• An AI search engine powered by Perplexity is now available on Truth Social.
• Trump Media began public beta testing of the search engine on Wednesday.
• Social media sites like X and Meta have already integrated AI into their platforms.

Truth Social has entered its AI era.

Trump Media announced on Wednesday that it began beta testing a new AI-powered search engine on its Truth Social platform. The new feature — called Truth Search AI — is made possible by a partnership with Perplexity.

"Powered by Perplexity, a software and AI company dedicated to providing direct, contextually accurate answers with transparent citations, Truth Search AI is intended to enhance the Truth Social platform and exponentially increase the amount of information available to its users," Trump Media said in a press release.

A Perplexity spokesperson told Business Insider that Truth Social uses the Perplexity Sonar API. They declined to discuss the details or financial terms of the partnership.

Truth Social is the latest social media platform to integrate AI. Elon Musk's xAI debuted an AI chatbot, Grok, to X users in 2023. Mark Zuckerberg's Meta introduced its AI chatbot — Meta AI — across its social media and messaging platforms in 2024. Reddit has also introduced an AI-powered search tool last year.

AI emerged as a key focus for President Donald Trump during his first administration, but has grown in importance in his second term. In January, Trump issued an executive order to "remove barriers to American leadership in artificial intelligence." Last month, the White House unveiled its action plan to win the global AI race.

Devin Nunes, CEO of Trump Media, said the company will review user feedback on Truth Social to determine next steps.

"We plan to robustly refine and expand our search function based on user feedback as we implement a wide range of additional enhancements to the platform," Nunes, a former California congressman, said in the press release.

Representatives from Trump Media did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

• Joan Nguyen co-founded Bumo to help parents book last-minute childcare.
• The app features vetted childcare providers and works similarly to Airbnb.
• The pitch deck has raised $10 million so far, with another $10 million seed round coming up.

Modern life makes it easy to order late-night cars home, book spontaneous vacation rentals, and get lightning-fast takeout. But getting childcare on short notice? For many that's still a pipe dream.

Joan Nguyen founded Bumo, an app that allows parents to book empty slots at local childcare centers, after starting two childcare ventures during the pandemic.

From working with parents, Nguyen said she realized that they often needed what she calls "fractional childcare," such as when their nanny called in sick or something pressing came up at work.

"As a parent, I also felt the pain of not being able to get childcare when you absolutely needed it," Nguyen told Business Insider. "Why is it easier for me to find a dog walker than it is to find a sitter or a nanny?"

Launched in 2024 after raising $10 million, the Bumo app was co-founded by Nguyen and Chriselle Lim. It's a continuation of a joint co-working and childcare center they launched in late 2019, followed by BumoBrain, an online learning platform they created at the height of the pandemic to help working parents.

This week, Bumo is preparing to announce a $10 million seed funding round, led by venture capital firms Offline Ventures and True Ventures, Bumo shared exclusively with Business Insider.

The app, which has about 10,000 users and offers services in 200 locations within 13 states, works similarly to Airbnb. Parents can filter and sift through childcare options from drop-in daycares to summer camps, some of them offering same-day availability.

Nguyen said Bumo also fits in with the consumer demand "to want things instantly," now accustomed to quick bookings and deliveries. Meanwhile, "you see childcare as this kind of monolithic thing that hasn't really changed a lot," she said.

Filling a gap in childcare demands

Bumo aims to offer more convenience and fill a gap in the US childcare system.

Parents are more isolated than they have been in generations, not always being able to rely on family members to help them. Many also can't afford full-time daycare, but still need some part-time childcare options.

To ensure safety, Nguyen said every service listed on Bumo is licensed by their respective state and has a "digital footprint" including past reviews. Bumo staff also interviews with each facility at least once a year (sometimes virtually depending on the provider's location) to make sure that they're up-to-date on background checks and that all staff have proper certifications.

Nguyen said that Bumo only uses original photography and videos for each facility instead of stock photos. Parents can also upload photos in their reviews.

