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Global AI Arms Race Accelerates with Cutting-Edge Tech and Strategic Investments

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FN Media Group Presents USA News Group News Commentary

VANCOUVER, BC, Feb. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — USA News Group  – The world is undergoing a massive AI revolution, that according to analysts at McKinsey Global Institute could add the equivalent of up to $4.4 trillion annually in value in the near future. With such immense potential on the line, an AI arms race is underway, several firms are establishing their positions by developing and acquiring new tech, including Avant Technologies Inc. (OTCQB:AVAI), C3.ai, Inc. (NYSE:AI), Snowflake Inc. (NYSE:SNOW), Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), and even asset management firm Blackstone Inc. (NYSE:BX).

Along the important road towards this new technological integration, businesses trying to use AI in their products are facing big challenges. These challenges are mostly because of the high costs of computing power and a global shortage of data storage expected by 2025.

At the forefront of addressing these critical issues, Avant Technologies Inc. (OTCQB:AVAI) is emerging as a leader in advanced cloud supercomputing technologies. The company claims that its supercomputing network could become known as the world’s most powerful and cost-efficient private cloud infrastructure.

Avant recently strategically appointed Timothy Lantz, a veteran in the technology sector with extensive leadership experience, as in the roles of its new CEO and Director. Lantz brings over 20 years of successful experience in diverse business operations, including managing startups, driving growth, leading turnaround initiatives, and executing strategic financial exits.

Lantz’s shift to the CEO position comes after his initial involvement with Avant as the chief advisor for product development and market strategy, a role he took on when he first joined the company’s industry advisory board earlier this year.

“AI is already changing the world as we know it and Avant Technologies is well-positioned as a frontrunner to support what will undoubtedly be the next major evolutionary leap in human technological advancement,” said Lantz. “The opportunity ahead for Avant is immense and to fully realize its potential, we will have to be focused on delivering game-changing technology purpose-built for AI, with both speed and precision. A big part of my job is to enable Avant to bring new, innovative products to market quickly, build a ‘flawless execution’ culture, and position the company for hyper-growth.”

Avant is actively addressing the key issues of cost and performance, which are obstacles to the progress and market potential in AI, machine learning, and big data analytics. The company is dedicated to transforming these areas with its cutting-edge private cloud infrastructure, striving to boost performance and provide additional benefits in various industries. Their focused strategy involves cutting costs, improving computing density, and providing unique ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) benefits by significantly lowering electricity and water consumption.

“The proliferation of the AI, machine learning and big data analytics industries is already rapidly outpacing the capabilities of traditional cloud infrastructure for an industry that demands exponential computer power and storage capacity,” added Lantz. “We recognized this real unmet need and began working to develop a next generation, ultra-high-density supercomputing environment that will revolutionize the landscape for AI companies of all sizes and for any other users who require hyper-scalable, cost-effective computing power.”

Avant is dedicated to advancing AI technology and is creating a specialized computing environment specifically designed for AI applications. This environment is carefully developed to work smoothly with all major AI frameworks, enabling easy integration and efficient development workflows.

Shortly after announcing the launch of its no-code, self-service generative AI application in AWS Marketplace, C3.ai, Inc. (NYSE:AI) reported its Q2 2024 financial results where the company saw its total revenue grew 17% year-over-year.

“We saw unprecedented interest and traction in our generative AI offerings. Importantly, we are seeing a return to accelerating revenue growth as we continue our transition to a consumption-based pricing model,” said Thomas M. Siebel, CEO and Chairman of C3 AI.

It was a very active quarter for C3 AI, having closed 62 agreements including 36 pilots. Among these were deals with GSK, Indorama, and First Business Bank, and newly expanded agreements with Con Edison, Roche, Nucor Corporation, and Hewlett Packard Enterprises, along with more. The company also closed 40 agreements through its partner network, which includes AWS, Baker Hughes, Booz Allen, Google Cloud, and Microsoft—marking an increase of 75% to C3’s qualified opportunity pipeline with partners.

Data cloud company Snowflake Inc. (NYSE:SNOW) recently announced it would be enabling all users to securely tap into the power of generative AI with their enterprise data through its platform Snowflake Cortex. Shortly after, Snowflake released its financial results for Q3 2024, showing a 34% year-over-year growth in product revenue to nearly $700 million.

Continuing with that positive moment, Snowflake was awarded the #1 ranking on the 2023 Fortune Future 50 list. To compile this Future 50 list, The BCG Henderson Institute analyzed over 1,000 publicly traded companies, each with a market value of at least $20 billion or revenue of $10 billion in the 12 months up to the end of 2022. This evaluation includes 19 factors known for their predictive power of growth in the next five years. These factors are categorized into four groups: strategy, technology and investments, people, and structure.

