Latest news with #intelligence-driven
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Intuit forecasts strong quarterly profit after tax season boost
(Corrects typo in paragraph 1) By Jaspreet Singh (Reuters) -Intuit forecast fourth-quarter revenue and profit above Wall Street estimates on Thursday, signaling growing demand for its artificial intelligence-driven financial management tools and sending its shares up more than 5% in extended trading. The tax filing season in the U.S. from January 27 to April 15 also helped the company report upbeat third-quarter results as many taxpayers used Intuit's software to file their federal income-tax returns. Intuit provides financial management and compliance products such as its tax-preparation software TurboTax, personal finance portal Credit Karma and accounting software QuickBooks. The company said it would launch AI agents, systems which can take actions for users, in the coming weeks and add these agents into its QuickBooks product portfolio. "These agents are going to be incorporated into the lineup... we are going to be revamping our lineup. There's going to be a new lineup, and as part of that, we will have price changes," CFO Sandeep Aujla told Reuters. In addition to the core portfolio, there will be options where customers can choose specific agents based on their needs, such as an accounting agent or a finance agent, and pay for them separately, he said. Intuit forecast fourth-quarter revenue between $3.72 billion and $3.76 billion, above analysts' average estimate of $3.51 billion, according to data compiled by LSEG. Adjusted profit per share expectations of $2.63 to $2.68 for the quarter ending July 31 also beat estimates of $2.59. Revenue for the third quarter ended April 30 rose 15% to $7.75 billion, beating estimates of $7.56 billion. The adjusted profit per share of $11.65 also exceeded estimates of $10.91. Intuit also lifted fiscal 2025 forecasts. The company expects revenue growth of about 15%, up from its prior forecast of 12% to 13%. The company said its total TurboTax Online units, number of individual online tax returns filed using the platform, are expected to decline about 1% in fiscal 2025, while the paying units are expected to grow 6%. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Intuit forecasts strong quarterly profit after tax season boost
By Jaspreet Singh (Reuters) -Intuit forecast fourth-quarter revenue and profit above Wall Street estimates on Thursday, signaling growing demand for its artificial intelligence-driven financial management tools. The tax filing season in the U.S. from January 27 to April 15 also helped the company report upbeat third-quarter results as many taxpayers used Intuit's software to file their federal income-tax returns. Intuit provides financial management and compliance products such as its tax-preparation software TurboTax, personal finance portal Credit Karma and accounting software QuickBooks. The company said it would launch AI agents, systems which can take actions for users, in the coming weeks and add these agents into its QuickBooks product portfolio. "These agents are going to be incorporated into the lineup... we are going to be revamping our lineup. There's going to be a new lineup, and as part of that, we will have price changes," CFO Sandeep Aujla told Reuters. In addition to the core portfolio, there will be options where customers can choose specific agents based on their needs, such as an accounting agent or a finance agent, and pay for them separately, he said. Intuit forecast fourth-quarter revenue between $3.72 billion and $3.76 billion, above analysts' average estimate of $3.51 billion, according to data compiled by LSEG. Adjusted profit per share expectations of $2.63 to $2.68 for the quarter ending July 31 also beat estimates of $2.59. Revenue for the third quarter ended April 30 rose 15% to $7.75 billion, beating estimates of $7.56 billion. The adjusted profit per share of $11.65 also exceeded estimates of $10.91. Intuit also lifted fiscal 2025 forecasts. The company expects revenue growth of about 15%, up from its prior forecast of 12% to 13%. The company said its total TurboTax Online units, number of individual online tax returns filed using the platform, are expected to decline about 1% in fiscal 2025, while the paying units are expected to grow 6%.