Bumo's next step is to keep expanding in other cities; right now, Los Angeles has the highest number of childcare offerings on the app. The goal is to increase Bumo's density in San Francisco and to introduce its service in New York City.

Read the 16-page pitch deck Bumo used to secure $10 million.

Bumo opens with a positive press quote.

It sums up the key benefit of Bumo: expediency.

Introducing the founding team and each member's accomplishments.

The slide features the team members' experience levels, follower counts, and press mentions.

It defines the app and what makes it stand out.

The slide includes a graphic of the app in action.

It addresses the core childcare problems working parents face.

A simple graphic illustrates the obstacles parents face in securing childcare.

It then shows how childcare providers benefit from the app.

It highlights the practicality of the app: childcare providers have empty slots they want to fill, incentivizing them to use Bumo.

The next slide demonstrates how simple the app is to use.

It uses a similar calendar booking system to Airbnb or Rover.

The deck emphasizes lower costs.

Parents don't have to commit to full programs they can't afford.

Another slide sums up the key benefits for everyone.

It emphasizes the mutual relationship between parents and childcare providers.

The deck then transitions into Bumo's accomplishments.

It addresses how many families currently use Bumo, the number of providers, and the social media reach. It also shows investors the opportunities for growth.

Another slide highlights Bumo's commitment to digital outreach.

It shows a concerted strategy to promote the app in smaller parenting communities on Facebook and Instagram.

The presentation winds down by zooming out on the market.

It illustrates how big the childcare market is.

It draws comparisons to other successful apps.

It also asserts that, unlike the other apps, Bumo has no competition so far.

The second-to-last slide shows Bumo's projected growth.

It includes other methods of revenue and its target numbers for childcare service expansion.

The deck ends with a strong tagline.

It brands Bumo as a company that also cares about parents' well-being and understands their struggles.

Anyone whose phone number is just one digit off from a popular restaurant or community resource has long borne the burden of either screening or redirecting misdials. But now, AI chatbots could exacerbate this inconvenience by accidentally giving out private numbers when users ask for businesses' contact information.

Apparently, the AI helper that Meta created for WhatsApp may even be trained to tell white lies when users try to correct the dissemination of WhatsApp user numbers.

According to The Guardian, a record shop worker in the United Kingdom, Barry Smethurst, was attempting to ask WhatsApp's AI helper for a contact number for TransPennine Express after his morning train never showed up.

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AppLovin (NASDAQ: APP) stock has had a roller-coaster 2025, reaching an all-time high before being cut in half after it came under scrutiny in a short-seller report. Since then, the stock has recovered most of those losses after the advertising tech company posted blowout earnings and made a bold move to publicly bid on acquiring TikTok.

Let's examine the recent news and determine whether the stock is overhyped or if its lofty valuation is justified.

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AppLovin's growth demands attention

AppLovin recently reported its results for the first quarter of 2025, and the company did not disappoint. Total revenue rose 40% year over year to $1.48 billion, driven by its advertising segment, which matches advertisers and app publishers via auctions at a large scale and microsecond speeds.

The mobile tech company has accelerated its revenue by shifting its primary focus from gaming advertising to the broader global advertising economy, which opens up an opportunity for 10 million advertisers globally, according to management. During the first quarter, the company's advertising revenue increased to $1.16 billion, representing a 71% year-over-year rise.

Meanwhile, AppLovin generated $826 million in free cash flow, a key profitability metric, representing a 114% year-over-year increase. With its positive free cash flow, management has elected to repurchase its stock aggressively rather than pay down its $3.2 billion in net debt. Specifically, the company spent $1.2 billion in the first quarter, nearly $400 more than the company generated in free cash flow. Over the past three years, management has reduced its share count by 9.3%, which not only increases existing shareholders' ownership stake, but also suggests management is bullish on the company's long-term prospects.

In other developments, AppLovin sold its declining mobile gaming division to Tripledot Studios for $400 million in cash, along with an estimated 20% equity stake. The deal is expected to close as early as Q2 2025, further signaling management's confidence in its strategic pivot to advertising.

