logo
Baidu Overhauls Search Engine With AI Features, Voice Function

Baidu Overhauls Search Engine With AI Features, Voice Function

Bloomberg3 days ago
Baidu Inc. is overhauling China's most popular search engine with AI features and a voice function in its most sweeping revamp for years.
The Beijing-based company said it wants to make its mobile app more like an AI chatbot that can help users with writing, drawing and trip planning tasks. It will focus less on keywords and more on natural language searches and also allow users to perform searches by voice in several Chinese dialects.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

This 1 Stock Could be the Future of Crypto and AI in Canada
This 1 Stock Could be the Future of Crypto and AI in Canada

Yahoo

time34 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

This 1 Stock Could be the Future of Crypto and AI in Canada

Written by Amy Legate-Wolfe at The Motley Fool Canada Looking for a Canadian stock sitting right at the crossroads of cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence (AI)? Then Hut 8 (TSX:HUT) is one of the most exciting names to watch. It's a Canadian stock that has evolved from a pure-play Bitcoin miner into something much more ambitious. In a market where both crypto and AI continue to dominate headlines, Hut 8 could be a major player. And with the stock trading below all-time highs, there may be a compelling opportunity here for long-term investors. Hut 8 made waves when it merged with U.S. Bitcoin to form a new cross-border mining and infrastructure firm. Now operating as a more diversified company, it's no longer just about mining Bitcoin. It also manages high-performance computing facilities and is investing heavily in powering AI infrastructure. This dual focus could give Hut 8 a unique edge, especially in a Canadian market where few other public companies are positioned in both crypto and AI. As of writing, the Canadian stock trades at around $24.50 per share, with a market cap of $2.6 billion. While it has had a volatile history, recent moves by the Canadian stock suggest it's aiming to become more stable and strategic. In its most recent quarterly earnings report for Q1 2025, Hut 8 posted revenue of US$21.8 million. However, the company also reported a net loss of US$134 million and an adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) loss of US$117.7 million. Those numbers may raise eyebrows, but much of the loss was tied to the company's aggressive expansion strategy. This expansion includes building up its power infrastructure to handle high-performance computing for artificial intelligence workloads. Hut 8 reported a 79% quarter-over-quarter increase in hashrate and a 37% improvement in fleet efficiency. It now controls 1,020 megawatts of power capacity and has identified a future pipeline of over 10,800 megawatts. That kind of power isn't just for mining crypto, it's increasingly being used to support AI model training and large-scale data processing. Hut 8 also made a key financial move by renegotiating its Bitcoin-backed credit facility with Coinbase, increasing it from US$65 million to US$130 million. The deal locks in a fixed 9% interest rate and extends the loan maturity to July 2026. It's a non-dilutive financing option that gives the Canadian stock breathing room and capital to continue scaling. The terms also include a no-rehypothecation clause, meaning the Bitcoin used as collateral is protected. That's a smart, strategic way to access cash without putting shareholders at risk of dilution. Another development worth noting is the company's investment in Highrise AI, a new division focused on graphics processing unit (GPU)-based AI computing. This business segment provides services like GPU-as-a-service to third-party companies building large-scale AI systems. With GPU demand at all-time highs, this could be a significant revenue stream down the line. It's still early, but Hut 8 is laying the groundwork to become a critical part of the digital infrastructure that powers future tech. There's no denying that Hut 8 comes with risk. Its reliance on Bitcoin prices still drives much of the business, and mining is notoriously volatile. But by diversifying into AI compute services and data infrastructure, the Canadian stock is positioning itself to weather downturns better than some of its peers. It's no longer just a speculative crypto play; it's slowly transforming into a Canadian tech infrastructure company with real-world utility. For Canadian investors seeking exposure to these two powerful trends, Hut 8 might just be the Canadian stock to watch. It's still early in its next chapter, but the steps it's taking suggest that this could be one of the most important TSX-listed companies in the digital future. If you believe in both crypto and AI, this is one investment that puts you in the middle of the action. The post This 1 Stock Could be the Future of Crypto and AI in Canada appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada. Before you buy stock in Coinbase Global, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor Canada analyst team just identified what they believe are the Top Stocks for 2025 and Beyond for investors to buy now… and Coinbase Global wasn't one of them. The Top Stocks that made the cut could potentially produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider MercadoLibre, which we first recommended on January 8, 2014 ... if you invested $1,000 in the 'eBay of Latin America' at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $24,927.94!* Stock Advisor Canada provides investors with an easy-to-follow blueprint for success, including guidance on building a portfolio, regular updates from analysts, and two new stock picks each month – one from Canada and one from the U.S. The Stock Advisor Canada service has outperformed the return of S&P/TSX Composite Index by 30 percentage points since 2013*. See the Top Stocks * Returns as of 6/23/25 More reading Made in Canada: 5 Homegrown Stocks Ready for the 'Buy Local' Revolution [PREMIUM PICKS] Market Volatility Toolkit Best Canadian Stocks to Buy in 2025 Beginner Investors: 4 Top Canadian Stocks to Buy for 2025 5 Years From Now, You'll Probably Wish You Grabbed These Stocks Subscribe to Motley Fool Canada on YouTube Fool contributor Amy Legate-Wolfe has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Coinbase Global. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. 2025 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

