Google wraps up best year on Wall Street since 2009, beating megacap peers as AI story strengthens

Google CEO Sundar Pichai waves as he arrives at the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit at the Grand Palais in Paris, Feb. 11, 2025. Benoit Tessier | Reuters After a tough start to the year, Google closed out 2025 with its strongest performance — from Wall Street’s perspective — since 2009, when the company’s shares doubled … Read more

How $160 million worth of export-controlled Nvidia chips were allegedly smuggled into China

On Dec. 8, Federal prosecutors in Texas unsealed documents that revealed an investigation into a massive smuggling network that stretched across the U.S. and the world. Dubbed “Operation Gatekeeper” by the feds, the investigation wasn’t focused on drug smuggling or stolen goods but rather an alleged secret, underground network of suppliers for Nvidia‘s graphic processing … Read more

Meta acquires intelligent agent firm Manus, capping year of aggressive AI moves

The logo of Meta is seen at the Viva Technology conference dedicated to innovation and startups at Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris, France, on June 11, 2025. Gonzalo Fuentes | Reuters Meta Platforms said Tuesday that it has acquired Manus, a Singapore-based developer of general-purpose AI agents, as the tech giant continues its … Read more

China to crack down on AI chatbots around suicide, gambling

This photo taken on February 2, 2024 shows Lu Yu, head of Product Management and Operations of Wantalk, an artificial intelligence chatbot created by Chinese tech company Baidu, showing a virtual girlfriend profile on her phone, at the Baidu headquarters in Beijing. Jade Gao | Afp | Getty Images BEIJING — China plans to restrict … Read more

Europe at ‘fork in the road’ between AI competition and climate: fund managers

Europe stands at a crossroads: compete meaningfully in the AI race or stick to its world-leading climate goals.  “It’s like a fork in the road moment for Europe,” Wedbush Securities’ Dan Ives told CNBC. The bloc can either “play in the future” or risk “missing a big part of this technology wave.” The dilemma is compounded … Read more

‘Humans are the most important part’ of investing, says a fund manager whose firm makes every call with algorithms

The internet was becoming mainstream in the late 90s, but Miro Mitev was head-down exploring something that wouldn’t become popular for decades: AI. Now an asset manager, Mitev was an early adopter of AI in finance after discovering the capabilities of neural networks in 1997 while studying at the Vienna University of Economics and Business. He told CNBC he saw the potential of neural networks for financial forecasts. “I fell in love … Read more

5 major trends set to shape travel in 2026

Traveling is no longer just about the destination – or even the journey. It’s about the experience you walk away with. Since the end of Covid, experience‑led travel has continued to evolve, shifting away from checking off landmarks and more towards meaningful trips that help travelers connect with the people and places they visit. CNBC … Read more

Here’s how AI could influence the Fed’s economic outlook

Members of the Federal Reserve rate-setting committee say they are factoring increased labor productivity into their economic forecasts as artificial intelligence technology becomes more widely adopted. Fed Chair Jerome Powell addressed this topic in his December news conference, saying that in past technology waves “there’s always been more work and higher productivity and incomes have … Read more

AI was behind over 50,000 layoffs in 2025 — here are the top firms to cite it for job cuts

Sad female worker carrying her belongings while leaving the office after being fired Isbjorn | Istock | Getty Images Layoffs have been a defining feature of the job market in 2025, with several major companies announcing thousands of job cuts driven by artificial intelligence. In fact, AI was responsible for almost 55,000 layoffs in the … Read more

AI order from Trump might be ‘illegal,’ Democrats and consumer advocacy groups claim

“This is the wrong approach — and most likely illegal,” Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., said in a post on X Thursday. “We need a strong federal safety standard, but we should not remove the few protections Americans currently have from the downsides of AI,” Klobuchar said. Trump’s executive order directs Attorney General Pam Bondi to … Read more