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Meta invests US$3.5 billion in world’s largest eyewear maker in AI glasses push

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[SAN FRANCISCO] Meta Platforms bought a minority stake in the world’s largest eyewear maker EssilorLuxottica, a deal that increases the US tech giant’s financial commitment to the fast-growing smart glasses industry, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Facebook parent Meta acquired just under 3 per cent of Ray-Ban maker EssilorLuxottica, a stake worth around three billion euros (S$4.5 billion) at the current market price, said the sources, who asked not to be identified because deliberations are private. Menlo Park, California-based Meta is considering further investment that could build the stake to around 5 per cent over time, the sources added, though those plans could still change.

EssilorLuxottica’s American depositary receipts rose as much as 6.9 per cent to US$148, their biggest intraday jump since Apr 9. Representatives for Meta and EssilorLuxottica declined to comment.

Meta’s investment in the eyewear giant deepens the relationship between the two companies, which have partnered over the past several years to develop artificial intelligence (AI)-powered smart glasses. Meta currently sells a pair of Ray-Ban glasses, first debuted in 2021, with built-in cameras and an AI assistant.

Last month, it launched separate Oakley-branded glasses with EssilorLuxottica. EssilorLuxottica chief executive officer Francesco Milleri said last year that Meta was interested in taking a stake in the company, but that plan had not materialised until now.

The deal aligns with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s commitment to AI, which has become a top priority and major expense for the company. Smart glasses are a key part of that plan.

While Meta has historically had to deliver its apps and services via smartphones created by competitors, glasses offer Meta a chance to build its own hardware and control its own distribution, Zuckerberg has said. The arrangement gives Meta the advantage of having more detailed manufacturing knowledge and global distribution networks, fundamental to turning its smart glasses into mass-market products.

For EssilorLuxottica, the deal provides a deeper presence in the tech world, which would be helpful if Meta’s futuristic bets pay off. Meta is also betting on the idea that people will one day work and play while wearing headsets or glasses.

Shares of Warby Parker, a competing glasses-maker, rose as much as 4.3 per cent on Bloomberg’s report. BLOOMBERG



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GPTBots.ai Showcases Business AI Agent Solutions at The MarTech Summit Hong Kong, Helping Enterprises Bridge the AI Adoption Gap

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HONG KONG, July 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As enterprises worldwide race to adopt AI, GPTBots.ai made its mark at The MarTech Summit Hong Kong, Asia’s premier marketing technology conference attended by world-renowned brands such as JPMorgan, Yahoo, Nike, and DBS, alongside leading Hong Kong enterprises including Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong Disneyland, and The Hong Kong Jockey Club.

With 85% of enterprises prioritizing AI adoption in 2024 (Gartner), yet struggling with implementation gaps, GPTBots.ai demonstrated how its no-code AI Agent platform turns complex AI concepts into deployable solutions-without coding or data science teams.

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At the summit, GPTBots.ai engaged with forward-thinking organizations, including:

A Top Hong Kong University: Their admissions team explored AI-powered chatbots to streamline student inquiries and application processes, aiming to:

Automate 80% of FAQs (e.g., program requirements, deadlines).Guide applicants through form-filling with smart error detection.Free staff to focus on students’ in-depth support.

A Leading Hong Kong Airline: Their tech team discussed internal efficiency AI Agents for:

AI search to make enterprise knowledge instantly accessible and empower every role.Reducing IT helpdesk tickets by 50% via self-service troubleshooting.

Why GPTBots.ai Stood Out

Enterprise-Ready: Built to adapt to your business, no matter the size or complexity.Proven at Scale: Powers AI Agents for financial services, healthcare, and retail giants.End-to-End Capabilities: From strategy to deployment, we manage every step of your AI journey.

“The gap isn’t AI potential-it’s practical adoption,” said Tanya Quan, Marketing Director at GPTBots.ai. “We’re helping enterprises skip the lab and go straight to ROI.”

About GPTBots.ai

GPTBots.ai is an enterprise AI agent platform that empowers businesses to streamline operations, enhance customer experiences, and drive growth. Offering end-to-end AI solutions across customer service, knowledge search, data analysis, and lead generation, GPTBots enables enterprises to harness the full potential of AI with ease. With seamless integration into various systems, and support for scalable, secure deployments, GPTBots is dedicated to reducing costs, accelerating growth, and helping businesses thrive in the AI era.

