TNB Tech Minute: Google Cloud and Accenture Team Up to Embed AI Engineers On-Site With Clients

0:00This podcast episode is brought to you by XRP. With XRP, money moves around the clock. XRP is designed to move value across borders in seconds, anytime, any day of the week. Learn more at XRP.org. XRP. Crypto responsibly. Here's your morning TNB Tech Minute for Tuesday, September 8th. I'm Imani Moise for The Wall Street Journal. We exclusively report Google and Accenture have formed a new unit called Accenture Gemini Enterprise Business Group to help customers deploy Google Cloud's agentic AI platform. As part of the arrangement, Google Cloud will help train up to 1 ,000 Accenture forward deployed engineers who will work with clients on site to plan and build AI applications on the Gemini Enterprise platform.

0:47It's the latest in a series of bets made by AI companies that embedding their technologists directly inside customers' offices is the best way for companies to achieve meaningful returns on their AI investments. News Corp, owner of The Wall Street Journal, has a commercial agreement to supply content on Google platforms. French startup Mistral AI has completed a new funding round, led by South Korea's Samsung Electronics, that lifted its valuation above$24 billion. The company says it has raised roughly$3.5 billion from a pool of existing investors, including Dutch equipment maker ASML Holding, as well as new backers.

1:24The announcement comes about a year after Mistral AI closed a round of funding that gave it a valuation of nearly$14 billion. Despite support from a growing batch of investors, Mistral AI remains significantly smaller compared to U.S. rivals like Anthropic and OpenAI, whose valuations are nearing$1 trillion. And medical technology company Boston Scientific said it likely won't meet its financial guidance due to the cyber attack that has disrupted its operations. Last month, the company reported unauthorized activity on some of its systems that have affected its ability to manufacture and process and ship customer orders.

2:03Boston Scientific said today it continues to make progress in restoring many of its systems that were affected by the hack, including substantial restoration of its distribution network, but that it expects to miss its sales and adjusted per share earnings guidance for the third quarter and full year. Still, the company said it doesn't expect the cyber attack will have a material impact on its long-term financial condition. And that's your TNB Tech Minute. We'll be back this afternoon with more. This podcast episode is brought to you by XRP. Nobody has strong feelings about the technology behind direct deposit.

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3:16Learn more at xrp.org. XRP. Crypto responsibly.