Endex.ai has secured $14 million in funding to bring AI directly into Microsoft Excel. The funding round was led by the OpenAI Startup Fund, marking a significant moment for traditional tools in the business world.
Founded in 2022 by Tarun Amasa and Kevin Yang, the startup has spent the past year collaborating quietly with financial institutions to refine its product.
Now available to the public through limited invites, the tool embeds itself within Excel and helps users manage tasks like financial modelling, data cleanup, and detailed analysis (without switching applications).
Unlike broader AI tools, Endex has been designed specifically for finance professionals. It understands financial terminology, adapts to user habits, and references trusted data sources such as SEC filings, CapIQ, and earnings reports.
The company describes its product as Excel-native, aiming to enhance rather than replace a tool already deeply integrated into finance work.
With the new funding, Endex plans to expand development and scale its reach. The AI agent already works on both Mac and Windows, and its frictionless interface is proving attractive in a field where saving time and improving accuracy can make a substantial difference.
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NVIDIA has publicly rejected calls to embed kill switches or backdoors in its AI chips amid growing political pressure. The statement follows proposals from US lawmakers and accusations by Chinese authorities.
Chief Security Officer David Reber Jr. said any such backdoor would endanger global digital infrastructure and open doors for hackers. He reaffirmed NVIDIA’s commitment to fixing vulnerabilities, not creating them.
The controversy arises as the chipmaker navigates strict US export controls while maintaining its foothold in China with the H20 chip. A Chinese agency recently claimed these chips already contain hidden controls.
Reber distinguished transparent, user-controlled tools like remote wipe from covert backdoors, arguing they serve customers without risking the system integrity of the chips.
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Beijing United Family Hospital and Alibaba DAMO Academy have launched a joint effort to bring advanced AI screening into clinical use.
Their flagship project uses a plain CT scan combined with DAMO Academy’s multi-condition detection AI to facilitate early identification of gastrointestinal cancers and chronic diseases.
The technology has already internationally earned the FDA’s ‘Breakthrough Device’ designation. Collaborators stress that combining AI with established international standards supports more accurate, patient-centred care.
Taiwan’s Digital Minister, Huang Yen-nun, discussed deeper cooperation in digital and AI technologies with the United States during the recent APEC conference in Incheon—the talks from 3 August to 6 August marked a new phase in bilateral tech collaboration.
Huang confirmed that the APEC gathering had produced its first joint ministerial statement on digital and AI policy. Ministers pledged to enhance connectivity, prevent digital exclusion, promote trustworthy AI, and accelerate the adoption of responsible technology across the Asia-Pacific region.
Digital goals of Taiwan closely align with the APEC declaration, Huang said, particularly in areas such as online fraud prevention, resilience-building, and expanding the digital economy. He framed the agreement as a strong alignment with national priorities.
Michael Kratsios, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, was highlighted as a key ally. Huang also held talks with representatives from Japan and Southeast Asia to explore regional cooperation in emerging technologies.
Cybersecurity and semiconductors remain central to Taiwan’s leadership in the technology sector. However, Huang acknowledged that further investment and collaboration with digital trailblazers, such as those in the United States, are needed to maintain the country’s edge in high-value innovation.
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LG CNS has secured a 100 billion won ($72 million) contract to build an AI data centre in Jakarta, a first for a Korean firm in a project of this kind overseas. The centre is expected to be completed by 2026 and will house over 100,000 servers.
The deal was signed through LG Sinar Mas Technology Solutions, a joint venture between Sinar Mas Group of Indonesia and LG of South Korea. Local partner KMG, backed by Korea Investment Real Asset Management, is leading the project to create Indonesia’s largest hyperscale AI data centre.
The 11-storey facility will launch with a power capacity of 30 megawatts, with plans to expand to 220 megawatts in future phases. LG CNS will manage key infrastructure, including electricity, cooling, and telecoms systems, using technologies across the LG Group.
Safety has been a key selling point. The centre will utilise seismic isolation systems to safeguard equipment in earthquake-prone Southeast Asia. Redundant power systems will also ensure continuous operation even during outages.
Southeast Asia is emerging as a cost-effective hub for AI among global technology giants. LG CNS plans to leverage the Jakarta project as a launchpad for expanding into Singapore, Malaysia, and other international markets.
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OpenAI is preparing to add a payment system into ChatGPT, allowing users to complete purchases without ever leaving the chatbot. Retail leaders are calling it a turning point in e-commerce, as it may significantly simplify how people shop online.