Enter TikTok

The most headline-grabbing move of 2025, however, wasn't AppLovin's earnings report or the sale of its gaming division; it was when the company disclosed that it is prepared to make a serious offer to acquire TikTok's global operations, should regulatory pressure force a divestiture. The bid would allow Chinese investors to retain a stake in TikTok, while AppLovin would manage its global operations. In CEO Adam Foroughi's words, AppLovin can offer a "much stronger bid than others" thanks to its technical infrastructure, monetization expertise, and real-time ad marketplace.

The price tag would likely be costly for the social media platform, with a reported 1.6 billion global users generating an estimated $23 billion in revenue in 2024. It could also be a lengthy and politically fraught acquisition process. Still, the possible move is exciting for investors to dream about and could spur the next phase of growth for AppLovin, which had a recent market capitalization of $140 billion.

Image source: Getty Images.

The short report and the AppLovin CEO's response

Of course, fast-growing tech companies often attract critics, and AppLovin is no exception. Recent short reports, including one from the investigative investment company Muddy Waters Research, accused AppLovin of violating the terms of service of key platform partners, resulting in an observed 23% client churn rate in the first quarter of 2025.

In an open-letter rebuttal, Foroughi addressed the claims head-on, arguing that "a few nefarious short-sellers are making false and misleading claims aimed at undermining our success." Furthermore, Foroughi called the report "littered with inaccuracies and false assertions," and emphasized that the company operates in full compliance with App Store policies, stressing that "there has been no churn" among its advertising clients.

For investors, it's important to understand that companies publishing short reports typically hold short positions in the companies they investigate. This means they are financially incentivized to release negative research -- whether or not it's fully substantiated. Notably, AppLovin's stock dropped nearly $66 to $261.70 per share after the report was published in March, but has since recovered and then some to over $414 per share as of this writing.

Is AppLovin a buy, sell, or hold?

Before buying any stock, it's essential to consider its valuation -- especially with high-growth tech companies, which often trade at premium levels due to their long-term potential. AppLovin is no exception, currently trading at 56.6 times its trailing-12-month free cash flow of $2.5 billion. However, that premium appears more reasonable given that free cash flow has grown nearly 80% year over year. The stock is also trading about 33% below its peak price-to-free-cash-flow multiple, suggesting a slight discount for new investors.

For growth investors who think long-term and believe in the power of scalable software and monetization, AppLovin remains a buy, regardless of whether or not TikTok is involved.

Should you invest $1,000 in AppLovin right now?

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Collin Brantmeyer has positions in AppLovin. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends AppLovin. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

After weeks of arguments in the Federal Trade Commission's monopoly trial, Meta is done defending its decade-plus-old acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp—at least for now.

The seven-week trial ended Tuesday, with the FTC urging Judge James Boasberg to rule that a breakup is necessary to end Meta's alleged monopoly in the "personal social networking services" market, where Meta currently faces sparse competition among other apps connecting friends and family. As alleged by the FTC, Meta's internal emails laid bare that Meta's motive in acquiring both Instagram and WhatsApp was to pay whatever it took to snuff out dominant rivals threatening to lure users away from Facebook—Mark Zuckerberg's jewel.

Talking to Bloomberg, Meta has maintained that the FTC's case is weak, seeking to undo deals that the FTC approved long ago while ignoring the competition Meta faces from rivals in the broader social media market, like TikTok. But Meta's attempt to shut down the case mid-trial was rebuffed by Boasberg, who has signaled he will take months to weigh his decision.

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Meta thinks there's no reason to carry on with its defense after the Federal Trade Commission closed its monopoly case, and the company has moved to end the trial early by claiming that the FTC utterly failed to prove its case.

"The FTC has no proof that Meta has monopoly power," Meta's motion for judgment filed Thursday said, "and therefore the court should rule in favor of Meta."

According to Meta, the FTC failed to show evidence that "the overall quality of Meta’s apps has declined" or that the company shows too many ads to users. Meta says that's "fatal" to the FTC's case that the company wielded monopoly power to pursue more ad revenue while degrading user experience over time (an Internet trend known as "enshittification"). And on top of allegedly showing no evidence of "ad load, privacy, integrity, and features" degradation on Meta apps, Meta argued there's no precedent for an antitrust claim rooted in this alleged harm.

