Business - News Articles

OpenAI Closes In On Record $100B+ Funding Round, Valuation Poised To Exceed $850B

Feb 20, 2026

Bloomberg.com

OpenAI is closing in on a record-breaking $100 billion+ funding round that could push its valuation beyond $850 billion, cementing its status as one of the most valuable AI companies in history.

Funding Business

Accenture Mandates AI Proficiency for Promotions, Warns Employees Who Can't Reskill Face Layoffs

Feb 20, 2026

CNBC

Accenture mandates AI proficiency for promotions and warns employees who fail to reskill face layoffs, as CEO Julie Sweet confirms 550,000 of 780,000 workers have already been trained on generative AI fundamentals.

Labor & Jobs Enterprise Business

Sam Altman Urges Urgent Global AI Regulation at New Delhi Summit, Warns of Bioweapon Risks as OpenAI Partners with TCS

Feb 20, 2026

Yahoo News

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman urgently calls for global AI regulation and an international oversight body at New Delhi's AI Impact Summit, warning that open-source biomodels pose serious bioweapon risks, while announcing a major partnership with TCS to expand AI infrastructure in India, where ChatGPT now serves 100 million weekly users.

Regulation Geopolitics AI Safety Business

Perplexity Drops Ad Plans, Shifts Focus to Premium Users Amid AI Search Competition

Feb 19, 2026

WIRED

Perplexity scraps its advertising plans and pivots to premium users, signaling a major strategic shift as the AI search startup battles Google and fights to find a sustainable, trust-preserving business model.

Search Business Funding

Apple Rushes Three AI Devices Into Development Despite Doubts Over Company's AI Execution Capabilities

Feb 19, 2026

The Deep View

Apple rushes three AI devices into development for 2026-2027 launch including smart glasses, camera-equipped AirPods, and AI pendant, despite major doubts about the company's AI execution capabilities following disappointing Apple Intelligence rollout.

AR/VR & Wearables Consumer Products Business

Canva Hits $4 Billion Annual Revenue as AI Strategy Drives 265 Million Monthly Users

Feb 19, 2026

TechCrunch

Canva reaches $4 billion in annual revenue with 265 million monthly users as the design platform transforms into an AI-powered 'design agency in your pocket,' recording 26 million ChatGPT conversations and becoming a top 10 domain referral.

Marketing Business Funding

Apple Halts Vision Pro Overhaul, Pivots to AI Smart Glasses to Compete with Meta

Feb 19, 2026

Bloomberg.com

Apple abruptly halts its planned Vision Pro headset overhaul and redirects resources toward developing AI-powered smart glasses to directly challenge Meta's dominance in the emerging wearable tech market.

AR/VR & Wearables Business

OpenAI Hires Instagram's Former VP Charles Porch to Lead Hollywood Partnerships as AI Video Tool Sora Seeks Content Deals

Feb 19, 2026

Vanity Fair

OpenAI recruits Instagram's former partnerships chief Charles Porch to spearhead Hollywood relations as the company pushes its AI video tool Sora into entertainment deals, following a massive $1 billion Disney licensing agreement while the industry remains wary of AI threats to jobs and creative content.

Entertainment Image & Video Business Copyright & IP

OpenAI Acquires Nerve AI Team to Build Large-Scale ChatGPT Search as Startup Shuts Down

Feb 19, 2026

Nerve

OpenAI acquires the entire Nerve AI team to develop large-scale search capabilities for ChatGPT as the enterprise workplace automation startup shuts down operations within 30 days, suspending customer billing immediately while promising secure data deletion after the transition period.

Search Business Enterprise

Perplexity Drops Ads From AI Search Platform, Warns Advertising Erodes User Trust

Feb 18, 2026

The Verge

Perplexity is dropping ads from its AI search platform, warning that advertising erodes user trust by making people 'doubt everything,' as the company pivots to paid subscriptions targeting high-value professionals like lawyers, doctors, and CEOs — drawing a sharp contrast with OpenAI's pro-advertising stance.

Search Business Trust