The artificial intelligence sector sees significant developments across various fronts, from new sales platforms to shifts in investment strategies and even political controversies. On February 6, 2026, ACTi, an AI sales platform founded by Sean Callagy, launched to address sales hiring challenges. This platform offers 24/7 AI-powered sales agents, described as "superhuman sales clones," providing a cost-effective alternative to traditional sales teams and supporting over 100 professionals with "Knowing Agents" and "Doing Agents."
In cybersecurity, NETSCOUT's CTO for Security, Darren Anstee, highlights the critical need for AI-powered cyber resilience in healthcare. Given the sensitive patient data and vital operations, healthcare organizations are highly vulnerable to attacks that can disrupt patient care. Anstee advocates for a proactive security approach, utilizing AI to achieve full visibility into digital systems and continuously monitor network traffic for early threat detection.
AI is also making its mark in art analysis, with Swiss company Art Recognition casting doubt on two "Saint Francis of Assisi Receiving the Stigmata" paintings attributed to Jan van Eyck. AI analysis revealed no signs of Van Eyck's brushstrokes in the Turin and Philadelphia pieces, suggesting they might be "studio paintings." This method previously confirmed Van Eyck's "Portrait of Giovanni Arnolfini and his Wife" in London, hinting at a possible lost original.
The competitive landscape for AI chips continues to evolve, with Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) actively building its product pipeline to compete with rivals like Nvidia and Broadcom. Despite a recent stock drop, AMD reported strong fourth-quarter earnings and revenue forecasts. Analysts predict a shift in AI investment winners for 2026, moving from chipmakers and software companies towards core AI infrastructure providers. Texas Instruments, with its 70 percent growth in data center sales in 2025, Bloom Energy, and Brookfield Renewable, which supplies clean energy to companies like Microsoft, are identified as key players in this long-term trend.
Funding for AI remains a crucial topic, with PayPal co-founder Max Levchin arguing that advertising is essential to cover the immense costs of training and running large AI models. He expects ads to quickly integrate into AI chatbots, similar to how they support much of the internet. Companies like Google and Meta already leverage advertising to bolster their AI initiatives. Meanwhile, ICONIQ Capital's January 2026 "State of AI" report indicates a focus on building specific AI applications, with expected gross margins of 52 percent in 2026, and 37 percent of companies planning changes to complex AI product pricing models.
On the political front, an AI startup founder named Kaufmann plans a "March for Billionaires" in San Francisco to protest California's proposed Assembly Bill 259. This bill aims to tax wealth over $1 billion, including unrealized gains, which Kaufmann fears would harm the tech economy. Governor Gavin Newsom has stated he would veto the bill. Separately, Donald Trump refused to apologize on February 6, 2026, for posting an AI-generated video depicting the Obamas as apes, claiming he only saw the beginning of the controversial 55-second clip.
Key Takeaways
- ACTi, an AI sales platform, launched on February 6, 2026, offering 24/7 AI-powered sales agents to address business sales hiring challenges.
- NETSCOUT emphasizes the critical need for AI-powered cyber resilience in healthcare to protect sensitive patient data and ensure proactive security.
- AI analysis by Swiss company Art Recognition suggests two "Saint Francis of Assisi" paintings attributed to Jan van Eyck may be studio works rather than by the master himself.
- AMD is actively developing its AI chip pipeline to compete with rivals like Nvidia and Broadcom, following strong fourth-quarter earnings.
- Analysts predict a shift in 2026 AI investments towards core infrastructure providers such as Texas Instruments, Bloom Energy, and Brookfield Renewable, which supplies clean energy to companies like Microsoft.
- PayPal co-founder Max Levchin asserts that advertising is crucial for funding the high costs of training and operating large AI models, with Google and Meta already utilizing ads for their AI efforts.
- ICONIQ Capital's January 2026 report highlights a focus on specific AI applications, projected 52 percent gross margins, and evolving pricing strategies in the AI industry.
- An AI startup founder is organizing a protest against California's proposed Assembly Bill 259, which seeks to tax wealth over $1 billion, including unrealized gains.
- Donald Trump refused to apologize on February 6, 2026, for posting an AI-generated video that depicted the Obamas as apes.
ACTi AI Sales Platform Launches to Boost Business Sales
ACTi, an AI sales platform, launched on February 6, 2026, to help businesses with their sales hiring challenges. Founded by blind entrepreneur Sean Callagy, the platform offers AI-powered sales agents that work 24/7. These "superhuman sales clones" provide world-class sales infrastructure for a much lower cost than traditional methods. ACTi aims to solve the problem where 80 percent of companies struggle to find and keep top sales talent. The platform uses "Knowing Agents" and "Doing Agents" to create seamless client experiences and currently supports over 100 professionals.
ACTi AI Sales Platform Helps Businesses with Sales
ACTi, a new AI sales platform, launched on February 6, 2026, to address the sales hiring crisis for businesses. Sean Callagy, a blind entrepreneur, founded the platform, which offers AI-powered sales agents. These "superhuman sales clones" provide sales capacity 24/7, costing much less than traditional sales teams. The platform helps companies overcome the challenge of hiring and keeping top sales talent. ACTi's technology includes "Knowing Agents" and "Doing Agents" to ensure smooth client experiences.
