Thinking Machines Lab, the AI research company founded by former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati, has released its first public research under a new blog series titled Connectionism. Backed by $2 billion in seed funding and a team of former OpenAI researchers, the lab is focused on solving fundamental challenges in AI.

The inaugural post, authored by Horace He, explores how randomness in large language model inference arises from GPU kernel orchestration. The research outlines techniques to create deterministic responses, a breakthrough with potential applications in enterprise reliability, scientific research, and reinforcement learning. The publication marks a rare glimpse into one of Silicon Valley’s most closely watched AI startups as it prepares its first product launch.

If you call Donatos Pizza to place an order, you might be speaking with artificial intelligence.

The Columbus-based pizza chain announced that it has completed a systemwide rollout of voice-ordering technology powered by Revmo AI. The company says the system is now live at all 174 Donatos locations and has already handled more than 301,000 calls since June.

Donatos Reports Higher Order Accuracy, More Efficient Operations

According to Donatos, the AI system has converted 71% of calls into orders, up from 58% before the rollout, and has achieved 99.9% order accuracy. The company also says the switch freed up nearly 5,000 hours of staff time in August alone, allowing employees to focus more on preparing food and serving in-store customers.

“Our focus was simple: deliver a better guest experience on the phone and increase order conversions,” Kevin King, President of Donatos Pizza, said in a statement.

Ben Smith, Donatos’ Director of Operations Development, said the change provided immediate relief on the phones, allowing staff to redirect time to order accuracy and hospitality.

Donatos said it plans to expand the system to handle more types of calls and to make greater use of its centralized answering center. The company did not say whether it plans to reduce call center staffing or rely more heavily on automation in the future.

Other chains report trouble with AI ordering systems

Taco Bell recently started re-evaluating its used of AI to take orders in the drive-thru after viral videos exposed its flaws. In one well-known video, a man crashed the system by ordering 18,000 cups of water. The company is now looking at how AI can help during busy times and when it’s appropriate for a human employee to step in and take the order.

Last year, McDonald’s ended its AI test in 100 restaurants after similar problems surfaced. In one case, AI added bacon to a customer’s ice cream. A McDonald’s executive told the BBC that artificial intelligence will still be part of the chain’s future.

Key Points

• Ibex reported record revenue for its fourth quarter and full year of 2025.

• Ibex is expanding its AI tools and targeting new verticals.

• The stock hit an all-time high on Sept. 12.

• 10 stocks we like better than Ibex ›

Shares of little-known company Ibex (NASDAQ: IBEX) went parabolic today, shooting 41.1% higher in early-morning trading. The stock was still trading around 33% up at 1:15 p.m. ET Friday.

Ibex is a business process outsourcing company, providing a wide array of services such as customer and technical support, lead generation, surveys, and business intelligence and analytics.

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Turns out, Ibex’s efforts to build a digital business have already started to pay off, and that is drawing attention to the stock today. The keyword here is artificial intelligence (AI).

Image source: Getty Images.

AI-driven growth

Ibex reported numbers for its 2025 fourth quarter and fiscal year (ended June 30) after the Sept. 11 market close. Ibex’s Q4 revenue jumped 18% year over year to $147 million, driven by strong growth in its top three markets: retail and e-commerce; healthcare; and travel, transportation, and logistics.

The real deal, however, is what Ibex’s full earnings report looked like:

• Record fourth-quarter and full-year revenue
• Highest revenue growth in 11 quarters
• Fastest revenue growth in three years for the full year
• Record free cash flow

These are big milestones, but they’re not really why Ibex stock is going to the moon. It’s these words from CEO Bob Dechant: “Importantly, this quarter marked the shift from proof of concept for our AI solutions to full-scale deployments, setting the table for future growth.”

Ibex is “transforming into a digital-first business” by leveraging AI through its Wave iX platform, which uses generative AI to improve customer experiences. Earlier this month, Ibex said it is targeting the government sector now.

What’s next for Ibex stock?

The company’s capital expenditures more than doubled to $18.4 million in 2025, driven by capacity expansion. Ibex generated record free cash flow of $27.3 million in the year and repurchased nearly 3.9 million shares, almost 23% of its outstanding shares.

Following Ibex’s strong earnings report, analysts at RBC Capital were quick to raise their price target on the stock to $39 per share from $31 a share. Ibex stock already hit an all-time high of $42.99 per share today.

With Ibex projecting 7.5% revenue growth at the midpoint for FY 2026 and capital expenditure of $20 million to $25 million on further expansions, this is one stock you should have on your radar.

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Neha Chamaria has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.