CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz pushed back on calls to slow AI development, arguing that security risks from advanced models won't be solved by pausing research. His response followed Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei's recent appeal for a research slowdown. Meanwhile, cybersecurity firms continue to see strong market performance — CrowdStrike hit a record $235.38 on September 14, 2026, and Palo Alto Networks also posted gains.
Zacks Investment Research highlighted several tech stocks for the week of March 13-19, naming Palo Alto Networks, Fortinet, Okta, CrowdStrike, and RUM Group as top picks. RUM Group landed a major $13.7 billion Anthropic compute deal. Weekly gains were notable across the board: CrowdStrike rose 18%, Okta climbed 15%, Fortinet gained 12%, and Palo Alto Networks added 10%.
On the regulatory and safety front, Early Anthropic hire Rune Kvist and former METR COO Rajiv Dattani founded AIUC, a company focused on testing AI agents for safety. Their AIUC-1 standard runs roughly 5,000 tests per agent and produces a 100-page safety report, with humans verifying the final audit. Separately, a Cedarville University professor warned that publicly available online content can be used to train AI systems, raising concerns for entrepreneurs and students.
In healthcare, the U.S. government launched the ADVOCATE program to deploy AI agents in clinical settings, including prescribing drugs for heart failure. Atman Health, Tempus AI, Updoc, Stanford University, and Duke will receive contract awards, with the FDA and Medicare developing new rules. The program targets $28 billion in annual savings. ANZ CEO Mike Smith also weighed in on AI's role in banking, warning that it could lead to job cuts while stressing that AI is a tool, not a replacement for human judgment.
China's biotech sector is gaining strength through AI-driven drug discovery. Insilico Medicine raised $293 million in its December 2025 Hong Kong IPO and projected first-half 2026 revenue of $102.5 million to $106.5 million. The Hang Seng Biotech Index surged 67% in 2025, and Citigroup analysts point to speed and cost benefits in the $313 billion global market. Elsewhere, Georgetown University launched a Master's in Strategic Leadership and AI designed for professionals with five to 15 years of experience, and a May poll found that 54% of audit leaders have not started measuring AI's value in their work.
Key Takeaways
- CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz rejected calls to pause AI research, saying security risks won't be fixed by slowing development down.
- RUM Group landed a $13.7 billion Anthropic compute deal, while CrowdStrike, Okta, Fortinet, and Palo Alto Networks all posted strong weekly gains.
- AIUC, founded by ex-Anthropic hire Rune Kvist and former METR COO Rajiv Dattani, tests AI agents with about 5,000 tests and a 100-page safety report per audit.
- The U.S. ADVOCATE program will deploy AI agents in heart care, with FDA and Medicare building new rules and targeting $28 billion in yearly savings.
- Insilico Medicine raised $293 million in its Hong Kong IPO and projected first-half 2026 revenue of $102.5 million to $106.5 million.
- ANZ CEO Mike Smith warned that AI could lead to job cuts but said the bank will use AI to improve services, not replace human judgment.
- Georgetown University launched an online Master's in Strategic Leadership and AI for professionals with five to 15 years of experience and no technical background required.
- A May poll of 142 audit executives found 54% have not started measuring AI's value, and only 38% have an AI strategy in place.
- The Hang Seng Biotech Index surged 67% in 2025, driven by AI-driven drug discovery momentum in China.
- Cedarville University raised concerns about publicly available online content being used to train AI systems, affecting entrepreneurs and students.
CrowdStrike CEO warns AI development creates security risks
CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz warned that advanced AI models pose security threats. His comments came after Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei called for a pause in AI research. Kurtz said slowing AI development will not fix these risks. CrowdStrike and Palo Alto Networks both saw their stock prices double this year. CrowdStrike's stock hit a record high of $235.38 on September 14, 2026.
Zacks highlights top tech stocks including cybersecurity leaders
Zacks Investment Research named Palo Alto Networks, Fortinet, Okta, CrowdStrike, and RUM Group as top tech stocks. RUM Group landed a $13.7 billion Anthropic compute deal. CrowdStrike rose 18% in the past week, Okta rose 15%, Fortinet rose 12%, and Palo Alto Networks rose 10%. The picks were based on earnings estimates, revenue growth, and stock momentum for the week of March 13-19.
