Nvidia introduces three NIM microservices within its NeMo Guardrails framework to enhance AI agent safety and control. These services target content safety, conversation focus, and jailbreak prevention. While enterprise adoption of AI agents remains cautious, with Deloitte projecting 25% adoption by 2025, Nvidia aims to accelerate implementation through improved security measures.

The TikTok ban deadline coinciding with MLK Day weekend is expected to be delayed as President-elect Trump's administration plans to extend it. Biden officials defer the decision to Trump's team, with users advised not to expect a shutdown. Trump, who initiated the original ban but changed stance during his campaign, is considering executive action and has requested Supreme Court intervention.

Venture capital funding surged to $74.6 billion in Q4 2024, up from the previous $42 billion quarterly average. However, five mega-deals totaling $32 billion, including investments in Databricks, OpenAI, and Waymo, accounted for 43% of all funding. Without these deals, investment levels would have remained consistent with recent years.

Apple stock fell 4% following reports of declining iPhone sales in China, where the company dropped to third place behind Vivo and Huawei. TSMC, Apple's key supplier, forecasts a 6% drop in smartphone sales. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo expects iPhone shipments to decline 6% in early 2025, noting Apple Intelligence hasn't boosted demand.

Borderless AI released HRGPT, a free AI-powered search engine for querying HR data and employment regulations. The startup secured a $5M investment from Cohere, reaching $32M in total seed funding. Their platform serves multinational companies by combining real-time web search with internal data access and specialized HR knowledge.