If You Buy Amazon Stock With $50,000 Today, Will You Be a Millionaire in a Decade?
If You Buy Amazon Stock With $50,000 Today, Will You Be a Millionaire in a Decade?

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

If You Buy Amazon Stock With $50,000 Today, Will You Be a Millionaire in a Decade?

Amazon has a strong presence in e-commerce, digital advertising, and cloud computing and is using AI across all three business segments. Wall Street estimates Amazon's earnings will increase at 10% annually through 2026, but analysts have consistently underestimated the company. In the last decade, only five companies currently in the S&P 500 saw sufficient share-price appreciation to turn a $50,000 investment into $1 million. 10 stocks we like better than Amazon › Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) stock returned 910% during the last decade, growing at a pace that would have turned $50,000 into more than $500,000. Wall Street remains overwhelmingly bullish on the company. Among 71 analysts, 97% have a buy rating on the stock, and the median 12-month target price of $240 per share implies 9% upside from its current share price of $220. Can Amazon stock turn $50,000 into $1 million in the next 10 years? Amazon has a strong position in three large industries -- e-commerce, digital advertising, and cloud computing. The company is also leaning on artificial intelligence (AI) across all three business units to accelerate revenue growth and widen profit margins, as detailed below: E-commerce: Amazon runs the largest e-commerce marketplace in the world, in terms of revenue, and the most popular, in terms of traffic. Even more impressive, the company is still gaining share. Amazon has built more than 1,000 generative AI applications to make its retail business more efficient, including tools to improve inventory placement, demand forecasting, and developer productivity. It's also using generative AI to let human workers engage warehouse robots in natural language. Digital advertising: Amazon has as a distinct advantage in advertising not only because it draws so many shoppers to its marketplace, but also because it has troves of consumer data to target advertising. That advantage has helped it become the third-largest ad tech company in the world. Amazon has added AI tools that help brands plan and optimize ad campaigns, as well as generative AI tools that let brands create images and videos. Cloud computing: Amazon Web Services (AWS) is the largest public cloud platform in terms of infrastructure and platform spending. That means the company is already well-positioned to monetize demand for AI infrastructure, but AWS has further cemented its status as a go-to cloud services provider by designing custom chips for AI training and inference. The company says those chips deliver better price performance than leading graphics processing units (GPUs). Through 2030, retail e-commerce sales are forecast to increase at 11% annually, ad tech spending is projected to increase at 14% annually, and cloud computing sales are expected to increase at 20.4% annually, according to Grand View Research. That means Amazon can achieve double-digit annual revenue growth through the end of the decade if it merely maintains its market share in those industries. Amazon would have to increase 20 times in value (i.e., a 1,900% return) to turn $50,000 into $1 million. That is theoretically possible over a decade, but such performance is exceedingly rare. Only five companies in the S&P 500 achieved 20-fold returns during the last 10 years, as listed below: Nvidia: +29,950% Advanced Micro Devices: +5,520% Axon Enterprise: +2,230% Texas Pacific Land: +2,070% Fair Isaac: +1,910% I doubt Amazon shares will advance 1,900% over the next decade. It's already a $2.3 trillion company, and multiplying its current market capitalization by 20 would bring its valuation to $46 trillion. That's nearly what the entire S&P 500 is worth today. It seems unlikely Amazon alone will be worth that much in 10 years. However, the stock is still a smart long-term investment. Some Wall Street analysts have lowered their forward earnings forecasts based on the idea that tariffs will hurt sales or margins. The consensus currently says Amazon's adjusted earnings will increase at 10% annually through 2026. That makes the current valuation of 36 times earnings look expensive, but I think Wall Street is too pessimistic. Amazon beat the consensus by an average of 22% over the last six quarters, and I think the company will continue to top expectations due to its strength in three growing markets and its capacity for innovation in adjacent areas. For instance, Amazon is reportedly preparing to test humanoid robots for package delivery, and its autonomous driving subsidiary Zoox is set to launch robotaxis in at least one U.S. city this year. Before you buy stock in Amazon, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Amazon wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $697,627!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $939,655!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 1,045% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 178% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join . See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of June 30, 2025 John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Trevor Jennewine has positions in Amazon, Axon Enterprise, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Advanced Micro Devices, Amazon, Axon Enterprise, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool recommends Fair Isaac. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. If You Buy Amazon Stock With $50,000 Today, Will You Be a Millionaire in a Decade? was originally published by The Motley Fool

