Mon 22 June 2026
Daily Brief — Curated and contextualised by Best Practice AI
Baseten Secures $1.5B, CEOs Brace for Layoffs, and South Korea Faces Property Risks
TL;DRAI inference startups Baseten and General Intuition raised $1.8 billion in two days, highlighting a shift towards open-source model serving. Mercer's survey indicates 99% of CEOs expect AI-driven layoffs by 2028, with employee well-being at a low. South Korea's policy chief warns of property market risks from the chip boom's liquidity. Japan navigates AI copyright with transparency and compensation strategies.
The stories that matter most
Selected and contextualised by the Best Practice AI team
AI Inference and World Model Startups Pull $1.8B in Two Days as Foundation Models Commoditize
AI inference infrastructure investment pulled $1.8 billion in 48 hours as Baseten’s $1.5B round at a $13B valuation and General Intuition’s $300M gaming-data raise confirm open-source model serving is now where venture capital is placing its biggest bets in the AI stack, as foundation models
CEOs Expect AI-Driven Layoffs by 2028 | Let's Data Science
Mercer's Global Talent Trends 2026 survey of 825 C-suite leaders finds 99% expect AI to drive headcount reductions within two years. Employee 'thriving' collapsed from 66% in 2024 to 44% in 2026 - below even pandemic-era levels per Mercer's official report - while worker concern about AI job ...
Bain tests software takeover targets by vibecoding AI replicas
Private equity groups swiftly recreate software products to gauge their competitive advantages
Enterprises Widen AI Use, Temper ROI Promises
A TEKsystems survey of 782 leaders finds enterprise-wide AI adoption doubled to 24% while firms expecting returns within six months fell to 27% from 42%.
South Korea’s Policy Chief Flags Property Risks From Chip Windfall
South Korea’s presidential policy chief said policymakers need to consider how gains from the country’s chip-led boom will spread through the broader economy, warning that excess liquidity has historically found its way into the property market.
Japan's AI copyright bargain: not Brussels, not Washington
Japan is trying to keep one of the world's most permissive AI copyright rules intact while making opaque AI use harder to defend.
Pharmicell Is the Sole Supplier of a Key Material Behind Doosan Nvidia AI Boards
Korean bio-and-materials firm Pharmicell has quietly become the sole supplier of the low-dielectric resin that Doosan uses to make copper-clad laminate for Nvidia AI servers, industry sources say. Its low-dielectric sales jumped about 7.6 times from early 2024, and a third Ulsan plant should
The Structural Mismatch Between Software-Centric AI Agents and General Knowledge Work
Current agentic systems are optimized for software development workflows where code is the final output. This creates friction for general knowledge work, where the process of exploration and iteration is as valuable as the final deliverable.
Why The Next Phase Of The AI Race May Be Decided By Electricity And Power Infrastructure
As AI data centers expand across the United States, electricity demand is becoming a critical challenge. The next phase of the AI boom could reshape power grids, energy investment and the broader
Australia should 'set the terms' early for data-center boom, minister says
Assistant Minister Andrew Charlton proposed a 'triple lock' for data centers to fund renewable energy and grid infrastructure, warning the country must retain digital sovereignty.
States push back against rising AI-driven electricity infrastructure costs | TechRadar
Enterprise AI will be about owning it, not renting it
MIT's AI Breakthrough Revolutionizes Metal Alloy Design
MIT researchers have developed a machine-learning approach that accurately predicts material properties and phase diagrams for metal alloys, reducing reliance on brute-force data.
Economics & Markets
AI Inference and World Model Startups Pull $1.8B in Two Days as Foundation Models Commoditize
AI inference infrastructure investment pulled $1.8 billion in 48 hours as Baseten’s $1.5B round at a $13B valuation and General Intuition’s $300M gaming-data raise confirm open-source model serving is now where venture capital is placing its biggest bets in the AI stack, as foundation models
Market research company warn of AI stocks selling cheap; say they point to a 'dangerous sign' - The Times of India
Market research company, Sevens Report Research founder Tom Essaye has raised caution for investors that the relatively cheap valuations of several high-flying AI stocks may not be the buying opportunity they appear to be. According to a report by Business Insider, in a note, Eassye said that ...
