AI Meets Accounting: Rillet Closes the Books on Manual Finance Work
Rillet is redefining how finance teams operate by applying AI to missions traditionally hampered by manual spreadsheets and legacy systems. The San Francisco-based startup leverages intelligent integrations with tools like Stripe, Salesforce enabling companies to close their books in hours instead of weeks.
In August 2025 it secured a $70 million Series B led by Andreessen Horowitz and ICONIQ, bringing total funding above $100 million and boosting ARR significantly. By automating general-ledger workflows, reconciliations and real-time reporting, Rillet helps high-growth firms spend less time on finance operations and more on strategic growth and investor visibility
🤖AI in action: Predictive AI Keeps Manufacturing Lines Running at Full Speed
In today’s high-stakes manufacturing world, one practical technology is making a real difference: AI-powered predictive maintenance. The global manufacturer Bausch + Lomb faced surging demand for its contact-lenses and turned to a system called Atlas AI (built by Arena AI) to address a pressing challenge: unplanned downtime and equipment failures that threatened production capacity.
Atlas AI monitors machinery in real-time, predicts issues before they disrupt production, and alerts maintenance teams early. The problem it addresses is clear: hidden failures in equipment can cost millions in lost output or require hurried, expensive fixes. With Atlas AI in place, Bausch + Lomb reported being able to produce “millions of lenses … they wouldn’t have otherwise been able to produce” thanks to the predictive system.
The outcome: improved uptime, smoother operations, and a direct contribution to meeting rising customer demand, all without simply throwing more workers at the problem. In short, a smart AI tool helps a manufacturing business stay agile, productive and resilient.
📈 Trendlines: AI Forecasts Heatwaves Weeks in Advance, Climate Intelligence Steps Up
AI models are rewriting the climate prediction playbook. A machine learning system is outperforming traditional climate models with less computational demand. This advance marks a critical shift from reactive weather alerts to proactive climate resilience planning.
What’s driving this? By training on centuries of climate data and fusing atmospheric and oceanic insights through hybrid AI-physical models like ACE2-SOM, these systems offer finer resolution with greater energy efficiency. Additionally, AI integration into live weather platforms, like Vaisala Xweather allows industries to make real-time, weather-informed decisions, turning climate data into actionable business intelligence.
The takeaway: AI is not just a forecasting tool but a strategic asset for governments and enterprises aiming to mitigate risk and safeguard communities worldwide. Its also turning data into business intelligence:
Example on how it will be used: “For our solar farm in Arizona, what hours tomorrow have the best balance of sun and low cloud cover? Give me a 6 a.m.–6 p.m. output curve prediction." (renewable energy operator optimizing power generation)
💬AI in the Wild: AI-Driven Education: From Restriction to Partnership in Personalized Learning
Education is undergoing a quiet revolution as generative AI moves from taboo to trusted teaching partner. Adaptive learning platforms now use AI to tailor educational content, boost student engagement, and personalize assessments—supporting not just rote learning but critical thinking and autonomous study.
Why does this matter? AI’s role here transcends automation; it’s about reshaping pedagogy and empowering educators. The focus shifts from policing AI use toward harnessing it ethically to enhance learning equity and accessibility. Teachers become facilitators of AI-driven inquiry, while students navigate personalized learning paths with AI as a creative partner.
As generative AI becomes mainstream in schools, the “wild” world of education offers a glimpse of AI’s potential to coexist with, and elevate, human intellect.
💡 Quick Hits & Numbers
- 🗣 ElevenLabs’ voice cloning requires only 60 seconds of audio—catchy for creators, troubling for privacy.
- 🌍 India’s AI monsoon forecast helped 38 million farmers adapt to unusual weather, proving AI’s real-world impact.
- ✍️ AI-powered apps boost metacognition and motivation in English language learners, especially for non-native speakers.
🧩 Closing Thought
If AI can pen scripts or forecast the climate weeks ahead, what once seemed like science fiction is now a daily strategic question: how do we train AI to amplify human potential while guarding what makes us human? The answer lies not in resistance, but in mastering the art of partnership—with transparency, ethics, and a curiosity sharp enough to discern signal from noise.