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Anthropic has warned that some of its AI models could soon become “self-replicating” and find ways to infiltrate commercial internet-of-things devices, including smart ovens and off-brand Android TV boxes. “A replicator . . .  would be challenging to shut down,” Anthropic researchers wrote in a report, “since there’s no centralized point to shut off.” Anthropic acknowledged that there is not yet a “fully rogue replicator,” but agents are “becoming increasingly capable of completing the individual steps in the replication chain (and passing on their adaptations to future copies of themselves).” The AI lab said in its report: “As a prediction that goes beyond our experiments, we expect a future awash with agents running on all types of hardware, including some that aren’t under human control.”

 

CNBC

Reuters

The Guardian

Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for Technological Sovereignty, Security, and Democracy, has ​told Reuters that the bloc is "well equipped" to tackle AI-enabled rogue agents. "We see that the safety and security of very capable models is a very hot ​topic internationally and we in Europe are well equipped for that . . . We have our AI Act in place and the AI Act covers the whole life cycle ​of these models," Virkkunen said. She added: "Our ​legislators and decision makers, I think that they have been taking into account very well already the ​coming developments, for example how they saw that the risks have to be assessed and external experts have to ‌be used ⁠and they have to continue monitoring the models."

 

Reuters

Ropes & Gray has said its 1,000-plus associates and counsel can now count up to 100 hours of experimenting and training on AI toward their annual billing requirements. Two associates at the Boston-founded firm told Reuters the initiative gives them flexibility to try AI tools even when it can't be billed directly to clients. Kevin Schoonveld, a ​New York-based ninth-year debt finance associate, observed: “When you're ⁠first playing around with these AI tools, you're investing a lot of time in it and you're not seeing a ton of efficiencies at first." Reuters notes that lawyers at Akerman have since April been able to get credit for AI-related projects that are “really contributing value.” 

 

LawFuel

Reuters

CFOs are increasingly partnering with technology executives and business unit leaders to accelerate AI adoption, according to Boston Consulting Group. Finance leaders are shifting from initial skepticism toward implementation, with AI offering opportunities to automate tasks and support real-time decision-making across business functions. However, economic uncertainty and rising supplier and token costs remain challenges. Julien Ghesquieres, BCG's global corporate finance and strategy leader, said: "AI is going to be a friend, not a foe." BCG also highlighted the CFO's evolving role as a strategic performance leader responsible for driving business value and demonstrating investment returns quickly.

 

Wall Street Journal

The IMF has raised its 2026 global growth forecast to 3.1%, from 3.0%, as strong AI investment offsets economic disruption from the Middle East conflict and oil prices exceeding $100 per barrel. Growth is expected to reach 3.4% in 2027, although widening economic disparities and mounting debt threaten stability. The U.S. economy is forecast to grow 2.3%, China 4.5% and India 7.0% in 2026, while several Gulf economies face deep recessions. IMF chief economist Silvana Tenreyro warned that global economic resilience is "reaching its limits." The IMF also highlighted risks from prolonged energy disruption, higher borrowing costs and disappointing AI returns, and urged governments to rebuild fiscal buffers.

 

Reuters

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has appointed Judy Shelton as a counselor to advise on currency policy, with a particular focus on evaluating financial conditions in China. The role places Shelton inside Treasury's assessment of the world's second-largest economy, although she is not known as a China specialist. The Senate previously blocked President Donald Trump's nomination of Shelton to the Federal Reserve because of controversy surrounding her economic ideas. She will now support Bessent's currency-policy work and China-focused financial analysis. Shelton wrote "The Coming Soviet Crash" in 1989 and "Money Meltdown," which advocated a unified international monetary regime, in 1994.

 

CNBC

Abdulrahman Alfozan, a 35-year-old engineer at OpenAI, has been arrested for allegedly planting a recording device in the company's San Francisco office. OpenAI's security team discovered the device, which was hidden in a television located in an "executive conference room," and reported it to the FBI. Alfozan, who had been with the company since July 2025, was caught on camera "near" the conference room. The Justice Department has said he faces charges for intercepting communications, which could lead to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. OpenAI confirmed there is no evidence of data theft at this time. Alfozan is set to appear in court on October 19. "This serious situation underscores why winning the global super intelligence race is a national security prerogative," Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton said. "The intelligence community remains committed to safeguarding America's cutting-edge intellectual property from foreign threats," he added.

 

Deutsche Welle (EN)

France 24

U.S. News

The U.S. Treasury Department has imposed a $1.2bn penalty on Bank of America for violating anti-money laundering and sanctions laws. The bank failed to report over $5bn in suspicious transactions, some linked to national security risks and Chinese money laundering networks. The penalty includes a $750m civil fine from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the "actions send a clear message that even the biggest financial institutions are not above the law." Bank of America will also undergo an independent review of its compliance programs.

 

Reuters

The Banker

Private equity firm KKR is eliminating non-compete agreements for 800,000 workers earning less than $100,000 across its portfolio companies. The voluntary policy spans hundreds of KKR-backed businesses and covers both agreements already signed and restrictions that employers might otherwise impose through new contracts. Rather than limiting the change to KKR's own workforce, the private equity firm is applying the wage-based standard across a broad group of portfolio companies. Existing agreements for covered employees will be voided, while those businesses will be prohibited from requiring new non-competes for workers below the $100,000 threshold.

 

Inc.

A Cochrane review has suggested that promotional interactions between pharmaceutical companies and clinicians, including gifts and payments, are likely “associated with harmful outcomes.” The authors of the review, entitled ‘Pharmaceutical industry information and promotional strategies aimed at prescribers’, highlighted that such gifts were associated with “inappropriate prescribing”, an increase in the quantity of prescriptions, and “probably” an increase in prescription costs. Researchers analysed data from more than 90 studies, which examined pharmaceutical company promotion to prescribers.

 

Pharmaceutical Journal

Cochrane

The Globe and Mail

California Governor Gavin Newsom has endorsed Proposition 42, a ballot measure aimed at nullifying the proposed one-time tax on billionaires under Proposition 40, known as the Billionaire Tax Act. Funded by Sergey Brin, co-founder of Google, Proposition 42 seeks to prevent retroactive taxes on billionaires residing in California as of January 1, 2026. Newsom said: “We all agree that Californians deserve to have their retirement and life savings protected from new state taxes.” The Billionaire Tax Act proposes a 5% tax, allocating 90% of the revenue to healthcare and 10% to food assistance or education programs. While the measure has garnered support from groups like the Service Employees International Union United Healthcare Workers West, it has also sparked division among California Democrats, with concerns that it may drive billionaires out of the state. A recent poll indicated that 45% of registered voters support the Billionaire Tax Act, while 43% oppose it.

 

The Hill

NPR / National Public Radio