Alibaba Bets Big on AI with $50 Trillion Market Vision
Alibaba has unveiled an ambitious AI strategy encompassing chips, cloud, and consumer applications, with Joe Tsai estimating the market could hit $50 trillion.
AI Demand Fuels HPE, Micron, and Palantir Earnings Surge Amidst Sector Growth
HPE reported a 40% revenue increase driven by AI data-center demand. Strong results from Micron and Palantir further highlight the sector's expansion.
3 AI Tech Stocks That Just Crushed Earnings: Are They Still Buys for the Long Term?
Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Micron, and Palantir blew away analysts' expectations last quarter.
3 Chip Supplier Stocks For AI Demand And P E Risk - Simply Wall St News
AI driven demand for key electronics components is squeezing hardware makers like Nintendo and Sony through shortages, higher parts prices, and rising tariffs, while some upstream suppliers sit closer to the pressure point in this supply chain. When console producers raise prices and face potential ...
3 US AI Stocks With Profit Margins And Earnings Growth - Simply Wall St News
AI is no longer just a story about experiments and cash burn; it is increasingly about companies that turn heavy AI investment into real earnings. With inflation, rates, and energy prices all in focus, many investors are looking for businesses that already know how to convert AI spending into ...
OpenCode: The Terminal-First AI Coding Revolution Dominating Developer Workflows in 2026
OpenCode has become a leading model-agnostic coding agent with 7.5 million active developers, offering flexibility for air-gapped enterprise environments.
AI Transforms HR: Efficiency, Cost, And Workforce Impact - Rediff.com Business
A recent survey reveals that Artificial Intelligence is becoming a central focus in human resource management, with a majority of professionals identifying it as a top priority for improving efficiency, reducing costs, and optimising workforce planning across various HR functions.
60% surveyed professionals say AI now central to HR operations: Report - The HinduBusinessLine
Over 60% of HR professionals prioritize AI for efficiency and recruitment, transforming HR operations, according to a recent survey.
The Potential for AI-Driven Acceleration in Academic Research and Knowledge Synthesis
Advanced models demonstrate the capability to critique, update, and extend historical academic research. This shift suggests a significant productivity multiplier for knowledge work if applied to large-scale scholarly archives.
Labor, Society & Culture
CEOs Expect AI-Driven Layoffs by 2028 | Let's Data Science
Mercer's Global Talent Trends 2026 survey of 825 C-suite leaders finds 99% expect AI to drive headcount reductions within two years. Employee 'thriving' collapsed from 66% in 2024 to 44% in 2026 - below even pandemic-era levels per Mercer's official report - while worker concern about AI job ...
99% of CEOs Expect AI Layoffs by 2028: Suze Orman Issues Blunt Warning to 'Invisible' Workers | IBTimes UK
A Mercer survey reveals 99% of CEOs expect AI to reduce headcount within two years, sparking anxiety among workers about job security and the future of entry-level roles.
When Workers Lose to AI | Foreign Affairs
How the U.S. government can soften the blow of automation.
AI vs. Outsourcing: The Future of Jobs in the US and the Developed World (2026–2035) - Security Boulevard
AI doesn't move outsourced work back to the US, it shrinks how much human work the task needed at all. What that means for jobs and economies through 2035.
60 percent surveyed professionals say AI now central to HR operations: Report - The Economic Times
Artificial intelligence is now a top priority for 60% of HR professionals, revolutionizing recruitment, onboarding, and daily operations. The primary drivers for AI adoption are boosting efficiency and productivity, with many reporting significant improvements in speed and seamlessness.
AI-Driven Deskilling in Healthcare and Elsewhere
As more professionals become overly reliant on AI tools, AI-driven deskilling is about to become widespread across every occupation. We are not talking about it enough | Edition #300
Poll: 70% of Americans 'concerned' AI will take jobs | National | ktbs.com
(The Center Square) - Roughly 70% of Americans said they were at least "somewhat concerned" that artificial intelligence could replace their jobs, according to a new poll.
