Author: Art Ryan

Amazon is reportedly planning a widespread series of job cuts in various corporate divisions. Those cuts could include up to 15% of the tech giant’s human resources (HR) staff, Fortune reported late Tuesday (Oct. 14), citing multiple sources familiar with the plans. Aside from HR, other areas of the company’s consumer business are also likely to be affected, two of the sources said. The Fortune report notes that the cuts are happening at a time when Amazon is seeking ways to reduce employee costs while spending heavily on artificial intelligence (AI) products and infrastructure for in-house use and as an enterprise offering. Amazon has…

For collections teams, chasing overdue invoices is often defined by friction. It’s a constant back-and-forth of phone calls, emails and research before outreach. That manual grind not only drains productivity but also strains customer relationships. Dave Ruda, vice president of product at Billtrust, said agentic artificial intelligence is poised to change that dynamic by bringing structure, prediction and scale to the way businesses manage aging accounts. “If you’re just looking at aging buckets of invoices and working top-down from highest value to lowest, that’s only a snapshot of a single customer at a single moment,” Ruda told PYMNTS. “You still have…

OpenAI has formed a council to help it define and monitor “what healthy interactions with AI [artificial intelligence] should look like.” The Expert Council on Well-Being and AI is composed of eight researchers and experts focused on how technology affects mental health, the company said in a Tuesday (Oct. 14) blog post. OpenAI has consulted with many of these experts in the past, as when the company was developing parental controls and notification language for parents whose teen may be in distress, according to the post. In the first formal meeting of the council last week, they discussed the company’s current…

When market leaders speak, CFOs and treasury teams tend to listen. And when on Tuesday (Oct. 14), Goldman Sachs used its third‑quarter earnings announcement to unveil a more centralized operating model built around artificial intelligence (AI), forward-thinking finance teams were already nodding their heads. After all, finance teams are no stranger to innovation. Not only do they have to approve most investments into it, but software technologies like machine learning and process automation are often battle tested in the corporate back office. For many enterprise departments, the rise of AI for finance is less a rip-and-replace exercise than a new architecture built atop decades of data, standardized processes, and regulatory discipline. The very…

The World Economic Forum reports that limited visibility continues to be one of the biggest structural challenges in global supply chains. Its research shows that more than 75% of supply-chain executives still have only partial or fragmented visibility into their networks, a gap that increases costs and slows response times. AI systems are being used to integrate production, logistics, and demand data, allowing companies to detect potential disruptions earlier, forecast inventory with greater accuracy, and reduce manual coordination across partners. In a pilot with Singapore’s A*STAR research agency, Amazon Web Services found that logistics planners using AI “agents” reduced manual reconciliation by about 50%…

Now even earnings numbers are taking a back seat to artificial intelligence (AI). In a dramatic turn of events Tuesday (Oct. 14), Goldman Sachs used its third‑quarter earnings announcement to unveil “One Goldman Sachs 3.0.” It’s a more centralized operating model built around AI. Management said the multiyear push will reengineer front‑to‑back processes, starting with sales enablement and client onboarding, and extend to lending workflows, regulatory reporting and vendor management. The goal: measurable efficiency, scale and risk control, with progress markers promised on the January call. The move comes as CEO David Solomon warned that today’s market exuberance, much of it “fueled by … investment in AI infrastructure,” requires disciplined risk management. “Propelled by AI, this is a new, more…

Dubai, United Arab Emirates — At GITEX Global 2025, Shaffra, one of the UAE’s fastest-growing enterprise AI innovators, announced the launch of its Full-Stack AI Employee Platform, a groundbreaking system designed to revolutionize workforce management and employee engagement through artificial intelligence, automation, and predictive analytics. The announcement marks a significant milestone in the evolution of the intelligent workplace — transforming how organizations recruit, onboard, retain, and empower their people. Built entirely in the UAE, the platform represents a sovereign AI innovation that underscores the nation’s growing leadership in human-centric digital transformation. 💡 A Full-Stack Intelligent Employee for the Enterprise Era…

