This week, AI’s growing pains are on full display. Researchers are calling out a wave of low-quality “slop” research, even as new winners emerge in AI-driven music licensing and virtual talent. At the same time, America’s AI ambitions are running headfirst into an energy crunch, while investors debate whether the boom is a true paradigm shift or a classic bubble dressed in cutting-edge code. On the policy front, talk of executive orders to preempt state-level AI rules collides with broader market jitters around the Fed, as Wall Street reassesses its bets on crypto, commodities, and the “pick-and-shovel” infrastructure behind generative AI. In healthcare, digital care pilots, Medicare politics, and safety concerns around chatbots for kids highlight how innovation, regulation, and risk are increasingly intertwined.
News Trends to Watch
AI & Tech
- Axios: Yes, AI is in a bubble. No, it’s not just hype.
- Financial Times: The power crunch threatening America’s AI ambitions
- Forbes: The Overlooked Winners In The New AI Music Licensing Deals
- The Guardian: Artificial intelligence research has a slop problem, academics say: ‘It’s a mess’
- The Wall Street Journal: Inside the Creation of Tilly Norwood, the AI Actress Freaking Out Hollywood
Politics and Regulation:
- Reuters: US stocks end lower as investors wait for Fed rate decision
- The New York Times: Trump Promises Executive Order to Block State A.I. Regulations
Finance & Investment
- Associated Press: Wall Street pulls back from its record heights
- Bloomberg: Wall Street Hedged Big Crypto Bet in $500 Million Ripple Deal
- Business Insider: Here are the 2026 stock market predictions from all of Wall Street’s top banks
- CNBC: BlackRock bets on ‘pick and shovel’ trade, singling out clear winners in AI spending spree
- The Wall Street Journal: Precious Metals Slip Ahead of Fed Decision
Healthcare
- Axios: New Medicare trial may boost digital care
- CBS News: AI chatbots raise safety concerns for children, experts warn
- NPR: Industry groups say Medicare Advantage offers better care at lower costs, but critics call the plan risky
- The Wall Street Journal: The GOP Can’t Agree on a Healthcare Plan. Some Republicans Are Panicking.
Clients in the News
- American Banker: Small biz fintech Fundbox uses partnerships to fuel growth (Fundbox)
- PYMNTS: Prometeo Debuts Ownership-Check Feature for ACH Payments (Prometeo)
- Fintech Finance News: april Appoints Nicole Murphy as Vice President of Marketing (april)
- CCN: Digital Asset Treasuries Shift Beyond HODLing as Firms Search for a Competitive Edge (Republic Technologies)
- MarketWatch: The Fed meeting this week will determine if investors get new all-time highs or coal for Christmas (Prospero AI)
Stay ahead of the noise, rise above the volatility
The headlines this week reveal a market and policy environment that’s anything but static. At Avenue Z, we help leaders not just react to these shifts but own the narrative around them, positioning brands as credible, decisive voices in a crowded, volatile landscape.
If your organization is ready to step into that leadership role and turn this week’s market signals into lasting influence, reach out to our experts, and let’s build what’s next together.
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