Tools

• Factory, a three-year-old startup, raised $150 million led by Khosla Ventures, achieving a $1.5 billion valuation on April 17, 2026. • The funding targets AI coding tools that automate software development for enterprises, freeing developers for complex tasks. • This round reflects booming investor interest in AI automation amid US tech sector's push for efficiency.

• OpenAI acquired Hiro Finance, its second startup purchase in a month, focusing on AI tools for financial planning as first reported by TechCrunch. • The deal expands OpenAI's capabilities into fiscal management amid racing agent development with Anthropic and Nvidia for web-browsing, emailing, and booking tasks. • This move signals intensifying M&A in AI finance, cutting development time for enterprises adopting similar tech like Accenture-Replit code generation.

• Anthropic launched specialized tools for legal, financial, and HR tasks, disrupting traditional software markets as reported on April 12, 2026. • The expansions impact partner companies in the US, challenging established tech giants. • This move broadens Anthropic's influence from core AI to enterprise applications nationwide.

• Anthropic and OpenAI are both developing advanced AI cybersecurity products in a competitive race to control offensive and defensive capabilities, with OpenAI finalizing a security product for limited partner release and Anthropic running Project Glasswing internally. • Project Glasswing brings together major tech companies including Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, Google, and others to proactively hunt critical software vulnerabilities before attackers exploit them. • A joint study by Anthropic and MATS Fellows found that Claude Sonnet and GPT-5 could produce exploits against Ethereum smart contracts worth $4.6 million and uncovered two novel zero-day vulnerabilities in nearly 3,000 recently deployed contracts.

• Visa unveiled six AI-driven tools to automate charge dispute management for issuers, acquirers, and merchants, reducing manual reviews and fraud losses. • The tools, launched yesterday, aim to accelerate resolution processes across US payment networks. • This upgrade positions Visa at the forefront of AI-enhanced fintech security and efficiency.

• Visa introduced six AI tools on April 1, 2026, to modernize credit-card dispute processes for merchants, issuers, and acquirers using generative responses and predictive models. • The tools address over 103 million disputes processed in 2025, a 35% increase since 2019, with features like document summarization and centralized case management. • Deployment will streamline operations for US financial institutions, reducing resolution times and costs significantly.

• TD's second annual U.S. AI Insights Report shows 78% of Americans use AI tools daily, up significantly, released March 31, 2026 from Mount Laurel, NJ. • 67% report improved proficiency year-over-year; Gen Z at 90% usage across generations. • Only 18% trust AI alone for financial recommendations; 62% trust it for info but prefer humans, family (90%), banks (85%).