The voice AI solutions provider has a bright future despite a turbulent 2024.SoundHound AI (SOUN +1.15%) went public after merging with a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) in April 2022, which means that it started trading on the stock market just before the artificial intelligence (AI) boom began with the arrival of ChatGPT later that year.Importantly, SoundHound AI has capitalized on the growing demand for AI applications over the past three years. The company's voice AI solutions are gaining pop ...

Scott Wilder, a BCG partner and managing director, told Business Insider that a new team, called "forward deployed consultants," is rising through the ranks. It takes inspiration from a software engineering role popularized by Palantir, Wilder said."We're essentially building a tech company inside a consulting firm," said Sylvain Duranton, Global Leader of BCG X. "Our job has always been to help companies transform. But tech has become so critical to transformation that we needed to have a grip on it oursel ...

Chinese AI pioneer Manus said its annual run rate for revenue is over $125 million, eight months after it released artificial intelligence agents designed to help execute tasks for users https://t.co/Yw6Gm6Tean ...

History shows that breakthrough technologies don’t just slot into existing systems, they make us rethink those systems entirely. When steam power arrived, factories didn’t simply replace water wheels with engines. They redesigned the entire layout. Instead of clustering machines around a single power source, they spread them out, creating assembly lines and workflows that unlocked massive productivity gains. Electricity did the same, enabling flexible layouts and lighting that extended working hours and tra ...

Core Insights - UiPath is positioned as a potential leader in the upcoming AI supercycle, focusing on AI orchestration and automation solutions [6][14][15] Group 1: AI Supercycle and Market Position - The next phase of AI is expected to be agentic AI, where AI agents autonomously complete tasks, moving beyond generative AI [2] - UiPath aims to be a central player in managing various AI agents through its Maestro platform, which allows for the coordination of both AI agents and traditional software bots [7][11] Group 2: Product and Technology - The Maestro platform enables organizations to create custom AI agents and manage third-party agents, enhancing operational efficiency [7][11] - UiPath's background in robotic process automation (RPA) provides a strong foundation for AI agent orchestration, leveraging existing governance protocols and integration capabilities [8] Group 3: Partnerships and Innovations - Recent partnerships with leading AI companies, including Google and Nvidia, will enhance the capabilities of UiPath's platform, particularly in regulated industries [12][13] - Collaboration with Snowflake will enable real-time insights and data-driven automation, further expanding the utility of UiPath's technology [13] Group 4: Financial Outlook - UiPath's stock is currently trading at a price-to-sales multiple of less than 6, indicating it may be undervalued [15] - The company is beginning to see revenue growth accelerate, suggesting a promising future as it capitalizes on the AI orchestration market [14][15]

In the past, AI demand has primarily focused on training workloads, particularly for frontier models. While leading tech companies continue pouring resources into building ever-larger AI models, they are also reallocating more investment toward inference. Inference is the stage where trained AI models process new data to generate insights, make predictions or support decision-making. While training a model is essentially a one-time expense, prompting a model (inference) produces tokens, each of which carrie ...

Summary of Key Points from the Conference Call on Agentic Commerce Industry Overview - The discussion centers around the evolution of commerce driven by AI agents, termed "Agentic Commerce," which is expected to transform payment and retail sectors significantly [2][24]. Core Insights and Arguments - **Historical Context**: The evolution of retail from department stores to eCommerce and now to AI-driven commerce is highlighted, indicating a significant shift in how consumers interact with products and services [2]. - **Current State of AI in Commerce**: While a growing number of consumers are using AI tools for product searches, the impact on actual commerce remains minimal, with AI chatbots contributing to only a small fraction of total web traffic [3][30]. - **Future of AI Agents**: The potential for AI agents to autonomously plan and execute tasks on behalf of consumers is discussed, which could lead to a more personalized shopping experience [4][5][44]. - **Impact on Payments**: The rise of AI agents is expected to change payment methods, with traditional card networks likely emerging as winners due to their established trust and governance frameworks [9][10][68]. - **Consumer Behavior**: The shift in consumer behavior towards AI-driven shopping experiences is anticipated to take time, with incremental changes being observed in the near term [7][16]. Important Data and Statistics - **Consumer Usage of AI**: Approximately 47% of consumers in the U.S. have used AI for shopping-related tasks, with the most common use cases being finding gift ideas (21%) and conducting product research (16%) [26][30]. - **Market Potential**: McKinsey estimates that orchestrated revenue from Agentic Commerce within B2C retail could reach $1 trillion by 2030 in the U.S., with a global potential of $3 to $5 trillion [28][29]. Risks and Challenges - **Trust and Governance**: The need for robust governance frameworks and trust in AI agents is emphasized, as these agents will handle sensitive transactions and consumer data [9][68]. - **Disintermediation Risks**: Concerns about disintermediation in eCommerce marketplaces are raised, particularly if consumers begin their shopping journeys on third-party AI platforms [16][60]. - **Fragmentation of Protocols**: The current landscape is characterized by fragmentation and experimentation with various protocols for agent communication and payments, which could complicate the adoption of Agentic Commerce [48][69]. Merchant Responses and Developments - **Cautious Adoption**: Merchants are approaching the integration of AI agents with caution, balancing the potential for increased traffic against risks related to brand recognition and data control [60]. - **Innovative Integrations**: Companies like Etsy and eBay are actively integrating AI capabilities to enhance consumer experiences, while Amazon is taking a more protective stance against external AI agents [61][66]. Conclusion - The transition to Agentic Commerce represents a significant paradigm shift in how consumers shop and how payments are processed, with implications for both traditional and new-age payment networks. The evolution of AI agents will require careful navigation of trust, governance, and consumer behavior dynamics as the industry adapts to these changes [46][70].

