Artificial Intelligence 17 February 2026 - 2 April 2026

Google Expands Intel AI Chip Deal, Backs Xeon 6 for Data Centers as Intel Shares Rise
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Google Expands Intel AI Chip Deal, Backs Xeon 6 for Data Centers as Intel Shares Rise

Google will expand its use of Intel Xeon processors, including the new Xeon 6, across its cloud infrastructure and deepen collaboration on custom chips, both companies said Thursday. Intel shares rose 2.3% to $60.33 in morning trading. Google Cloud already uses Xeon chips in C4 and N4 instances and has committed to future generations. The agreement comes as demand for CPUs rises amid shifts in AI deployment.
April 9, 2026
HSBC Holdings Plc CEO says 100-plus AI use cases are live as overhaul deepens
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HSBC Holdings Plc CEO says 100-plus AI use cases are live as overhaul deepens

HSBC CEO Georges Elhedery said over 100 generative AI applications are in use, with half already live and 170,000 staff using new productivity tools. David Rice became HSBC’s first chief AI officer on April 1. The bank aims for a 17%+ return on tangible equity by 2026–2028, despite pretax profit for 2025 falling to $29.9 billion after one-off charges. HSBC is also reviewing potential job cuts and selling its Singapore life insurance unit.
April 2, 2026
Next-Gen Smartphones Push Toward 256GB as On-Device AI Demands More Space
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Next-Gen Smartphones Push Toward 256GB as On-Device AI Demands More Space

Smartphone makers will boost built-in storage in 2026 despite rising flash-memory costs, with average handset capacity up 4.8%, according to TrendForce. Apple’s iPhone 17 starts at 256GB, while Samsung raised U.S. prices on its Galaxy S26 lineup. DRAM contract prices are set to jump up to 95% this quarter. Gartner forecasts smartphone prices could rise 13% by year-end as memory costs surge.
March 23, 2026
AI Could Lift Europe’s Productivity by More Than 4% in 10 Years, ECB Says
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AI Could Lift Europe’s Productivity by More Than 4% in 10 Years, ECB Says

ECB chief economist Philip Lane said artificial intelligence could boost euro-zone productivity by over 4 percentage points in the next decade if adoption spreads quickly, but warned a prolonged energy shock could limit gains. ECB staff last week cut the 2026 growth forecast to 0.9% and raised the inflation outlook as energy costs rose. Only 3% of euro-area patents relate to AI, compared to 9% in the U.S.
March 23, 2026
Amazon’s Secret ‘Transformer’ Smartphone Aims to Reinvent Mobile With AI as AMZN Stock Climbs
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Amazon’s Secret ‘Transformer’ Smartphone Aims to Reinvent Mobile With AI as AMZN Stock Climbs

Amazon shares climbed 3.2% to $211.85 Monday after reports it is developing an AI-focused smartphone codenamed “Transformer.” The device, led by former Microsoft executive J Allard’s ZeroOne group, could sync with Alexa and expand Amazon’s services but may still be shelved. Amazon declined to comment. The move comes as the company defends a $200 billion AI infrastructure plan and faces a shrinking smartphone market.
March 23, 2026
AI Agents Could Disrupt Mobile App Economy as Tencent, Alibaba and Baidu Roll Out Tools, Report Warns
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AI Agents Could Disrupt Mobile App Economy as Tencent, Alibaba and Baidu Roll Out Tools, Report Warns

Frost & Sullivan warned Monday that AI agents acting across multiple services could cut utility app commercial value by up to 39% if they reach 25% user penetration. Tencent, Alibaba, and Baidu have launched new agent tools in recent days. Sensor Tower reported global in-app spending reached $167 billion in 2025, with non-game revenue surpassing games for the first time. Frost said app development costs could rise 16% as agents gain ground.
March 23, 2026
Mastercard Incorporated launches AI ‘Virtual CFO’ for small businesses in new push beyond payments
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Mastercard Incorporated launches AI ‘Virtual CFO’ for small businesses in new push beyond payments

Mastercard on Tuesday launched Virtual C-Suite, an AI product for small businesses starting with a Virtual CFO, to be distributed this year through banks and software providers. The company said the tool will use data from 175 billion transactions processed in 2025 to analyze performance and recommend actions. Mastercard shares fell 0.6% in afternoon New York trading; Visa dropped 0.3%.
March 10, 2026
Bank of America says AI, Erica and Zelle drove 30 billion client interactions in 2025
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Bank of America says AI, Erica and Zelle drove 30 billion client interactions in 2025