AI Founder Plans March Against California Wealth Tax
An AI startup founder named Kaufmann plans a "March for Billionaires" this Saturday in San Francisco. He organizes the event to protest California's proposed wealth tax, Assembly Bill 259. This bill would tax wealth over $1 billion, including unrealized gains. Kaufmann believes the tax would hurt the tech economy and force startup founders to sell company shares. Governor Gavin Newsom has stated he would veto the bill if it passed.
NETSCOUT Explains AI Cyber Resilience for Healthcare
Darren Anstee, NETSCOUT's CTO for Security, explains why healthcare needs AI-powered cyber resilience. Healthcare organizations are highly vulnerable to cyber attacks due to sensitive patient data and critical operations. Attacks can disrupt patient care, causing delayed diagnoses or rescheduled surgeries. Anstee stresses that healthcare must move from reactive to proactive security. This involves using AI to gain complete visibility of their digital systems and continuously monitor network traffic to detect threats early.
AI Questions Van Eyck Paintings in Two Museums
An AI analysis by Swiss company Art Recognition casts doubt on two paintings attributed to Jan van Eyck. The two "Saint Francis of Assisi Receiving the Stigmata" paintings, located in Turin, Italy, and Philadelphia, USA, showed no signs of Van Eyck's brushstrokes. Experts like Till-Holger Borchert suggest these might be "studio paintings" made in his workshop, not by the master himself. This AI method successfully confirmed another Van Eyck painting, "Portrait of Giovanni Arnolfini and his Wife," in London. The findings suggest a possible lost original by Van Eyck.
AMD AI Chip Pipeline Competes with Rivals
Advanced Micro Devices, or AMD, is competing in the AI chip market against rivals like Nvidia and Broadcom. Cody Acre, a senior semiconductor analyst at Benchmark Company, discussed AMD's product pipeline. This comes as AMD's stock dropped, even though the company reported strong fourth-quarter earnings and revenue forecasts. The article explores how AMD is positioned against other major chipmakers.
Trump Refuses Apology for Racist AI Video
Donald Trump refused to apologize for posting an AI-generated video that depicted the Obamas as apes. On February 6, 2026, Trump claimed he only saw the video's beginning and did not make a mistake. The 55-second video showed Trump as a lion and the Obamas as apes dancing to "The Lion Sleeps Tonight." The post drew widespread criticism from Democrats and even some Republicans. The White House later removed the video, blaming a staffer for the "erroneous" post.
Analysts Predict New AI Investment Winners for 2026
Analysts believe the winners in artificial intelligence investments will change in 2026. The focus is shifting from AI chipmakers and software companies to those building the core AI infrastructure. Texas Instruments, which makes analog chips for data centers, is one such company, with its data center sales growing 70 percent in 2025. Bloom Energy, providing hydrogen power cells for quick data center power, and Brookfield Renewable, a clean energy provider for companies like Microsoft, are also seen as key players. This shift represents a long-term investment trend in powering AI's growth.
PayPal Co-founder Says Ads Are Key for AI
Max Levchin, co-founder of PayPal and CEO of Affirm, believes advertising is crucial for the AI industry. He argues that ads are not a negative but an essential way to fund the massive costs of training and running large AI models. Levchin notes that most of the internet relies on ads for revenue, and AI will be no different. He expects ads in AI chatbots to arrive quickly, despite some industry concerns about user experience. Google and Meta already use ads to support their AI efforts.
ICONIQ Report Reveals Key AI Industry Trends
ICONIQ Capital's January 2026 "State of AI" report highlights important trends from a survey of 300 executives. The report shows that companies are now focusing on building specific AI applications, as basic AI features are becoming common. AI product gross margins are expected to reach 52 percent in 2026, but this requires smart choices in AI models. Pricing for AI products remains complex, with 37 percent of companies planning changes, moving towards hybrid models. The report emphasizes that innovation in how AI is used, rather than just the models themselves, creates the most value.
Sources
- AI Sales Platform ACTi Launches to Solve the Sales Hiring Crisis for Businesses
- AI Sales Platform ACTi Launches to Solve the Sales Hiring Crisis for Businesses
- An AI startup founder says he's planning a 'March for Billionaires' in protest of California's wealth tax
- NETSCOUT: Why Healthcare Needs AI-Powered Cyber Resilience
- AI analysis casts doubt on Van Eyck paintings in Italian and US museums
- AI chips: How AMD's product pipeline stacks up with competitors
- Trump Won’t Say Sorry To Obamas For Vile AI Apes Video Posting: “I Didn’t Make A Mistake”
- Why Some Analysts Believe Artificial Intelligence (AI) Winners Will Look Very Different This Year
- Ads Are The Best Thing To Happen To AI: Max Levchin
- AI Gross Margins Are Up, R&D Spend Is Way Up, AI Pricing is a Mess: 5 Key Takeaways from ICONIQ’s State of AI Report
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