Five9 (NasdaqGM:FIVN) FY Conference Summary Company Overview - **Company**: Five9 - **Industry**: Cloud-based Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS) Key Points Growth Strategy - Five9 is pursuing a two-pronged growth strategy focusing on product development and market approach [3][4] - The company identifies two major growth factors: AI for Customer Experience (CX) and traditional CCaaS market growth [3][4] - AI revenues are growing at 41% year-over-year, now constituting 11% of enterprise subscription revenue [3][4] - AI bookings increased by 80% year-over-year in the last quarter, indicating strong demand [4] Market Dynamics - Gartner projects that the percentage of contact center agents in the cloud will rise from 40% to 80% over the next several years, providing a significant growth opportunity for Five9 [4][5] - The migration to cloud solutions is expected to offset any potential cannibalization of human agents due to AI advancements [5][6] AI Adoption and Customer Engagement - The adoption of AI solutions is evolving, with many brands transitioning from proof of concepts to defined projects [12][14] - Customers are realizing the importance of integrated platforms for AI deployment, leading to increased demand for Five9's solutions [14][16] - Five9's AI offerings include self-service AI agents, Agent Assist products, and AI Insights for customer experience optimization [17][20] Partnerships and Market Position - Five9 has strengthened partnerships with major players like Salesforce, ServiceNow, and Google, with significant year-over-year growth in bookings [33][34][35] - The company is gaining market share as its growth rates outpace those of its partners, indicating a stronger position within their ecosystems [36] Financial Performance - Subscription revenue growth was 16% in Q2 and 10% in Q3, impacted by tough comparisons and a decline in the commercial business segment [42][44] - The company expects to see improved revenue trends as it laps tough comparisons and benefits from a strong backlog of new logo and install-based bookings [46][47] - Five9 is guiding for an annual revenue of $1.254 billion, with expectations of double-digit growth in the second half of the year [46] Profitability and Cost Management - Adjusted EBITDA margin improved from 19% in 2024 to a guidance of at least 24% for the current year, with a mid-term target of 25%-30% by 2027 [56] - The company is focused on cost management while reinvesting in strategic areas like AI and go-to-market initiatives [56] Capital Allocation - Five9 announced a $150 million share buyback program over two years, reflecting confidence in its valuation and cash flow generation [63] - The company is open to tech tuck-in acquisitions but remains cautious about overpaying for assets [66] Leadership and Culture - Five9 is seeking a new leader with a strong track record in product innovation and operational excellence to maintain its customer-centric culture [68][69] Additional Insights - The company emphasizes the importance of conversational data for AI effectiveness, positioning itself as a key player in the orchestration of AI and human interactions [27][28] - Five9's NPS scores are notably high, reflecting its commitment to customer success and satisfaction [69]

Google launches managed MCP servers that let AI agents simply plug into its tools https://t.co/oH2cZUfa2z ...

Summary of AI Adoption Tracker Report Industry Overview - The report focuses on the **Artificial Intelligence (AI)** industry, particularly its adoption across various sectors and its impact on semiconductor firms and the labor market [2][3][21]. Key Insights AI Adoption Rates - AI adoption among US firms has reached **17.4%**, a significant increase from **10%** reported in September 2025 [2][21]. - The increase in adoption is attributed to a change in survey wording, expanding the definition of AI use to "any business function" [21]. - **40%** of large firms (250+ employees) expect to use AI within the next six months [36]. Revenue Growth Projections - Revenue growth for semiconductor firms is projected to be **47%** by the end of 2026, with an increase in revenue projections by **$344 billion** for semiconductors and **$125 billion** for AI hardware enablers since the release of ChatGPT in late 2022 [2][6]. - AI-related hardware investment in the US has increased by **$221 billion** since 2022 [13]. Labor Market Impact - AI's impact on the overall labor market remains limited, but specific occupations such as marketing, graphic design, and tech are experiencing job displacement [2][44]. - AI-related job openings account for **28%** of all IT job openings, indicating a shift in labor demand towards AI-related roles [2][3]. - Corporate layoffs have affected **44,319 employees** due to AI mentions, with expectations that AI-driven job displacement could eventually impact **6-7%** of all workers [52]. Productivity Gains - Generative AI has shown a **27%** average uplift in productivity according to academic studies, while company anecdotes suggest gains of around **33%** [3][74]. - Industries with higher AI adoption rates are experiencing slightly larger productivity growth over the past year [3]. Sector-Specific Insights - Information, professional, and education firms lead in AI adoption, with publishing and computing firms expecting the largest increases in the next six months [24][31]. - Telecommunications and financial firms anticipate the largest increases in AI adoption over the next six months [31]. Challenges and Concerns - Despite the positive outlook, many organizations are still in the experimentation phase with AI, and **32%** of respondents expect workforce reductions due to AI use [42]. - Data security and privacy concerns have increased significantly since early 2023, posing challenges to full AI adoption [42]. Additional Observations - The report indicates a correlation between AI adoption and labor market outcomes, particularly among younger workers aged 20-30 in high AI adoption industries [66][68]. - The average annual budget for AI initiatives has doubled since early 2024, now averaging around **$10 million** [42]. This summary encapsulates the key findings and insights from the AI Adoption Tracker report, highlighting the growth, challenges, and implications of AI adoption across various sectors.