Epic Games is going all in on artificial intelligence for its upcoming Marvel and Star Wars shooter, a collaboration with Disney. The company has delayed the unannounced title and told developers to adopt an AI first production model. All code will be written by AI models and artwork will be generated through full AI workflows, with humans overseeing the output. Developers were specifically instructed to use Anthropic's Claude. Epic communications director Jake Jones confirmed the company is embracing AI accelerated development. Disney invested $1.5 billion in Epic in 2024, and the company also cut 1,000 jobs earlier this year.
Microsoft has unveiled the Surface Laptop Ultra, built in partnership with Nvidia. The device uses the Nvidia RTX Spark processor and starts at $2,599. It is designed to let users run AI tasks locally rather than relying on cloud services.
At TOKEN2049 Singapore, MEXC highlighted the convergence of AI and traditional finance. The event featured MEXC CEO Vugar Usi Zade and Payward Co-CEO Arjun Sethi in a panel discussion. Visitors participated in the MEXC AI Trading Challenge powered by MEXC CLI and the AI Bond Test. The company also presented The NEXT Newspaper, an interactive experience about trading and investing, showing how crypto and traditional finance are moving toward more connected platforms.
AutoNation appointed Ravi Simhambhatla as Chief Technology and AI Officer effective October 1, 2026. He will oversee technology, data science, cybersecurity, AI and digital product development. His background includes roles at Avis Budget Group, Google Cloud and Tesla, pointing to a push for deeper digitalization at the retailer.
Researchers have developed a method called hindsight structured advice distillation (HSAD) that improves AI agent performance. A small advisor model learns from past failures and generates helpful guidance. On a financial research benchmark, an 8B advisor improved qualification rates from 52.9% to 56.6% at 37% lower cost per query.
Spotify more than doubled its monthly code changes thanks to AI-accelerated development. The company runs nearly 3,000 production services for 777 million monthly active users. An automated dependency upgrade passed existing checks but failed in production, prompting Spotify to strengthen safeguards, expand rollback capacity and schedule automated changes during working hours.
Ingram Micro is promoting practical AI and cloud solutions at DTX + UCX 2026. The company is showcasing tools like AWS Quick, Claude via Amazon Bedrock and FinOps cloud optimization. Its message centers on helping organizations adopt AI and cloud while maintaining control of cost, security and governance through experienced partners.
Zeta Global agreed to buy Senso, a Toronto-based AI startup that already powers its generative engine optimization product. The deal was announced on October 5, 2026, with no price or closing date revealed. Zeta said it will keep services running for customers during the acquisition.
U.S. Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell are pushing for AI regulations at both state and federal levels. The proposals focus on consumer protection, industry oversight and security risks. Cantwell's framework addresses catastrophic risks and calls for transparency measures, including requiring bots to identify themselves every three hours.
Key Takeaways
- Epic Games delayed its Marvel and Star Wars shooter and shifted to an AI first development model using Anthropic's Claude with human oversight
- Disney invested $1.5 billion in Epic in 2024 as part of their partnership
- Microsoft launched the Surface Laptop Ultra with Nvidia RTX Spark processor starting at $2,599 for local AI tasks
- MEXC showcased AI and traditional finance convergence at TOKEN2049 Singapore with interactive tools like the AI Trading Challenge
- AutoNation appointed Ravi Simhambhatla as Chief Technology and AI Officer, bringing experience from Google Cloud and Tesla
- HSAD research improved AI agent qualification rates from 52.9% to 56.6% at 37% lower cost per query
- Spotify more than doubled monthly code changes via AI accelerated development across nearly 3,000 production services
- Ingram Micro is showcasing Claude via Amazon Bedrock and FinOps tools at DTX + UCX 2026
- Zeta Global acquired Senso, the Toronto AI startup behind its generative engine optimization product
- Washington lawmakers proposed AI regulations including bot transparency requirements every three hours
Epic Games delays Star Wars Marvel shooter for AI first development
Epic Games has reportedly delayed its unannounced Star Wars and Marvel crossover shooter. The company is pushing developers to use an AI first production model. Developers were told to use tools like Anthropic's Claude with humans overseeing the work. Epic communications director Jake Jones confirmed the company is embracing AI accelerated development. The delay happened because Epic underestimated the time needed for the project.
Epic Games mandates AI code and art for Disney shooter project
Epic Games has delayed an unannounced Marvel and Star Wars shooter and told developers to adopt an AI first model. Staff were informed there would be no more hand written code and artwork would be generated with full AI workflows. Developers were asked to use Anthropic's Claude with humans guiding the output. Many developers were stunned by the announcement. Disney invested $1.5 billion in Epic in 2024 as part of their partnership. Epic also cut 1,000 jobs earlier this year.
Epic Games goes all in on AI for Disney game collaboration
Epic Games is shifting to an AI first strategy for its collaboration with Disney. AI models will write all the code and guide artwork for an upcoming shooter. Human developers will manage and guide code and art created by models such as Anthropic. This marks a major departure from the company's traditional approach that relied on human developers. The move aims to increase efficiency and reduce costs but raises questions about the role of human developers.