Brands using AI-generated influencers to promote products on social media
Investigation finds AI content that purports to show genuine customers, prompting calls for greater transparency Brands promoting their products online are quietly deploying AI-generated influencers on social media, an investigation has found, prompting calls for greater transparency. The findings suggest companies are increasingly turning to AI-generated content that purports to show genuine customer experiences while giving no obvious indication that the people featured are not real. Continue reading...
Waymo hits the brakes after robotaxis keep missing the signs for freeway construction zones
Nearly 4,000 vehicles recalled for driving past closure warnings and between cones marking shut lanes.
It's not just about nudity warns actress - the complex reality of images and online abuse
Tech companies and authorities are failing women by focusing on nudity rather than consent, says a report by Chayn.
Signal's Meredith Whittaker says AI agents are surveillance infrastructure and she's right - Startup Fortune
Signal president Meredith Whittaker issued a blunt warning on June 20 that AI agents like Microsoft Copilot are surveillance infrastructure in disguise,
The Wholesale Plagiarism of Obscure Sorrows
An exploration of the unauthorized use of creative works in the context of AI training and content generation.
Opinion | New York City politicians push a moratorium on AI in schools - The Washington Post
Forward-thinking educators are finding creative ways to use artificial intelligence to help students. Meanwhile, the majority of New York’s City Council is pressing Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D) to “immediately pause” any use of AI in schools.
Student cheating now impossible to detect
New reports suggest that the rise of advanced AI tools has made it increasingly difficult for educators to detect student cheating.
Technology & Infrastructure
The Structural Mismatch Between Software-Centric AI Agents and General Knowledge Work
Current agentic systems are optimized for software development workflows where code is the final output. This creates friction for general knowledge work, where the process of exploration and iteration is as valuable as the final deliverable.
Putin’s war machine sputters in drone age
Ukraine’s innovations cut into Russia’s manpower advantage
Taiwanese Brothers Amass $1 Billion From Boom in Display Chips
Biing-seng Wu has spent most of his career developing tiny chips that tell pixels on flat-screen displays how and when to light up.
Pharmicell Is the Sole Supplier of a Key Material Behind Doosan Nvidia AI Boards
Korean bio-and-materials firm Pharmicell has quietly become the sole supplier of the low-dielectric resin that Doosan uses to make copper-clad laminate for Nvidia AI servers, industry sources say. Its low-dielectric sales jumped about 7.6 times from early 2024, and a third Ulsan plant should
Australia should 'set the terms' early for data-center boom, minister says
Assistant Minister Andrew Charlton proposed a 'triple lock' for data centers to fund renewable energy and grid infrastructure, warning the country must retain digital sovereignty.
Thirsty and power hungry: Australia is in the middle of a datacentre boom – but are they good for the economy?
They’re a key part of the digital and AI economy but they come at a high environmental cost and offer few operational jobs Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast On Mamre Road, in Sydney’s outer western suburbs, there are plans to build a “hyperscale” datacentre that will be one of the biggest in the world. If approved, the 52-hectare site will include six four-storey buildings that stretch 40 metres high, alongside 936 cooling units and 852 diesel backup power generators. Continue reading...
Why The Next Phase Of The AI Race May Be Decided By Electricity And Power Infrastructure
As AI data centers expand across the United States, electricity demand is becoming a critical challenge. The next phase of the AI boom could reshape power grids, energy investment and the broader
Utah Data Center Brute Forced Through to Approval
Local commissioners in Box Elder approved a controversial data center project despite significant public opposition.
EU funds open-source AI model to advance global position
An open-source AI model covering all 24 official EU languages was selected for European funding to make advanced AI more accessible to businesses and researchers.
A startup claims it broke through a bottleneck that’s holding back LLMs
A new startup reports a technical breakthrough aimed at overcoming current limitations in large language model performance.
Nobel Winner John Jumper Leaves Google DeepMind for Anthropic – ICO Optics
This article delves into the significant career move of Nobel laureate John Jumper, a trailblazer in Artificial Intelligence, as he […]
UC Berkeley releases 2.2 million U.S. local laws as a searchable open dataset
Researchers created LOCUS, a dataset of 2.2 million local laws from over 9,000 cities. It uses AI to process messy PDF formats into searchable text for legal and policy analysis.
