This artificial intelligence (AI) specialist leveraged decades of expertise in information technology (IT) and cloud systems and is on a path to earn membership in a very exclusive fraternity.

Read everything that’s happened in the news so far today.

Mercor, a two-year-old AI talent marketplace founded by young Thiel Fellows, has surged from a $250 million valuation in 2024 to eyeing $10 billion amid a $450 million run rate. Despite a corporate espionage lawsuit from rival Scale AI, its rapid growth exemplifies the frothy AI investment boom.

The two-year-old startup has been in discussions with investors for a Series C round.

The two-year-old startup has been in discussions with investors for a Series C round.

Microsoft plans to buy access to Anthropic’s artificial intelligence (AI) models for parts of Office 365 Copilot, partly reducing its reliance on OpenAI,

Inception Point AI, founded by ex-Wondery executive Jeanine Wright, plans to revolutionize podcasting by generating 5,000 shows and 3,000 episodes weekly using AI, at just $1 per episode. This aims to democratize content creation across genres, though critics raise concerns about authenticity, ethics, and job displacement. The venture could reshape audio consumption in 2025.

‘Daphne’ to connect with alumni

Credo Unveils Bluebird 1.6T Optical DSP for Low-Power, High-Bandwidth, and Ultra-low Latency AI Networks