“We are honored to be named at the top of Fortune’s Future 50 list and look forward to continuing to help customers solve their biggest problems and deliver real value using AI,” said Sridhar Ramaswamy, SVP of AI at Snowflake. “In this new AI era, generative AI and large language models will reshape how we live, work and do business.”

After being labeled as very conservative in its approach to AI, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is allegedly preparing to invest $1 billion in the generative AI arms race to catch their rivals, according CNBC’s Mark Gruman. Just over a month after the news of that potential figure dropped, Apple quietly released a machine learning framework called MLX to help developers build models that run efficiently on Apple Silicon and deep learning model library MLX Data.

According to a social media post from Apple machine learning researcher Awni Hannun, MLX Data is a “framework agnostic, efficient, and flexible package for data loading. It’s based on a design inspired by existing frameworks like PyTorch, Jax, and ArrayFire, however MLX goes further by adding support for a unified memory model, which means arrays live in shared memory and operations can be performed on any of supported device types without performing data copies—a feature list that has Computer World claiming it to be “pretty good at first glance“.

Even asset management firm Blackstone Inc. (NYSE:BX) is getting into the mix by responding to exploding data-center demand that’s being fuelled by the AI arms race, by committing to developing $7 billion worth of data centers. The move is part of a new venture with Digital Realty Trust Inc. According to a report from Reuters, the venture plans to develop 10 data centers across four campuses in Frankfurt, Paris, and northern Virginia.

As per the terms of the deal, Blackstone will acquire an 80% ownership stake in the joint venture for about $700 million in initial capital contributions. Scheduled to close over two stages, the joint venture is set to become official by the end of the first half of 2024.

“By partnering with Blackstone, the world’s largest alternative asset manager, Digital Realty is better able to deliver capacity to meet the burgeoning demand of our hyperscale customers, by accessing a deep pool of likeminded private capital,” said Andy Power, the president and CEO of Digital Realty.

Source: https://usanewsgroup.com/2023/10/26/unlocking-the-trillion-dollar-ai-market-what-investors-need-to-know/ 

USA News Group
http://USAnewsgroup.com info@usanewsgroup.com

DISCLAIMER: Nothing in this publication should be considered as personalized financial advice. We are not licensed under securities laws to address your particular financial situation. No communication by our employees to you should be deemed as personalized financial advice. Please consult a licensed financial advisor before making any investment decision. This is a paid advertisement and is neither an offer nor recommendation to buy or sell any security. We hold no investment licenses and are thus neither licensed nor qualified to provide investment advice. The content in this report or email is not provided to any individual with a view toward their individual circumstances. USA News Group is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Market IQ Media Group, Inc. (“MIQ”). MIQ has been paid a fee for Avant Technologies Inc. advertising and digital media from the company directly. There may be 3rd parties who may have shares Avant Technologies Inc., and may liquidate their shares which could have a negative effect on the price of the stock. This compensation constitutes a conflict of interest as to our ability to remain objective in our communication regarding the profiled company. Because of this conflict, individuals are strongly encouraged to not use this publication as the basis for any investment decision. The owner/operator of MIQ own shares of Avant Technologies Inc. which were purchased as a part of a private placement. MIQ reserves the right to buy and sell, and will buy and sell shares of Avant Technologies Inc. at any time thereafter without any further notice. We also expect further compensation as an ongoing digital media effort to increase visibility for the company, no further notice will be given, but let this disclaimer serve as notice that all material disseminated by MIQ has been approved by the above mentioned company; this is a paid advertisement, and we own shares of the mentioned company that we will sell, and we also reserve the right to buy shares of the company in the open market, or through further private placements and/or investment vehicles. While all information is believed to be reliable, it is not guaranteed by us to be accurate. Individuals should assume that all information contained in our newsletter is not trustworthy unless verified by their own independent research. Also, because events and circumstances frequently do not occur as expected, there will likely be differences between any predictions and actual results. Always consult a licensed investment professional before making any investment decision. Be extremely careful, investing in securities carries a high degree of risk; you may likely lose some or all of the investment.