India.com
06-05-2025
- Politics
- India.com
Warplay Or Warfare? How India Could Break Pakistan Without Crossing Nuclear Line
Indo-Pak Border Flare-Up: Amid fresh outrage over the Pahalgam massacre that killed 26 Indian tourists, India stands at a decisive crossroads: respond with overwhelming force or strike with smart, multi-domain precision. While a full-scale war with Pakistan may seem unlikely due to nuclear risks, India has a wide range of conventional and unconventional warfare options—each carrying different levels of impact, escalation, and risk. Here's a clear-eyed look at how India could make Pakistan pay—without triggering a catastrophic conflict. 1. Conventional Full-Scale War: Risky but Dominant India's military advantage—1.4 million troops vs. Pakistan's 617,000—offers clear superiority on paper. If war broke out along multiple fronts (Punjab, Rajasthan, LoC), India could aim to capture strategic territories or paralyze Pakistan's military structure. However, Pakistan's first-use nuclear doctrine makes such a move incredibly risky. Any large-scale territorial advance could provoke nuclear retaliation. Verdict: Technically feasible, but practically ruled out due to the nuclear red line. 2. Limited Conventional Conflict: Precision with Restraint Localized clashes along the LoC or border areas, like India's past 'surgical strikes' or Kargil-style operations, offer tactical payback. These actions are meant to inflict pain without pushing for escalation. India's 2019 Balakot airstrikes post-Pulwama terror attack are a template: direct hits on terror infrastructure with minimal footprint. Verdict: Most practical and proven option—but still carries escalation risk if mismanaged. 3. Surgical Airstrikes & Missile Hits Using fighter jets or cruise missiles (like BrahMos) to take out terror camps, military depots, or ISI assets inside Pakistan is an option with symbolic and strategic punch. Risk of pilots being captured (like in 2019) or collateral damage is high, but missile-only options reduce exposure. Verdict: Feasible, and India has done it before. Must avoid civilian casualties to retain international support. 4. Covert Operations & Proxy Pressure India's RAW could ramp up intelligence-driven operations to target terror financiers or support dissident movements like Baloch separatists. Hard to prove, but high on impact and deniability. Could pressure Pakistan without public war declaration. Verdict: Ongoing in shadows. Sustainable, but risks tit-for-tat escalation. 5. Naval Pressure in the Arabian Sea A blockade of Karachi or destruction of key Pakistani naval assets would cripple their economy. India's INS Vikrant, Scorpène-class submarines, and naval aviation could dominate sea battles. Verdict: High-risk, high-reward. Could impact global trade and provoke massive escalation. 6. Economic Warfare: Choking the Lifelines India's 2025 suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty sent a bold signal. Trade bans, cutting off airspace, and lobbying for global sanctions can further squeeze Pakistan. With a $3.4 trillion economy, India holds massive leverage compared to Pakistan's shrinking economy. Verdict: Very effective—and already in play. Escalation is minimal, but long-term retaliation possible. 7. Cyber Warfare: Hit Without a Trace India can target Pakistan's power grids, telecom systems, or financial networks using NTRO and allied agencies. Cyberwar is deniable and effective but could invite counterstrikes. Verdict: Low-cost, high stealth—perfect for asymmetric response. 8. Diplomatic Isolation: Weaponizing Global Influence India is already using its strong global partnerships to brand Pakistan a terror sponsor and rally support. 2025 saw visa suspensions, trade restrictions, and pressure campaigns on platforms like the UN and G20. Verdict: Long-term game—but highly feasible and sustainable. Final Take: No Boots Needed to Break Pakistan India doesn't need to march into Islamabad to deliver a blow. Through calibrated force, economic pressure, covert operations, and global diplomacy, New Delhi can degrade Pakistan's terror machinery without triggering nuclear war. This is not about avoiding conflict—it's about winning smartly. From the skies of Balakot to the rivers of Indus, India has options. The message is clear: act, retaliate—but don't stumble into all-out war.
Khaleej Times
03-03-2025
- Science
- Khaleej Times
AI robots may hold key to nursing Japan's ageing population
Recently in Tokyo an AI-driven robot leaned over a man lying on his back and gently put a hand on his knee and another on a shoulder and rolled him onto his side — a manoeuvre used to change diapers or prevent bedsores in the elderly. The 150-kg artificial intelligence-driven humanoid robot called AIREC is a prototype future "caregiver" for Japan's rapidly ageing population and chronic shortage of aged-care workers. "Given our highly advanced ageing society and declining births, we will be needing robots' support for medical and elderly care, and in our daily lives," said Shigeki Sugano, the Waseda University professor leading AIREC's research with government funding. Japan is the world's most advanced ageing society with a falling birth rate, dwindling working-age population and restrictive immigration policies. Its "baby boomer" generation, a bulging cohort created by a spike in post-war child births from 1947 to 1949, all turned at least 75 by the end of 2024, exacerbating the severe shortage of aged care workers. The number of babies born in 2024 fell for a ninth straight year, by five per cent to a record low 720,988, data from Japan's health ministry showed on Thursday. The nursing sector, meanwhile, is struggling to fill jobs. It had just one applicant for every 4.25 jobs available in December, far worse than the country's overall jobs-to-applicants ratio of 1.22, according to government data. As the government looks overseas to help fill the gap, the number of foreign workers in the sector has grown over the years, but stood only at around 57,000 in 2023, or less than three per cent of the overall workforce in the field. "We are barely keeping our heads above water and in 10, 15 years, the situation will be quite bleak," said Takashi Miyamoto, a director at Zenkoukai, an operator of elderly-care facilities. "Technology is our best chance to avert that." Zenkoukai has actively embraced new technologies, but the use of robots has been limited so far. At one facility in Tokyo, a bug-eyed, doll-sized robot assists a care worker by singing pop songs and leading residents in simple stretching exercises, while human caretakers busily tended to other pressing tasks. One of the most practical uses of nursing care technologies currently is as sleep sensors placed under residents' mattresses to monitor their sleeping conditions, cutting back on humans doing the rounds at night. Although humanoid robots like Tesla's Optimus are being developed for the nearer future, Sugano said robots that can safely interact physically with humans require next-level precision and intelligence. "Humanoid robots are being developed the world over. But they rarely come into direct contact with humans. They just do household chores or some tasks on factory floors," said Sugano, who is also president of the Robotics Society of Japan. "Once humans enter the picture, issues like safety and how to coordinate a robot's moves with each individual's spring up." Sugano's AIREC robot is capable of helping a person sit up or put on socks, cook scrambled eggs, fold laundry and some other useful tasks around the house. But Sugano does not expect AIREC to be ready for use in nursing-care and medical facilities until around 2030 and at a hefty price of no less than 10 million yen ($67,000) initially. Takaki Ito, a care worker at a Zenkoukai facility, is cautiously optimistic about the future of robotic nursing. "If we have AI-equipped robots that can grasp each care receiver's living conditions and personal traits, there may be a future for them to directly provide nursing care," he said. "But I don't think robots can understand everything about nursing care. Robots and humans working together to improve nursing care is a future I am hoping for."
