Walt Disney has announced a $1bn equity investment in OpenAI, enabling the AI start-up’s Sora video generation tool to use its characters.Users of Sora will be able to generate short, user-prompted social videos that draw on more than 200 Disney, Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars characters as part of a three-year licensing agreement between OpenAI and the entertainment giant.A selection of the videos made by users will also be available for streaming on the Disney+ platform.Bob Iger, Disney’s CEO, hailed a deal ...

Core Insights - The Walt Disney Company announced a $1 billion equity investment in OpenAI, allowing users to create videos with Disney's copyrighted characters on the Sora platform [1] - Sora, launched by OpenAI in September, enables users to generate short videos through text prompts, featuring over 200 characters from Disney, Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars [1] - Disney CEO Bob Iger emphasized the importance of responsibly extending storytelling through generative AI while protecting creators and their works [2] Investment Details - Disney's investment in OpenAI amounts to $1 billion, marking a significant financial commitment to the collaboration [1] - The partnership will enhance the capabilities of Sora, allowing users to utilize Disney's extensive intellectual property [2] Technology and User Engagement - Sora allows users to create content by simply typing prompts, making video creation accessible and user-friendly [1] - OpenAI's ChatGPT Images will also enable users to generate images using natural language prompts, further integrating Disney's intellectual property into AI-driven content creation [2]

So this has come up a couple of times today, but to be clear, do you believe that we're experiencing a positive productivity shock whether from AI or policy factors or whatever. Uh and how much of that is how much is that driving the higher GDP projection in the SCP. >> So yeah, I mean it uh [clears throat] I never thought I would see a time when we had, you know, five, six years of 2% productivity growth.This is this is higher, you know, this is definitely higher and it was it was before before it could be ...

Varonis Systems FY Conference Summary Company Overview - **Company**: Varonis Systems (NasdaqGS: VRNS) - **Event**: FY Conference held on December 10, 2025 Key Points Business Segmentation - Varonis is transitioning into two distinct business segments: SaaS and on-premises subscription [7][8] - The SaaS business is performing well with a 76% SaaS of ARR, while the on-prem subscription business is underperforming with lower-than-expected renewal rates [9][12] Renewal Rates and Churn - The renewal rates for the on-prem subscription business were below expectations, contributing to overall performance concerns [8][13] - Three main factors contributed to the lower renewal rates: 1. Many customers were single-threaded, using Varonis for specific use cases without a broader cybersecurity need [15] 2. Sales team performance issues in presenting quotes effectively [16] 3. Increased deal scrutiny towards the end of the quarter [17] - The federal business also underperformed due to factors like the timing of FedRAMP certification and sales team handling [19][21] Customer Engagement and Market Dynamics - Customers who did not renew were often not using Varonis as a security tool, indicating a need for better engagement with security teams [28][30] - Despite competitive noise in the DSPM market, Varonis did not see a change in competitive win rates, maintaining strong sales execution [34][58] Future Guidance and Strategy - Varonis plans to focus on SaaS growth rates and expects to grow at 20% or more for the foreseeable future [49] - The company aims to complete the transition to 100% SaaS by the end of 2026, with no remaining non-SaaS ARR [96] Profitability and Cost Structure - The company is targeting an ARR contribution margin of 18%-22% by the end of 2027, with expectations of a quick recovery in margins post-transition [91][95] - The shift to SaaS is expected to reduce support costs and improve overall profitability [93] Competitive Landscape - Varonis is enhancing its integration with Microsoft Purview, positioning itself as a complementary solution rather than a competitor [75][76] - The company is entering new markets such as database activity monitoring through acquisitions, aiming to displace legacy tools [78][80] Sales Strategy Adjustments - Changes in sales compensation plans are being considered to refocus efforts on new customer acquisition rather than conversions [63][68] - The emphasis will be on selling to new customers and upselling to existing SaaS customers [69] Additional Insights - The transition to SaaS is seen as critical for long-term growth and investor confidence, with a clear strategy to phase out on-prem offerings [96] - The company is actively engaging with customers to understand their plans for transitioning to SaaS, with a focus on minimizing churn [46][48]

Group 1: Mastercard and Tencent Partnership - Mastercard is partnering with Tencent to integrate its Move funds transfer service with Tencent's TenPay and Weixin Pay, allowing international senders to transfer money directly to recipients in China [1][2] - This collaboration aims to capture a share of the inbound payment flows to China, which received over $31 billion in international P2P transfers in 2024 [2] Group 2: Visa's Expansion in Cross-Border Payments - Visa is collaborating with OwlTing Group to launch OwlPay Cash, enabling users in the U.S. to make local currency remittances to 26 countries, including Mexico and India [4][6] - Both Visa and Mastercard are focusing on expanding their roles in cross-border payments to diversify revenue streams beyond traditional card transactions [5] Group 3: Worldline's Strategic Moves - Worldline has sold its Swedish subsidiary CoreOrchestration for approximately $160 million to focus on its core payments business amid regulatory pressures [14][15] - The company has previously divested units totaling about $600 million to manage financial challenges and lower its earnings outlook [15] Group 4: SumUp's New Offerings - SumUp is set to launch cash deposit services for merchants in the UK, Italy, Spain, and France, enhancing their banking solutions [20][21] - The company has attracted over €1 billion ($1.2 billion) in customer deposits across 1.5 million business accounts, indicating significant growth [21] Group 5: Socure's Acquisition of Qlarifi - Socure has acquired Qlarifi, a buy now, pay later credit startup, to enhance its identity verification technology and credit decisioning capabilities [24][25] - The acquisition aims to build infrastructure for responsible lending and improve consumer protection in the BNPL sector [25][26]

