AI Agents in Retail and Healthcare

The biggest story today is the growing use of AI agents in retail and healthcare, with several companies investing in the technology. Apple is tightening macOS disk access as AI agents become more powerful, while Shopify is opening its checkout to browser-based AI agents.

Top stories

Apple is taking steps to restrict full disk access for AI agents, citing security concerns, as reported by Help Net Security and PCMag. This move is seen as a necessary step to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive data. Help Net Security Cohere has unveiled its North 2 AI agent platform, which includes rebuilt orchestration and token spending caps, as reported by SiliconANGLE and VentureBeat. This new platform is designed to make AI agents more efficient and cost-effective. VentureBeat Shopify is investing heavily in AI agents, with a focus on driving online sales, as reported by MediaPost. The company believes that AI agents can help improve the shopping experience and increase sales. MediaPost

Enterprise adoption

Companies like Valon and Enso are investing in AI agents, with Valon landing $150M in Series D funding to put AI agents into mortgage servicing, as reported by Dealroom. Enso is acquiring two marketing firms to bring AI agents into advertising, as reported by calcalistech.com. Dealroom

Commerce and Shopify

Shopify is opening its checkout to browser-based AI agents, as reported by konsulteer.com. The company is also spending to win AI shopping, as reported by Yahoo! Finance Canada. konsulteer.com

Research and breakthroughs

Researchers are tracking a Chinese AI 'agent fleet', as reported by TechCrunch. The rise of agentic AI is also scaling inference requirements for Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), as reported by Yahoo Finance. TechCrunch

What it means

• You should expect to see more AI agents being used in retail and healthcare, with a focus on improving the customer experience and increasing sales.
• The growing use of AI agents is also raising concerns about security and liability, with companies like Apple taking steps to restrict access to sensitive data.
• As AI agents become more powerful, you can expect to see more investment in the technology, with companies like Valon and Enso leading the way.
• The rise of agentic AI is also expected to scale inference requirements for companies like Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), with researchers tracking the development of AI 'agent fleets'.