Bank of America reported 30 billion digital client interactions in 2025, a 14% increase from the previous year, driven by use of its Erica assistant and Zelle payments. Shares rose 0.6% in midmorning trading. Erica handled nearly 700 million client uses, while Zelle saw 1.8 billion payments worth $556 billion. Mobile approvals on CashPro reached a record $1.2 trillion.
March 10, 2026
Meta Platforms opens WhatsApp to rival AI chatbots in Europe — but charges a fee
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Meta Platforms opens WhatsApp to rival AI chatbots in Europe — but charges a fee

Meta will allow third-party AI chatbots to access WhatsApp’s Business API in Europe for 12 months, charging fees between €0.0490 and €0.1323 per message. EU antitrust regulators are considering interim measures over access restrictions. Rival developers say the pricing still blocks competition. Meta faces similar regulatory action in Italy and Brazil.
March 5, 2026
Nvidia’s China H200 freeze: the chip pivot that could speed up Vera Rubin
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Nvidia’s China H200 freeze: the chip pivot that could speed up Vera Rubin

Nvidia has halted production of H200 AI chips for China and shifted some TSMC capacity to its next-generation Vera Rubin hardware, the Financial Times reported Thursday. The move comes ahead of Nvidia’s GTC conference in San Jose later this month. Nvidia and TSMC did not immediately comment. U.S. export controls continue to limit Nvidia’s China sales despite recent license approvals.
March 5, 2026
Alibaba puts CEO Eddie Wu in charge of new AI task force after Qwen chief quits
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Alibaba puts CEO Eddie Wu in charge of new AI task force after Qwen chief quits

Alibaba will form a new task force to accelerate foundation model development after Lin Junyang, head of its Qwen AI division, resigned this week. CEO Eddie Wu, CTO Wu Zeming, and Alibaba Cloud CTO Zhou Jingren will coordinate the group. Qwen’s mobile app reached 203 million monthly active users in February, ranking third globally. Alibaba has released over 400 open-source Qwen models since 2023.
March 5, 2026
Nebius Group lands Missouri OK for 1.2‑GW “AI factory” as NBIS stock jumps
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Nebius Group lands Missouri OK for 1.2‑GW “AI factory” as NBIS stock jumps

Nebius Group secured city approval for a Chapter 100 incentive package for its planned AI data-center campus in Independence, Missouri, which could reach 1.2 gigawatts of capacity. The 5-2 vote grants long-term tax abatements worth up to $6.26 billion over 20 years. NBIS shares rose about 13% in premarket trading. The campus would cover 400 acres and create about 1,200 construction and 130 permanent jobs.
March 5, 2026
Intel stock price jumps as INTC bets on SambaNova AI tie-up — what investors watch next
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Intel stock price jumps as INTC bets on SambaNova AI tie-up — what investors watch next

Intel shares jumped 5.9% to $46.21 Tuesday after announcing a multi-year AI partnership with SambaNova and an investment in SambaNova’s $350 million Series E round. SambaNova also unveiled its SN50 chip, with SoftBank set as the first customer in Japan. Intel’s stock had fallen for five straight sessions before the news. CFO David Zinsner will speak at a Morgan Stanley conference on March 4.
February 24, 2026
AI stocks: AMD stock price jumps on Meta chip pact as Nvidia earnings loom
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AI stocks: AMD stock price jumps on Meta chip pact as Nvidia earnings loom

AMD shares jumped over 6% Tuesday after announcing Meta will deploy up to 6 gigawatts of AMD Instinct GPUs for AI, with Meta receiving warrants to buy up to 10% of AMD if purchase milestones are met. The deal, valued at up to $60 billion over five years, includes performance-based warrants for 160 million shares at $0.01 each. Initial shipments are set for the second half of 2026.
February 24, 2026
Intel stock falls again into weekend pause as traders brace for AI-driven week ahead
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Intel stock falls again into weekend pause as traders brace for AI-driven week ahead

Intel shares closed down 1.1% at $44.11 on Friday, marking a fifth straight decline and underperforming chip rivals as Nvidia rose and AMD fell. Trading volume was about 90 million shares, below the 50-day average. Investors await Nvidia’s earnings call on Feb. 25 and Intel CFO David Zinsner’s appearance at a Morgan Stanley conference on March 4.
February 21, 2026
Algorhythm Holdings stock faces fresh test as AI freight claim keeps traders edgy
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Algorhythm Holdings stock faces fresh test as AI freight claim keeps traders edgy

Algorhythm Holdings traded near $3.48 in premarket Tuesday after volatility last week tied to its SemiCab AI release, which claimed 300–400% freight volume gains without extra staff. The stock saw over 167 million shares traded Feb. 13, with a range from $1.16 to $3.65. U.S. markets reopen after the Presidents Day break, with traders watching if the rally holds.
February 17, 2026
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