The company is expected to take a cut of transactions and work with platforms such as Shopify to streamline operations. With over 77 million users, ChatGPT has the reach to become a dominant shopping tool, potentially bypassing platforms like Amazon.
Executives worry visibility could depend on revenue-sharing, forcing brands to pay for prominence in the chatbot. Some fear this pay-to-play model could leave smaller retailers behind and limit consumer choice.
At the same time, personalised AI-driven recommendations may enhance user experiences while raising questions about data use and bias. Entrepreneurs on X are already predicting widespread AI-led shopping within a year.
Retailers are now adjusting strategies to remain visible in this new market. While some early adopters show success using AI to complete purchases, others highlight technical challenges in integration and website compatibility.
Observers say search engines could lose relevance as shoppers turn to AI instead. Regulators remain cautious, particularly in markets like Australia, where many consumers are open to AI-led transactions.
The industry faces a shift where chatbots may evolve into full-scale digital marketplaces. Brands are urged to act quickly, or risk losing out as AI commerce becomes the norm.
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Google has become the first major tech firm to sign formal agreements with US electric utilities to ease grid pressure. The deals come as data centres drive unprecedented energy demand, straining power infrastructure in several regions.
The company will work with Indiana Michigan Power and Tennessee Valley Authority to reduce electricity usage during peak demand. These arrangements will help divert power to general utilities when needed.
Under the agreements, Google will temporarily scale down its data centre operations, particularly those linked to energy-intensive AI and machine learning workloads.
Google described the initiative as a way to speed up data centre integration with local grids while avoiding costly infrastructure expansion. The move reflects growing concern over AI’s rising energy footprint.
Demand-response programmes, once used mainly in heavy manufacturing and crypto mining, are now being adopted by tech firms to stabilise grids in return for lower energy costs.
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OpenAI has introduced a new ‘study mode’ to help students use AI for learning rather than cheating. The update arrives amid a spike in academic dishonesty linked to generative AI tools.
According to The Guardian, a UK survey found nearly 7,000 confirmed cases of AI misuse during the 2023–24 academic year. Universities are under pressure to adapt assessments in response.
Under the chatbot’s Tools menu, the new mode walks users through questions with step-by-step guidance, acting more like a tutor than a solution engine.
Jayna Devani, OpenAI’s international education lead, said the aim is to foster productive use of AI. ‘It’s guiding me towards an answer, rather than just giving it to me first-hand,’ she explained.
The tool can assist with homework and exam prep and even interpret uploaded images of past papers. OpenAI cautions it may still produce errors, underscoring the need for broader conversations around AI in education.
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OpenAI CEO Sam Altman shared a screenshot on X showing GPT-5 in action. The post casually endorsed the animated sci-fi series Pantheon, a cult tech favourite exploring general AI.
When asked if GPT-5 also recommends the show, Altman replied with a screenshot: ‘turns out yes’. It marked one of the earliest public glimpses of the new model, hinting at expanded capabilities.
GPT-5 is expected to outperform its predecessors, with a larger context window, multimodal abilities, and more agentic task handling. The screenshot also shows that some quirks remain, such as its fondness for the em dash.
The model identified Pantheon as having a 100% critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes and described it as ‘cerebral, emotional, and philosophically intense’. Business Insider verified the score and tone of the reviews.
OpenAI faces mounting pressure to keep pace with rivals like Google DeepMind, Meta, xAI, and Anthropic. Public teasers such as this one suggest GPT-5 will soon make a broader debut.
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At Mindvalley’s AI Summit, former Google Chief Decision Scientist Cassie Kozyrkov described AI as not a substitute for human thought but a magnifier of what the human mind can produce. Rather than replacing us, AI lets us offload mundane tasks and focus on deeper cognitive and creative work.
Work structures are being transformed, not just in factories, but behind computer screens. AI now handles administrative ‘work about work,’ multitasking, scheduling, and research summarisation, lowering friction in knowledge work and enabling people to supervise agents rather than execute tasks manually.
Personal life is being reshaped, too. AI tools for finance or health, such as budgeting apps or personalised diagnostics, move decisions into data-augmented systems with faster insight and fewer human biases.
Meanwhile, creativity is co-authored via AI-generated design, music or writing, requiring humans to filter, refine and ideate beyond the algorithm.
Recognising cognitive change, AI thought leaders envision a new era where ‘blended work’ prevails: humans manage AI agents, call the shots, and wield ethical oversight, while the AI executes pipelines of repetitive or semi-intelligent tasks.