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The stock market has staged an impressive rebound following a turbulent last few months. The S&P 500 index, which had neared bear market territory when it was down 19% from its highs in April, has quickly recouped most of those losses and is now up 1% year to date as of this writing.

News of efforts by the Trump administration to negotiate bilateral trade deals has eased some fears that the worst-case scenario around various trade wars and economic disruptions may not come to pass. Robust corporate earnings by several companies have further bolstered investor optimism, particularly around the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) as a key driver of economic growth.

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Here are three AI stocks that could be a great buy for your portfolio this month.

Image source: Getty Images.

1. Apple: A China trade truce winner

The U.S. and China are suspending retaliatory tariffs for 90 days (while keeping some tariffs) as they pursue a more comprehensive trade deal, and that has lessened the uncertainty around Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL).

The company relies heavily on China as a key market, accounting for nearly 17% of its global sales, and as a pivotal part of its supply chain, where over 80% of iPhones are manufactured. The pause on retaliatory tariffs, coupled with exemptions for electronics, allows Apple to focus on accelerating its AI-driven transformation.

The company is leveraging proprietary machine-learning models into a suite of new AI tools and capabilities through its Apple Intelligence initiative across its ecosystem. In its fiscal second-quarter report (for the period ended March 29), revenue climbed 5% year over year, with continued momentum in high-margin services driving an 8% increase in earnings per share (EPS) to $1.65.

These trends are expected to continue. Anticipation is building for the next-generation iOS 19 and iPhone 17, which are likely to be released after this year. The devices will integrate more AI-optimized features that could boost sales as users upgrade.

With shares of Apple still trading down about 18.5% from their 52-week high, the stock appears to be a compelling buy-the-dip opportunity for investors seeking exposure to the AI revolution.

2. AppLovin: A leader in AI-powered adtech

Share prices of AppLovin (NASDAQ: APP) have soared by 339% over the past year, amid accelerating growth and earnings. The advertising technology (adtech) innovator is capitalizing on the strong demand for its suite of mobile advertising solutions, now powered by artificial intelligence. Its Axon AI engine uses machine learning and advanced algorithms to boost ad engagement and conversions.

In the first quarter (for the period ended March 31), advertising revenue surged by 71% year over year, with management crediting its AI enhancements. Even more impressive was the 149% increase in EPS to $1.67.

AppLovin is expanding into the e-commerce sector, leveraging its Axon platform for hyper-targeted advertising for online retailers, which will use real-time data analytics and generative AI as a new growth driver. The company also intends to enter the video streaming market, a diversification beyond mobile gaming ads.

The stock trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) of 33, a reasonable level given the company's trajectory. These tailwinds, backed by overall solid fundamentals, should keep shares of AppLovin climbing higher.

3. Super Micro Computer: AI infrastructure tailwinds

Super Micro Computer (NASDAQ: SMCI) is a pivotal player in AI infrastructure, supplying rack-scale server systems that integrate power, storage, cooling, and software to support graphics processing unit AI chips from Nvidia.

Despite significant growth in recent years, Supermicro (as it is also known) faced several challenges in 2024, including a probe by the U.S. Department of Justice related to accounting concerns. This was reflected in the stock sell-off, with shares currently down about 62% from their all-time high. However, an independent special committee found no evidence of fraud or misconduct, and the company has since filed its audited 2024 annual report. By this measure, Supermicro is emerging as a comeback story.

The company excels in direct liquid cooling technology, which enhances energy efficiency for data-intensive AI workloads. Supermicro projects that over 30% of new data centers globally will adopt liquid-cooled infrastructure in 2025, signaling a major growth opportunity.

With Wall Street estimates for 2025 annual revenue growth of 48% and the stock trading at a forward P/E of just 22, Supermicro offers a compelling mix of high growth and value, making it well-positioned to reward shareholders over the long run.