Boston eyes AI traffic management to improve school bus arrival times
Boston eyes AI traffic management to improve school bus arrival times

Boston Globe

timean hour ago

  • Boston Globe

Boston eyes AI traffic management to improve school bus arrival times

'The less time kids spend on the bus, the more time they can spend either at school or home, learning or resting so they can maximize their learning,' the statement said. Advertisement Using AI systems to prioritize public transit buses through intersections has successfully trimmed minutes off of bus trips in other places where it has been deployed, including a regional transit service in Portland, Ore. AI was also tested last year by the This appears to be the first time a city the size of Boston has used AI to help cut the travel time of public school buses, according to the city and experts contacted by the Globe. Advertisement The test, which would be conducted during the coming school year, is being funded with part of a $50,000 grant from 'Getting rid of these big delays can improve reliability,' Furth said. 'The buses in their first round are more likely to end on time, so that means they can start the second round on time.' The similar program in Portland slashed about six minutes from the total travel time of a nine-mile bus route that serves about 15,000 people daily, according to 'It's really trying to reduce the costs of services for people,' Koonce said in an interview. 'It can be a win-win if done with the right amount of management and control of the technology.' Transportation experts like Furth and Stacy Thompson, a former executive director of Livable Streets Alliance, cautioned that the technology is not a silver bullet for Boston's long-standing school transportation issues. An AI system on its own can't overcome a traffic jam stretching for several blocks, or a delivery van parked in a travel lane, for example, they said. Advertisement The technology is one tool, Thompson said, that can be used in concert with other steps, like creating more dedicated bus lanes, and redesigning schedules around school start and end times to help ease pressure on the fleet. 'It's a tool in the toolkit to solve the problem,' she said. 'It's not a panacea.' It's not the first time Boston has tried to improve the on-time rate of its school bus fleet, which currently transports more than In 2017, A school district improvement plan, With the automated traffic signal system, the goal would be to reach that 95 percent figure, the officials said in their statement. The city and BPS said they were 'inspired' by the MBTA's transit signal project along Brighton Avenue. Advertisement In the MBTA test, buses equipped with GPS devices transmit real-time location data to the city's traffic management center. That data inform MBTA's vendor, LYT, which uses machine-learning technology to identify the bus, predict its arrival time, and determine when it'd need a green light to safely pass through an intersection. The MBTA reduced the travel time of two of its most heavily used bus routes — the 57 and 66 buses — which combined transport about 15,000 people daily. Starting in July 2024, t During the last half of 2024, the agency said those buses shaved a combined 110 minutes from their travel time each day, and reduced the amount of time waiting at red lights by one-fifth, according to an agency spokesperson. Boston officials will choose a few critical intersections which see frequent delays, and will aim for an 8 percent reduction in travel time of school bus trips most impacted by congestion, the statement said. While the automated system would make adjustments to existing signal timing, safety constraints would be imposed by city engineers. Humans can override the system at any time. For parent Haval Mohamed, who has two children at the Dever Elementary School, news that Boston would seek another way to improve bus service made him optimistic. He believes the traffic signal technology would benefit both BPS families and the city at large. 'We are enhancing the traffic management flow for the entire city,' Mohamed said. Follow him on Bluesky at He can also be reached on Signal at john_hilliard.70 or email him at

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store