Dubai, United Arab Emirates — At GITEX Global 2025, China Telecom has once again captured the world’s attention with an expansive showcase under the theme “Connecting the Intelligent Future, Empowering the Digital Ecosystem.”Through a fusion of artificial intelligence, cloud computing, IoT, robotics, and vision technology, China Telecom is demonstrating how digital infrastructure can serve as the cornerstone of a smarter, safer, and more connected world. The company’s presence at GITEX marks a pivotal moment in its global expansion strategy — one that integrates intelligent networks, sovereign cloud systems, and spatio-temporal computing to empower regional innovation and cross-border collaboration. 🏗️ Four…

Dubai, United Arab Emirates / Thiruvananthapuram, India — In a powerful statement of global ambition and innovation, Kerala IT, in association with the Group of Technology Companies (GTech), has brought together a vibrant delegation of 28 leading IT and ITeS enterprises from the state to participate in GITEX Global 2025, the world’s largest and most influential technology exhibition, held at the Dubai World Trade Centre. The Kerala Pavilion — a 96-square-meter experiential showcase — embodies the spirit of “Innovation, Inclusion, and Impact”, reflecting the state’s emergence as India’s next-generation technology powerhouse and a catalyst for AI-driven, sustainable, and inclusive digital…

Dubai, United Arab Emirates — The Ministry of State for Federal National Council Affairs (MFNCA) has reaffirmed its leadership in digital transformation and civic innovation through its participation at GITEX Global 2025, unveiling a new generation of digital platforms and interactive tools designed to strengthen citizen engagement, enhance legislative transparency, and promote inclusive governance in line with the UAE’s Vision “We the UAE 2031.” Through its exhibit at the world’s largest technology event, MFNCA demonstrates how the UAE’s governance model continues to evolve — blending technological innovation, accessibility, and national values to empower civic participation and institutional excellence. 🏛️ Transforming…

Dubai, United Arab Emirates — At GITEX Global 2025, Alibaba Cloud, the digital technology and intelligence backbone of the Alibaba Group, announced the establishment of its second data center in Dubai, reinforcing its long-term commitment to powering the Middle East’s digital transformation and advancing sovereign AI and cloud computing ecosystems. This milestone is part of Alibaba’s US$5.3 billion global investment program dedicated to AI infrastructure, cloud innovation, and sustainable data ecosystems. The new facility will significantly expand the region’s high-performance computing capacity and enable organizations to train and deploy AI models locally with enhanced speed, security, and compliance. 🏗️ Strategic…

Dubai, United Arab Emirates — At GITEX Global 2025, du, from Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (EITC), announced a landmark expansion of its partnership with Hassantuk, the UAE’s nationwide smart fire and life safety monitoring system powered by Core42 (a G42 company). The enhanced collaboration ushers in a new era of AI-driven public safety infrastructure, integrating intelligent monitoring, real-time analytics, and predictive response capabilities across thousands of buildings, facilities, and communities throughout the UAE. “With this expansion, du is transforming public safety from reactive to predictive — from response to prevention,” said a senior du spokesperson.“By combining cutting-edge connectivity with sovereign…

Dubai, UAE / Islamabad, Pakistan — In a highly anticipated show of strategic collaboration, Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates have elevated their technology and digital ambitions at GITEX Global 2025. The two nations affirmed their commitment to developing joint ecosystems in artificial intelligence, cloud infrastructure, digital governance, and data sovereignty — a partnership designed to accelerate innovation, trade, and shared prosperity. The renewed cooperation follows a series of high-level engagements, involving ministers, AI and digital economy leaders, and institutional stakeholders from both countries — all converging at Dubai’s flagship tech event to synchronize vision, investment, and infrastructure. 🤝 Key…

