S&P Global eyes partnerships to integrate its data
NEW YORK: S&P Global Inc is looking to expand partnerships with artificial intelligence (AI) companies to make its data available to customers who use those AI tools.
The company's AI innovation group is actively working with Anthropic and Google and said it expects to announce integrations with additional tools soon, according to Peter Licursi, the chief strategy officer at S&P's Kensho Technologies.
S&P's growing focus on AI comes as its clients, including firms across the financial world, begin experimenting with the technology in hopes it will boost their staffers' productivity and allow them to cut costs.
'What we've found is that our clients are adopting generative AI extremely quickly; they're being measured on it, and they care a lot about seeing concrete results,' Licursi said in an interview.
'Our approach has been to really try to enable our customers in whatever way they want to consume our data.'
The ratings and market intelligence company announced a new partnership with Anthropic last week, which will enable S&P's customers to access data from its Capital IQ Pro platform, like company financial statements, directly in Claude.
'We're approaching partnerships really as win-win situations,' Licursi said. — Bloomberg
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Free Malaysia Today
16 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
US stock futures pause after record S&P 500, Nasdaq run
All three major indexes were on track to end the week on a positive note as recent trade deals helped propel markets to new highs. (AP pic) NEW YORK : Wall Street futures held steady today as investors took a breather following record closes for the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq in the previous session and awaited clarity on trade negotiations ahead of next week's tariff deadline. At 5.41am, Dow E-minis rose 61 points, or 0.14%, S&P 500 E-minis were up 5.75 points, or 0.09%, and Nasdaq 100 E-minis were down 1.75 points, or 0.01%. The blue-chip Dow fell 0.7% in yesterday's session, but remained close to its all-time high, last hit in December. All three major indexes were on track to end the week on a positive note as recent trade deals between the US and its trading partners, including Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines, helped propel markets to new highs. An agreement with the EU was in the pipeline, while talks with South Korea were underway as next week's Aug 1 deadline for many countries looms, with investors hoping that steep US import levies could be averted. The recent climb to a series of record highs was also aided by upbeat second quarter (Q2) earnings. Of the 152 companies in the S&P 500 that reported earnings as of yesterday, 80.3% reported above analyst expectations, according to data compiled by LSEG. However, there were a few setbacks this week from heavyweights such as Tesla, with CEO Elon Musk warning of rough quarters ahead in the wake of shrinking US government subsidies for EVs. Intel dropped 6% in premarket trading on Friday after the chipmaker forecast steeper third-quarter losses than Wall Street had estimated and announced plans to slash jobs. Next week will feature the US Federal Reserve's (Fed) monetary policy meeting, with broader market bets pointing to a 'hold' verdict by policymakers as they continue to assess the impact of tariffs on inflation. US President Donald Trump – a staunch critic of Fed chair Jerome Powell – made a rare presidential visit to the central bank's headquarters yesterday, where he criticised its US$2.5-billion renovation project. This marked another escalation in Trump's efforts to pressure Powell into cutting interest rates. The president has often mused in the past about firing the top policymaker and replacing him with someone more willing to cut borrowing costs. According to the CME FedWatch tool, traders are pricing in a 58.6% chance of a reduction in September. Among other stocks, Newmont added 2% after the gold miner surpassed Wall Street expectations for Q2 profit. Meanwhile, Paramount Global rose 2% after US regulators approved its US$8.4 billion merger with Skydance Media.
The Star
18 hours ago
- The Star
AI is replacing search engines as a shopping guide, research suggests
Finding products, comparing prices and browsing reviews: Until now, you'd have done most of this in a search engine like Google. But that era appears to be ending thanks to AI, research shows. — Photo: Christin Klose/dpa COPENHAGEN: Three in four people who use AI are turning to the likes of ChatGPT, Gemini and Copilot to get advice and recommendations on shopping and travel instead of using the previous online method of search engines like Google, new research shows. AI-supported online shopping is done at least occasionally by 76% of AI users, with 17% doing so most or even all of the time, according to a study conducted by the market research institute Norstat on behalf of Verdane, a leading European investment company. The changes in consumer search behaviour pose a major challenge not only for search engine providers like Google but also for manufacturers and retailers, who must adapt to maintain their visibility in the AI-driven world. AI chatbots have emerged as powerful tools for tracking down specific products, often providing helpful advice in response to complex and specific queries. Of the survey respondents, 3% are dedicated AI enthusiasts who always use AI tools instead of search engines when shopping online, while 14% said they mostly use AI and 35% do so occasionally. A total of 7,282 people from the UK, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland aged between 18 and 60 participated in the survey in June. The highest proportion of AI use is in online travel research, at 33%. This is followed by consumer electronics (22%), DIY and hobby supplies (20%), and software or digital subscriptions (19%). However, AI usage is still relatively low in fashion and clothing (13%), cosmetics (12%), and real estate (7%). Among AI tools, ChatGPT is far ahead of its competitors and 86% of AI users regularly use OpenAI's chatbot. This is followed at a considerable distance by Google's Gemini (26% regular users) and Microsoft's Copilot (20%). The Chinese AI bot DeepSeek, which has been the subject of heated debate among AI experts and data protection advocates, appears to have no significant role among consumers in Europe. – dpa
The Star
a day ago
- The Star
‘It's the most empathetic voice in my life': How AI is transforming the lives of neurodivergent people
