Almost all marketers globally are leveraging AI tools for creative projects, yet a significant majority of consumers still favor human-made content. This disconnect highlights a key insight from Canva's 2026 State of Marketing and AI report, revealing a divide between industry excitement over AI and public skepticism.
Over the past eight months, Carta has strategically acquired assets to build a groundbreaking platform that integrates dealmaking, fund management, investor communications, and now legal and compliance services. The recent purchase of Avantia, a UK-based AI-driven law firm specializing in asset management, marks a significant step in unifying the private capital industry under a single technology ecosystem.
The once-promising collaboration between OpenAI and Apple, unveiled with much excitement in June 2024, is now unraveling. Sources familiar with the matter reveal that OpenAI's legal team is consulting an external law firm to evaluate possible responses, which may include issuing a formal breach of contract notice to Apple. Although no lawsuit has been filed yet, tensions between the two companies are rising as the partnership collapses.
Thrive Capital, led by Joshua Kushner, has made a strategic investment of around $100 million in Shopify, according to sources cited by Bloomberg. While the amount is relatively small for the fund, which recently raised over $10 billion, the move is significant as it reflects confidence in Shopify's potential in the evolving AI landscape. This investment highlights a trend where strong AI prospects can be found in undervalued stocks, signaling a unique approach in venture capital.
Over the past ten months, Figma’s journey on Wall Street illustrates the volatility tech stocks can face. After its IPO on July 31, 2025, priced at $33 per share, Figma’s stock surged past $140 on its first day of trading. However, throughout 2026, the stock has steadily declined, impacted in part by competition from Google's free Stitch design tool and Anthropic’s Claude AI, casting uncertainty on the market’s confidence despite Figma’s strong performance in AI.
MUFG, Mizuho, and SMFG are poised to be the first Japanese banks to integrate Claude Mythos, an AI vulnerability-detection system developed by Anthropic, according to an insider familiar with the project. The rollout under Anthropic’s controlled Project Glasswing is expected to begin within two weeks, marking a significant step in AI adoption among Japan’s top financial institutions.
Copenhagen-based clinical AI firm Corti has introduced a no-equity accelerator program for healthcare and life sciences startups. The company is granting access to its Symphony AI model stack, which has outperformed OpenAI on the HealthBench Professional benchmark. Alongside free credits, Corti is providing regulatory guidance to support global founders navigating the increasingly stringent European regulatory landscape.
On the eve of the Xi summit, Beijing's foreign ministry criticized the MATCH Act, which imposes a 150-day compliance deadline for Japan and the Netherlands, aiming to restrict semiconductor manufacturing equipment exports. The US bill is part of broader efforts to tighten control over key chip technology. China has escalated its opposition as Trump arrives in Beijing, signaling heightened tensions over technology and trade regulations between the two nations.
LinkedIn, part of Microsoft, is the latest tech company to announce significant layoffs, trimming about 5% of its workforce. This move places LinkedIn alongside other industry giants like Meta, Amazon, Oracle, and IBM, which have collectively reduced their tech staff by over 100,000 jobs. Despite these cuts, these firms continue to invest heavily in artificial intelligence, with a combined $725 billion earmarked for AI initiatives in 2024.
Amazon is enhancing its shopping experience by integrating the Alexa for Shopping assistant directly into the main search bar on Amazon.com. This move comes as the unified Alexa absorbs the capabilities of the former Rufus assistant, streamlining user interaction. Concurrently, Amazon has taken legal steps to restrict external AI agents such as Perplexity's Comet from operating within its marketplace, highlighting tensions around AI-driven commerce.
