Latest news with #SiliconValley
Fast Company
2 hours ago
- Business
- Fast Company
Perplexity CEO predicts AI could replace recruiters and assistants in as little as six months
Yet another CEO in the artificial intelligence space is warning that major job losses are imminent due to advancements in the technology —and they may come much sooner than many anticipate. Aravind Srinivas, CEO of Perplexity, cautioned that roles such as recruiters and executive assistants could soon be rendered obsolete by the next wave of AI improvements, particularly as AI browsers become more widely adopted. Perplexity recently launched the Comet AI browser, featuring an Assistant mode capable of researching topics, booking flights, scheduling meetings, and more. Speaking on The Verge's Decoder podcast, Srinivas acknowledged that while Comet currently struggles with long-horizon tasks, human assistants are still needed to manage complex workflows. However, he added, 'I'm pretty sure [that within] six months to a year from now, it can do the entire thing.' The emergence of more advanced reasoning models, he said, could put recruiter roles especially at risk. 'I'm betting on the fact that … a sufficiently good reasoning model … could get us over the edge where all these things are suddenly possible and then a recruiter's work worth one week is just one prompt: sourcing and reach outs,' he said. Srinivas believes that with access to a user's Gmail and calendar, Comet's AI Assistant can not only match a human assistant's capabilities but even exceed them when it comes to follow-ups. For example, if a meeting invite is sent and responses begin rolling in, the AI can 'go and update the Google Sheets, mark the status as responded or in progress and follow up with those candidates, sync with my Google calendar, and then resolve conflicts and schedule a chat, and then push me a brief ahead of the meeting.' According to Srinivas, the ultimate vision is to turn the web browser into a sort of operating system—running tasks in the background all day to streamline the user's schedule. While there's still a way to go before reaching that point universally, he said Perplexity is close to realizing this goal in specific areas. If successful, he believes word-of-mouth adoption could fuel further growth. 'We nail those use cases, get the early adopters to love the product, and then ride the wave of progress and reasoning models,' he said. 'That's been the strategy.' Srinivas is far from alone in raising concerns about AI's disruptive potential for the job market. In May, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei told Axios that AI could eliminate up to 50% of all entry-level white-collar jobs within five years, potentially pushing unemployment as high as 10% to 20%. That warning, he emphasized, was meant for both policymakers and fellow AI developers. 'Most of them are unaware that this is about to happen,' Amodei said. 'It sounds crazy, and people just don't believe it. … We, as the producers of this technology, have a duty and an obligation to be honest about what is coming.' Also in May, LinkedIn's Chief Economic Opportunity Officer Aneesh Raman noted that AI increasingly threatens the kinds of jobs that have traditionally served as stepping stones for young professionals. Venture capitalist Kai-Fu Lee has gone further, calling forecasts that AI will displace 50% of jobs by 2027 'uncannily accurate.' Still, there are signs of pushback and recalibration among companies that have embraced an 'AI-first' philosophy. At Klarna, for instance, despite ongoing AI investments, the company has come to value human interaction more deeply. CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski told Bloomberg in May that the fintech firm was preparing to hire more staff to ensure customers always have the option to speak with a live representative. Similarly, Duolingo's pivot to AI-led operations—announcing it would reduce reliance on contractors for tasks AI can perform—sparked strong backlash from users. A company spokesperson told Fast Company in May that Duolingo was 'committed to using AI with human oversight, to help us deliver on our mission to make the best education in the world available to everyone.'
