Anthropic raises $30B as OpenAI faces scrutiny

Key Takeaways

• Accenture is linking promotions for senior staff to their regular use of AI tools, having trained over 550,000 of its 780,000 employees in generative AI.
• India and EU leaders are strengthening trade and AI cooperation, with French President Emmanuel Macron sharing an AI-generated image with PM Modi.
• Cloud Range launched the AI Validation Range, a new tool for testing and validating AI systems against adversarial inputs before deployment.
• Midland ISD is installing an AI-powered gun detection system from ZeroEyes across its campuses to enhance school safety.
• Fractal's Vaidya 2.0 healthcare AI model outperformed OpenAI's GPT-5 and Google's Gemini Pro 3 on the HealthBench (hard) benchmark.
• OpenAI CEO Sam Altman believes falling AI costs will make AI widely accessible in India and will not disrupt the country's IT services industry.
• Southwest Baptist University introduced its first Bachelor of Science in Data Science degree with a focus on Artificial Intelligence.
• Anthropic secured $30 billion in Series G funding, valuing the company at $380 billion.
• Microsoft President Brad Smith expressed concern about Chinese government subsidies in the AI race, suggesting U.S. tech companies should be worried.
• House Democrats are probing Elon Musk regarding X's Grok AI image generation tool due to concerns over nonconsensual sexualized images and child abuse material.

Accenture links staff promotions to AI tool use

Accenture is reportedly considering employees' use of AI tools when deciding on promotions for senior roles. An internal email stated that regular adoption of AI is required for advancement to leadership positions. The company is tracking weekly logins to its AI tools for some senior staff. Accenture has trained 550,000 of its 780,000 employees in generative AI. This move reflects a broader industry trend of using AI to speed up tasks.

Accenture requires AI use for leadership promotions

Accenture is now linking promotions for senior staff to their regular use of AI tools. Associate directors and senior managers must adopt AI to advance to leadership roles, according to an internal email. A company spokesperson confirmed this strategy aims to make Accenture the most client-focused, AI-enabled workplace. CEO Julie Sweet noted that employees not adapting to AI may be exited. Over 550,000 of Accenture's 780,000 global employees have been retrained in generative AI.

Accenture uses promotions to boost AI adoption

Accenture is making the use of AI tools a factor in performance reviews and promotions to encourage adoption among staff. This strategy targets employees, particularly some senior ones, who have been slower to embrace new technologies. The company aims to integrate AI into all business operations and has invested heavily in training and developing AI tools. This move highlights the consulting industry's efforts to balance technological advancement with human expertise.

India and EU leaders discuss trade and AI cooperation

Prime Minister Modi met with leaders from Spain, Finland, Estonia, and the European Union to strengthen trade and AI collaboration. Discussions focused on expediting the India-EU free trade agreement and deepening cooperation in technology, innovation, and AI. Estonia shared expertise in digital governance and cybersecurity. European Council President Charles Michel expressed strong support for the trade pact and AI cooperation. The leaders agreed to work together on climate change, sustainable development, and digital transformation.

Macron shares AI-generated image with PM Modi

French President Emmanuel Macron shared an AI-generated image with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to India. The image depicted the two leaders in a futuristic setting with the caption 'When friends connect, innovation follows'. The AI-created image quickly went viral on social media. Both leaders expressed enthusiasm for their upcoming discussions at the G20 Summit, which will cover bilateral and global issues.

Cloud Range launches AI tool for security validation

Cloud Range has introduced the AI Validation Range, a new tool designed to help organizations test, validate, and secure AI systems before deployment. This platform allows security teams to test how AI models perform against real adversarial inputs and uncertainty. It supports training AI agents on live systems and observing their interactions with security controls. The AI Validation Range provides insights into AI reliability and failure modes, enabling teams to reduce risk.

