Target, Walmart Boost AI Shopping Tools

Key Takeaways

• Walmart's Sparky AI assistant saw a 70% rise in users
• Target partnered with OpenAI and Google Gemini for shopping tools
• BJ's Bev assistant handled over 100,000 conversations
• Ralph Lauren grew digital ecosystem sales by mid-teens and expanded its mobile app to Korea, adding 1.5 million new customers
• ECB reports euro zone grew about 0.3% quarterly, aided by reduced fossil fuel dependence and AI investment
• Anthropic reported Q3 revenue of $16.8 billion, up nearly 50% from the previous quarter, amid investor concern over Chinese AI competition ahead of its IPO
• NIST, NSA, and CISA issued 10 voluntary practices for AI incident response covering five phases
• Vermont Information Processing laying off 66 workers as it pivots to AI-driven transformation
• Gigamon upgrades its Deep Observability Pipeline with the new GigaVUE-GSA110 appliance for AI network visibility
• Spring restaurant in Texas uses AI system Haniya, expecting to save over $115,000

Walmart Target and BJ invest heavily in AI shopping tools

Walmart, Target and BJ's Wholesale are using AI to improve shopping. Walmart's assistant Sparky saw a 70 percent rise in users. Target partnered with OpenAI and Google Gemini. BJ's assistant Bev handled over 100,000 conversations. Digital sales grew strongly at all three retailers.

Ralph Lauren expands AI and digital presence globally

Ralph Lauren is investing in AI and analytics to strengthen customer engagement. The company grew its digital ecosystem sales by mid-teens. It expanded its mobile app to Korea and added 1.5 million new customers. Social media followers rose to over 70 million. The company is testing visibility across large language models.

ECB says AI and cleaner energy help euro zone economy

European Central Bank economists said the euro zone handled the 2026 energy shock better than expected. Lower fossil fuel use, stronger fiscal support and an AI investment boom helped growth. The euro zone is now about half as reliant on oil as in the early 1990s. AI-related trade became an important tailwind. Still, some support may prove temporary.

ECB report highlights AI and energy shift in Europe

An ECB report says reduced fossil fuel dependence and AI investment are shielding Europe's economy. The euro zone grew about 0.3 percent quarterly, excluding Irish figures. Renewable and nuclear power reduced the link between gas prices and electricity costs. AI investment boosted demand for European technology equipment. Trade growth rose to about 4.7 percent in 2026.

Anthropic faces China AI competition ahead of IPO

Anthropic is facing investor concern over rising Chinese AI competition before its IPO. Low-cost Chinese AI models are gaining popularity and creating jitters in Silicon Valley. Hedgeye Risk Management called Chinese competition a key risk for Anthropic. Anthropic reported third-quarter revenue of about 16.8 billion dollars. The revenue rose nearly 50 percent from the previous quarter.

NIST NSA CISA release 10 voluntary AI incident response practices

NIST, NSA, and CISA issued 10 voluntary practices for handling AI training and evaluation incidents. The guidance addresses AI agents that take uninstructed actions bypassing operator controls. The practices cover five phases including preparing, detecting, responding, recovering, and reporting. They build on NIST's SP 800-61r3 cybersecurity incident framework and follow a July 2025 executive order.

AI boom creates fragile global financial feedback loop warns analyst

An analyst describes the AI boom as a self-reinforcing but fragile global cycle linking US tech investment, Asian manufacturing, and foreign capital into US equities. A reversal in AI confidence could trigger a rapid downturn. The analyst favors companies like Microsoft and Apple with strong balance sheets and avoids highly leveraged AI infrastructure firms. Key indicators to watch include foreign capital flows, credit spreads on AI debt, and Asian semiconductor exports.

Global Mofy AI shares drop 14% after Qifei stake acquisition

Global Mofy AI shares fell 14.32% to $0.95 after the company announced a share-exchange agreement to acquire more equity in Qifei Technology. The company issued 3 million Class B shares valued at $3.9 million for an additional 4.875% stake. After the deal, its subsidiary will hold a combined 9.935% interest in Qifei. CEO Haogang Yang owns both the seller and the share recipient, making this a related-party transaction.

Vermont Information Processing lays off 66 workers amid AI transition

Vermont Information Processing, a Colchester software firm serving the beverage industry, is laying off 66 employees. CEO Andrew Criezis said the company wants to use AI to transform how the food and beverage sector operates. The company stated the layoffs followed a review of organizational structure tied to a product-led transition. The firm is a significant private employer in Chittenden County, Vermont.

Gigamon enhances GigaSMART for AI network management visibility

Gigamon announced upgrades to its Deep Observability Pipeline with distributed GigaSMART processing. The new GigaVUE-GSA110 network appliance adds high-density processing to support advanced traffic management. The enhancements address the growing need for visibility in hybrid AI and cloud environments. The goal is to provide scalable processing and trusted network context for better decision-making in AI operations.

AI helps find security flaws in PHP software

Security flaws in PHP software were found using artificial intelligence. Internet users need to know about these risks. The article explains what caused the issues and how users can protect themselves. PHP is a key part of many websites.

Spring restaurant uses AI for ordering and tips

Wok and Karahi in Spring, Texas, now uses an AI system called Haniya for taking orders. Owner Abbas Manakibwala developed the software himself. Customers use tablets instead of servers, and tips go directly to the cooks. The restaurant expects to save more than $115,000 with the new system.

Sources

• How WMT, TGT & BJ Are Betting Big on AI-Powered Shopping
• Can AI-Driven Visibility Expand Ralph Lauren's Digital Reach?
• ECB says AI, greener economy help euro zone weather energy shock
• ECB Says Artificial Intelligence and Reduced Dependence on Fossil Fuels Are Shielding Europe's Economy
• Why Anthropic has a major China problem ahead of its blockbuster IPO
• NIST, NSA, CISA Issue AI Incident Response Practices
• AI: A Global Financial Trap With No Easy Way Out
• Global Mofy AI Shares Sink 14% After Hours: Here's Why
• More than 60 to lose jobs at Colchester software firm during AI push
• This Week In AI Chips - Advancing AI Network Management Through Enhanced GigaSMART Technology
• PHP security flaws found with AI: What internet users need to know
• Spring restaurant turns to AI for ordering, putting tips directly in cooks’ pockets