AI news today: Thursday, October 29, 2026

1. 01
   29 Oct, 06:27 IST

   Samsung's chip profit soars as AI memory demand keeps climbing

   Source: CNBC

   Markets: South Korea's Samsung Electronics reported third-quarter operating profit of 107.44 trillion won, broadly in line with the 107.66 trillion won analysts expected and up 783.11% from a year earlier, CNBC reports. Revenue rose 126.88% year on year to 195.25 trillion won as demand grew for the advanced memory chips that AI systems need.

   Why it mattersSamsung is one of the world's biggest makers of memory chips, so its results are a check on whether AI spending is still flowing into the wider economy, including funds and pensions that hold big tech and chip stocks. Not investment advice. More on AI funding & valuations →
2. 02
   29 Oct, 06:06 IST

   Microsoft's profit tops $36.6bn days after it offers buyouts to 60,000 staff

   Source: BBC

   Microsoft says its profit for the three months to September rose to more than $36.6bn and revenue rose 19% to $92.3bn, helped by a 30% rise in Microsoft Cloud revenue, the BBC reports. This came days after it offered voluntary buyouts to around 60,000 workers in teams across Canada, India, the UK and the US to cut costs as it spends billions on AI.

   Why it mattersIt shows a company can earn record-sized profits while still shrinking its workforce to pay for AI, a pattern office workers in many countries should expect from other employers too. Anyone offered a buyout should compare the package against how hard their skills would be to rehire today. More on Microsoft →
3. 03
   29 Oct, 04:32 IST

   BBC test finds AI tools erase scars and birthmarks when asked to make people look 'normal'

   Source: BBC

   A BBC Wales investigation found that Google's Gemini, xAI's Grok and OpenAI's ChatGPT erased a person's facial visible difference (a scar, birthmark or condition that changes how someone looks) when prompted to make them look "normal", while Anthropic's Claude and Meta's AI refused. One woman told the BBC a work newsletter photo of her had been altered by AI; Canva says it does not automatically retouch photos and is looking into the case.

   Why it mattersPhoto and design apps used at work and on social media can quietly change how real people look, so check AI-edited images of yourself or colleagues before they are published. The charity Changing Faces estimates about five million people in the UK have a visible difference. More on OpenAI →
5. 04
   29 Oct, 02:36 IST

   Mexico says companies plan more than $8bn in new data centres

   Source: Mexico News Daily

   Mexico's Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard said companies have announced plans to invest more than US $8 billion in data centre projects (large buildings full of computers that run cloud and AI services), Mexico News Daily reports. He said the firms are working with the state power company CFE on electricity supply; the state of Querétaro is the main hub.

   Why it mattersData-centre building brings construction and technical jobs to places like Querétaro, but it also uses a lot of power and water. The government's own energy ministry has flagged pressure on electricity capacity and water supply, a strain that local communities may feel. More on AI funding & valuations →
6. 05
   28 Oct, 21:30 IST

   Alphabet sinks 10% after Google's parent misses forecasts and keeps AI spending high

   Source: CNBC

   Markets: Alphabet shares slumped more than 10% after the Google owner missed Wall Street forecasts for revenue and profit and reported negative free cash flow (more cash going out than coming in) of $9.07 billion, CNBC reports. It spent $51.36 billion on capital expenditure ("capex", money for data centres and chips) in the quarter and expects that to rise significantly in 2027, though Google Cloud revenue more than doubled to $30.7 billion.

   Why it mattersAlphabet is one of the largest companies in global index funds, so a fall like this can show up in ordinary people's retirement savings. It also shows investors are starting to question whether huge AI spending will pay off. Not investment advice. More on Google & DeepMind →
7. 06
   28 Oct, 17:12 IST

   Flutterwave co-founder launches Talent Nation to train a million AI engineers

   Source: Semafor

   Nigerian entrepreneur Iyinoluwa Aboyeji, who co-founded Andela and Flutterwave, has started Talent Nation to train developers and supply them to multinationals, with a goal of a million AI engineers over 10 years, Semafor reports. Its first programme, Learn2Earn, charges no tuition fees and received 63,000 applications, with less than 3% selected.

   Why it mattersIt is a free route into well-paid AI work for young people in Africa, where Boston Consulting Group counts only 62,000 AI specialists, about 5% of the global AI workforce. Competition is stiff, so applicants need strong skills to get in. More on AI & jobs →
8. 07
   28 Oct, 17:11 IST

   AI data firm Innodata lays off nearly 550 staff in India without notice, reports say

   Source: NDTV

   US-based Innodata, which labels data and tests AI systems for big tech clients, reportedly laid off more than 500 employees in India on 26 October, with cuts also hitting staff in the Philippines, NDTV reports. Employees said they lost access to laptops and IDs mid-shift; layoff emails cited fewer business assignments, and the company has not publicly confirmed the numbers.

   Why it mattersData-labelling and AI-testing jobs have been a growing source of income in India and the Philippines, but this shows how quickly they can disappear when a big client cuts back. Workers in this field should keep copies of their contracts and pay records and build skills that transfer to other employers. More on AI & jobs →
9. 08
   28 Oct, 15:35 IST

   Meta launches its Muse AI agent in Singapore for shopping, travel and email

   Source: CNA

   People in Singapore can now use Meta's Muse, an AI agent (an assistant that carries out tasks for you, not just answers questions), to compare products, plan travel and manage email through apps such as Shopee, Lazada, Grab and Singapore Airlines, CNA reports. Meta says Muse is free for most uses, asks before sensitive actions like purchases, and lets users opt out of having their chats used for AI training.

   Why it mattersAgents like this could save time and money on price comparisons, but they need access to your email and shopping accounts. CNA notes Reuters earlier reported security and reliability problems found by Meta's own testers, so review what you connect. More on Meta AI →
10. 09
    28 Oct, 08:39 IST

    India weighs pre-release safety checks for the most powerful AI models

    Source: NDTV

    India's planned AI law may require makers of "frontier" models (the most capable AI systems) to show safeguards are in place, possibly through sandbox testing, before release, NDTV reports, citing officials. IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has said a consultation paper on the law will be released in the coming weeks; deepfakes, financial fraud and psychological harm are also expected to be covered.

    Why it mattersThe rules could shape how AI tools reach India's hundreds of millions of internet users and what protection people get against AI-driven fraud and deepfakes. The public consultation will be a chance for citizens and small businesses to have a say. More on AI policy & regulation →

Markets items summarise reporting from the linked sources. Figures are quoted from those sources only. Not investment advice.