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Private search engine DuckDuckGo is leaning further into the generative AI opportunity. The non-tracking search engine has been dabbling with expanding the role of AI assistance in its product for the past year, including launching a chatbot-style interface last fall — available at Duck.ai. In a blog post Thursday, the company said the service is now exiting beta. It’s also now simply called Duck.ai, replacing the longer, mouthful name DuckDuckGo AI Chat. Users of Duck.ai can dip into AI models developed by the likes of Anthropic, OpenAI, and Meta via a chatbot-style interface that sees their search queries handled in…

One of the largest not-for-profit health plans in the nation, serving nearly 2 million Medicaid and Medicare members, has embarked on a transformative journey to enhance member support using Ushur’s AI Agent for Member Service.According to Ushur, this digital-first solution has not only met but exceeded expectations, significantly boosting member engagement and operational efficiency through interactive, chat-based service requests on the health plan’s website. The AI-powered tool ensures HIPAA-compliant self-service, catering effectively to underserved communities.Previously, the health plan struggled with staffing issues, especially during peak periods such as Medicaid renewals and open enrollment. The reliance on telephone-based support meant that…

Doechii’s Alligator Bites Never Heal climbs to new highs on five U.K. charts after her Grammy win, … [+] while her new collab with Jennie launches on four more. LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 07: Doechii attends the Variety’s Hitmakers Brunch at NYA WEST on December 07, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/WireImage)WireImage Doechii’s music career has been growing by leaps and bounds in just the past several weeks. Since she won the Grammy for Best Rap Album – becoming just the third woman in history to do so – the world has started listening to her…

European Union leaders have gathered for emergency talks in their first meeting since an explosive exchange last week between United States President Donald Trump and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy over the war in Ukraine. Leaders of the 27-nation bloc arrived in Brussels on Thursday to discuss ways of increasing their military budgets to support Ukraine in its war with Russia against a backdrop of dramatic policy shifts from Washington that have cast severe doubt over its support for European security and defence. After the fiery meeting at the Oval Office, Trump slammed President Zelenskyy for saying peace with Russia, which launched…

Yurtle, the innovative insurance technology company, has launched a pioneering product called Protect+.According to Life Insurance International, this new insurance offering is tailored to support employees who are parents and carers. Developed in collaboration with carrier Convex and broker Price Forbes, Protect+ aims to address the challenges faced by working caregivers by reducing unplanned absences and mitigating the financial impact of caregiving.The primary goal of this product is to support the workplace needs of parents and carers. Protect+ provides timely financial aid and coverage in scenarios where care arrangements are disrupted. This includes instances such as the discharge of a…

Faireez, which aims to bring “5-star hotel-style housekeeping” to multifamily buildings, is emerging from stealth with $7.5 million in seed funding, the startup told TechCrunch exclusively. Founded in 2023, New York-based Faireez’s goal is to make the cleaning services it offers as customized as possible. It offers a subscription model where each building is assigned a dedicated housekeeper — called a fairy — who provides “consistent, personalized service” to every subscribed resident.  Faireez gives residents of multifamily properties such as high-rise apartments or condos a way to book cleaning appointments through its website or app. Interestingly, users can book based…

Topline A lunar lander built by Intuitive Machines is scheduled to descend to the moon’s surface today, potentially marking the second landing by a private company on the moon in the last week, roughly a year after the aerospace firm completed the first lunar landing by an American spacecraft in decades. The spacecraft traveled for about a week before approaching the moon’s south pole. Intuitive Machines Key Facts Intuitive Machines expects its Athena lander to touch down on the moon’s surface at about 12:32 p.m. EST on Thursday. A livestream of the event—cohosted by NASA and Intuitive Machines—will start around…

iCapital, a global FinTech platform specialising in alternative investments for the wealth and asset management industries, has formed a strategic partnership with Aviva Investors to expand access to private market investments through its climate transition strategy.The collaboration will see iCapital develop a Luxembourg-based feeder fund aimed at private wealth investors. This fund will leverage iCapital’s distribution capabilities via iCapital Marketplace, a platform designed to connect wealth managers, financial advisers, and their clients with a broad selection of alternative investment opportunities from leading asset managers worldwide.As one of Europe’s largest asset managers, Aviva Investors manages over £234bn in assets, as of…

Zocks, a privacy-first AI platform focused on enhancing client intelligence for financial advisors, has secured $13.8m in its Series A funding round.The investment was led by Motive Ventures, with additional backing from Lightspeed Venture Partners, Expanse Venture Partners, Entrée Capital, and 14Peaks.The WealthTech firm, established in 2022, specialises in leveraging AI to capture, analyse, and process client interactions, delivering insights and automating workflows for advisory firms. Since its official launch in early 2024, Zocks has rapidly gained traction, onboarding more than 1,000 advisory firms to its platform.With the fresh capital, Zocks plans to accelerate its product development, expand its team,…

Outmarket AI, a newly launched intelligence platform designed to transform the commercial insurance sector, has raised $4.7m in a seed funding round.The investment was led by Fika Ventures, with additional participation from TTV and Dash Fund.The capital injection is expected to accelerate Outmarket AI’s product development, grow its team, and strengthen strategic partnerships with leading brokers and insurance carriers.The company, which was founded by experts in both InsurTech and artificial intelligence, has created a platform that directly integrates into the existing workflows of brokers and carriers. By embedding AI-powered automation and real-time insights into these processes, Outmarket AI aims to…