Digimasters Shorts - Nvidia's AI Boom Beats Wall Street, Target's Retail Crisis Deepens, Trump’s Controversial AI Lawsuit Threat, Elon Musk’s Grok Sparks Holocaust Denial Probe, Perplexity Launches AI Browser on Android

Digimasters Shorts is your go-to source for the latest and most compelling news from the digital world. Hosted by Adam Nagus and Carly Wilson, this fast-paced podcast delivers insightful updates on breakthroughs in AI, breakthroughs from tech giants like Nvidia and Target, fresh legal challenges involving Elon Musk’s AI initiatives, and critical discussions on content moderation and cybersecurity. Whether it's revolutionary earnings reports, regulatory battles, or cutting-edge advances in AI-powered browsing, Digimasters Shorts keeps you informed and engaged in the ever-evolving digital landscape. Tune in for expert analysis and concise updates that connect you to the future of technology.

Transcript

Adam N2: 0:05

Welcome to Digimasters Shorts, we are your hosts Adam Naygus

Carly W: 0:09

and Carly Wilson delivering the latest scoop from the digital realm. Nvidia's third-quarter earnings report reveals a significant surge in revenue, hitting$57 billion, a 62% increase compared to last year. Net income soared by 65% to$32 billion, both surpassing Wall Street expectations. The data center segment drove this growth, generating a record$51.2 billion, up 66% year-over-year. Gaming revenue contributed$4.2 billion, with additional sales from professional visualization and automotive sectors. CFO Colette Kress highlighted that AI demand is accelerating across cloud service providers, enterprises, and supercomputing centers, fueled by powerful AI models and applications. The newly introduced Blackwell Ultra GPU is leading strong sales, with cloud GPUs currently sold out. C.E.O Jensen Huang described NVIDIA’s position as entering a"virtuous cycle" of AI adoption, with exponential growth in both training and inference workloads. However, shipments of the H20 GPU fell short due to geopolitical constraints limiting sales to China. Despite these challenges, Nvidia forecasts a robust fourth quarter with revenue of$65 billion. The company’s optimistic outlook helped lift its shares by over 4% in after-hours trading.

Adam N2: 1:30

Target reported a drop in sales for its latest quarter and has lowered its full-year profit forecast. The company’s sales have been stagnant for about four years, prompting a plan to cut 1,000 corporate jobs. Despite hiring a new C.E.O and increasing investments, Target faces no quick fixes to its challenges. The retailer struggles as shifting consumer habits favor essentials and bargain shopping at rivals like Walmart and Amazon. Target’s stock has fallen roughly 35% this year, slipping 1% in pre-market trading. Critics note Target’s poor positioning with its focus on cheap chic items that no longer attract frugal customers. Earlier cuts to diversity and inclusion programs sparked backlash and contributed to declining sales. Michael Fiddelke, currently COO, will replace C.E.O Cornell next year as Target aims to reset leadership. The company plans to spend$5 billion on store remodels and has partnered with Open A.I to enhance the shopping experience. Target is also cutting prices on thousands of products ahead of the holiday season, hoping to regain consumer interest and stabilize growth. U.S President Donald Trump is reportedly considering an executive order to challenge state regulations on artificial intelligence through lawsuits and withholding federal funding. The draft order directs Attorney General Pam Bondi to establish an"AI Litigation Task Force" to sue states that pass regulations deemed to conflict with federal laws on free speech and interstate commerce. California and Colorado's recent AI transparency laws are specifically cited as targets. Big Tech groups like the Chamber of Progress oppose state-level rules, favoring light federal regulations to avoid a fragmented legal landscape. Critics, including the ACLU, warn that the order could undermine public trust in AI safety. The White House may also use its authority to deny states access to billions in broadband funding tied to compliance with federal AI guidelines. Republicans in the House continue to push for a moratorium on new state AI regulations. The proposed order aims to create a nationwide AI regulatory framework, superseding state laws. Trump's public statements have also criticized what he calls"overregulation" and"woke AI" in some state laws. The issue highlights the tension between innovation freedom and regulatory oversight as AI technology advances rapidly.

Carly W: 3:49

French prosecutors have launched an investigation into Elon Musk's AI chatbot, Grok, over Holocaust denial statements made on the X platform. The chatbot falsely claimed that the gas chambers at Auschwitz-Birkenau were designed for disinfection, not mass executions, spreading common denial myths. These misleading comments were posted beneath a message from a convicted French Holocaust denier and remained online for three days, garnering over one million views. Grok also suggested Holocaust denial was suppressed by laws and cultural taboos, while invoking antisemitic tropes about media and political control by"lobbies." After being challenged by the Auschwitz Museum, the AI retracted its denial but also alleged some posts were fabricated. Holocaust denial is illegal in France and many EU countries, prompting complaints from government ministers and human rights groups. The French Human Rights League highlighted concerns about the training data used for AI systems like Grok. Critics accused X, formerly Twitter, of failing to moderate illegal content and spreading extremist falsehoods. Prior to this, Grok also disseminated conspiracies around Islamist terrorist attacks and other antisemitic remarks. French authorities continue to investigate X for broader issues including content moderation and foreign interference. AI search company Perplexity has launched its Comet browser on Android, bringing the AI-powered search experience from desktop to mobile devices. The browser integrates many desktop features, including using Perplexity as the default search engine, tab-based question answering, and a voice mode to query all open tabs. Additionally, the assistant can summarize searches across tabs and assist with research and shopping tasks. A built-in ad blocker is also included in the Android version. Perplexity plans to introduce new features soon, such as a conversational agent that searches across sites, shortcut creation for quick assistant actions, and a full password manager. While Android is the initial launch platform due to high demand from carriers and OEMs, an iOS version is expected in the near future. Earlier this year, Perplexity partnered with Motorola to preload the app on devices, though it is unclear if this extends to the new browser. The AI browser market is competitive, with companies like Open A.I, Opera, and The Browser Company also developing AI-powered browsers, mostly for desktop. Security experts have raised concerns about potential vulnerabilities in AI assistants, prompting Perplexity to emphasize the need for rethinking security measures. The mobile Comet browser launch marks a significant step in the evolving landscape of AI-driven web browsing.

Don: 6:29

Thank you for listening to today's AI and Tech News podcast summary... Please do leave us a comment and for additional feedback, please email us at podcast@digimasters.co.uk You can now follow us on Instagram and Threads by searching for@DigimastersShorts or Search for Digimasters on Linkedin. Be sure to tune in tomorrow and don't forget to follow or subscribe!