USA News Group is Source of all content listed above.  FN Media Group, LLC (FNM), is a third party publisher and news dissemination service provider, which disseminates electronic information through multiple online media channels. FNM is NOT affiliated in any manner with USA News Group or any company mentioned herein.  The commentary, views and opinions expressed in this release by USA News Group are solely those of USA News Group and are not shared by and do not reflect in any manner the views or opinions of FNM.  FNM is not liable for any investment decisions by its readers or subscribers.  FNM and its affiliated companies are a news dissemination and financial marketing solutions provider and are NOT a registered broker/dealer/analyst/adviser, holds no investment licenses and may NOT sell, offer to sell or offer to buy any security.  FNM was not compensated by any public company mentioned herein to disseminate this press release.

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SiriusXM Media Becomes Exclusive Audio Advertising Representative for YouTube in the United States

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YouTube, Home of The World’s Number One Podcast Platform and a Leading Music Service, Chooses Audio Ad Powerhouse SiriusXM Media as Its Exclusive Audio Sales Representative in the U.S.

New Deal Cements SiriusXM’s Leadership In Powering The Largest Ad-Supported Audio Ecosystem And Gives Brands Exclusive Access To YouTube’s Audio-First Inventory

NEW YORK, April 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — SiriusXM (NASDAQ: SIRI) today announced a new audio advertising partnership with Google that connects YouTube to one of the largest audio advertising platforms in North America. The agreement makes SiriusXM Media, the advertising group representing SiriusXM, Pandora, and expansive Streaming and Podcast Networks, the exclusive advertising representative of YouTube audio advertising inventory in the U.S. This will provide advertisers access to guaranteed impressions at scale for the first time, backed by similar sophisticated targeting and measurement as YouTube’s ecosystem.

“Audio is one of the most powerful mediums for listeners, creators, and advertisers alike, and at SiriusXM Media, we’re proud to be at the forefront helping brands harness that impact at scale,” said Scott Walker, SiriusXM’s Chief Advertising Revenue Officer. “By partnering with YouTube, a true leader in ad-supported content consumption, we’re uniting our unique skillset with their audience, creating an unparalleled opportunity for marketers and creators to grow their businesses.”

“YouTube has become a primary destination for audio-first content, where fans engage with their favorite podcasts, music, and creators,” said Romana Pawar, Senior Director of Product, YouTube Ads. “By partnering with SiriusXM Media, we are making it easier than ever for advertisers to tap into these high-attention moments.”

YouTube audio ads reach listeners wherever they are across audio-first content and behaviors: immersed in podcasts, talk shows, and music. By meeting users in environments primed for listening and engagement, such as when YouTube content is playing on smart speakers, brands can tap into high-intent listening experiences across YouTube’s vast creator ecosystem. According to a study from SiriusXM Media and Edison Research, there are more than 212 million monthly listeners in the U.S.1 engaging in audio-first content or environments on YouTube.

Starting this fall, advertisers will be able to buy guaranteed audio ad impressions against YouTube’s high-value audiences at scale for the first time directly through SiriusXM Media—paired with an audio-first activation approach to extend reach and impact. Brands can now reach YouTube’s expansive, next-generation and highly engaged audience in the same place where they buy SiriusXM Media’s leading portfolio of ad-supported audio inventory, ensuring a seamless buying experience powered by AdsWizz Inc.’s ad tech platform. As audio continues to reach consumers as a constant companion throughout the day, from commuting to working hours, this deal gives brands an opportunity to reach a valuable audience that is further leaning into audio-first behaviors and content on YouTube in high-attention moments.

Powered by AdsWizz, SiriusXM Media now offers access to 255 million monthly listeners2—reaching nearly 90% of the U.S. population 13+—delivering expansive scale and incremental reach, best-in-class measurement and targeting capabilities, and premium brand-safe environments across every major audio touchpoint. The landmark partnership with YouTube highlights SiriusXM’s commitment to an open, partner-first audio advertising ecosystem, continuing to connect advertisers to premium audio content wherever audiences choose to listen.

For more information, please visit https://www.siriusxmmedia.com/advertise-on-youtube-audio.

About Sirius XM Holdings Inc.
SiriusXM is the leading audio entertainment company in North America with a portfolio of audio businesses including its flagship subscription entertainment service SiriusXM; the ad-supported and premium music streaming services of Pandora; an expansive podcast network; and a suite of business and advertising solutions. SiriusXM offers a broad range of content for listeners everywhere they tune in with a diverse mix of live, on-demand, and curated programming across music, talk, news, and sports. For more about SiriusXM, please go to: www.siriusxm.com.

Media Contacts:
Victoria Chow, victoria.chow@siriusxm.com
Erica Walsh, ericawalsh@google.com

1 Edison Research, Infinite Dial 2026 + SiriusXM Media
2 Edison Research, Infinite Dial 2026 + SiriusXM Media

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SOURCE Sirius XM Holdings Inc.