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Dan Victor has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends AppLovin, Apple, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

The world has been abuzz for weeks now about the inclusion of a journalist in a group message of senior White House officials discussing plans for a military strike. In that case, the breach was the result of then-National Security Advisor Mike Waltz accidentally adding The Atlantic Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg to the group chat and no one else in the chat noticing. But what if someone controlling or hacking a messenger platform could do the same thing?

When it comes to WhatsApp—the Meta-owned messenger that’s frequently touted for offering end-to-end encryption—it turns out you can.

A clean bill of health except for...

A team of researchers confirmed that behavior in a recently released formal analysis of WhatsApp group messaging. They reverse-engineered the app, described the formal cryptographic protocols, and provided theorems establishing the security guarantees that WhatsApp provides. Overall, they gave the messenger a clean bill of health, finding that it works securely and as described by WhatsApp.

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Shares of AppLovin (NASDAQ: APP), an adtech company, spiked by 12.4% this week, according to data compiled by S&P Global Market Intelligence, after the company reported better-than-expected revenue and earnings and said it would sell its gaming division.

The sale will not only generate cash for AppLovin, but allow the company to focus more on its adtech business, which is the company's fastest-growing segment.

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Investors may also be responding to the AppLovin CEO's blog post expressing interest in merging with TikTok Global (for assets outside of China). No official deal has been announced, and the company said the move is admittedly "a long shot."

Image source: Getty Images.

Investors are lovin' the company's momentum

AppLovin reported earnings per share of $1.67 in the first quarter (which ended March 31), up 149% from the year-ago quarter and ahead of Wall Street's consensus estimate of $1.45. The company's revenue of $1.48 billion also outpaced analysts' average estimate of $1.38 billion and was a 40% increase from the year-ago quarter.

Sales from the company's important advertising segment were also impressive, rising 71% in the quarter to $1.16 billion. The company's apps revenue declined by 14% to just $325 million.

But investors weren't worried about the company's app revenue decline because AppLovin announced that it's selling its mobile gaming business to Tripledot Studios. The move will give AppLovin $400 million in cash, a nearly 20% ownership stake in Tripledot, and allow the company to leave its apps business behind and focus its attention on advertising. The deal is expected to close in the second quarter.

A moonshot move

As if it weren't a big enough quarter already for AppLovin, the company's CEO Adam Foroughi wrote in a blog post yesterday that his company is pursuing TikTok Global in an effort to merge with the company, specifically for all assets outside of China.

The company said it's pursuing a merger, not a buyout, and that the combined company could boost TikTok's annual revenue from its current ad revenue of $20 billion and help it reach $80 billion annually.

But investors should know that AppLovin admits the merger proposition is a long shot. Foroughi said:

Let's be clear: this is a long shot. But building one of the world's best advertising AI models was also a long shot, yet we did it. We're not here for small bets. Our goal is to build a massive business that creates value for the world and our shareholders.

Investors should be pleased with the company's latest results and the sale of its gaming division. The company is focused on its expanding its ad business and, without or without a TikTok deal, AppLovin appears to be on the right track.

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A jury has awarded WhatsApp $167 million in punitive damages in a case the company brought against Israel-based NSO Group for exploiting a software vulnerability that hijacked the phones of thousands of users.

The verdict, reached Tuesday, comes as a major victory not just for Meta-owned WhatsApp but also for privacy- and security-rights advocates who have long criticized the practices of NSO and other exploit sellers. The jury also awarded WhatsApp $444 million in compensatory damages.

Clickless exploit

WhatsApp sued NSO in 2019 for an attack that targeted roughly 1,400 mobile phones belonging to attorneys, journalists, human-rights activists, political dissidents, diplomats, and senior foreign government officials. NSO, which works on behalf of governments and law enforcement authorities in various countries, exploited a critical WhatsApp vulnerability that allowed it to install NSO’s proprietary spyware Pegasus on iOS and Android devices. The clickless exploit worked by placing a call to a target's app. A target did not have to answer the call to be infected.

