusing on engineering and manufacturing for industries like aerospace and automotive. This approach departs from text-based models, creating AI that learns from physical experimentation. The company has already hired nearly 100 employees from top firms like OpenAI and Google DeepMind, signaling its intent to become a major force in the intensifying AI race.
AI audio startup ElevenLabs has launched a new marketplace for iconic voices. The platform allows companies to license AI-replicated voices of famous figures, both living and dead, for advertisements and other content. ElevenLabs presents this as a solution to ethical concerns surrounding AI voice cloning, stating it operates on consent, transparency, and fair compensation for performers or their estates. The initial list of 28 voices is striking. It includes living stars like Michael Caine, Matthew McConaughey, and Art Garfunkel alongside historical figures such as Maya Angelou, Alan Turing, and J. Robert Oppenheimer. Some voices are cloned directly, while others are synthetically recreated from archival audio.
Anthropic, a key rival to OpenAI, appears on a faster path to profitability despite generating less than half the revenue. OpenAI recently saw its annualized revenue soar to $3.4 billion. Anthropic’s has also exploded, hitting $1.6 billion. Yet the company's different business model might give it an edge in reaching profitability first. The situation highlights the industry's central struggle: balancing staggering growth with the immense costs of computing power and talent needed to build advanced AI. This financial showdown stresses the high-stakes bet on sustainable dominance.
OpenAI is releasing GPT-5.1. This upgrade aims to make its flagship model smarter and more enjoyable after the previous version failed to impress. The original GPT-5 launch was so underwhelming that it prompted partner Microsoft to explore models from competitor Anthropic. This new version directly addresses user experience. It introduces two specialized models, Instant and Thinking, designed for different tasks. OpenAI is also expanding its personality presets to include options like Quirky, Nerdy, and Cynical, moving beyond a "one-size-fits-all" approach. The move signals a clear response to recent criticism and a renewed focus on what users want from their AI.
SoftBank has sold its entire stake in Nvidia. The massive sell-off generated $5.83 billion. The Japanese firm is directing that capital toward its “all in” bet on ChatGPT maker OpenAI, planning a $22.5 billion investment that will increase its ownership from 4% to 11%. This is not the first time SoftBank has cashed out of the chipmaker, having sold a $4 billion stake back in 2019. This latest move for “asset monetization” helped its Vision Fund post a blowout $19 billion gain. A source close to the matter stated the decision was not related to concerns over AI valuations but was a strategic play for capital.
Salesforce is acquiring Spindle AI. The deal injects the analytics startup’s forecasting technology directly into Salesforce’s Agentforce platform. Spindle AI specializes in agentic AI, building systems that model complex business scenarios and predict outcomes. This is a major step in Salesforce's strategy to create an "agentic enterprise." The company envisions a future where specialized AI agents collaborate to manage autonomous, end-to-end operations for customer experience. Spindle's team will work on making these agents smarter and more reliable through advanced observability and self-improvement functions. This purchase builds on other recent acquisitions, showing Salesforce's intense focus on owning every layer of the multi-agent AI stack.
A new legal battle is erupting over AI. Amazon has sued Perplexity, demanding the AI startup stop its Comet browser from shopping on its site. The lawsuit alleges Perplexity’s AI agent accesses customer accounts without consent, committing computer fraud and degrading the shopping experience Amazon built. Perplexity responded sharply, accusing Amazon of bullying and trying to stifle innovation that makes shopping easier for customers. This conflict exposes the high-stakes tension between established tech giants and the new wave of autonomous AI agents that act on behalf of users. As this AI browser war escalates, some competitors are embracing similar technology.
Apple is preparing a massive upgrade for Siri. The company will reportedly use a custom version of Google’s Gemini AI to drive its new Apple Intelligence system, according to a new report. This partnership will cost Apple around $1 billion annually and gives it access to a powerful 1.2 trillion parameter model for generating summaries and performing planning tasks. The model will run on Apple's Private Cloud Compute servers, a key detail for privacy. The move comes after Apple delayed its own AI rollout and considered other partners. While Apple continues developing its own technology, this deal highlights the intense competition in the AI space. The new Siri is expected next spring.