Catch up on select AI news and developments from the past week or so (in no particular order):
YouTube tests AI Overviews carousel in search results. YouTube is experimenting with an AI Overviews feature that surfaces short clips from videos deemed most relevant to a user's search query. Available only to a small number of US-based YouTube Premium users, the AI-generated highlights are presented in a carousel format within search results. The test applies only to select English-language queries related to product research or travel. This feature mirrors the controversial AI Overviews in Google Search, which have been linked to declining site traffic. Importance for marketers: If widely deployed, AI Overviews could reduce visibility and video views, affecting branded content discoverability on YouTube.
Trump signs executive order launching AI education initiative. President Trump has issued an executive order establishing a national AI education initiative and a new White House Task Force on AI Education. The order directs resources toward AI training in schools, teacher development, and an AI-focused Presidential Challenge. Despite recent cuts to the Department of Education, the administration aims to prioritize AI in discretionary grants and research. The initiative's success will depend on cross-sector collaboration and effective coordination across government departments. Importance for marketers: Broader AI literacy and workforce readiness could accelerate AI adoption across industries, influencing future demand for AI-based marketing solutions and services.
Google finds UK workers can save 122 hours a year using AI for admin tasks. Google's AI Works pilot program in the UK showed that workers—especially older women in lower-income roles—can save 122 hours annually using AI for administrative tasks. Simple interventions like training and "permission to prompt" doubled AI usage among participants. The study suggests AI adoption barriers include legitimacy concerns and lack of confidence. With minor training, weekly AI usage rose from 17% to 56%. Google estimates AI adoption could add £400 billion to the UK economy. Importance for marketers: Demonstrates measurable time savings and the importance of upskilling, with implications for marketing operations and productivity improvements.
Baidu launches cheaper, upgraded AI models to stay competitive. Baidu introduced two improved versions of its Ernie chatbot—Ernie 4.5 Turbo and Ernie X1 Turbo—at significantly reduced cost. The Ernie 4.5 Turbo model is now 80% cheaper than its predecessor, while the reasoning-focused X1 Turbo is 50% less expensive. The move comes amid rising competition from Chinese firms like DeepSeek and Zhipu AI, as well as global leaders like OpenAI. Baidu's share price rose after the announcement. Importance for marketers: Lower pricing and improved performance from Chinese AI providers could increase global adoption, reduce costs for marketers, and spark competitive pricing shifts across the industry.
OpenAI introduces 'lightweight' version of deep research tool. OpenAI has released a "lightweight" version of its deep research tool powered by the o4-mini model. It's now available to free users (limited to five tasks/month) and paid tiers. The tool offers shorter, cost-effective responses while retaining research depth and quality. Paid users get higher limits: 25 monthly tasks for Plus/Team, 250 for Pro. Enterprise and Education plans will get access soon. The new version is significantly cheaper to run, helping OpenAI reduce costs. Importance for marketers: Expanded access to deep research tools enables teams to extract insights and automate content generation more affordably and efficiently.
Microsoft reveals it used AI to create ad that went unnoticed. Microsoft disclosed that it produced a Surface Pro and Surface Laptop ad using generative AI without public awareness. The ad, released in January, used AI for quick-cut shots and background visuals, while detailed movements were shot live. Microsoft says the approach saved 90% of time and cost compared to traditional methods. Designers used AI for scripting, imagery, and iteration. Despite being live for months, no viewers flagged the AI elements. Importance for marketers: This case illustrates that well-integrated AI can reduce production costs and timelines without compromising quality or raising viewer skepticism.
Kuaishou debuts upgraded Kling AI video generator, touts global leadership. Kuaishou unveiled Kling 2.0, claiming it to be the world's most powerful AI video generator. It features improved realism, motion quality, and prompt handling. Kling has already produced over 168 million videos and 344 million images. Importance for marketers: Advanced generative video tools like Kling 2.0 offer scalable, high-quality video creation options for brand storytelling and engagement—potentially at a fraction of traditional production costs.
Ziff Davis sues OpenAI over copyright infringement. Digital media company Ziff Davis has filed suit against OpenAI, alleging that the AI firm copied content from outlets like IGN, PCMag, and CNET without permission. Ziff Davis claims OpenAI ignored its robots.txt directives and stripped copyright notices from scraped data. It joins The New York Times and others in a wave of lawsuits against OpenAI over training data use. The company is seeking damages and deletion of affected datasets. Importance for marketers: The growing legal pressure may influence how AI companies use web content, affecting SEO, content licensing, and the discoverability of brand content.
