This story was originally published on CIO Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily CIO Dive newsletter. Dive Brief:  Unilever plans to migrate its data and cloud platform to Google Cloud as part of a five-year partnership that will allow the company to use tools such as Vertex AI — Google Cloud’s enterprise AI platform — to build an AI-first technology foundation, the two companies announced Tuesday.  The consumer goods provider will integrate its enterprise apps and data pl ...

Group 1 - Financial institutions are rapidly transitioning AI agents from experimentation to production for various applications such as onboarding, fraud triage, transaction monitoring, and customer communication [1] - Model risk teams are facing increased pressure to validate more models frequently, necessitating built-in governance and evaluation for safe scaling of agentic AI [1][2] - The real concern in regulated financial environments is the potential for AI agents to "hallucinate," leading to unpredictable outcomes that differ from traditional deterministic systems [2][3] Group 2 - Core banking systems and compliance workflows rely on predictable logic, while agentic systems produce variable results, complicating testing and certification processes [3] - In financial compliance, inaccuracies in AI-generated reports can lead to significant control failures, which must be defensible under model risk management expectations [4] - There exists an "autonomy accountability gap," where the adoption of autonomous systems outpaces the development of accountability frameworks [5] Group 3 - Governance in organizations is often treated as an afterthought, with a focus on performance before addressing monitoring and oversight [6]

Summary of Infosys Investor AI Day - February 17, 2026 Company Overview - **Company**: Infosys (NYSE: INFY) - **Event**: 2026 Investor AI Day - **Location**: Bengaluru campus Key Industry Insights AI Transition - The current AI transition is fundamentally different from previous technology shifts due to its speed and impact on business operations [4][6][7] - Historical context shows that previous transitions (e.g., PCs, cloud) took longer to reach mass adoption compared to AI, which is rapidly gaining users due to existing infrastructure [5][6] - The AI transition requires a complete overhaul of business operations, moving beyond mere technological upgrades to a fundamental change in how businesses operate [7][8] Legacy System Modernization - Companies can no longer defer the modernization of legacy systems; many are spending 60%-80% of their IT budgets on maintaining outdated systems [9][10] - The need for modernization is driven by financial inefficiencies and increasing security threats [10][11] - AI provides tools for rapid and cost-effective modernization, presenting a significant opportunity for firms like Infosys [11] Deployment Gap - There exists a "deployment gap" where the rapid advancement of AI technology outpaces the ability of enterprises to implement it effectively [17][18] - This gap highlights the need for organizational change, retraining, and a shift in data management practices [17][19] Core Business Strategies AI Services Opportunity - Infosys is actively engaged in AI projects with 90% of its large clients, indicating a robust demand for AI services [32][33] - The company has identified six key areas for growth in AI services: AI strategy and engineering, data for AI, process transformation, legacy modernization, physical AI, and AI trust [36][37] AI-First Value Framework - Infosys has developed an AI-first value framework to guide its service offerings, which includes a detailed breakdown of 30 offerings and 100 sub-offerings [37][38] - The framework emphasizes the integration of AI into existing business processes to drive efficiency and innovation [39] Talent Transformation - Infosys is focusing on reskilling its workforce to meet the demands of AI integration, having recruited 20,000 college graduates in the current year [44][45] - The company aims to build a workforce that is both technically skilled and capable of reimagining workflows [54] Financial Performance - AI services currently represent 5.5% of Infosys's revenue in Q3, with expectations for robust growth in this segment [37] Challenges and Considerations Complexity of AI Integration - Integrating AI into enterprises is complex and requires a deep understanding of existing systems and processes [48][49] - Successful AI implementation involves not just technology but also a cultural shift within organizations [50][51] Unique Client Context - Each enterprise has unique data, processes, and risks, which means AI solutions must be tailored to individual client contexts [52] - Infosys's approach focuses on leveraging its deep client relationships and industry knowledge to unlock value [52] Conclusion - The AI transition presents both challenges and significant opportunities for Infosys and its clients, necessitating a strategic approach to modernization, talent transformation, and AI integration [27][28]

Core Insights - Infosys and Anthropic have announced a strategic collaboration aimed at developing advanced enterprise AI solutions for various industries, starting with telecommunications and expanding to financial services, manufacturing, and software development [1] Group 1: Collaboration Details - The collaboration will utilize Anthropic's Claude models, including Claude Code, integrated with Infosys Topaz AI offerings to automate complex workflows and accelerate software delivery [1] - A dedicated Anthropic Center of Excellence will be established to focus on building AI agents tailored to industry-specific operations, beginning with telecommunications [1] Group 2: Industry Applications - In software development, Claude Code will assist teams in writing, testing, and debugging code, enhancing the speed from design to production [1] - In manufacturing, Claude will facilitate faster product design and simulation, reducing R&D timelines and allowing for more iterations before production [1] - In financial services, AI agents will enhance risk detection, automate compliance reporting, and personalize customer interactions based on comprehensive account histories [1] - In telecommunications, AI agents will modernize network operations and improve service delivery, addressing the complexities of a heavily regulated industry [1] Group 3: Leadership Perspectives - Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, emphasized the importance of domain expertise in bridging the gap between AI models and their application in regulated industries [1] - Salil Parekh, CEO of Infosys, highlighted that the collaboration represents a strategic leap in advancing enterprise AI, aiming to unlock value and enhance organizational intelligence and resilience [1]

I'll readily admit that I don't know how the stock market will perform in 2026. It could continue to climb. On the other hand, the momentum from last year could evaporate. However, I think the individual stocks that outperform the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) this year will be those with key catalysts. With that in mind, I predict that three stocks will crush the market in 2026. Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispen ...