Globe and Mail
2 hours ago
- Business
- Globe and Mail
GeekyAnts Highlights 5 Trailblazing Fintech Companies Powering Golden States Tech Boom
GeekyAnts Highlights 5 Trailblazing Fintech Companies Powering the Golden State's Tech Boom California's Fintech Boom: The Demand for Specialized App Development California has long been recognized as the nucleus of technological innovation in the United States. With a thriving startup ecosystem, abundant venture capital, and a forward-thinking regulatory environment, the state is now a key driver in the evolution of financial technology. From Silicon Valley to Silicon Beach, fintech is growing rapidly across the region. As banks, startups, and financial institutions race to modernize, the demand for expert fintech app development has surged. Whether it's secure mobile banking, streamlined payment platforms, or advanced wealth management tools, organizations need technology partners who understand the intersection of finance and innovation. This article highlights five reputable fintech app development companies in California, USA. Each is recognized on for their client satisfaction and has proven experience working with financial service clients. These firms offer everything from UI/UX design and mobile engineering to compliance and backend systems—equipping their clients to compete in a complex, regulated landscape. Choosing the Right Fintech App Development Partner In today's fast-evolving fintech landscape, selecting the right app development partner goes far beyond writing good code. It's about aligning with a team that understands financial compliance, user trust, system scalability, and the unique needs of regulated industries. Here are the key traits to look for: Proven Fintech Experience: Choose firms with hands-on experience in building apps for banking, payments, lending, or investments. Domain knowledge helps avoid costly mistakes and ensures faster, smarter & Compliance Focus: Your partner must prioritize secure development practices and be fluent in standards like PCI DSS, SOC 2, GDPR, and CCPA. Look for experience with secure data storage, encrypted APIs, and multi-factor Delivery Capability: The best firms go beyond code. They provide discovery workshops, product design, backend & frontend development, QA testing, and long-term support, ensuring alignment from idea to launch and and Transparent Processes: Agile development with clear sprint cycles, open communication, and progress tracking reduces risk. Transparency in scope, budget, and timelines is especially critical for high-stakes fintech Client Testimonials: Independent platforms like and GoodFirms provide transparent insights into a firm's delivery quality, responsiveness, and long-term reliability. Prioritize companies with consistently positive, fintech-specific reviews. Ultimately, the right fintech development partner acts not just as a vendor but as a strategic technology ally—helping you build secure, scalable, and user-focused financial solutions that comply with regulations and deliver long-term business value. An experienced partner will also guide you in accurately forecasting fintech app development cost, ensuring your investment aligns with both technical scope and business outcomes. 5 Reputed Fintech App Development Company in California, USA As financial services evolve at lightning speed, California continues to be at the epicenter of innovation. Founders, tech leaders, and product owners are now building sophisticated mobile and web applications—ranging from secure banking apps to investment platforms and digital wallets. Choosing the right development partner for your fintech initiative can determine whether your project succeeds or stalls. Here are 5 trusted app development firms in California, USA. 1. GeekyAnts Inc. – San Francisco, CA GeekyAnts is a global technology consulting firm known for its deep expertise in digital transformation, end‑to‑end app development, digital product design, and custom software solutions. With over 300 engineers and designers, they've delivered more than 800 projects worldwide—many in the fintech space, including mobile-first banking, lending platforms, credit scoring systems, and portfolio management tools. Their contributions to open-source communities (like NativeBase) reflect a commitment to innovation and engineering