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• Michelle Kloese, 42, gained weight from early menopause and a stressful job.
• When she started a new job, she joined a health app paid for through work.
• Walking every day, logging her water intake, and meal swaps helped her lose over 60 pounds.

At 40, Michelle Kloese felt like she didn't recognize her body. In five years, she gained 38 pounds and developed high cholesterol, high blood sugar, and plantar fasciitis, a kind of foot pain caused by inflammation.

She didn't always feel like this. In her 20s, running was her main form of exercise, and she loved 5K races. Her body started to change in her mid-20s, when she experienced symptoms of early menopause, like infertility. By her 30s, bloodwork confirmed she had perimenopause, around 15 years earlier than most women.

Then, in her mid-30s, she started a demanding job as a middle school assistant principal, often starting before the school day and wrapping up after school hours. With less time to work out, a busy schedule, and irregular meals, she started to snack more.

"Somebody would leave a cupcake on my desk, so I'd eat that, or parents would bring in a basket of candy," Kloese, now 42, told Business Insider.

The change in her body really struck her after a surprise trip to Ireland for her 40th birthday. "I looked at the pictures and went, 'Oh gosh, I need to do something different,'" she said.

She had just started a new, less stressful edtech job, Kloese learned about a health app, Personify Health, connected through their insurance. The timing was perfect: she signed up, logging her steps and water intake.

She lost 38 pounds in the first year and 23 pounds the following year. Now she's in a "weight maintenance" phase, seeking to stay within a few pounds of her current weight.

"I have so much more energy — I'm not as sluggish and tired as I was feeling all the time," she said. The issues related to her weight, like high cholesterol and high blood pressure, also went away. "I have just felt a whole lot better."

Kloese shared the three habits she started and still maintains to keep the weight off.

She woke up to a full glass of water

Before, Kloese didn't drink much water — sometimes, she'd only remember to have around eight ounces of the recommended eight cups in one day. "That's one of the most challenging ones for me to do," she said.

Her goal was to get to at least 72 ounces, or nine cups per day.

Tracking her intake helped. The first thing she did every morning was drink a full, 8-ounce glass of water and log it in the app. For the rest of the day, she'd log in "steady sips", using a marked water bottle to measure her progress. It was more manageable for her to track two ounces at a time rather than feel pressure to chug a lot of water at once.

Drinking water helps with weight loss by curbing your appetite. It can also help you reach a calorie deficit if you swap it for high-calorie drinks like soda.

She swapped running for walking and yoga

While she used to run a lot in her 20s, Kloese's knees and hips hurt when she tried in her 40s. She knew she needed to try something different.

When she first made a plan to lose weight, Kloese communicated with a personal trainer through an app. The trainer said that, in her 40s, it was important for Kloese to focus on strength training as we naturally lose muscle with age. Muscle-building can also help with weight loss — gaining muscle boosts your metabolism and burns fat.

Kloese started doing at-home and online circuit workouts 3-4 times a week with light weights.

The rest of the time, she walked. She took part in a fitness challenge of walking 30 minutes a day. Weight-loss-wise, she said she saw about the same results as running.

Now, she aims to walk at least 7,000 steps a day, whether on her walking pad or on trails near her home in Florida. Occasionally, she trains for Mammoth Marches, 20-mile hikes all over the country.

She also swapped out some of the strength training with yoga, which relaxes her while still improving her strength and flexibility.

Being more active transformed her relationships with her friends. "Before, where we might've just picked a restaurant to hang out at, instead, we go out and do a hike," she said.

She made simple meal swaps

Despite snacking on sugary treats at her old job, Kloese isn't much of a sweets person. "I was a pasta-potato-bread kind of person," she said. Still, she wanted to make some more nutritious swaps.

Through the KickStart app, she logged her meals by taking photos of them. If she got a burger and fries, the app suggested lower-carb sides for next time, like a side salad or sweet potato wedges.

Eventually, she naturally made those swaps on her own, like cooking quinoa instead of white rice. She also gets pre-made meals through Factor, which she said helps her with portion control and eating a balanced diet when she's busy.

"Those were all small changes that evolved over time," she said.