Summary of Autodesk FY Conference Call Company Overview - **Company**: Autodesk (NasdaqGS:ADSK) - **Event**: FY Conference on December 10, 2025 Key Points Industry Performance - Autodesk's business is performing well in absolute terms and compared to competitors [8][9][10] - The company is years ahead of competitors in AI development [12] Financial Guidance and Models - Guidance for fiscal 2029 goals will be influenced by macroeconomic factors and sales/marketing optimization [8] - Transition to a new transaction model will create incremental headwinds for margins, making the path to fiscal 2029 non-linear [9] - The switch to annual billing has provided a tailwind for billings and free cash flow growth in fiscal 2025 and 2026, but growth will normalize in fiscal 2027 [10] AI and Technology Development - Autodesk Research, a 300-person organization, focuses on staying 5 to 10 years ahead in technology, including AI and robotics [17][20] - The AI lab was established in 2018, focusing on geometry and structures relevant to Autodesk's customers [20] - The cycle time between research and product development has significantly decreased, now taking 3 to 6 months [21][24] Generative AI Impact on Architecture - Generative AI will radically change architecture through: 1. **Outcome-based design**: AI helps in conceptual design by simulating project goals early [35] 2. **Improved communication**: AI facilitates better interaction between architects and engineers [39] 3. **Automation of repetitive tasks**: AI can automate 70%-80% of design work, freeing up time for creative tasks [40][45] Economic Considerations - The seat-based model will remain relevant due to a mismatch between available work and workforce [49] - Expansion into adjacent verticals will increase the addressable ecosystem [51] - AI will enhance productivity, potentially leading to fewer seats but greater value for Autodesk [46][52] Construction Cloud Growth - Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC) is gaining market share due to strategic acquisitions and re-platforming efforts [88][90] - The integration of design and construction workflows is a key strategy for growth [92] AI in Construction - AI tools like Construction IQ help manage vast amounts of data on construction sites, predicting issues and improving efficiency [101][103] - AI can provide early simulations to avoid costly problems later in the construction process [106] Revenue and Margin Outlook - The transition to the new transaction model will have a cumulative impact on margins, with the most significant effects expected in fiscal 2027 [161][162] - Billings and revenue growth are expected to align more closely post-transition [178] Future Innovations - Autodesk aims to create a vibrant ecosystem of AI tools for architects and engineers, enhancing efficiency and product quality [200] Investment Focus - Continued investment in platform development, data systems, and AI capabilities is crucial for future growth [141][145][155] Additional Insights - The company emphasizes the importance of centralization in AI investments to avoid inefficiencies [26] - Autodesk is preparing for a shift towards consumption-based pricing models as AI capabilities expand [52][62] This summary captures the essential insights from the Autodesk FY Conference, highlighting the company's strategic direction, technological advancements, and market positioning.

With generative AI, we create this large language model that can say anything and then we put restrictions on it to prevent it from using bad language or nudging people into harmful behavior. We try to rain them in with guard reels hoping that they will work in every situation but that is really really hard. And as these companies rais to market they're bound to miss things.And some of these things will have big consequences. So here's my question to you. When AI shifts from being a helpful assistant to a c ...

Group 1 - Proactive provides fast, accessible, informative, and actionable business and finance news content to a global investment audience [2] - The news team covers medium and small-cap markets, as well as blue-chip companies, commodities, and broader investment stories [3] - Proactive's content includes insights across various sectors such as biotech, pharma, mining, natural resources, battery metals, oil and gas, crypto, and emerging technologies [3] Group 2 - Proactive is committed to adopting technology to enhance workflows and content production [4] - The company utilizes automation and software tools, including generative AI, while ensuring all content is edited and authored by humans [5]

Core Insights - Businesses are enhancing customer experience (CX) to boost loyalty and gain competitive advantage, with generative AI and agentic AI playing a significant role in this transformation [1] Group 1: Trust - Trust is increasingly vital due to rising consumer fraud, leading Twilio to introduce features like Silent Network Authentication and FIDO-certified passkeys in its Verify product [2] - The company promotes branded communications, which have been shown to increase consumer trust and engagement, through initiatives like branded calling and RCS for messaging [2] Group 2: Simplification - Twilio's Segment solution allows businesses to utilize their data effectively for customer insights, exemplified by the Event Triggered Journey feature that automates marketing workflows for personalized customer experiences [3] - This approach enables timely responses to customer issues, improving transaction success rates and customer satisfaction [3] Group 3: Smart Engagement - Twilio is leveraging AI to enhance customer engagement, with updates like 'Conversational Intelligence' that analyzes conversations for insights on sentiment and compliance risks [4] - The 'ConversationRelay' feature allows developers to create voice AI agents using preferred large language models (LLMs), integrating with customer data for improved interaction [4]

Core Insights - Proactive provides fast, accessible, and actionable business and finance news content to a global investment audience [2] - The company specializes in medium and small-cap markets while also covering blue-chip companies and broader investment stories [3] - Proactive's news team delivers insights across various sectors including biotech, pharma, mining, natural resources, battery metals, oil and gas, crypto, and emerging technologies [3] Technology Adoption - Proactive is committed to adopting technology to enhance its content creation and workflow processes [4] - The company utilizes automation and software tools, including generative AI, while ensuring that all content is edited and authored by humans [5]