Profound, an artificial-intelligence startup, has raised $180 million in a Series D round at a $1.8 billion valuation, less than seven months after closing a $96 million Series C. The funding round was led by undisclosed investors and values the agent-enabling operations startup at unicorn status, marking a rapid acceleration in its financing trajectory. Source
Artificial Intelligence Underwriting Company, a startup founded by an early Anthropic hire and the former chief operating officer of METR, has raised $40 million in a Series A round led by Ribbit Capital with participation from First Harmonic. The company is focused on reining in rogue AI agents and controlling their behaviour. Source
Meta has released a WhatsApp Business model context protocol server that enables AI coding agents including Claude, Cursor, Codex, and ChatGPT to automate setup, messaging templates, testing, and troubleshooting for developers building on the platform. The move allows agentic systems to handle routine configuration and support tasks without human intervention. Source
A poll by the New York Times and Siena University found that 61 percent of 1,503 likely voters surveyed oppose the construction of data centers to power artificial intelligence, underscoring broad public resistance to AI infrastructure expansion. The finding reflects growing political backlash against the physical footprint of the AI boom across America. Source
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has pledged $1 billion to combat artificial intelligence inequality, with the funds directed toward AI projects designed to bridge social disparities. Bill Gates, the foundation's chairman, has previously warned of the dangers posed by artificial intelligence and framed the donation as a means to ensure equitable access to AI's benefits. Source