Top Companies' AI Moves

Today's Stories

1. 1

   Pfizer, Tempus AI, Medtronic emerge as AI healthcare plays amid macro shifts

   Three healthcare companies stand out for combining AI capabilities with scale: Pfizer ($143.3b market cap, ~US$61.9b revenue) is deploying biomolecular AI in drug development; Tempus AI ($9.6b market cap, ~US$1.4b revenue) operates a de-identified patient data platform used by major biopharma firms; Medtronic ($107.0b market cap, ~US$39.4b revenue) offers AI-powered surgical platforms and robotics alongside a 3.41% dividend yield. Investors are increasingly viewing AI healthcare stocks as positioned at the intersection of cost pressure and the search for better outcomes, using data to support diagnostics, treatment decisions, and efficiency—particularly as inflation trends, interest rate expectations, and energy costs reshape risk appetite and growth signals across major economies.

   Pfizer faces earnings pressure, patent cliffs, and a one-off US$10.7b loss alongside a high dividend not fully covered by cash flows; Tempus AI is narrowing adjusted operating losses but carries ongoing losses and heavy debt reliance; Medtronic's revenue growth trails the wider market despite recent moves such as the US$650m SPR Therapeutics acquisition and an ICU partnership with Apollo Hospitals.

2. 2

   Lowe's launches AI tool to turn jobsite notes into quotes in minutes

   Lowe's introduced Material Lists, an AI-powered tool that converts handwritten notes, photos, spreadsheets and other file types into quote-ready orders in minutes, available in English and Spanish. The tool uses SKU matching and automated list digitization developed by Lowe's Technology and is accessible through Lowes.com and the Lowe's app for MyLowe's Pro Rewards members. For Pro customers (business users), estimating and quoting currently consumes significant time—translating jobsite material lists into accurate quotes slows response times, increases error risk, and diverts attention from actual projects. Material Lists reduces manual entry and estimating time, helping Pros respond faster to customers and stay competitive. The tool is part of Lowe's broader strategy to keep projects moving from planning to purchase with connected, AI-driven tools.

   Material Lists works alongside Lowe's existing Pro tools: Blueprint Takeoffs (generates material lists and estimates from project plans) and Pro Extended Aisle (expands product availability and order quantities beyond store shelves). Pros can also manage quotes, track orders, and handle purchasing workflows through the mobile app and website from the field or in store.

3. 3

   Article Lists 25+ AI Tools for Small Business Management

   A guide curated a selection of AI software organized by business function—CRM, sales, marketing, and customer service—targeting entrepreneurs and small teams seeking to automate repetitive tasks, analyze data, and reduce administrative workload. According to a Small and Medium Business Trends Report cited in the article, 76% of SMBs adopting technology are growing, with AI-backed CRM at the center of that momentum. The article notes that 91% of SMBs using AI say it boosts revenue, and 90% say it makes operations more efficient, suggesting these tools can directly impact business performance for resource-constrained teams.

   The article emphasizes starting with a CRM as the business operating system, then layering in point solutions for sales, marketing, and service. Many tools listed offer free or low-cost starter plans—including Apollo.io, ChatGPT, Canva Magic Studio, Claude, Tidio, and Tawk.to—making entry accessible for solo founders and small teams.

4. 4

   Salesforce's Agentforce hits adoption wall; only 34% of customers on board

   Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff positioned Agentforce as the company's flagship autonomous AI platform when it launched in 2024, but adoption has stalled. Only 34% of customers have adopted it, and analysts estimate just 23,000 of the company's 150,000 customers are actually using the platform. The stock has fallen more than 50% from its December 2024 peak, erasing more than $200 billion（約32兆円） in market value. The slow adoption reveals that enterprises aren't ready for agentic AI — not because they doubt its value, but because their data infrastructure isn't prepared. KeyBanc and Bernstein's research identified two core blockers: many companies struggle with fragmented CRM records and disconnected systems, and Agentforce remains in early stages, with most deployments still limited to proof-of-concept projects rather than full rollouts. For marketers, this means investing in data quality and integration will likely yield better returns than deploying AI agents on messy data.

   Salesforce is working to address these barriers by adding technology to automatically pull customer data from external sources and expanding data-management capabilities through acquisitions like Informatica. The company disputes the downgrade reports, with Benioff calling KeyBanc's assessment a "bad call" and citing internal metrics showing Agentforce is the fastest-growing product in company history. However, a CIO survey found more organizations expect to reduce Salesforce spending over the next year than increase it.

5. 5

   FAA clears Boeing to self-certify aircraft airworthiness

   The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has authorized Boeing to resume self-certifying that its aircraft meet airworthiness standards, a regulatory privilege the company had lost. Self-certification authority is a significant operational and financial advantage for manufacturers — it allows Boeing to move faster through production and testing cycles without waiting for direct FAA oversight at each step, reducing development time and cost.

   The timing and scope of Boeing's use of this restored authority, and whether the FAA will maintain enhanced oversight of Boeing's self-certification process given recent quality-control concerns.

6. 6

   Corning stock eyes record high on AI data centre demand

   Corning (GLW) is tracking toward an all-time high opening, with multiple analysts raising their price targets on the back of strong demand from AI data centres. The company supplies materials and components critical to data centre infrastructure. Rising AI adoption is driving infrastructure investment, and Corning appears positioned to capture a significant share of that spending through its existing product lines.

   The stock's ability to sustain momentum will depend on whether the AI data centre build-out accelerates further and whether Corning can maintain its competitive position in supplying the sector.