Top Companies' AI Moves

Today's Stories

1. 1

   Blackstone Exits Virginia Data Center Project as Zoning Becomes AI's New Bottleneck

   Blackstone-owned QTS Data Center withdrew its final appeal to build the Prince William Digital Gateway, a planned 37-data-center corridor on 2,100 acres near Manassas, Virginia. Days earlier, Blackstone sold its stake in three fully leased Northern Virginia data centers to Digital Realty for $7.8 billion（約1.2兆円）, receiving $3.5 billion（約5600億円） in cash and stock. Gallup found 71% of Americans oppose building AI data centers locally, and residents in Prince William County successfully blocked the project through litigation and zoning challenges. Virginia also approved a new electricity consumption tax on data centers starting July 1, 2026, at $0.011 per kilowatt-hour. These shifts signal that local opposition and regulatory friction—not chip scarcity—are now the primary constraint on AI infrastructure expansion.

   Data centers with existing zoning and secured power are becoming scarce; Northern Virginia vacancy fell to 0.3% in Q1 2026. Hyperscalers (Amazon, Microsoft, Google, Meta, Oracle) and smaller neocloud companies already holding permitted capacity and power infrastructure stand to gain as new project approvals slow. Blackstone still has $150 billion（約24兆円） invested in AI projects and a similar amount in its pipeline.

2. 2

   AT&T Adopts H2O AI Super Agent for Enterprise AI

   AT&T has added H2O AI Super Agent to its enterprise offerings, integrating the agentic AI technology into its business solutions. Enterprise customers now have access to an AI agent platform designed to automate complex business tasks. For AT&T, this expands its AI service portfolio and positions it to compete in the growing market for enterprise-grade agentic AI solutions.

   Details on pricing, availability timeline, and which customer segments AT&T will prioritize for rollout are not yet specified in the announcement.

3. 3

   Blackstone taps AI to quicken decisions, staff growth

   Blackstone, the world's largest alternative asset manager, is deploying artificial intelligence to accelerate decision-making and staff development across its operations, according to the firm's Europe leader. Large financial firms are under pressure to operate more efficiently and retain talent in a competitive market; AI deployment at scale in investment and HR workflows signals how institutional capital is embracing the technology to stay ahead.

   The article does not specify which AI tools, timelines, or measurable targets Blackstone has set for these deployments, leaving the scope and pace of rollout unclear.

4. 4

   Chai raises $400M Series C for drug-discovery AI used by Lilly, Pfizer

   Chai, an AI company that provides drug-discovery tools to pharmaceutical firms, raised $400M in Series C funding. The company's technology is already in use by Eli Lilly and Pfizer. Drug discovery is capital-intensive and time-consuming; AI tools that accelerate the process can reduce costs and speed new medicines to market. Chai's ability to attract major funding and secure blue-chip pharma clients signals that AI-driven drug discovery is moving from experimental to mainstream.

   The funding will fuel Chai's expansion in AI for pharmaceutical development. The backing from major investors underscores confidence that the company's approach addresses a real bottleneck for Lilly, Pfizer, and likely other drug makers seeking to deploy AI at scale.

5. 5

   ServiceNow gets Buy rating; AI monetization accelerates

   An analyst initiated a Buy rating on ServiceNow, citing the stock's valuation at 26x forward earnings (near decade lows), 21% subscription revenue growth guidance, and 97% renewal rate. Now Assist average contract value more than doubled, and 3+ product deals grew 70% year over year. ServiceNow is compounding north of 20% while trading at a multiple the analyst views as attractive. The acceleration in AI monetization—particularly through Now Assist and multi-product deals—suggests the company is successfully converting AI capabilities into revenue, addressing investor concerns about whether AI is a threat or opportunity for enterprise software vendors.

   The analyst's base case DCF yields a fair value of $143 per share, with additional upside if the stock's multiple recovers from current levels.

6. 6

   Parents navigate AI tools for learning: support without shortcuts

   New Verizon research shows parents take a balanced view of AI for student learning—71% say it expands opportunities, 63% say it makes learning more engaging, but 65% worry about overreliance and future reading ability. A technology professor and father of three offers five practical strategies to help kids use AI responsibly without letting it replace their own thinking. AI now powers tools kids use daily (search engines, chatbots, homework helpers), but students need to learn when to use them, when to question them, and when to solve problems independently. The body emphasizes that critical thinking becomes more important when AI can sound confident while being wrong—a skill that will matter regardless of how AI evolves in future jobs.

   The core strategies center on teaching kids that AI guides learning but cannot learn for them (compare it to a gaming walkthrough or GPS—useful support, not replacement), and encouraging them to question AI answers by asking "How do we know this is true?" and seeking confirming sources. Different prompts produce different responses, so understanding an answer matters more than simply collecting one.