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ServiceForge plants two million trees worldwide

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The company celebrates a meaningful milestone in its ongoing initiative to make a lasting impact within global communities

PORTLAND, Ore., April 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — ServiceForge, the 24/7 live answering and customer service platform built for skilled trades and home service businesses, announces a significant achievement in its ongoing sustainability drive: the company has now planted more than two million trees worldwide, a milestone reached in time for Earth Day 2026.

 

Each month, ServiceForge plants one tree for every employee and every customer. What began as a simple commitment to give back has grown into a meaningful, long-term impact effort, now surpassing a major milestone. This accomplishment reflects the company’s continued dedication to environmental stewardship and community-focused values.

For context, two million trees adds up to:

Approximately 4,000 acres of forestRoughly 3,000 football fieldsTrees sufficient to remove an estimated 44,000 metric tons of CO₂ per year (equivalent of taking 9,500 cars off the road)

“This milestone reflects the kind of work we believe in: steady, intentional and rooted in real impact,” said Jane Blanchard, head of brand and marketing for ServiceForge. “In the skilled trades, success isn’t about quick wins; it’s about the slow, human work of strengthening homes, businesses and communities. Planting trees is a natural extension of that mission. It’s a way for us to contribute to something lasting, something that grows alongside the businesses we serve.”

ServiceForge partners with verified reforestation organizations that plant trees in areas affected by deforestation, wildfires and climate change. Partners include Trees for the Future, Save the Redwoods League and Friends of Pando, ensuring that each tree contributes to restoration efforts where it’s needed most.

“We’re in the business of fixing things,” Blanchard said. “What better way to exemplify that commitment than by planting trees, which clean the air, restore habitats and ultimately make the world a better place.”

For more information about ServiceForge and their Giving Back initiative, visit https://www.serviceforge.com/why-serviceforge/givingback

About ServiceForge
ServiceForge helps home service businesses get found, get booked and get paid with 24/7 human answering, scheduling, lead qualification and payments. By combining smart technology with real human connection, ServiceForge helps service businesses stand out in an increasingly disconnected world, ensuring contractors capture more jobs while delivering exceptional customer service. For more information, visit serviceforge.com.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/serviceforge-plants-two-million-trees-worldwide-302748866.html

SOURCE ServiceForge

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Contractor Commerce launches AI-powered conversational buying experience

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New technology ushers in new era of e-commerce for home service contracting companies

LEBANON, Ohio , April 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Contractor Commerce, a leading e-commerce and sales enablement platform built specifically for home service contractors, announces the next evolution in its platform: a conversational buying experience that’s powered by AI and designed to improve the way homeowners shop for residential services online.

By empowering home service professionals to establish their own virtual storefronts, Contractor Commerce has long championed a modern buying experience, fully aligned with the way consumers seek information on the web, including through guided buying journeys and seamless purchasing flows. With conversational buying, Contractor Commerce embeds AI directly into the shopping experience, allowing the end consumer to enjoy a more natural, personalized and responsive process.

“This shift from guided to conversational shopping builds on everything we’ve done up to this point,” said Paul Redman, president of Contractor Commerce. “Our goal has always been to help contractors meet homeowners where they are. This advanced and intuitive approach will further that goal, and cement Contractor Commerce as a category leader.”

Contractor Commerce’s expanded capabilities are designed to reflect how homeowners buy today: researching options, comparing pricing and making decisions in a time and place that’s most convenient to them. Features include:

An image upload option, allowing homeowners to submit photos of their home systems to receive specific, real-time recommendations.Robust pricing tools, including quote comparisons and full rebate integration, enabling homeowners to fully assess their options and understand the fine print.An AI agent-guided buying journey, providing homeowners with personalized assistance even when they are not fully sure what types of services they need.

“Our conversational buying platform is made for contractors, not retailers,” Redman said. “The goal is to help businesses establish trust, improve their lead qualification process and capture after-hours demand, all while providing customers with a frictionless shopping experience.”

For more information about Contractor Commerce, visit ContractorCommerce.com.

About Contractor Commerce

Contractor Commerce is the pioneer and industry leader in providing e-commerce services for contractors, offering plug-and-play online stores for home service companies so they can grow their sales and serve customers with convenience and transparent pricing. To learn more about Contractor Commerce and its innovative solutions, visit ContractorCommerce.com.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/contractor-commerce-launches-ai-powered-conversational-buying-experience-302749472.html

SOURCE Contractor Commerce

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