Midland ISD installs AI gun detection system

Midland ISD is partnering with ZeroEyes to install an AI-powered gun-detection system across its campuses. The system uses AI to scan real-time security footage for potential gun threats. Alerts are sent to a central team for verification before notifying law enforcement and school officials. This technology aims to enhance school safety and prevent gun-related violence. Midland ISD serves approximately 29,000 students and 3,200 staff members.

Fractal's Vaidya 2.0 leads healthcare AI benchmarks

Fractal has launched Vaidya 2.0, its next-generation healthcare reasoning model, which outperforms leading AI models like OpenAI's GPT-5 and Google's Gemini Pro 3 on the HealthBench (hard) benchmark. This advanced AI model demonstrates superior ability in understanding and reasoning about complex medical information. The launch at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 highlights AI's growing role in healthcare. Vaidya 2.0 aims to improve patient outcomes and assist in critical healthcare decisions.

OpenAI CEO: AI costs falling, India to benefit

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman believes that falling costs for computing and AI inference will make artificial intelligence widely accessible in India. He downplayed concerns about AI disrupting India's IT services industry. Altman stated that AI applications are becoming affordable at scale. He also dismissed the idea that companies like OpenAI would eliminate software and technology services firms. This trend suggests AI could become more prevalent in India sooner than anticipated.

Democrats probe Musk over AI image generation on X

House Democrats have sent a letter to Elon Musk questioning the release of a tool on X that generates nonconsensual sexualized images. They expressed deep concern about xAI's refusal to stop the creation of such images, particularly those involving children. The lawmakers asked Musk to respond to 11 questions regarding his awareness and actions related to the Grok image generation tool. The tool has faced criticism for facilitating harassment and the creation of child abuse material.

Southwest Baptist University launches AI degree

Southwest Baptist University (SBU) has announced its first Bachelor of Science in Data Science degree with a focus on Artificial Intelligence. This program aims to prepare students for careers in the data science field by teaching them to solve industry challenges with AI and data-driven solutions. Courses include Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, and Processing Data for Decision Making. SBU also offers a 4+1 program allowing students to earn a Master's degree in five years.

Microsoft President discusses AI race with China

Microsoft President Brad Smith expressed concern about the subsidies Chinese competitors receive from their government in the AI race. He shared these views during an interview at the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, India. Smith suggested that U.S. tech companies should be somewhat worried about this competitive landscape. The discussion highlighted the global race for AI dominance and government support for tech companies.

EdTech stories highlight AI funding and training

This week's top EdTech stories focus on AI funding, workforce training, and school redesign. Multiverse partnered with The AA to launch an AI apprenticeship program. OpenAI India introduced a Teen Safety Blueprint for ChatGPT with age-appropriate safeguards. Norway launched its first national AI championship. Chegg Skills and Woolf are linking workforce training to accredited degrees. Anthropic secured $30 billion in Series G funding, valuing the company at $380 billion.

Sources

• Accenture ‘links staff promotions to use of AI tools’
• Accenture tells senior staff to use AI tools or risk losing out on leadership promotions
• Accenture combats AI refuseniks by linking promotions to log-ins
• EU leaders back early trade pact, AI cooperation in meetings with Modi | India News - The Times of India
• ‘When friends connect, innovation follows’: French President Macron shares AI image with PM Modi | India News - The Times of India
• Cloud Range debuts AI Validation Range to help organizations test, validate, and secure AI before deployment
• Midland ISD installing AI gun-detection system to campus security detail
• Fractal launches Vaidya 2.0, outperforming leading frontier models on Healthcare AI Benchmarks
• AI costs are dropping fast—and India stands to gain: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman
• House Democrats probe Musk and Grok over nonconsensual undressing on X
• SBU announces first Artificial Intelligence (AI) degree
• Watch CNBC's full interview with Microsoft President Brad Smith at the AI Impact Summit in India
• Anthropic, Quizlet, BT and OpenAI lead Top Ten EdTech stories of the week | ETIH EdTech News