Mark Chen: “I have a different framing around scaling. So when it comes to unsupervised learning, you want to put more ingredients like compute, algorithmic efficiencies and more data. And GPT 4.5 really is proof that we can continue the scaling paradigm. And this paradigm is not the antithesis of reasoning. You need knowledge to build reasoning on top of. A model can’t go in blind and just learn reasoning from scratch. So we find these two paradigms to be fairly complimentary, and we think they have feedback loops on each other. GPT 4.5 is smart in different ways from the ways that reasoning models are smart. When you look at the model today, it has a lot more world knowledge. When we look at comparisons against GPT 4o, you see that for everyday use cases people prefer [4.5] by a margin of 60%. For productivity and knowledge work against GPT 4-0, there’s almost like a 70% preference rate. So people are really responding to this model, and it’s this knowledge that we can leverage for our reasoning models in the future.”
Jaspreet Bindra: “Agentic AI is the thinker and planner, with autonomy to act within set parameters. This is where AI steps into roles that require context-awareness, such as virtual assistants that understand user preferences or customer support bots that resolve complex issues. Imagine Agentic AI like an intern—it anticipates needs, solves problems before they arise and collaborates with humans on strategic tasks. This phase represents the emergence of AI as a cognitive partner, influencing how we work, learn and live.”
WSJ: “As global demand for new kinds of robots has shot up, mass manufacturing and falling costs for components are making them cheaper to produce. Just as important, new kinds of AI—some close kin to the kind that has upended the priorities of tech companies and governments since the debut of ChatGPT—are animating robot bodies in ways that simply weren’t possible even a few years ago. While purpose-built robots continue to proliferate, be they wheeled conveyances or dog-shaped machines carrying guns, the advantages of a body plan like ours are beginning to carve out a niche for humanoid robots. The world, after all, is built for things that look and move like we do. It’s full of stairs, gangways, shelves at shoulder height and sightlines at eye level, so hewing to the humanoid form makes it easier to slot robots into existing roles. Then there are the more subtle advantages of the human form—we can pick up heavy loads by cantilevering them over bent legs. By contrast, a robot with wheels and arms would have to have a much wider and heavier base to keep from tipping over. More than a dozen startups worldwide are now offering humanoid robots.”
Bloomberg: “Almost a decade ago, Walmart trailed not only Amazon, but also eBay and Apple in online sales. Under McMillon, it’s become the world’s second-largest e-commerce company, with online sales this year expected to reach $115 billion, according to eMarketer. That’s not even a quarter of Amazon’s expected $531 billion, but Walmart is catching up. Higher-income shoppers also seem to be giving it another look; the company says 75% of last fall’s market-share gain came from those with an annual income of more than $100,000. More store employees are staying at the company, a result of its recent investments in higher wages and better benefits, with some of its most successful store managers earning more than $600,000 each year. It’s wooed executives from Google and Amazon. And last year, Walmart’s shares rose by an astonishing 72%, outpacing those of Costco, Kroger and Target.”
Business Standard: “A vast majority of Indians — nearly 1 billion, or 90 per cent of the population — lack the financial flexibility for discretionary spending, according to a recent study by venture capital firm Blume Ventures. The Indus Valley Annual Report 2025, published by venture capital firm Blume Ventures, highlights that India’s top 10 per cent, roughly equal to Mexico’s population of 130-140 million, plays a dominant role in driving consumption and economic growth. Despite the country’s expanding economy, this affluent segment is not broadening but consolidating its wealth. Additionally, around 30 million people fall into the ‘emerging’ or ‘aspirant’ consumer category. These individuals have only recently begun spending more but remain cautious in their financial choices.”
