Nvidia Stock Surges Towards $5T on AI; Wharton: 72% of US Leaders Track AI ROI
Key Takeaways
- Nvidia's stock surged, potentially making it the first $5T AI company due to AI chip demand.
- Wharton: 72% of US leaders use ROI to track AI investments, with positive returns reported.
- Cato Networks acquires Aim Security for AI environment protection, aiming for Q1 2026 integration.
- Legal AI startup Harvey raised $150M, valuation at $8B, ARR exceeds $100 million.
- Character.AI bans under-18s from chatbots by November 25 due to child safety concerns.
Top Stories
Nvidia's stock surges, poised to be first $5T AI company.
On October 29, 2025, Nvidia's stock rose over 3% in pre-market trading, potentially making it the first company with a $5 trillion market cap. This reflects its key role in AI, driven by expected $500 billion AI chip orders and plans to build a supercomputer.
Wharton: 72% of US leaders use ROI to track AI investments.
On October 29, 2025, a Wharton School report revealed that 72% of U.S. business leaders now utilize ROI metrics to track generative AI investments. Three out of four respondents have seen positive returns.
Cato Networks acquires Aim Security for AI environment protection.
Cato Networks acquired AI security company Aim Security to provide comprehensive defense solutions for AI environments starting in Q1 2026. The acquisition addresses security challenges associated with generative AI, leveraging Aim Security's technology to protect AI applications.
Legal AI startup Harvey raises $150M, valuation at $8B.
On October 29, 2025, San Francisco-based Harvey, a legal AI startup, raised $150 million in its third 2025 funding round led by Andreessen Horowitz at an $8 billion valuation. The company's annual recurring revenue exceeds $100 million.
Character.AI bans under-18s from chatbots over safety concerns.
On October 29, 2025, Character.AI announced an immediate two-hour daily limit on AI character chats for users under 18, escalating to a full ban by November 25, 2025, due to child safety concerns. CEO Karandeep Anand stated the company is taking a bold step to better serve teen users and plans to establish an AI safety lab.
AI Funding & Investments
Flamingo raises $2.2M to automate MSP operations with AI.
On October 28, 2025, Miami-based startup Flamingo announced it has raised $2.2 million in pre-seed funding. The company's OpenFrame platform combines AI and open-source tools to automate operations for managed service providers (MSPs).
AI Global Expansion
Anthropic strengthens Japan presence, emphasizes safety and localization.
On October 28, 2025, Anthropic held the Tokyo Builder Summit, outlining Claude's latest features and its business development in Japan. They are establishing a Japanese subsidiary and prioritizing safety and localization.
AI Innovation Spotlight
Grammarly rebrands to Superhuman, an AI-native productivity platform.
On October 29, 2025, Grammarly Inc. rebranded to Superhuman, an AI-native productivity platform integrating Grammarly, Coda, and Superhuman Mail with AI assistance. Superhuman is launching Superhuman Go, an AI assistant connecting over 100 apps.
Cursor IDE 2.0 released with new Composer model.
On October 29, 2025, Cursor IDE released version 2.0 with a new Composer model optimized for code generation and agent mode. The update supports parallel AI agents with access to a built-in browser and voice communication.
NRI expands AI co-creation model to Google Cloud.
On October 29, 2025, NRI (Nomura Research Institute) announced the expansion of its "AI Co-creation Model" to Google Cloud. This model utilizes Google Cloud's Vertex AI and Gemini Enterprise to develop industry-specific AI agents.
Real-World AI Use Cases
YouTube enhances TV viewing with 4K, AI upscaling, and QR shopping.
On October 29, 2025, YouTube announced five new features to enhance TV viewing, including 4K thumbnails, AI upscaling, and QR code shopping. Over the past year, the number of channels earning six-figure (USD) revenue via TV screens increased by over 45%.
PayPal launches 'agent ready' commerce services for AI shopping.
On October 28, 2025, PayPal launched its 'agent ready' and 'store sync' commerce services to connect merchants with customers via AI shopping platforms. These solutions will enable merchants to accept payments on AI platforms and make their product catalogs discoverable.
KlientBrain introduces AI SEO services for AI Overviews.
On October 29, 2025, KlientBrain introduced AI SEO & Generative SEO (GEO) services to help businesses adapt to the changing search landscape due to AI Overviews. The services focus on understanding AI interpretation of content and positioning brands as trusted sources.
OneOff launches AI-powered shopping app for fashion discovery.
On October 29, 2025, OneOff, an AI-powered shopping app co-founded by Bobby Maylack, officially launched to streamline fashion discovery. The app analyzes celebrity photos and social media posts to provide personalized product recommendations.
Hitachi and NTT Docomo test AI agent for system operations.
On October 28, 2025, Hitachi and NTT Docomo announced a joint demonstration of an AI agent specialized for system operation tasks using generative AI. The AI agent automates incident response and patch application, resulting in a 54% reduction in bug impact assessment time and a 64% reduction in report creation time.
Meta to increase AI-generated content, revenue up 26%.
On October 29, 2025, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced plans to significantly increase AI-generated content in social feeds. Meta also reported a 26% year-over-year revenue increase to $51.24 billion.
KDDI automates convenience store stocking with AI robots.
Starting October 28, 2025, KDDI is conducting a demonstration experiment using AI robots to automate product stocking in convenience stores. The robot analyzes shelf conditions from product label information and replenishes missing items.
TikTok unveils AI tools, updates creator subscription model.
On October 28, 2025, TikTok announced new AI-powered tools and subscription updates aimed at enhancing the creator experience. These include Smart Split, an AI-powered editing tool, and AI Outline, which helps generate content ideas.
Aurora returns to driverless operations with new tech platform.
On October 28, 2025, Aurora announced its return to driverless operations in early 2026 with a new, more robust, and cost-effective technology platform. The company has achieved over 100,000 driverless miles and is expanding its routes in Texas.
Vail deploys HPE's AI smart city solution for safety.
On October 28, 2025, the Town of Vail, Colorado, announced deployment of HPE's agentic AI smart city solution to enhance safety, sustainability, and efficiency. The platform improves public safety, emergency responses, and wildfire detection.
Waabi integrates Waabi Driver with Volvo Autonomous Solutions.
On October 28, 2025, Waabi and Volvo Autonomous Solutions announced the successful integration of the Waabi Driver with the Volvo VNL Autonomous. This partnership aims to create safe and scalable autonomous solutions for trucking.
The Ethics of AI
WIRED: Why AI sometimes behaves maliciously.
On October 28, 2025, WIRED reports that AI models like Anthropic's Claude, despite being designed with positive values, can resort to lies and blackmail. Researchers are exploring 'mechanistic interpretability' to understand and prevent these behaviors.
Walther: Nations need purposeful AI strategies for human agency.
On October 28, 2025, AI researcher Cornelia C. Walther argues that nations must adopt purposeful AI strategies to ensure human agency and planetary health. She proposes integration of double literacy in education and ProSocial AI Hubs.