-For Cape Town-based filmmaker Kate D'hotman, connecting with movie audiences comes naturally. Far more daunting is speaking with others. 'I've never understood how people [decipher] social cues,' the 40-year-old director of horror films says. D'hotman has autism and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which can make relating to others exhausting and a challenge. However, since 2022, D'hotman has been a regular user of ChatGPT, the popular AI-powered chatbot from OpenAI, relying on it to overcome communication barriers at work and in her personal life. 'I know it's a machine,' she says. 'But sometimes, honestly, it's the most empathetic voice in my life.' Neurodivergent people — including those with autism, ADHD, dyslexia and other conditions — can experience the world differently from the neurotypical norm. Talking to a colleague, or even texting a friend, can entail misread signals, a misunderstood tone and unintended impressions. AI-powered chatbots have emerged as an unlikely ally, helping people navigate social encounters with real-time guidance. Although this new technology is not without risks — in particular some worry about over-reliance — many neurodivergent users now see it as a lifeline. How does it work in practice? For D'hotman, ChatGPT acts as an editor, translator and confidant. Before using the technology, she says communicating in neurotypical spaces was difficult. She recalls how she once sent her boss a bulleted list of ways to improve the company, at their request. But what she took to be a straightforward response was received as overly blunt, and even rude. Now, she regularly runs things by ChatGPT, asking the chatbot to consider the tone and context of her conversations. Sometimes she'll instruct it to take on the role of a psychologist or therapist, asking for help to navigate scenarios as sensitive as a misunderstanding with her best friend. She once uploaded months of messages between them, prompting the chatbot to help her see what she might have otherwise missed. Unlike humans, D'hotman says, the chatbot is positive and non-judgmental. That's a feeling other neurodivergent people can relate to. Sarah Rickwood, a senior project manager in the sales training industry, based in Kent, England, has ADHD and autism. Rickwood says she has ideas that run away with her and often loses people in conversations. 'I don't do myself justice,' she says, noting that ChatGPT has 'allowed me to do a lot more with my brain.' With its help, she can put together emails and business cases more clearly. The use of AI-powered tools is surging. A January study conducted by Google and the polling firm Ipsos found that AI usage globally has jumped 48%, with excitement about the technology's practical benefits now exceeding concerns over its potentially adverse February, OpenAI told Reuters that its weekly active users surpassed 400 million, of which at least 2 million are paying business users. But for neurodivergent users, these aren't just tools of convenience and some AI-powered chatbotsare now being created with the neurodivergent community in mind. Michael Daniel, an engineer and entrepreneur based in Newcastle, Australia, told Reuters that it wasn't until his daughter was diagnosed with autism — and he received the same diagnosis himself — that he realised how much he had been masking his own neurodivergent traits. His desire to communicate more clearly with his neurotypical wife and loved ones inspired him to build Neurotranslator, an AI-powered personal assistant, which he credits with helping him fully understand and process interactions, as well as avoid misunderstandings. 'Wow … that's a unique shirt,' he recalls saying about his wife's outfit one day, without realising how his comment might be perceived. She asked him to run the comment through NeuroTranslator, which helped him recognise that, without a positive affirmation, remarks about a person's appearance could come across as criticism. 'The emotional baggage that comes along with those situations would just disappear within minutes,' he says of using the app. Since its launch in September, Daniel says NeuroTranslator has attracted more than 200 paid subscribers. An earlier web version of the app, called Autistic Translator, amassed 500 monthly paid subscribers. As transformative as this technology has become, some warn against becoming too dependent. The ability to get results on demand can be 'very seductive,' says Larissa Suzuki, a London-based computer scientist and visiting NASA researcher who is herself neurodivergent. Overreliance could be harmful if it inhibits neurodivergent users' ability to function without it, or if the technology itself becomes unreliable — as is already the case with many AI search-engine results, according to a recent study from the Columbia Journalism Review.'If AI starts screwing up things and getting things wrong,' Suzuki says, 'people might give up on technology, and on themselves." Baring your soul to an AI chatbot does carry risk, agrees Gianluca Mauro, an AI adviser and co-author of Zero to AI. 'The objective [of AI models like ChatGPT] is to satisfy the user,' he says, raising questions about its willingness to offer critical advice. Unlike therapists, these tools aren't bound by ethical codes or professional guidelines. If AI has the potential to become addictive, Mauro adds, regulation should follow. A recent study by Carnegie Mellon and Microsoft (which is a key investor in OpenAI) suggests that long-term overdependence on generative AI tools can undermine users' critical-thinking skills and leave them ill-equipped to manage without it. 'While AI can improve efficiency,' the researchers wrote, 'it may also reduce critical engagement, particularly in routine or lower-stakes tasks in which users simply rely on AI.' While Dr. Melanie Katzman, a clinical psychologist and expert in human behaviour, recognises the benefits of AI for neurodivergent people, she does see downsides, such as giving patients an excuse not to engage with others. A therapist will push their patient to try different things outside of their comfort zone. "I think it's harder for your AI companion to push you," she says. But for users who have come to rely on this technology, such fears are academic. 'A lot of us just end up kind of retreating from society,' warns D'hotman, who says that she barely left the house in the year following her autism diagnosis, feeling overwhelmed. Were she to give up using ChatGPT, she fears she would return to that traumatic period of isolation. 'As somebody who's struggled with a disability my whole life,' she says, 'I need this.' (Editing by Yasmeen Serhan and Sharon Singleton)