Dubai, United Arab Emirates — HP Inc. made a powerful statement at GITEX Global 2025, unveiling a bold portfolio of AI-powered devices, next-generation hybrid work solutions, and sustainable technologies designed to reshape how people create, collaborate, and compute in the age of artificial intelligence. At the heart of HP’s showcase was the debut of the HP ZGX Nano G1n, an ultra-compact, high-performance AI workstation — the first in a new class of devices purpose-built for local AI model development and deployment, bridging the gap between cloud and edge computing. The launch highlights HP’s strategic evolution from hardware manufacturer to AI…

Dubai, UAE — At this year’s GITEX Global 2025, the technology and innovation nexus is being redefined: 2,000 startups and growth-stage ventures are being connected directly with over 1,200 investors whose combined assets under management exceed US$1.1 trillion. This unprecedented access to capital positions GITEX as more than a trade show—it becomes a global investment launchpad. 🏗️ From Showcase to Scale: The Expand North Star Effect Under GITEX’s Expand North Star program — now in its 10th edition — burgeoning tech firms are granted a frontline stage to pitch, scale, and secure high-value deals. By merging innovation exposure with direct…

Dubai, United Arab Emirates / New Delhi, India — India has made a resounding statement of technological ambition and global competitiveness at GITEX Global 2025, one of the world’s largest technology exhibitions, held at the Dubai World Trade Centre. Led by the Electronics and Computer Software Export Promotion Council (ESC), India’s participation this year is the largest in its GITEX history, featuring 237 leading companies across multiple innovation halls. The contingent demonstrates the nation’s growing strength across artificial intelligence, electronics manufacturing, IoT, cybersecurity, cloud computing, and digital services — reaffirming India’s position as a trusted technology partner to the world.…

Property management platform AppFolio has launched the AppFolio Performance Platform, which is built on artificial intelligence-native architecture. This platform securely stores and makes accessible property, resident and vendor data; automates repetitive tasks with agentic tools; and continuously optimizes its capabilities, the company said in a Tuesday (Oct. 14) press release. “The traditional focus on transactions and tasks no longer meets the needs of today’s operators,” Kyle Triplett, senior vice president of product at AppFolio, said in the release. “With our AI-native architecture — where intelligence is built in, not bolted on — we’re empowering customers to amplify human strengths: envisioning better futures and building…

Walmart announced on Tuesday (Oct. 14) that it has partnered with OpenAI to create AI-first shopping experiences, allowing customers and Sam’s Club members to complete purchases directly within ChatGPT using Instant Checkout. The partnership expands Walmart’s use of artificial intelligence across its retail operations and reflects a broader industry shift toward conversational and predictive commerce. Through this integration, customers can plan meals, restock essentials, or find new products by chatting with the system and Walmart will handle the transaction from start to finish. “For many years now, eCommerce shopping experiences have consisted of a search bar and a long list of…

Visa has introduced a tool allowing secure communication between merchants and artificial intelligence (AI) agents. The Trusted Agent Protocol, announced Tuesday (Oct. 14), and created in partnership with Worldpay and Cloudfare, is designed to address the challenges centered around agent-driven commerce. “We believe the entire payments ecosystem has a responsibility to ensure sellers trust AI agents with the same confidence they place in their most valued customers and networks,” Jack Forestell, Visa chief product and strategy officer, said in a news release provided to PYMNTS. “For the past year, we’ve worked closely with sellers, issuers and partners to make sure agent-initiated…

As we close out 2025, one headline that captures the significant shift reshaping payments and commerce is how AI-powered fraud prevention is reshaping how we fight financial crime and better serve our customers. New breakthroughs in artificial intelligence and machine learning are fundamentally transforming how we protect consumers and maintain trust in digital financial ecosystems. At Block, we’ve witnessed this evolution firsthand. Our AI-powered scam prevention systems have protected customers from over $2 billion in potential fraud losses since 2020, with our confirmed scam rate remaining below 0.01% of all peer-to-peer transactions. The real story isn’t just about the money…