Today in AI: Google's AI Empire, SpaceX's Surge, and Agentic Workflows

We're diving into Google's massive AI investments and the impressive valuation of Waymo. Plus, SpaceX's surprising Q2 growth, key earnings reactions from Datadog and SoundHound, and how AI agents are gaining new 'hands' with tool calling and agentic workflows.

In this episode

• SpaceX Revenue Climbs 92% in Q2 2026 as AI Business Triples, Stock Rebounds
• Today in AI: Google's AI Empire, Waymo's Valuation, and Battery Breakthroughs
• AI Agents Get Hands With Tool Calling
• AMD Buys Taalas for AI Inference
• OpenAI Finance Pro Uses ChatGPT to Create Interactive Forecasts
• ChatGPT Work Automates Weekly Metrics Reports
• Datadog Plunges 19% on Earnings as SoundHound Surges on Record Q2
• Kalshi Markets Bet on AI, Mars, and NATO
• Databricks Charts New AI Frontier
• Prediction Markets Show Geopolitical Bets Hot

Transcript

Ada: Welcome to Today in AI, I'm Ada.

Sam: And I'm Sam. Today, we're tracking Google's expanding AI empire, SpaceX's surprising financial rebound, and how AI agents are getting more capable in the real world.

Ada: Let's kick things off with Google, Sam. While we touched on some of their AI ventures yesterday, today's news really underscores the sheer scale of their investment. We're talking about massive AI spend across the board, and the latest valuation for Waymo, their autonomous driving subsidiary, is now pegged at an impressive one hundred twenty-six billion dollars.

Sam: That's a staggering number, Ada. It really highlights how Google isn't just dabbling in AI- they're building an entire ecosystem around it. Waymo's valuation alone speaks volumes about the market's belief in the future of autonomous technology, and Google's ability to execute on it. It’s not just about the tech itself, but the long-term play in a critical, high-value sector.

Ada: Exactly. And this isn't just about Waymo. It encompasses their entire cloud AI infrastructure, their research divisions, and the integration of AI across all their products. It's a clear signal that Google views AI not just as a product line, but as the foundational layer for their future growth. It's an empire in the making, and we're seeing the pieces fall into place.

Sam: Moving from one tech giant to another, let's talk about SpaceX. We saw some post-earnings jitters yesterday, but today the news is much brighter. SpaceX posted Q2 2026 revenue of seven point eight one billion dollars, up ninety-two percent year-over-year. What's really catching my eye here, Ada, is that their AI segment tripled, and Starlink grew sixty-six percent.

Ada: That's a significant rebound, Sam. And the jump in their AI business is particularly interesting. While SpaceX is primarily known for rockets and satellites, this growth suggests a deeper integration of AI into their operations, perhaps in satellite management, data analysis, or even autonomous flight systems. It's a reminder that AI is permeating industries we might not immediately associate with it.

Sam: Absolutely. The stock, SPCX, rose over six percent today, recovering some of the ground lost after the post-earnings capital expenditure selloff. Even though it's still below its June 2026 IPO price, this Q2 performance, especially the AI segment's growth, is a strong indicator of underlying strength and diversification beyond their core launch services.

Ada: It certainly is. And speaking of earnings, we had a couple of interesting reactions today. Datadog plunged nineteen percent after free cash flow margins contracted to twenty-five percent. This was despite a record Q2 revenue beat. It's a classic example of a 'sell-the-news' reaction, where even good top-line numbers aren't enough if other key metrics disappoint investors.

Sam: That's a tough day for Datadog shareholders. It really highlights how the market is scrutinizing profitability and efficiency, especially in the current economic climate. Margins matter, even when revenue is strong. On the flip side, SoundHound AI surged ten percent on record quarterly revenue and raised its full-year guidance. A clear win for them.

Ada: Indeed. SoundHound's performance is a testament to the growing demand for conversational AI and voice technology. Their ability to not only meet but exceed expectations and raise guidance indicates strong market traction and confidence in their future. It's a good day for them, contrasting sharply with Datadog's experience.

Sam: Let's shift gears now to something truly exciting in the AI development space: AI agents are gaining 'hands' with tool calling. This means these agents can now interact with external systems and perform real-world actions. Think of it as giving an AI the ability to use a web browser, send an email, or even control a physical device.

Ada: This is a huge step forward, Sam. For a long time, AI agents were primarily confined to their digital environments. Tool calling changes that equation entirely. It moves them from being passive observers or data processors to active participants in workflows. This has massive implications for automation and how businesses can leverage AI.

Sam: Absolutely. It's the difference between an AI that can tell you how to book a flight, and an AI that can actually go and book the flight for you. And building on that, Databricks is charting a new AI frontier by introducing agentic workflows. This allows AI to autonomously plan, execute, and refine multi-step tasks for enterprise operations.

Ada: This is where the rubber meets the road for enterprise AI. Agentic workflows mean that instead of a human having to break down a complex task into individual steps for the AI, the AI itself can now figure out the optimal sequence, execute those steps using its new 'hands' via tool calling, and even refine its approach based on feedback. This could revolutionize everything from supply chain management to customer service.

Sam: It's about empowering AI to be more proactive and less reactive. These two developments- tool calling and agentic workflows- are fundamentally changing the capabilities of AI agents, moving us closer to truly intelligent automation that can handle complex, real-world problems with minimal human intervention. It’s a very exciting time for enterprise AI.

Ada: It certainly is, Sam. And that brings us to the end of today's episode. For the full stories and more in-depth analysis, visit us at startuphub.ai.

Sam: Thanks for tuning in to Today in AI. We'll be back tomorrow with more of the day's top stories.