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Meta hires top OpenAI researcher for AI superintelligence push

Meta has reportedly hired AI researcher Trapit Bansal, who previously worked closely with OpenAI co-founder Ilya Sutskever on reinforcement learning and co-created the o1 reasoning model.

Bansal joins Meta’s ambitious superintelligence team, which is focused on further pushing AI reasoning capabilities.

Former Scale AI CEO Alexandr Wang leads the new team, brought in after Meta invested $14.3 billion in the AI data labelling company.

Alongside Bansal, several other notable figures have recently joined, including three OpenAI researchers from Zurich, a former Google DeepMind expert, Jack Rae, and a senior machine learning lead from Sesame AI.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is accelerating AI recruitment by negotiating with prominent names like former GitHub CEO Nat Friedman and Safe Superintelligence co-founder Daniel Gross.

Despite these aggressive efforts, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman revealed that even $100 million joining bonuses have failed to lure key staff away from his firm.

Zuckerberg has also explored acquiring startups such as Sutskever’s Safe SuperIntelligence and Perplexity AI, further highlighting Meta’s urgency in catching up in the generative AI race.

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Infosys chairman warns of global risks from tariffs and AI

Infosys chairman Nandan Nilekani has warned of mounting global uncertainty driven by tariff wars, AI and the ongoing energy transition.

At the company’s 44th annual general meeting, he urged businesses to de-risk sourcing and diversify supply chains as geopolitical trade tensions reshape global commerce.

He described a ‘perfect storm’ of converging challenges pushing the world away from a single global market and towards fragmented trade blocs. As firms navigate the shift, they must choose between regions and adopt more strategic, resilient supply networks.

Addressing AI, Nilekani acknowledged the disruption it may bring to the workforce but framed it as an opportunity for digital transformation. He said Infosys is investing in both ‘AI foundries’ for innovation and ‘AI factories’ for scale, with over 275,000 employees already trained in AI technologies.

Energy transition was also flagged as a significant uncertainty, as the future depends on breakthroughs in renewable sources like solar, wind and hydrogen. Nilekani stressed that all businesses now face rapid technological and operational change before they can progress confidently into an unpredictable future.

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Google releases free Gemini CLI tool for developers

Google has introduced Gemini CLI, a free, open-source AI tool that connects developers directly to its Gemini AI models. The new agentic utility allows developers to request debugging, generate code, and run commands using natural language within their terminal environment.

Built as a lightweight interface, Gemini CLI provides a streamlined way to interact with Gemini. While its coding features stand out, Google says the tool handles content creation, deep research, and complex task management across various workflows.

Gemini CLI uses Gemini 2.5 Pro for coding and reasoning tasks by default. Still, it can also connect to other AI models, such as Imagen and Veo, for image and video generation. It supports the Model Context Protocol (MCP) and integrates with Gemini Code Assist.

Moreover, the tool is available on Windows, MacOS, and Linux, offering developers a free usage tier. Access through Vertex AI or AI Studio is available on a pay-as-you-go basis for advanced setups involving multiple agents or custom models.

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Nvidia becomes world’s most valuable company after stock surge

Nvidia shares hit an all-time high on 25 June, rising 4.3 percent to US$154.31. The stock has surged 63 percent since April, adding another US$1.5 trillion to its market value.

With a total market capitalisation of about US$3.77 trillion, Nvidia has overtaken Microsoft to become the world’s most valuable listed company.

Strong earnings and growing AI infrastructure spending by major clients — including Microsoft, Meta, Alphabet and Amazon — have reinforced investor confidence.

Nvidia’s CEO, Jensen Huang, told shareholders that demand remains strong and that the computer industry is still in the early stages of a major AI upgrade cycle.

Despite gaining 15 percent in 2025, following a 170 percent rise in 2024 and a 240 percent surge in 2023, Nvidia still appears reasonably valued. It trades at 31.5 times forward earnings, below its 10-year average and close to the Nasdaq 100 multiple, even though its projected growth rate is higher.

Analyst sentiment remains firmly bullish. Nearly 90 percent of analysts tracked by Bloomberg recommend buying the stock, which trades below their average price target.

Yet, Nvidia is less widely held among institutional investors than peers like Microsoft and Apple, indicating further room for buying as AI momentum continues into 2026.

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Bosch calls for balanced AI rules in Europe

Bosch CEO Stefan Hartung has cautioned that Europe could slow its progress in AI by imposing too many regulations. Speaking at a tech conference in Stuttgart, he argued that strict and unclear rules make the region less attractive for innovation.

Bosch, which holds the most significant number of AI patents in Europe, plans to invest 2.5 billion euros in AI development by the end of 2027. The company is focusing on AI solutions for autonomous vehicles and industrial efficiency.

Hartung urged lawmakers to focus on essential regulations rather than attempting to control every aspect of technological progress. He warned that over-regulation could hinder Europe’s global competitiveness, particularly as the US and the EU ramp up AI investments.

The warning follows significant funding announcements, with the US committing up to 500 billion dollars and the EU planning to mobilise 200 billion euros for AI infrastructure.

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Top 7 AI agents transforming business in 2025

AI agents are no longer a futuristic concept — they’re now embedded in the everyday operations of major companies across sectors.

From customer service to data analysis, AI-powered agents transform workflows by handling tasks like scheduling, reporting, and decision-making with minimal human input.

