“Artificial intelligence is a phenomenal technology revolution, it’s absolutely not a bubble.” AI pioneer Kai-Fu Lee discusses whether trillion-dollar AI valuations can be justified with Francine Lacqua

Artificial intelligence is increasingly taking over work traditionally handled by consultants, according to “Shark Tank” investor Kevin O’Leary, who says the shift is changing how companies approach outside advice. O’Leary said businesses he invests in are increasingly turning to AI before hiring consultants for specialized work. Companies that once paid consulting firms to analyze issues such as retail distribution strategies, organizational structures and other business decisions can now ask AI systems to perform similar evaluations at a much lower cost. “Even the companies that I invest in that used to use a lot of consultants for very specific vertical situations … are first going to AI, which they can do for a lot cheaper,” O’Leary said. He added that management teams are also testing AI-generated recommendations internally before deciding whether outside advisers are necessary. That shift could put pressure on traditional consulting firms as companies become more comfortable using AI for research, analysis and strategic recommendations. O’Leary said the trend has accelerated significantly as AI tools have become more capable, giving businesses another way to cut costs while accessing specialized analysis. The broader takeaway is that AI is not only automating repetitive work. It is increasingly moving into higher-value knowledge work that has historically supported large consulting businesses.

Artificial intelligence is helping Southeast Asia’s digital economy deliver robust growth in the face of rising prices and teetering demand, according to a group of researchers

Artificial intelligence is already being widely used on the battlefield, and the role of human judgment in military operations is shrinking rapidly, the head of the UN’s independent disarmament research institute UNIDIR warned on Tuesday.

Artificial Analysis just launched a personality benchmark for AI models. 36 models, 900 questions. Grok 4.7 is the only model in the top 3 on both:
- Conviction (direct, confident, willing to push back): #3
-# Least slop (filler and generic phrasing): #3# Claude Fable is more direct but pads its answers more. GPT-6 Sol has less filler but is far less direct. That is the mix I want from an assistant. Give me the answer and stop.