Salesforce is reportedly in advanced talks to acquire Listen Labs, an AI-powered customer research platform, for approximately $2 billion. If finalized, this deal would represent the largest acquisition in Salesforce's history, potentially strengthening its AI capabilities alongside existing tools like Einstein AI. Listen Labs boasts a global network of 50 million participants, allowing brands to design studies and conduct interviews using AI moderators. The company was previously valued at $500 million earlier this year.
Following these rumors, Salesforce stock dropped by 2.04%, reflecting investor reaction to the potential $2 billion transaction. With a current market capitalization around $150 billion, such a move would significantly alter the company's portfolio. However, neither Salesforce nor Listen Labs has officially confirmed the deal, and a spokesperson noted the company does not comment on speculation. The acquisition remains in early stages and may not be completed.
Meanwhile, other tech developments are reshaping the industry. VEON's JazzCash subsidiary opened a new AI Foundry and usability testing lab in Islamabad to improve digital services for emerging markets. In the healthcare sector, the ARPA-H agency announced a $62.7 million investment to develop AI bots for treating heart failure, funding teams from institutions like Stanford and Duke.
Security concerns are also rising as unauthorized AI agents connect to company data without IT approval, creating 'shadow AI' risks. On the innovation front, Alibaba Cloud updated its QoderWake tool, enabling digital workers to operate inside rival apps like DingTalk and WeCom, having completed 2 million tasks since April. Additionally, a partnership between Beamr, VAST Data, and NVIDIA is using AI to upgrade video archives, reducing file sizes by up to 50% while converting formats to modern standards.
Key Takeaways
- Salesforce is in talks to acquire Listen Labs for approximately $2 billion.
- Listen Labs operates a network of 50 million participants for AI-driven customer research.
- Salesforce stock fell 2.04% following reports of the potential $2 billion deal.
- The company's current market capitalization stands at around $150 billion.
- Neither Salesforce nor Listen Labs has officially confirmed the acquisition yet.
- VEON's JazzCash launched a new AI Foundry lab in Islamabad for digital service testing.
- ARPA-H awarded $62.7 million to develop AI bots for treating heart failure.
- Alibaba Cloud's QoderWake tool now allows AI workers to function inside DingTalk, Feishu, and WeCom.
- Unauthorized AI agents are emerging as a security risk for corporate IT departments.
- A Beamr, VAST Data, and NVIDIA partnership uses AI to compress video archives by up to 50%.
Salesforce May Buy AI Research Firm Listen Labs
Salesforce is currently in talks to acquire Listen Labs for approximately $2 billion. Listen Labs is an AI-powered platform that helps companies understand their customers through research. The company was valued at $500 million earlier this year and has a network of 50 million participants. Neither Salesforce nor Listen Labs has confirmed the deal yet, so it might not happen. This potential acquisition would be the largest deal for Salesforce so far.
Salesforce Stock Drops After Buyout Rumors
Salesforce stock fell by 2.04% after reports said the company is talking to buy Listen Labs for $2 billion. This potential deal would be the biggest acquisition in Salesforce history and would strengthen its position in AI. The company's market capitalization is currently around $150 billion. Listen Labs technology would work well with Salesforce existing tools like Einstein AI. A spokesperson said the company does not comment on rumors or speculation.
Salesforce Talks to Acquire AI Startup Listen Labs
Salesforce has held discussions to purchase Listen Labs, an AI customer research platform, for about $2 billion. Listen Labs helps brands design studies and interview people using an AI moderator. The company has a global network of 50 million participants to help with research. This deal is still in early stages and may not be completed. The move would help Salesforce expand its AI and machine learning capabilities.
VEON Opens AI Lab to Improve Digital Services
VEON subsidiary JazzCash opened a new AI Foundry and usability testing lab at its Islamabad headquarters. This facility combines artificial intelligence, customer research, and rapid prototyping to build better financial products. The launch coincides with the tenth anniversary of the JazzCash consumer app. VEON wants to use this lab to design and test digital services in emerging markets. This move could change how investors view VEON's fintech ambitions.
Shadow AI Threatens Company Security Control
Many companies are finding AI agents connected to their email and data without IT team approval. These unauthorized tools make it hard for IT departments to know what software is running. A marketing manager might turn on an AI feature inside existing software without telling IT. Finding these hidden AI tools is only the first step in managing security risks. Companies need new ways to control and monitor these shadow AI systems.
New AI Tool FinCUABuildAgent Builds Financial Tests
Researchers created FinCUABuildBench to test how well AI agents can build tasks for financial computer use. This benchmark includes 576 requests covering 24 different financial workflows and various runtime changes. A new system called FinCUABuildAgent successfully built 31.3% of these tasks correctly, while older methods only managed between 1.3% and 8.3%. The results show that AI agents can now autonomously create reliable financial evaluation tasks with meaningful value.
Alibaba AI Workers Now Work Inside Rival Apps
Alibaba Cloud launched an updated version of its QoderWake tool that lets users create digital workers with just one sentence. These AI employees can now operate inside three major Chinese workplace apps: DingTalk, Feishu, and WeCom. The digital workers read shared documents and chats to handle complex business tasks without extra training. Since launching in April, the tool has deployed nearly 100,000 digital employees who completed about 2 million tasks in real-world scenarios.
Government Funds AI Bots to Treat Heart Failure
The government agency ARPA-H announced a $62.7 million investment to develop AI bots for treating heart failure. The program, named ADVOCATE, aims to create FDA-authorized devices that can assess symptoms, prescribe drugs, and order lab tests. The first round of funding went to companies like Atman Health, UpDoc, and Tempus AI, as well as teams from Stanford, Duke, and Kaiser Permanente. The initial commitment for the first year is $33.7 million, with the possibility of funding more teams later.
Top 8 AI Crypto Trading Apps for Smarter Decisions
Crypto traders in 2026 face an overwhelming amount of data from charts, news, and signal groups. To help manage this information, a list of the eight best AI crypto trading apps for 2026 has been compiled. These applications are designed to assist traders in making smarter decisions by processing complex market data efficiently. The article highlights tools that can help users navigate the crowded landscape of digital asset trading.
Beamr and VAST Data Partner to Upgrade Video Archives
Beamr, VAST Data, and NVIDIA partnered to create a system that uses AI to improve and monetize old video archives. The technology combines VAST AI, NVIDIA Video Super Resolution, and Beamr's content-adaptive bitrate technology to upscale and compress video files. This process can reduce file sizes by up to 50% while converting older formats to modern standards like HEVC or AV1. The entire workflow runs on NVIDIA RTX PRO GPUs and can be deployed in the cloud or on company servers.
Sources
- Salesforce Eyes $2 Billion Acquisition of AI-Powered Platform Listen Labs
- CRM Stock Dips 2% — Salesforce Is Reportedly In Talks To Acquire AI Research Firm Listen Labs For $2B
- Salesforce has been in talks to buy AI startup Listen Labs
- Will AI Foundry Launch Change VEON Stock Narrative
- Shadow AI is already inside your company. Here's how to get control of it
- FinCUABuild: Can Agents Build Reliable Benchmarks for Dynamic Financial Computer Use?
- Alibaba’s AI ‘employees’ can now work in ByteDance, Tencent apps
- ARPA-H to invest $62 million to develop FDA-authorized AI to help treat heart failure
- 8 Best AI Crypto Trading Apps in 2026 for Smarter Trading Decisions
- Beamr and VAST Data Partner to AI-enhance and Monetize Video Archives with NVIDIA
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