quality. GeekyAnts also collaborates closely with enterprise clients to streamline development cycles through agile methodologies and custom frameworks. Clutch Rating: 4.9 / 5 based on 105+ verified reviews. Contact Information:Address: 315 Montgomery Street, 9th & 10th floors, San Francisco, CA 94104, USAPhone: +1 845 534‑6825Email: info@ 2. Saritasa – Newport Beach, CA Saritasa is a custom software and mobile app development agency with extensive experience in fintech, IoT, and AR/VR applications. They've completed enterprise-grade systems including complex financial dashboards, secure transaction platforms, and AI-powered fintech tools. Saritasa takes a consultative approach to project planning and is praised for its seamless collaboration and tailored strategies that align with client goals. Their transparent project management and scalable infrastructure have made them a trusted partner for mid‑size financial services organizations. Clutch Rating: 4.8 / 5 based on 90+ reviews. Contact Information:Address: 18301 Von Karman Ave, Suite 700, Irvine, CA 92612Phone: +1 949‑574‑3860 3. Kingsmen Digital Ventures – Irvine, CA Kingsmen Digital Ventures is a boutique digital solutions provider offering custom software development, UX/UI design, and fintech app services. Their strength lies in rapid MVP development and agile delivery for both startups and established firms. Kingsmen has built fintech solutions ranging from mobile banking platforms to financial analytics dashboards. They emphasize close client collaboration, iterative releases, and strict adherence to project timelines, making them a flexible choice for time-sensitive financial products. Clutch Rating: 4.8 / 5 based on 42 reviews. Contact Information:Address: 11 Hubble, Suite 220, Irvine, CA 92618Phone: +1 949‑478‑5583 4. Baytech Consulting – Irvine, CA Overview:Baytech Consulting specializes in modernizing enterprise applications, with substantial experience in financial services and software integrations. They have delivered scalable mobile and web platforms with secure APIs and are known for optimizing legacy financial systems. Baytech's technical team excels in .NET, Azure, and cloud-native architectures, allowing them to engineer fintech solutions with high availability, performance, and security. Their client base spans mid-sized banks, lenders, and capital markets. Clutch Rating: 4.7 / 5 from 58 reviews. Contact Information:Address: 55 Technology Drive, Suite 100, Irvine, CA 92618Phone: +1 949‑220‑1088 5. Diffco – San Jose, CA Diffco is a full-service software studio in Silicon Valley that develops secure fintech apps, AI-powered tools, and enterprise-grade platforms. They are known for building fraud-detection systems, blockchain-based transaction platforms, and data-rich financial dashboards. Diffco focuses heavily on early-stage prototyping, quality assurance, and long-term maintainability—making them a strong fit for fintech companies seeking product-market alignment and compliance-focused architecture. Clutch Rating: 4.9 / 5 based on 30 reviewsContact Information:|Address: 333 W San Carlos St, Suite 600, San Jose, CA 95110Phone: +1 408‑883‑0300 Conclusion As fintech continues to transform how consumers manage money and how institutions deliver financial services, the importance of choosing the right app development partner has never been greater. The five companies featured above each bring unique capabilities to the table—from AI-driven platforms and secure mobile solutions to intuitive UX design and scalable cloud-native systems. Whether you're a fintech startup launching your first MVP or an established financial institution pursuing large-scale digital transformation, a skilled and collaborative development partner can make all the difference. California remains at the forefront of the global fintech landscape, serving as a hub for innovation, venture capital, and regulatory evolution. The firms highlighted in this article exemplify the technical expertise, strategic vision, and compliance readiness required to build the next generation of financial applications. Partnering with one of these reputable companies means gaining a team that not only understands the complexities of fintech development but also has a proven track record of delivering secure, user-focused, and future-ready digital solutions.
