Tech

Salesforce projects revenue exceeding $60 billion by 2030, aiming to reassure investors amid growth concerns. This excludes the Informatica acquisition, expected to enhance data integration. While targeting over 10% organic growth, Salesforce faces skepticism due to AI code generation tools. CEO Benioff downplays AI’s imminent takeover, emphasizing human expertise. The company is focusing on its Agentforce software to automate customer service, despite slow early adoption. Partnerships with Anthropic and OpenAI aim to bolster Agentforce’s AI capabilities, showcased at Dreamforce with implementations at companies like FedEx and PepsiCo.

Arm CEO Rene Haas advocates for distributing AI workloads from cloud-based infrastructure to local devices to reduce energy consumption and improve sustainability. He highlights a shift towards hybrid computing, with AI training in the cloud and inference occurring on devices like smartphones and AR glasses. Arm’s expanded partnership with Meta aims to optimize AI efficiency across the entire compute stack, exemplified by localized speech recognition in Meta’s Ray-Ban Wayfarer glasses. This localized processing enhances responsiveness and reduces reliance on cloud servers.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Bessent accuses China of predatory rare earth pricing, prompting consideration of industrial policy, including price floors. Major U.S. banks reported strong earnings, contrasting trade uncertainty. Despite Trump’s trade stance, markets showed resilience, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite gaining. Investors are watching upcoming tech earnings from Tesla and Intel for trade war impacts. Separately, Abu Dhabi’s MGX investments, including in crypto and TikTok, have drawn attention, particularly concerning links to the Trump family.

Europe’s AI ambitions are threatened by increasing water scarcity. Data centers, crucial for AI, consume significant water, especially in water-stressed Southern Europe where tech giants are investing heavily. Experts highlight the lack of integrated planning, prioritizing AI over sustainability. While the EU emphasizes green computing and recycling, concerns persist about the overall water footprint, including off-site energy generation. Some regions are facing tensions and enacting restrictions due to strain on resources, prompting the industry to explore sustainable innovations like non-potable water feeds and water-efficient designs.

The FCC is intensifying scrutiny of Hong Kong-based HKT Trust and HKT Ltd due to national security concerns, initiating proceedings that could block their interconnection with U.S. networks. This follows similar actions against other Chinese telecom companies. HKT’s shares declined on the news. The FCC’s action reflects growing U.S. concerns about Chinese influence and security risks, particularly for companies with ties to the Chinese government, amidst escalating trade tensions. PCCW, HKT’s parent, is majority-owned by Richard Li, placing the company at the center of US-China geopolitical rivalry.

TSMC reported a strong Q3, driven by the thriving AI chip market. Profit surged 39.1% year-over-year, with revenue exceeding expectations at NT$989.92 billion. Net income also surpassed estimates, reaching NT$452.3 billion. The company’s HPC division, fueled by AI and 5G infrastructure demands, was a key growth driver. Advanced chips using 7-nanometer or smaller technologies comprised 74% of wafer revenue, highlighting TSMC’s technological lead in miniaturization. TSMC’s performance underscores its critical role in the global semiconductor supply chain and the AI revolution.

Nvidia, Microsoft, BlackRock, and xAI are set to acquire Aligned Data Centers for $40 billion, the largest data center deal to date. This acquisition, led by the Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Partnership (AIP), signals a surge in investment into the physical infrastructure required to support accelerating adoption of AI. Aligned, a design and operator of data centers, currently owned by Macquarie Asset Management, has 50 campuses with over 5 gigawatts of power capacity, making it an ideal initial investment for the AIP. The deal is expected to close late next year.

Walmart is deploying millions of battery-free ambient IoT sensors across its U.S. supply chain by 2026, partnering with Wiliot for enhanced, real-time inventory visibility. This initiative utilizes ambient energy to power sensors tracking temperature, location, and humidity, feeding data into Walmart’s AI to optimize supply chain efficiency and ensure inventory accuracy. The rollout includes Supercenters, Neighborhood Markets, and distribution centers, aiming for improved decision-making, reduced manual labor, and enhanced customer experience through better product availability.

Amid escalating U.S.-China trade tensions, ASML, a Dutch lithography systems manufacturer, is a key player. U.S. export restrictions, mirrored by Dutch licensing, limit China’s access to ASML’s advanced EUV technology, crucial for cutting-edge chip production. ASML anticipates a sales decline to Chinese customers. This impacts China’s semiconductor development, hindering its ability to compete with the U.S. Access to advanced semiconductors is vital, representing a critical fault line in the U.S.-China relationship, with implications for the global economic and geopolitical landscape.

Anthropic, now valued at $183 billion, has launched Claude Haiku 4.5, a cost-effective and efficient AI model intended for all users. Anthropic touts the model’s impressive speed and its ability to outperform larger AI models in specific tasks, especially system interactions. It rivals even OpenAI’s GPT-5 in coding proficiency. Available to free users and as the most economic option for paid subscribers, Haiku prioritizes fast, accurate responses, suitable for time-sensitive applications and parallel integration with larger models like Claude Sonnet.