This Week's Top Five Stories in AI

Capgemini: How AI is Transforming Pharma Drug Discovery

The integration of AI is no longer a futuristic concept in life sciences. Instead, it is actively rewriting the rules of pharmaceutical R&D. 

From compressing decade-long discovery timelines to unlocking previously untreatable diseases, AI is shifting the industry’s focus from sheer volume to high-quality precision.

Here, Thorsten Rall, Global Life Sciences Leader at Capgemini, explores the profound shift towards AI-driven platforms. 

He discusses the power of closed-loop automated laboratories, the rise of synthetic clinical trials and how AI agents are becoming indispensable companions for modern scientists.

Samsung’s AI Growth: From US$1tn Cap to 1,800% Profit Rise

Samsung Electronics is one of the leading global producers of the components that keep the wheels of AI moving. The rising demand for memory chips in the light of the AI boom is driving a historic 1,800% profit forecast for the South Korean technology giant.

The company is forecasting a 19-fold jump in its second-quarter operating profit of ₩89.4tn (US$58.4bn) between the start of April and the end of June. 

This figure marks its third record quarterly operating profit in a row and represents an astronomical leap from the ₩4.7tn (US$3.1bn) reported in the same period last year.

Samsung, which was once synonymous with conventional hardware, is now firmly positioned as a primary manufacturer of the hardware powering next-generation of AI infrastructure. 

Driven by this explosive demand, it was able to cross the US$1tn market capitalisation milestone in May 2026, along with Micron and SK Hynix, which are its direct competitors in the industry.

Atlas: The Tech Behind Hyundai’s Humanoid Robot FIFA Debut

Football fans cheering on the Brazil and Norway teams at the New York/New Jersey Stadium witnessed a historic tech integration at the weekend. 

Humanoid robot Atlas stepped onto the pitch to hand the match ball to the referee for the second half, marking the first-ever integration of a humanoid robot into a live FIFA match.

As the Official Robotics Partner of the FIFA World Cup, Hyundai Motor Company demonstrated the real-world capabilities of robotics to captivate and inspire fans globally.

During the half-time interval, Atlas stepped out of the player tunnel and entertained the crowd by mimicking iconic goal celebrations of human players. The robot performed the signatures of Harry Kane, Erling Haaland, Matheus Cunha and Son Heung-min.

What’s Behind Microsoft’s US$2.5bn AI Operating Business?

Keeping up with the pace of AI adoption is no longer an option for enterprises as businesses around the world are transforming their operations to focus entirely on delivering measurable outcomes. 

Organisations have moved well beyond experimentation, understanding the critical importance of integrating technology to scale capabilities. They are now concentrating on achieving a clear return on their investments while ensuring their intellectual property remains secure.

To address these global demands, Microsoft is launching a new operating business called Microsoft Frontier Company to focus on delivering end-to-end transformation through advanced engineering for international clients. 

Backed by a US$2.5bn investment, the entity will embed 6,000 industry and engineering experts directly at customer sites to co-design, deploy and continuously improve AI systems at scale.

In a blog published on 2 July, Judson Althoff, CEO at Microsoft Commercial Business, revealed that the new organisation will be led by Rodrigo Kede Lima, who has spent the past six years at the company. 

BMW: Boosting Factory Logistics Using AI Humanoid Robots

German carmaker BMW has demonstrated the Figure 03 humanoid robot at its manufacturing site in Spartanburg, South Carolina, US, which is its 10-million-square-foot production facility. 

The company employs more than 11,000 people at this plant, where it assembles the BMW X3, X5, X6, X7 and XM Sports Activity Vehicles and Coupes.

The use of humanoid robots forms part of a broader strategy by BMW to expand its automation portfolio with physical AI. 

Projections for the global humanoid robotics market by 2030 range from under 1m annual units to more than six million units, according to data from the Boston Consulting Group.