OpenAI disables ChatGPT promotional messages after users revolt against irrelevant ads from companies like Peloton and Target interrupting conversations, as the AI giant struggles with massive projected losses of $115 billion through 2029 while only 5% of its 800 million users pay for service.
ChatGPT drives 28% more Black Friday shopping referrals as AI traffic to retail sites explodes 805%, with Amazon dominating at 54% of referrals while Walmart surges from 2.7% to 14.9% share, and AI-driven shoppers show 38% higher purchase rates than traditional visitors.
OpenAI prepares to introduce advertising to ChatGPT despite CEO Sam Altman previously calling AI ads 'uniquely unsettling,' with code discovered in the Android beta version revealing features for targeted ads potentially based on user chat history and memory.
Startups harness AI to revolutionize marketing through personalized lead generation and sophisticated customer targeting, while shifting hiring strategies from seeking specialists to prioritizing curious, adaptable candidates who can leverage AI tools for rapid testing and execution.
CapCut unveils a free AI design tool powered by Seedream 4.0 that generates professional logos, ads, and marketing visuals in minutes, offering advanced features like product scene generation and viral design replication while users retain full copyright ownership.
Amazon launches Bazaar, a new standalone app targeting price-conscious shoppers with products under $10 across Asia, Africa, and Latin America, directly challenging Chinese competitors Temu and Shein with social features and extended delivery times.
Google Labs dramatically expands its no-code AI app builder Opal from 15 to over 160 countries worldwide, enabling users to automate complex workflows, streamline research, generate marketing content, and build language learning apps within minutes without coding expertise.
Snap's revenue growth plummets to just 9% at $1.35 billion after a technical glitch causes ads to run at heavily discounted rates, while the company struggles with flat monetization despite gaining 469 million daily users.
AI startup The Prompting Company secures $6.5 million in seed funding to help brands optimize their visibility in ChatGPT search results through specialized websites, as retailers brace for a 520% surge in AI chatbot traffic by 2025.
Google dramatically enhances NotebookLM with an 8x larger context window, 6x longer conversation memory, and 50% better response quality, while introducing custom role settings that let users transform the AI into specialized advisors like research consultants or marketing strategists.