AI scraping concerns grow among Cedarville entrepreneurs
A Cedarville University professor warned entrepreneurs and students that publicly available online content can be used to train AI systems. Taylor Snook, a Cedarville sophomore and small business owner, said she uses AI tools to work more efficiently. The concerns were raised as AI tools become more common in workplaces and classrooms in Cedarville, Ohio.
Study evaluates LoRA fine-tuned models for course Q&A
Researchers used LoRA to fine-tune Qwen2.5-3B-Instruct and Qwen2.5-7B-Instruct models for answering control systems course questions. They built a dataset of 360 conversations from a Linear Control Systems course. The 7B-r16 model achieved the highest ROUGE-L score of 0.4093 and BERTScore-F1 of 0.8643. LoRA improved text similarity and structured output stability, though metrics did not measure mathematical correctness.
ANZ chief warns AI could lead to job cuts
ANZ CEO Mike Smith warned that AI use at the bank could lead to job losses. He spoke at a conference in Sydney about AI's role in banking. Smith said AI is a powerful tool but not a replacement for human judgment. He stated the bank will use AI to improve services and to ensure employees focus on the most valuable customer tasks.
U.S. launches ADVOCATE program to deploy AI agents in heart care
The U.S. government is funding the ADVOCATE program to put AI agents into clinical care, including prescribing drugs for heart failure. Atman Health, Tempus AI, Updoc, Stanford University, and Duke will receive contract awards. The FDA and Medicare are building new rules for this type of AI. The program aims to save $28 billion yearly and help areas with no cardiologists.
AIUC launches audit system to test and control AI agents
Early Anthropic hire Rune Kvist and former METR COO Rajiv Dattani founded AIUC to prevent AI agents from going rogue. The company built the AIUC-1 standard and a testing service based on cybersecurity rules like SOC 2. AIUC runs about 5,000 tests on each agent and produces a 100-page report on its safety. Humans verify the final audit even though AI helps run the tests.
China's biotech sector gains strength through AI drug discovery
China's biotech stocks are rising as AI-driven drug discovery gains real momentum. Insilico Medicine raised $293 million in its Hong Kong IPO in December 2025 and projected first-half 2026 revenue of $102.5 million to $106.5 million. The Hang Seng Biotech Index surged 67% in 2025. Citigroup analysts say AI drug discovery offers speed and cost benefits in a $313 billion global market.
Axios co-founder says AI is on wrong side of consumer tastes
Axios co-founder Mike Allen discussed AI regulation and competition with China on 'America Reports.' He commented on Attorney General Todd Blanche's recent remarks about AI safety. Allen shared his view that AI has been on the wrong side of consumer preferences. The discussion took place during a White House press briefing.
Georgetown launches master's program combining leadership and AI
Georgetown University's School of Continuing Studies is launching a Master's in Strategic Leadership and AI. The online program teaches leaders to use AI as a tool for strategy and decision-making. Graduates earn both a Master of Professional Studies degree and a Professional Certificate in Coaching Skills. The program is designed for professionals with five to 15 years of experience and no technical AI background required.
Most audit leaders still cannot measure AI value
A May poll of 142 chief audit executives found 54% have not started measuring the value of AI in audit work. Only 38% of 161 CAEs have an AI strategy, though 39% are building one. Most use AI for planning and drafting, but fewer apply it to actual testing. The biggest barriers are unclear rules and inconsistent use among auditors.
Sources
- CrowdStrike (CRWD) CEO Warns AI Development Poses Security Risks
- Zacks Investment Ideas feature highlights: Palo Alto Networks, Fortinet, Okta, CrowdStrike and RUM Group
- AI scraping raises concerns for Cedarville entrepreneurs
- LoRA Fine-Tuned Models for Control Systems Course Q\&A: A Multidimensional Evaluation of Model Scale and Rank Effects
- ANZ chief warns of AI risks, won’t rule out job cuts
- The U.S. government is pushing AI agents into clinical care
- Early Anthropic hire, former METR COO have found a way to rein in rogue AI agents
- China’s biotech AI trade finds real fuel
- AI has been on the ‘wrong side’ of consumer tastes, Axios co-founder says
- Georgetown Prepares Future Leaders for an AI-enabled Workplace with the Master's in Strategic Leadership & AI
- Most chief audit executives can't tell you what AI is worth yet
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