TechCrunch
3 hours ago
- Business
- TechCrunch
Figma's Dylan Field will cash out about $60M in IPO, with Index, Kleiner, Greylock, Sequoia all selling, too
When Figma announced its initial hoped-for price range on Monday ($25-$28), it also revealed an unusual decision for its highly anticipated IPO. It will allow existing shareholders to sell more shares than the company plans to sell, by a high ratio. The company plans to offer about 12.5 million shares. Yet existing shareholders will be allowed to cash out of nearly 24.7 million shares, it said. In addition, should this IPO be as hot as everyone thinks it will be, existing shareholders will get the option to sell, collectively, up to 5.5 million more shares. Figma founder CEO Dylan Field has disclosed that he plans to sell 2.35 million shares. At the midrange he'll be cashing out of over $62 million. (That might be a much higher number if the IPO prices above $28, too.) Even with that sale, he will still own an enormous number of shares and control the company. He will hold 74% of the voting rights after the IPO. This is thanks to supervoting rights of 15 votes per share for the Class B stock he controls, plus the right to vote the Class B shares of his co-founder, Evan Wallace, the company says in its S-1. Figma's biggest venture investors are all cashing out some shares, as well, including Index, Greylock, Kleiner Perkins, and Sequoia. Should the demand be there for the over-allotment, they will cash out 1.7 million to 3.3 million shares apiece. That should allow them to return some cash to their investors in this liquidity-starved venture market. It should be noted, though, that each of these investors is keeping the lion's share of their Figma holdings. One way to interpret this largely secondary sale is that if the company hadn't opened up share sales to existing investors, it might not have had enough shares to meet the demand. Techcrunch event Tech and VC heavyweights join the Disrupt 2025 agenda Netflix, ElevenLabs, Wayve, Sequoia Capital — just a few of the heavy hitters joining the Disrupt 2025 agenda. They're here to deliver the insights that fuel startup growth and sharpen your edge. Don't miss the 20th anniversary of TechCrunch Disrupt, and a chance to learn from the top voices in tech — grab your ticket now and save up to $675 before prices rise. Tech and VC heavyweights join the Disrupt 2025 agenda Netflix, ElevenLabs, Wayve, Sequoia Capital — just a few of the heavy hitters joining the Disrupt 2025 agenda. They're here to deliver the insights that fuel startup growth and sharpen your edge. Don't miss the 20th anniversary of TechCrunch Disrupt, and a chance to learn from the top voices in tech — grab your ticket now and save up to $675 before prices rise. San Francisco | REGISTER NOW As you might expect, the company will not make money from the shares its stockholders sell. But should it price above its announced range (as often happens with hot IPOs), Figma will raise more, as will its shareholders. Prior to pricing, IPO experts expected Figma to sell around $1.5 billion worth of stock. Should it price above range and exceed that, Figma would be the biggest IPO of 2025 to date. The IPO could happen next week, so we shall soon see. Figma declined further comment.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Apple Stock Forecast: As Critics Call for Cook to Step Down, How Bad Are Things Really for AAPL?
With a year-to-date loss of 15%, Apple (AAPL) is the second-worst performing 'Magnificent 7' stock this year. Only Tesla (TSLA) has fared worse than Apple among the coveted group, thanks to news flow around CEO Elon Musk's politics, which often tend to overshadow the more pressing issues that the company needs to address. As for Apple, the YTD underperformance comes amid the growing perception that it slacked big time on artificial intelligence (AI). As Wedbush analyst Dan Ives aptly said, 'Apple is at a highway rest stop on a bench watching this Fourth Industrial Revolution race go by at 100 miles an hour.' More News from Barchart It's Never 'Happened in the History of Tech to Any Company Before': OpenAI's Sam Altman Says ChatGPT is Growing at an Unprecedented Rate This Penny Stock Wants to Become the MicroStrategy of Dogecoin Option Volatility And Earnings Report For July 21 - 25 Get exclusive insights with the FREE Barchart Brief newsletter. Subscribe now for quick, incisive midday market analysis you won't find anywhere else. Some other headlines are even more unforgiving, with one even claiming Apple stock is for 'losers.' That said, the iPhone maker remains the largest holding for Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B), and the 'Oracle of Omaha' does not appear to be in a mood to sell more shares after trimming the holdings to a round