To learn how GPTBots can accelerate your AI transformation, visit gptbots.ai.

Media Contact:

Contact: [email protected]

Website: www.gptbots.ai

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9039b0e4-6355-4e0c-83d2-ca91953120f9



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Samsung Group Chairman Lee Jae-yong seeks opportunities for artificial intelligence (AI) business co..

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Samsung Group Chairman Lee Jae-yong seeks opportunities for artificial intelligence (AI) business cooperation with big tech giants in the U.S. and shares wisdom to respond to the Trump 2.0 period.

According to a business official on the 9th, Chairman Lee arrived at Sun Valley Lodge, Idaho, where the “Sun Valley Conference” will be held late on the afternoon of the 8th (local time) and began his personal schedule, including a one-on-one meeting. The Sun Valley Conference, which begins every year on Tuesday immediately after U.S. Independence Day on July 4, is called the “summer camp of billionaires.” It is a private gathering in New York where corporate CEOs, financiers, politicians, and journalists gather to enjoy outdoor activities and talk about the topic at hand, invited by Allen & Company, which is in charge of private investment for the wealthy. Chairman Lee attended the event every year after he was first invited to the event in 2002, but since 2017, he has been caught up in the state affairs manipulation scandal and stopped attending. As a result, attention is being paid to whether Chairman Lee will speed up global on-site management using human networks in the wake of his attendance at the Sun Valley Conference.

This year, a large number of U.S. tech giants will attend, including Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. Chairman Lee is expected to exchange strategies and management ideas to respond to the AI era through one-on-one meetings with them. Since Apple, Amazon, and Google are all designing and developing AI semiconductors on their own, detailed discussions can also be made on cooperation with Samsung Electronics’ foundry division that can produce them.

The tariff policy that U.S. President Donald Trump will carry out for the rest of his term and the strategy to respond to it are also expected to be one of Chairman Lee’s interests in visiting Sun Valley. In particular, Samsung Electronics could be a direct target in the case of semiconductor item tariffs that President Trump has vowed to announce soon. It is also expected to share opinions on government subsidies for semiconductor plants and R&D complexes that Samsung Electronics is building in Taylor City, Texas. Samsung Electronics is directly affected by U.S. tariffs and sanctions on advanced semiconductors with China.

In addition, foreign media analyzed that the situation in the energy and defense sectors will also be a key discourse among billionaires gathered at this year’s Sun Valley Conference. In particular, defense-related investments and strategies in line with changes in geopolitical tensions will be an important point of discussion. Samsung Group, led by Chairman Lee, is also expected to get an idea as it has an inseparable relationship with energy price trends and changes in geopolitical dynamics.

It is also expected that Chairman Lee will actively seek to find new growth engines in the wake of his attendance at the conference. Samsung Group recently added AI and healthcare companies to its M&A portfolio. Analysts say that Chairman Lee can speed up decision-making on new businesses or M&A by interacting with various political and business figures at the Sun Valley Conference and listening to various views on new growth engines.

In particular, the industry analyzes that Chairman Lee’s attendance at the Sun Valley Conference means a lot just by human networking with big tech giants. For example, conversations with Altman CEO and Nadella CEO can provide direct information about the direction of development of high bandwidth memory (HBM) or large language model (LLM) semiconductors. In addition, through cooperation with global companies, new supply chains can be established together, joint R&D, and investment partnerships can be coordinated. An industry official said, “A large-scale merger or partnership is difficult to decide unless it is group presidential networking,” adding, “This is where the difference between companies with and without heads who are responsible for the future of the company is seen.”

[Kim Dongeun is a reporter]



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Starkville company presented the AI award for groundbreaking work

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STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – A Starkville tech company is recognized for its groundbreaking work in artificial intelligence.

Camgian was named “AI Company of the Year” by The Mississippi Small Business Development Center Network.

The award was presented today at the company’s Starkville headquarters.

Camgian is known for developing advanced AI and machine learning technology to support national security and military operations.

The company is also praised for keeping top engineering talent here in Mississippi.

“I think it’s a great tribute to the incredible work our team does every day, developing cutting-edge AI for our warfighters. We’re proud to grow in Mississippi and to have such strong local support,” said Camgian CEO Gary Butler.

The award is part of the SBDC’s Rise Program, which helps high-growth tech companies expand across the state.

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