Whether you're a scientist brainstorming research ideas or a CEO hoping to automate a task in human resources or finance, you'll find that artificial intelligence tools are becoming the assistants you didn't know you needed. In particular, many professionals are tapping into the talents of semi-autonomous software systems called AI agents, which can call on AI at specific points to solve problems and complete tasks.AI agents are particularly effective when they use large language models (LLMs) because those systems are powerful, efficient, and adaptable. One way to program such technology is by describing in code what you want your system to do (the 'workflow'), including when it should use an LLM. If you were a software company trying to revamp your old codebase to use a more modern programming language for better optimizations and safety, you might build a system that uses an LLM to translate the codebase one file at a time, testing each file as you go.But what happens when LLMs make mistakes' You'll want the agent to backtrack to make another attempt, incorporating lessons it learned from previous mistakes. Coding this up can take as much effort as implementing the original agent; if your system for translating a codebase contained thousands of lines of code, then you'd be making thousands of lines of code changes or additions to support the logic for backtracking when LLMs make mistakes....

The loan underpins a A$2.37bn transaction and underscores the growing importance of private credit in financing large buyouts in Australia. The financing is covenant-lite, carries leverage of around 6.5x earnings, and pays a margin of roughly 475 basis points over the Bank Bill Swap Bid Rate, according to people familiar with the matter. The transaction highlights how private equity firms are increasingly turning to private credit as traditional bank lending remains constrained. However, the deal also comes as Australia's regulator has stepped up scrutiny of the asset class, citing concerns over valuations, fee transparency, and conflicts of interest. Subscribe to our Newsletter to increase your edge. Don't worry about the news anymore, through our newsletter you'll receive weekly access to what is happening. Join 120,000 other PE professionals today....

3C AGI Partners, founded by former SenseTime executive Esther Wong, is targeting up to $100m for the fund by March, following a $50m first close. The vehicle is supported by VMS Group, a family office that manages more than $4bn for some of Hong Kong's wealthiest families. The fund will concentrate on AI hardware, data centres, and related infrastructure, steering clear of application-layer investments that the managers view as overcrowded. The strategy adopts a 'US Plus' approach, maintaining exposure to North America while broadening its geographic reach. VMS said the fund reflects its efforts to diversify away from China amid geopolitical tensions. 'The capital markets in Asia are revitalizing, and we are seeing a clear rebound in confidence,' said Elton Cheung, a partner at VMS Group. The launch highlights how family offices are increasingly allocating capital to specialist AI strategies, as interest in generative AI and supporting infrastructure drives a thaw in Asia-Pacific private equity activity....

Crew-12 is expected to head to the International Space Station next week, while the highly anticipated Artemis II mission ' which will bring humans around the moon for the first time since the 1960s ' was delayed until March. With the newest iPhones and Android devices at hand, the crew will be able to be a bit more spontaneous with image and video gathering, meaning that for those of us back home, these upcoming trips to space could end up being some of NASA's most well-documented journeys yet. Imagine how cool (or cringe-worthy) it will be if astronauts turn themselves into TikTok stars in zero gravity, or if they take ultra-wide-angle selfies in the spacecraft. For those working in government bureaucracy, it's equally exciting, apparently, that NASA approved this rule change pretty quickly. 'Just as important, we challenged long-standing processes and qualified modern hardware for spaceflight on an expedited timeline,' Isaacman wrote. 'That operational urgency will serve NASA well as we pursue the highest-value science and research in orbit and on the lunar surface.'...