Adoption, Deployment & Impact
Tencent Tests AI Assistant for Its Super App WeChat in China
Tencent Holdings Ltd. has started testing a new AI assistant for WeChat as part of its efforts to catch up with peers in China’s white-hot artificial intelligence race.
Amazon Advances Prime Day by One Month Amid AI Shift
Amazon has moved its annual Prime Day sales event up by one month. The event is strategically important for Amazon as it aims to capture consumer spending, especially in a market where discretionary dollars are tightening and AI is increasingly influencing shopping behavior. Senior E-commerce and retail analyst for Bloomberg Intelligence Poonam Goyal explains the importance of Prime Day for Amazon to David Gura and Christina Ruffini on Bloomberg This Weekend. (Source: Bloomberg)
These Are The Trending AI Products In June 2026, As Per Ramp Data
Ramp’s June 2026 software vendor report is out, and the “Trending” list — defined as breakout growth relative to company size — reads...
Apple’s New CEO Must Rebuild a Design Team That Lost Its Way
Also: The 2027 iPhone and AirPods plans.
Why AI Will Redefine Independent Agency Performance
Independent insurance agents are entering the most transformative era in the history of insurance distribution. Artificial intelligence is already
South Korea launches phase two of Physical AI Alliance
South Korea's science ministry has launched the second phase of its Physical AI Alliance, aiming to link physical AI development with real-world deployment across various industries.
The Surge of Slop
A scientific analysis shows that the tripling of e-books on Amazon since 2022 is driven by AI-generated content, which now outnumbers human-written books.
AI and VR Revolutionize Hiring: Beyond Resumes to Predict Job Performance
The hiring industry is increasingly using AI and VR simulations to predict performance, though experts warn these should complement human judgment.
AI ROI In Tech: Proven Results And Critical Gaps
AI ROI is the defining challenge for tech companies in 2024. Here's what EY's research reveals about who's winning, who's stalling, and why.
4 AI Business Trends to Watch - by Meng Li - AI Disruption
4 key AI trends reshaping business: traffic shift, agent management, ROI focus, and AI-native growth. Insights for forward-looking investors.
Geopolitics, Policy & Governance
J. D. Vance’s AI Doctrine
The vice president is making a case that is part Silicon Valley, part MAGA.
Apertus – Open Foundation Model for Sovereign AI
An introduction to Apertus, an open foundation model designed for sovereign AI applications.
Reuters AI News | Latest Headlines and Developments | Reuters
Explore the latest artificial intelligence news with Reuters - from AI breakthroughs and technology trends to regulation, ethics, business and global impact.
Japan's AI copyright bargain: not Brussels, not Washington
Japan is trying to keep one of the world's most permissive AI copyright rules intact while making opaque AI use harder to defend.
AI CEOs Attend G7, Pitch Global Standards | Let's Data Science
World leaders at the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains met with executives from major AI firms, including **OpenAI**, **Anthropic**, and **Google DeepMind**, Reuters reported on June 12, 2026. Semafor reported that executives discussed creating an international forum to set standards for advanced ...
When the Trump administration cracks down on Anthropic, who benefits?
An analysis of the potential market impacts and beneficiaries if the Trump administration takes regulatory action against Anthropic.
AI developers may see greater legal clarity on data use in EU simplification bill
AI developers and companies sharing large datasets could gain greater legal certainty over the use of pseudonymized data under revised plans for simplifying EU digital rules.
South Korea revises finance-sector AI guidelines to reflect new risks
South Korea's financial regulator has announced revised AI guidelines for financial companies and fintech operators, setting out seven principles covering governance, security, and fairness.
AI Ethics Experts Without Borders | Global AI Ethics and Governance Observatory
AIEB offers hands-on assistance to Member States through a menu of project options aligned with UNESCO’s Recommendation on the Ethics of AI, including: Expert guidance on policies, legislation, and technical regulatory tools and processes grounded in UNESCO’s ethical standards.
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