MEXC highlights AI and TradFi future at TOKEN2049 Singapore
MEXC showcased AI and traditional finance themes at TOKEN2049 Singapore. The event featured a panel with MEXC CEO Vugar Usi Zade and Payward Co-CEO Arjun Sethi. Visitors took part in the MEXC AI Trading Challenge powered by MEXC CLI and the AI Bond Test. MEXC also presented The NEXT Newspaper, an interactive experience about trading and investing. The company showed how crypto and traditional finance are moving toward more connected and intelligent platforms.
MEXC explores AI and finance convergence at TOKEN2049 Singapore
MEXC focused on AI, traditional finance and the future of trading at TOKEN2049 Singapore. Thousands of participants joined on site activities. The MEXC AI Trading Challenge and AI Bond Test let visitors explore how AI fits into trading. The NEXT Newspaper allowed visitors to personalize content with predictions about investing. MEXC CEO Vugar Usi Zade and Payward Co-CEO Arjun Sethi discussed how crypto and traditional finance are converging into more connected markets.
Microsoft launches AI-powered Surface Laptop Ultra
Microsoft unveiled the Surface Laptop Ultra built with Nvidia. It uses the Nvidia RTX Spark processor and starts at $2,599. The device is designed to let users run AI tasks locally instead of relying on cloud services.
El-Sayed discusses corporate money and healthcare in Lansing
Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed held a town hall in Lansing focused on corporate influence in politics and healthcare. He called for Medicare for All and pushed to remove corporate money from campaigns. End Citizens United President Tiffany Muller joined him to highlight ties between corporate donations and rising healthcare costs.
New method improves AI agent performance with smart advice
Researchers developed a technique called hindsight structured advice distillation (HSAD). A small advisor model learns from past failures and generates helpful guidance for AI agents. On a financial research benchmark, an 8B advisor improved qualification rates from 52.9% to 56.6% at 37% lower cost per query.
AutoNation names new Chief Technology and AI Officer
AutoNation appointed Ravi Simhambhatla as Chief Technology and AI Officer on 1 October 2026. He will oversee technology, data science, cybersecurity, AI and digital product development. His background includes roles at Avis Budget Group, Google Cloud and Tesla, signaling a push for deeper digitalization at AutoNation.
Washington lawmakers push for AI regulations
U.S. Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell are pushing for AI regulations at state and federal levels. The proposals focus on consumer protection, industry oversight and security risks. Cantwell's framework addresses catastrophic risks and calls for transparency, including requiring bots to identify themselves every three hours.
Zeta Global to buy Senso, the startup behind its AI search product
Zeta Global agreed to buy Senso, a Toronto-based AI startup it already used for its generative engine optimization product. The deal was announced on October 5, 2026. No price or closing date was revealed. Zeta will keep services running for customers during the acquisition.
Ingram Micro highlights AI and cloud control at DTX + UCX 2026
Ingram Micro is promoting practical AI and cloud solutions at DTX + UCX 2026. The company is showcasing tools like AWS Quick, Claude via Amazon Bedrock, and FinOps cloud optimization. Its main message is that organizations can adopt AI and cloud while keeping control of cost, security, and governance. Experienced partners help businesses reduce risk and accelerate adoption through strategic guidance and technical expertise.
Spotify more than doubled monthly code changes as AI accelerated development
Spotify more than doubled its monthly code changes due to AI-accelerated development. The company runs nearly 3,000 production services for 777 million monthly active users. An automated dependency upgrade passed existing checks but failed in production. Spotify is strengthening safeguards, expanding rollback capacity, and scheduling automated changes during working hours.
Sources
- Epic Reportedly Pushing Devs to Use AI, Delays Secret Star Wars and Marvel Crossover Shooter
- Epic Games is delaying its Disney shooter and mandating AI-generated code and art
- Report: Epic Games goes all-in on AI for Disney collaboration
- MEXC Brings AI, TradFi and the Future of Trading to Life at TOKEN2049 Singapore
- MEXC Brings AI, TradFi and the Future of Trading to Life at TOKEN2049 Singapore
- Security and AI news from the week beginning 5 October 2026
- El-Sayed Talks Corporate Money, Healthcare, Artificial Intelligence At Lansing Town Hall
- Hindsight Structured Advice Distillation: Steering Executor Agents with Advisors Trained on Their Failures and Task Characteristics
- Is Tech And AI Leadership Change Altering The Investment Case For AutoNation (AN)?
- Washington state lawmakers push for AI regulations at state and federal levels
- Zeta Global to buy Senso, the startup behind its AI search product
- DTX + UCX 2026: Ingram Micro on Unlocking AI and Cloud Without Losing Control
- Spotify More Than Doubled Monthly Code Changes as AI Accelerated Development
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