Unlike simple chatbots, today’s AI agents understand context, follow multi-step instructions, and integrate seamlessly with business tools. Google’s Gemini Agents, IBM’s Watsonx Orchestrate, Microsoft Copilot, and OpenAI’s Operator are some tools that reshape how businesses function.

These systems interpret goals and act on behalf of employees, boosting productivity without needing constant prompts.

Other leading platforms include Amelia, known for its enterprise-grade capabilities in finance and telecom; Claude by Anthropic, focused on safe and transparent reasoning; and North by Cohere, which delivers sector-specific AI for clients like Oracle and SAP.

Many of these tools offer no-code or low-code setups, enabling faster adoption across HR, finance, customer support, and more.

While most agents aren’t entirely autonomous, they’re designed to perform meaningful work and evolve with feedback.

The rise of agentic AI marks a significant shift in workplace automation as businesses move beyond experimentation toward real-world implementation, one workflow at a time.

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Google launches AI Mode Search in India

Google has launched its advanced AI Mode search experience in India, allowing users to explore information through more natural and complex interactions.

The feature, previously available as an experiment in the US, can now be enabled in English via Search Labs. Users test experimental tools on this platform and share feedback on early Google Search features.

Once activated, AI Mode introduces a new tab in the Search interface and Google app. It offers expanded reasoning capabilities powered by Gemini 2.5, enabling queries through text, voice, or images.

The shift supports deeper exploration by allowing follow-up questions and offering diverse web links, helping users understand topics from multiple viewpoints.

India plays a key role in this rollout due to its widespread visual and voice search use.

According to Hema Budaraju, Vice President of Product Management for Search, more users in India engage with Google Lens each month than anywhere else. AI Mode reflects Google’s broader goal of making information accessible across different formats.

Google also highlighted that over 1.5 billion people globally use AI Overviews monthly. These AI-generated summaries, which appear at the top of search results, have driven a 10% rise in user engagement for specific types of queries in both India and the US.

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Oakley Meta HSTN smart glasses unveiled

Meta and Oakley have revealed the Oakley Meta HSTN, a new AI-powered smart glasses model explicitly designed for athletes and fitness fans. The glasses combine Meta’s advanced AI with Oakley’s signature sporty design, offering features tailored for high-performance settings.

The device is ideal for workouts and outdoor use and is equipped with a 3K ultra-HD camera, open-ear speakers, and IPX4 water resistance.

On-device Meta AI provides real-time coaching, hands-free information and eight hours of active battery life, while a compact charging case adds up to 48 more hours.

The glasses are set for pre-order from 11 July, with a limited-edition gold-accent version priced at 499 dollars. Standard versions will follow later in the summer, with availability expanding beyond North America, Europe and Australia to India and the UAE by year-end.

Sports stars like Kylian Mbappé and Patrick Mahomes are helping introduce the glasses, representing Meta’s move to integrate smart tech into athletic gear. The product marks a shift from lifestyle-focused eyewear to functional devices supporting sports performance.

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Apple considers buying Perplexity AI

Apple is reportedly considering the acquisition of Perplexity AI as it attempts to catch up in the fast-moving race for dominance in generative technology.

According to Bloomberg, the discussions involve senior executives, including Eddy Cue and merger head Adrian Perica, who remain at an early stage.

Such a move would significantly shift Apple, which typically avoids large-scale takeovers. However, with investor pressure mounting after an underwhelming developer conference, the tech giant may rethink its traditionally cautious acquisition strategy.

Perplexity has gained prominence for its fast, clear AI chatbot and recently secured funding at a $14 billion valuation.

Should Apple proceed, the acquisition would be the company’s largest ever financially and strategically, potentially transforming its position in AI and reducing its long-standing dependence on Google’s search infrastructure.

Apple’s slow development of Siri and reliance on a $20 billion revenue-sharing deal with Google have left it trailing rivals. With that partnership now under regulatory scrutiny in the US, Apple may view Perplexity as a vital step towards building a more autonomous search and AI ecosystem.

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Perplexity AI bot now makes videos on X

Perplexity’s AI chatbot, now integrated with X (formerly Twitter), has introduced a feature that allows users to generate short AI-created videos with sound.

By tagging @AskPerplexity with a brief prompt, users receive eight-second clips featuring computer-generated visuals and audio, including dialogue. The move is as a potential driver of engagement on the Elon Musk-owned platform.

However, concerns have emerged over the possibility of misinformation spreading more easily. Perplexity claims to have installed strong filters to limit abuse, but X’s poor content moderation continues to fuel scepticism.

The feature has already been used to create imaginative videos involving public figures, sparking debates around ethical use.

The competition between Perplexity’s ‘Ask’ bot and Musk’s Grok AI is intensifying, with the former taking the lead in multimedia capabilities. Despite its popularity on X, Grok does not currently support video generation.

Meanwhile, Perplexity is expanding to other platforms, including WhatsApp, offering AI services directly without requiring a separate app or registration.

Legal troubles have also surfaced. The BBC is threatening legal action against Perplexity over alleged unauthorised use of its content for AI training. In a strongly worded letter, the broadcaster has demanded content deletion, compensation, and a halt to further scraping.

Perplexity dismissed the claims as manipulative, accusing the BBC of misunderstanding technology and copyright law.

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