Here’s what sets apart the top companies most ready to thrive in the age of AI — and U.S. tech is leading the way

We’ve identified 25 metrics across four pillars of corporate vitality: strategy, technology, talent and culture. I am in San Francisco today to speak with senior leaders from the top three companies on this year’s list at the Workday Rising GO for Growth Summit. Snowflake, No. 1 on this year’s list, consistently communicates and reinforces its strategy to be the backbone of enterprise data. AI provider Databricks, No. 2, is making heavy investments in AI and machine learning to deliver data analytics at scale. Coming in third place this year is Celonis, a smaller global software company that’s fueled its growth by also investing in hiring skilled talent and creating pathways for them to thrive.

U.S. Tech companies dominate this year’s list, with 38 software and AI companies in top spots. The U.S. Is home to more than three-quarters of companies on the list. Private firms make up half the spots, despite accounting for only 5% of the companies in our data set. What this demonstrates, perhaps, is the importance of being nimble, focused and well-funded to take advantage of the AI era.

But, as we’ll discuss today at the Workday Summit, these companies also understand the importance of creating a culture of speed, innovation and learning that enables them to attract the right people and prime them for success. While technology is a tool in enabling vitality, what powers success is still your people.

More news below.

Contact CEO Daily via Diane Brady at [email protected]

Top news

The U.S. And China meet in Madrid

U.S. And Chinese negotiators are in Spain for a second day of talks today. Officials are tackling a wide array of topics, including TikTok’s future status in the U.S and a possible meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping later this year. Late on Sunday, Trump told reporters that TikTok’s fate in the U.S. Was “up to China.”

China’s economy shows strain

Retail sales and industrial output in China last month missed expectations. Retail sales grew by 3.4%, while industrial output rose by 5.2%. China is struggling with sluggish domestic demand, while officials are targeting industrial overcapacity and aggressive price wars. 

The U.K. And U.S. Go nuclear

The U.K. And U.S. Will work together to boost nuclear power, aiming to speed up new projects and investments, including a possible dozen new modular reactors in northeast England. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the agreement would lead to “a golden age of nuclear that will drive down household bills in the long run.” Trump travels to the U.K. For a state visit on Tuesday.

Trump deals with Hyundai fallout

In a Sunday social media post, Trump said he doesn’t want to “frighten off” investors following an ICE raid on a Hyundai factory earlier this month. The arrests of hundreds of Korean workers sparked outrage in South Korea, and is leading businesses to consider scaling back their U.S. Investments. Trade negotiations between South Korea and the U.S. Are ongoing as the East Asian country tries to ward off a 25% tariff on its goods.

Fed to meet on Tuesday and Wednesday

The Fed meets on Tuesday and Wednesday with markets pricing in a 96.4% chance of a quarter-point rate cut announcement and 3.6% odds for a half-point cut, per data from the CME Group. On Monday, Senate Republicans will try to confirm White House economic adviser Stephen Miran as a Fed governor. It’s unclear if current Fed Governor Lisa Cook, whom President Donald Trump is attempting to fire, will participate in the meeting.

OpenAI could be closer to an IPO

Last week, OpenAI and Microsoft, one of the company’s largest investors, signed a preliminary agreement that allows OpenAI to restructure into a public benefit corporation and could lead to a potential IPO. Regulators from both California and Delaware are looking into the potential restructuring, however, and OpenAI board chairman Bret Taylor has maintained that OpenAI’s nonprofit would continue to control the startup.

Utah Gov. Attacks social media and the internet

Utah Governor Spencer Cox attacked social media, the internet, and massive tech companies for contributing to American polarization during a weekend appearance on NBC’s Meet the Press with Kristen Welker following the assassination of Charlie Kirk last week. Governor Cox, who has gone after large social media companies before, noted that “the most powerful companies in the history of the world have figured out how to hack our brains, get us addicted to outrage.”

The markets

S&P 500 futures are up 0.1%, following a volatile Friday for U.S. Markets. South Korea’s KOSPI rose 0.4%, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index is up 0.2%, and mainland China’s CSI 300 is up 0.2%. Hyundai and Kia both fell over 3.8% following continued concerns about Korean investments in the U.S. Labubu owner Pop Mart is down 6.8% after a downgrade from JPMorgan. Japan’s markets are closed today. India’s NIFTY 50 is currently down 0.2%, while the STOXX Europe 600 is up by 0.5% in early trading. 

Around the watercooler

This housing data is the ‘most critical economic variable’ for predicting recessions, and it’s now at the lowest level since pandemic shutdowns by Jason Ma

Robinhood CEO says just like every company became a tech company, every company will become an AI company—but faster by Nino Paoli

Former Goldman Sachs CEO during 2008 crash says markets are ‘due’ for a crisis: ‘It doesn’t matter that you can’t see where it’s coming from’ by Sasha Rogelberg

Ray Dalio calls for wealth ‘redistribution policy’ when AI and humanoid robots start to benefit the 1% to 10% more than everyone else by Nick Lichtenberg

Today's edition of CEO Daily was compiled and edited by Joey Abrams and Nicholas Gordon.