Core Viewpoint - Cantor Fitzgerald upgraded DigitalOcean Holdings, Inc. (DOCN) stock to "Overweight" from "Neutral," raising the price target to $68 from $47, reflecting approximately 6 times the updated revenue targets for calendar year 2027 [1]. Group 1: Business Growth and Strategy - DigitalOcean Holdings, Inc. is expected to continue scaling its business, particularly by acquiring large customers, as evidenced by its recent partnership with Character.ai [2]. - The company's digital-native and developer-first approach, which aims to provide hyperscale services to the mass market, positions it well for profitable growth and potential stock re-rating [3]. Group 2: Analyst Insights - BofA analyst Wamsi Mohan raised the price target for DigitalOcean Holdings, Inc. to $72 from $60 while maintaining a "Buy" rating, citing the early adoption of agentic AI and its applications as a reason for the increased valuation [4].

Core Insights - Alibaba has launched a new AI model, Qwen 3.5, which is designed for the "agentic AI era" and claims to outperform major U.S. competitors in several benchmarks [1][5] - The new model is reported to be 60% cheaper to use and eight times more efficient at processing large workloads compared to its predecessor [2][3] Company Developments - Qwen 3.5 aims to enhance user engagement with Alibaba's Qwen chatbot app, which is currently facing competition from ByteDance's Doubao and DeepSeek [1][3] - The rollout of Qwen 3.5 follows a successful coupon campaign that resulted in a seven-fold increase in active users for the Qwen chatbot [4] Competitive Landscape - ByteDance has recently upgraded its chatbot app to Doubao 2.0, which has a user base nearing 200 million, positioning itself as a strong competitor in the AI space [3] - Alibaba's previous model, Qwen 2.5-Max, was one of the first responses to DeepSeek's rise, indicating the competitive nature of the AI model market in China [5]

Core Insights - CleverTap has been recognized as a Leader in Gartner's 2026 Magic Quadrant for Personalization Engines, highlighting its progress in customer engagement and personalization [1][4]. Company Overview - CleverTap is an AI-first, all-in-one customer engagement and retention platform that helps brands build lasting customer relationships through data [7]. - The platform integrates AI-powered segmentation, personalization, experimentation, journey orchestration, and deep analytics, working seamlessly with over 100 leading martech solutions [7]. Technology and Innovation - The company's hyper-personalization approach utilizes CleverAI™, which enables 1:1 engagement at scale and interprets customer intent to deliver the right message at the right time [2][3]. - CleverAI™ is designed for autonomous real-time orchestration, optimizing customer experiences throughout the customer lifecycle [3]. Market Impact - Brands using CleverTap's solutions have reported up to a 35% increase in conversion rates across various industries, including financial services, retail, and telecom [2]. - The company continues to innovate and execute its product roadmap, aiming to revolutionize the customer engagement industry [5]. Clientele and Global Presence - CleverTap serves a diverse range of leading brands such as TD Bank, Burger King, Paytm, and Vodafone, demonstrating its capability to drive measurable growth through effective customer engagement [8]. - The company has a global presence with backing from investors like Accel and Tiger Global, operating across regions including the US, Europe, and Asia [8].

Core Insights - Cognizant is advancing its strategic partnership with Google Cloud to operationalize agentic AI at enterprise scale, moving from platform integration to execution [1] - The partnership aims to enhance productivity and delivery velocity by deploying Google Workspace alongside Gemini Enterprise internally [1] - Cognizant is establishing a dedicated Gemini Enterprise Center of Excellence to support scalable delivery of agentic AI solutions [1] Company Developments - Cognizant is combining internal deployment, commercial execution, and scaled delivery investments to achieve measurable business outcomes with agentic AI [1] - The company is launching a new productivity offering that integrates Gemini Enterprise and Google Workspace to streamline workflows for clients [1] - Cognizant's Agent Development Lifecycle (ADLC) will integrate AI into the development workflow, enhancing the implementation and rollout of AI solutions [1] Industry Impact - The partnership positions Cognizant as a builder and operator of agentic AI systems, addressing the need for clarity, governance, and measurable impact from AI investments [1] - Cognizant's capabilities, such as Cognizant Ignition and Cognizant Agent Foundry, will help clients realize rapid value through no-code solutions for high-impact use cases [1] - The collaboration with Google Cloud demonstrates a practical model for enterprises to adopt agentic AI at scale, focusing on execution-ready operating models [1]

Core Viewpoint - Rezolve AI is positioned as a promising investment opportunity due to its rapid revenue growth and strong institutional backing despite recent stock price declines [1] Financial Performance - Rezolve AI's revenue is projected to grow from $40 million in 2025 to $350 million in 2026, with expectations of achieving $500 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR) by the end of the year [1] - The company reported a significant drop in stock price, falling over 70% from its all-time highs, including a 20% decline year-to-date [1] - The stock's market capitalization is currently below $1 billion, indicating potential for valuation increases if the company continues to perform well [1] Investment Activity - A $250 million direct offering was oversubscribed at $4 per share, which led to confusion when the stock price dropped below $2.50 [1] - Institutional investors showed confidence in the stock by purchasing shares at $4, suggesting a belief in the company's future performance [1] Management and Strategy - The management team includes executives with experience from major tech companies like Apple, Alphabet, and Microsoft, indicating strong leadership and strategic direction [1] - The company has achieved its first profitable month in December, which may enhance its financial stability and reduce reliance on shareholder dilution in the future [1]