Corporate borrowing for AI is breaking records across currencies and deal structures. Amazon and Alphabet lead a $60 billion bond blitz, while new lease-backed notes test investor appetite as spending nears $725 billion.
OpenAI’s new report maps AI’s potential labor market impact across the EU, identifying four occupational archetypes and highlighting stark country-level differences. It urges policymakers to use granular data for proactive planning rather than waiting for headline unemployment shifts.
Surging AI bills are upending corporate strategies, driving a shift from premium models to cost-effective alternatives. Tech CEOs now champion smaller models for most tasks, as usage-based pricing delivers budget shocks and open-source gains ground.
Osaka Prefectural Police have introduced AIko, an AI-generated virtual chief, to combat Japan’s record $2 billion fraud epidemic. Targeting younger victims through social media, the avatar delivers blunt crime prevention warnings in a strategic shift for law enforcement.
Asian markets traded choppily on Monday as investors weighed AI-driven growth against rising cost pressures, with South Korea’s KOSPI sliding further and Taiwan’s rally pausing. A fragile U.S.-Iran ceasefire added to the uncertainty, keeping oil prices and the dollar elevated.
AWS CEO Matt Garman rejects predictions that AI will wipe out half of entry-level jobs, calling them overblown. He reveals Amazon’s plan to hire 11,000 new graduates, arguing their energy and adaptability are essential even as the company cuts thousands of roles.
Investment banking analysts face an AI revolution that can build models in seconds, but senior dealmakers insist the two-year analyst programme will endure. Trust issues and cost structures protect the juniors, though the job’s grueling hours may persist.
YouTube introduced AI-powered comment management tools in Studio that use semantic search to group replies by topic. Creators can now filter comments by meaning, not just keywords, saving time and revealing audience insights.
Kunlunxin, Baidu’s AI chip unit, is seeking a $50 billion valuation in its Hong Kong IPO—a 17-fold jump from December. The move highlights extreme AI market exuberance and a disconnect with Baidu’s own stock.
Brokerages see Chinese stocks rising further in H2 2026, fueled by AI tech strength and energy transition benefits. Earnings growth and household inflows support the bullish case.