figure of 300 million shares. In this article, we'll gauge how bad things are for Apple, as a section of the market questions whether CEO Tim Cook is the best person to lead the Cupertino-based company amid its recent underperformance. Apple Has Arguably Slacked on AI While other Big Tech companies have ramped up their AI capex, filling up Nvidia's (NVDA) coffers in that process, Apple hasn't seen a commensurate rise in its AI spending. The company's 'Apple Intelligence' features have been quite gradual, and while Apple maintains that iPhone sales have been better in regions where these features are available, they haven't moved the needle much, or at least that's what the sales numbers tell us. The argument about Apple slacking on its AI initiatives gained momentum following last month's WWDC, where the new features were not exactly groundbreaking and, in many cases, Apple appeared to be playing catch-up with its competitors. For example, despite Siri having the first-mover advantage in the digital assistant space, it is still well behind AI assistants offered by the likes of OpenAI. There have been rumours about Apple considering acquiring AI startup Perplexity. However, I believe the possibility of that acquisition looks dim as, firstly, Apple has historically not made large acquisitions. Plus, it has prioritized privacy in its AI development, unlike Perplexity. Critics Call for Cook to Be Replaced Gene Munster of Deepwater Asset Management, who termed OpenAI's acquisition of former Apple executive Jony Ive's startup io Products as a 'wake-up call' for Apple, termed Cook as a 'peacetime CEO.' Others have been less flattering and called for the company to look for a new CEO. To be sure, Cook's strength has been in logistics and supply chain, which was on full display amid the recent tariff chaos, in which Apple was almost seamlessly able to move the bulk of iPhone production to India to evade the stiffer tariffs on China. However, since the iPhone, Apple hasn't come up with any other product that has the opportunity to be the 'next big thing.' If anything, there have been more hits than misses over the last decade. For instance, last year, it reportedly halted its electric vehicle project codenamed 'Project Titan' after burning billions of dollars over a decade. Apple TV remains another vanity project and is reportedly in the red. Apple's Vision Pro virtual reality (VR) headset has also failed to get much traction. While Apple still boasts an installed base of over 2.35 billion devices globally and has built a strong ecosystem with a loyal user base, the race for the next computing platform looks wide open, with Meta Platforms (META) and OpenAI looking to challenge the status quo. I wouldn't rule out Apple from the AI war, but the company faces some of its biggest challenges in recent years. The same would hold for Google (GOOG), which is facing perhaps the first real competition in its search dominance that I can remember. Apple Stock Forecast Wall Street has also been a lot less bullish on Apple than it has been in recent history. While Jefferies upgraded the stock from 'Underperform' to 'Hold' earlier this month, Apple has a consensus rating of 'Moderate Buy,' which is better than only Tesla among its 'Magnificent 7 peers. Apple's mean target price of $230.92 is just about 9.4% higher than current prices. Analysts' pessimism is not hard to comprehend as, apart from concerns over its AI strategy, Apple faces some other pressing headwinds, particularly in the high-margin Services business, after District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled that Apple needs to loosen its stringent App Store rules and stop collecting fees on purchases made outside apps. The tariff heat might rise again as the Aug. 1 tariff deadline approaches. President Donald Trump has been quite vocal about his desire for Apple to shift its production stateside, something analysts believe is next to impossible given the cost and scale of operations. All said, while Apple's forecast does not really look rosy, I believe some headlines are much gloomier than reality. These are still early days in AI, and given Apple's current user base, it has a head start over other AI companies that need a hardware platform to reach users. However, given the current valuations – Apple trades at a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) multiple of nearly 30x – I don't find the short-term risk-reward compelling enough to add to my existing position. On the date of publication, Mohit Oberoi had a position in: AAPL, NVDA, META, TSLA, GOOG. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. This article was originally published on
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Alphabet Reports Q2 Earnings July 23. Time to Buy GOOGL Stock?
