AI Business & Industry

Today's Stories

1. 1

   Caterpillar's Cat Digital Chief Says A.I. Will Fill Labor Gap

   Cat Digital, led by Ogi Redzic, is applying A.I. across Caterpillar's equipment, including a voice-based “Cat AI Assistant” for operator coaching and development of task autonomy for machines. Facing nearly 40% of current operators set to retire by 2031, Caterpillar positions A.I. to bridge the labor shortage without displacing jobs, transitioning workers to supervisor roles.

   Whether A.I.-coordinated construction sites become common in five to ten years, as Redzic predicts, and if the productivity gains from its A.I.-built software, tripling work with only 20-30% more people, become a new standard.

2. 2

   Coca-Cola's Perfect Basket AI boosts retailer sales in Malaysia

   Coca-Cola's Perfect Basket feature within Coke Buddy recommends what and how much retailers should order. Among participating Malaysian outlets, 83% adopted these AI suggestions, and those who did saw stronger sales revenue growth. Inventory decisions are working-capital decisions. Ordering too much ties up cash, too little risks empty shelves. The 83% adoption suggests retailers trust AI assistance, potentially shifting how they manage stock.

   Whether Coca-Cola expands Perfect Basket’s AI-driven insights into financing. Data on purchasing patterns could help lenders offer credit based on expected inventory turnover, which small businesses already want.

3. 3

   Meta launches Superintelligence, a personal AI agent for everyone

   Meta launched Superintelligence, a personal AI agent designed to be easy to use, aiming for broad accessibility. Meta's new agent positions it in the consumer AI space, likely competing with existing personal assistants by prioritizing simplicity.

   The success of Superintelligence hinges on how easily non-technical users adopt it and whether Meta can overcome trust and privacy concerns.

4. 4

   Qualcomm strikes AI chip deal with Amazon, $4 billion stock offer

   Qualcomm has struck an AI chip deal with Amazon, and has offered the right to buy about $4 billion in stock. This marks a significant partnership for Qualcomm in the AI chip market, potentially expanding its reach through Amazon's cloud and devices.

   The deal's completion hinges on regulatory approvals and final terms, which could affect the timeline and scope of the partnership.

5. 5

   Intel's ASU AI PC app cuts prep time 15–20%

   Intel engineers built a custom AI agent with Arizona State University's football program that runs on Lenovo ThinkPad X9 Aura Edition PCs powered by Intel vPro, automating practice play card creation from opponent game footage. The tool reduces reliance on cloud infrastructure and is expected to cut game preparation time by approximately 15% to 20%, showcasing Intel's push into on-device agentic AI for specialized tasks.

   Intel's stock has skyrocketed 292% over the past year versus the industry's 39.9% growth, and the company is competing with Qualcomm and AMD in the AI PC market.

6. 6

   Applied Materials: AI capex to top $700B in U.S.

   At Citi's 2026 Global TMT Conference, CFO Brice Hill said customer forecasts for semiconductor equipment have risen, citing AI-driven demand and cloud providers' capex exceeding $700 billion in the U.S. and approaching $1 trillion globally. This marks a continuation of strong demand, with advanced packaging revenue expected to grow over 70% this year and DRAM entering a major expansion cycle, signaling sustained investment in chipmaking capacity.

   Whether clean-room availability becomes a bottleneck, as Hill noted it remains a key constraint on industry capacity growth over the medium term, potentially affecting how quickly new fabs come online.