Channel Post MEA
27-02-2025
- Business
- Channel Post MEA
NETSCOUT Unveils New Enhanced Adaptive DDoS Protection Solution
NETSCOUT announced it enhanced its Arbor Threat Mitigation System (TMS) Adaptive DDoS Protection solution with additional AI/ML functionality to better detect and block malicious traffic. Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks targeting critical IT infrastructure and services have increased by 55% over the last four years. A perfect storm of AI-driven automation, evolving DDoS-for-hire services, augmented IoT botnets, and geopolitical conflicts have changed the threat landscape with more frequent, sophisticated attacks having the potential to do more damage more rapidly. To combat these attacks, organizations, enterprises and service providers require AI/ML-enabled solutions that can continually adapt to threats, using proactive, intelligence-driven security strategies to protect their networks. 'With AI-driven attacks, ransomware, and nation-state threats impacting corporate governance, financial performance, and customer trust, corporate boards expect their IT teams to be proactive in adapting to emerging threats like DDoS,' said Chris Steffen, Vice President of Research – Information Security, Enterprise Management Associates. 'Implementing solutions that can adapt to threats helps minimize that risk.' NETSCOUT utilizes a hybrid AI/ML strategy that combines AI/ML running at scale in the cloud, with supervision, to analyze data collected from an unprecedented 550 Tbps of Internet traffic (almost half of all Internet traffic), along with AI/ML running in our software solutions to enable automated protection from these attacks. This provides a 'best of both worlds' approach – the computational scale of the cloud allows for large-scale analysis of threat data with supervision to ensure accuracy while AI/ML running in our software solutions enables them to leverage that pre-analyzed intelligence to make fast, accurate, automated decisions about what to detect and block. The company's cloud-based AI/ML drives the creation of the ATLAS Intelligence Feed , which delivers unique capabilities in its Adaptive DDoS Protection solutions, arming them with the latest DDoS attack intelligence. The continuous analysis, which is updated multiple times per day, provides insight into the source IP addresses of devices actively conducting DDoS attacks on the internet, novel attack vectors, DDoS attack targets, and other intelligence. This enables Adaptive DDoS Protection to quickly and accurately detect even small direct-path attacks from sampled flow data and send the traffic to TMS for automated blocking. The latest AI/ML-derived ATLAS Intelligence Feed iteration has been augmented with enhanced Geo-IP location functionality that maps IP addresses to geographic locations, enabling faster and more precise identification and blocking of malicious traffic. In addition, the ATLAS Intelligence Feed now includes NETSCOUT's ATLAS tracking of active DDoS campaigns, enabling Adaptive DDoS Protection to automatically detect and block attacks from over 65 known DDoS threat actors carrying out active attack campaigns against a range of targets, including NoName057 and RipperSec. AI/ML technology has also been adopted as part of the Adaptive DDoS Protection solution. New in the latest release is AI/ML-powered source host misuse detection, which enables network operators to track misbehaving subscribers, infected hosts, compromised IoT devices, and other internal attack sources. This new capability makes it easier to detect and block outbound DDoS attacks that can impact service and infrastructure performance and availability as edge connectivity speeds increase. New TMS Source Mitigations enable network operators to redirect and surgically protect against threat activity from specific sources that may be targeting the entire network without requiring fully inline solutions on all network traffic. Service Provider Benefits With updates to NETSCOUT's Adaptive DDoS Protection solution, service providers can better protect their critical infrastructures and the services they provide to their customers. Other key advantages include enhanced availability, reduced downtime costs, less aggravation, and new revenue-generating opportunities. 'With more sophisticated and frequent DDoS attacks, the risks have never been greater,' said Scott Nichols, Chief Commercial Officer at Arelion. 'Through our partnership with NETSCOUT, we're able to deliver industry-leading Adaptive DDoS protection to ensure the best experience possible for our customers.' 0 0