Tech giant Alphabet (GOOGL) will report its Q2 earnings on July 23. Despite a strong rebound in recent months, with GOOGL stock climbing over 27% in the last three months, shares of the tech giant remain in the red so far this year. This lagging year-to-date performance reflects broader market concerns, particularly around heightened legal and regulatory scrutiny, an uncertain economic backdrop that could hurt advertising budgets, and stiff competition in the artificial intelligence (AI) space. Nonetheless, Alphabet's long-term prospects remain solid, and its business continues to show solid momentum across its major segments. Search remains a dominant catalyst, while Google Cloud is benefiting from robust enterprise demand, and the company's subscription services, including YouTube Premium and Google One, are steadily growing their user base. More News from Barchart It's Never 'Happened in the History of Tech to Any Company Before': OpenAI's Sam Altman Says ChatGPT is Growing at an Unprecedented Rate This Penny Stock Wants to Become the MicroStrategy of Dogecoin Option Volatility And Earnings Report For July 21 - 25 Get exclusive insights with the FREE Barchart Brief newsletter. Subscribe now for quick, incisive midday market analysis you won't find anywhere else. That said, Alphabet is facing tough year-over-year comparisons in advertising revenues, which could weigh on the pace of growth in the near term. In its cloud business, although demand remains high, capacity constraints may limit the company's ability to fully capitalize on that interest in the short run. With this backdrop, let's take a look at analysts' expectations for Q2. Alphabet's Q2 Outlook: Momentum Driven by AI, Cloud, and YouTube Alphabet heads into its second-quarter earnings with strong momentum following a stellar Q1, where the tech giant posted double-digit growth across its core segments, including Google Search, YouTube, Cloud, and subscriptions. This broad-based strength is expected to continue into Q2, driven largely by Alphabet's integration of AI throughout its ecosystem. The tech giant embedded AI across major platforms, enhancing Search with features like AI Overviews and Circle to Search. Notably, AI Overviews alone attracted over 1.5 billion monthly users, reflecting growing user engagement. YouTube is also leveraging AI to enhance content discovery and ad targeting, while Google Cloud is experiencing strong demand from enterprises for its AI-powered services and data analytics capabilities. Search remains Alphabet's primary revenue engine. Despite challenging year-over-year comparisons, ad revenue from Search is poised to grow again in Q2, driven by sustained user engagement and digital advertising trends. YouTube, too, is on solid footing. Ad revenues are expected to rise, supported by both brand and direct-response advertising. YouTube Shorts is a standout performer, with engagement likely to continue growing and monetization showing steady improvement in the U.S. YouTube's leadership in video streaming continues to strengthen. With the expansion of ad formats and a growing subscription base, including over 125 million global users for YouTube Music and Premium, the platform is well-positioned for recurring revenue growth. The recent expansion of its Premium Lite offering in the U.S. adds further flexibility for users and deepens monetization opportunities. Google Cloud remains a significant growth driver, with the segment delivering revenue of $12.3 billion in Q1, representing a 28% year-over-year increase. The surging demand for AI solutions and better cost control will enable the company to deliver solid revenue and operating profit in this segment. Finally, Alphabet's subscription and devices segment is emerging as another robust contributor. With over 270 million paid subscribers at the end of Q1, this segment is helping Alphabet build a stable and loyal customer base. Beyond revenue, Alphabet's profitability is expected to improve. Wall Street analysts are forecasting earnings of $2.14 per share for the second quarter. That's a 13.2% jump from the $1.89 per share the company posted during the same period last year. Alphabet has consistently outperformed expectations. It has beaten analysts' earnings estimates for four straight quarters. Just last quarter, Alphabet delivered a solid 39.1% earnings beat, far surpassing what analysts had anticipated. This strong track record of earnings surprises suggests Alphabet may once again outshine expectations, which could boost its share price. Is GOOGL Stock a Buy Now? As Alphabet gears up to report its Q2 earnings on July 23, challenges such as tough advertising comps and cloud capacity limitations may temper the pace of growth in the near term. That said, the growing momentum in key areas, such as AI, cloud computing, YouTube, and subscriptions, signals that the company's growth engine is far from slowing down. Wall Street analysts are bullish about Alphabet's prospects ahead of Q2 earnings and maintain a 'Strong Buy' consensus rating. Alphabet's consistent track record of earnings beat suggests it could once again deliver an upside surprise. Given its strong fundamentals, GOOGL stock is a buy for investors willing to look beyond the short-term noise. On the date of publication, Amit Singh did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. This article was originally published on