Perplexity launches voice assistant for older iOS devices. Perplexity released a voice assistant feature in its iOS app, bringing AI-powered voice interaction to Apple devices—even those not eligible for Apple Intelligence. The assistant can draft emails, book Ubers, provide directions, play media, and more. It syncs across devices and supports multi-app tasks, though screen sharing is limited to Android for now. Importance for marketers: Perplexity's voice assistant expands voice-first interactions to a broader user base, opening new pathways for content consumption, customer support, and task automation.
OpenAI partners with NTT Data to bring AI agents to Japan. OpenAI and NTT Data have formed a strategic partnership to distribute ChatGPT Enterprise in Japan and co-develop agentic AI solutions. NTT will also launch an OpenAI-focused center of excellence and offer an AI use case accelerator program to 100 major companies. The partnership aims to achieve $697M in related revenue by 2027. Importance for marketers: Expanding enterprise-grade AI in Japan presents a strong use case for industry-specific AI applications in marketing automation and customer engagement.
Adobe and Figma adopt ChatGPT's upgraded image generator. OpenAI's powerful "gpt-image-1" model is now available via API, enabling Adobe and Figma to embed it in their tools. Users can generate and edit images from prompts, adjust styles, and render text with high fidelity. Canva, GoDaddy, and others are also exploring integrations. Importance for marketers: Enhanced image-generation tools within popular creative platforms will streamline design workflows and visual content creation for marketers, speeding campaign development and iteration.
OpenAI expresses interest in acquiring Chrome for AI-first experience. OpenAI's head of product said the company would consider buying Google Chrome if antitrust rulings forced its sale. OpenAI has already hired key former Chrome developers and considered building its own browser. Integrating ChatGPT into a browser with Chrome's user base could give OpenAI massive distribution and training data for agentic AI. Importance for marketers: An OpenAI-owned browser could significantly reshape web discovery and behavior, affecting SEO, advertising placement, and content strategy.
Adobe adds new Firefly models and third-party AI tools to Creative Cloud. Adobe introduced Firefly Image Model 4 and 4 Ultra, offering faster, more controllable, and higher-quality image generation. The web app now supports OpenAI, Google, and others for image and video generation. Adobe maintains its models are "commercially safe" due to licensed training data. Importance for marketers: Greater control and safety in AI-generated media enable marketers to create publish-ready visuals confidently, reducing legal risk while accelerating creative production.
Google DeepMind previews Astra and future AGI capabilities. In a 60 Minutes interview, DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis showcased Project Astra and discussed Gemini's evolution toward acting in the world. Astra includes memory and smart glasses integration. Hassabis believes AGI is 5–10 years away and noted self-awareness may arise implicitly, though it's not a design goal. Importance for marketers: Tools like Astra and Gemini signal the rise of context-aware, multimodal AI that can power real-time marketing decisions and immersive customer experiences.
Microsoft unveils Copilot AI agents to transform workplace productivity. Microsoft launched "Researcher" and "Analyst" AI agents within Microsoft 365 Copilot, designed to handle deep reasoning tasks like summarizing meetings and analyzing CRM data. These agents mark a shift toward 'human-led, agent-operated' workplaces and will be available via an "Agent Store." Importance for marketers: Marketers gain advanced AI collaborators capable of extracting insights, generating reports, and optimizing campaigns with less manual effort and greater strategic depth.
HubSpot acquires Dashworks to power AI assistants with deeper search. HubSpot is acquiring Dashworks to improve its AI assistant, Breeze Copilot. Dashworks enables deep cross-platform search and reasoning, allowing marketers, sales, and CX teams to retrieve unstructured data via natural language. This expands Breeze's ability to serve as a go-to-market assistant. Importance for marketers: The acquisition boosts HubSpot's AI capabilities, making campaign insights, account status, and brand data easier to access—improving speed and personalization in marketing execution.
OpenAI and Shopify prepare native ChatGPT shopping integration. Code found in ChatGPT's assets shows signs of a direct Shopify checkout experience embedded in the chat interface. Users may soon browse, review, and purchase products without leaving ChatGPT. The feature appears close to launch and mirrors moves by Microsoft and Perplexity toward in-chat commerce. Importance for marketers: Native shopping in ChatGPT could open a powerful new sales channel, enabling frictionless AI-assisted buying journeys and direct product exposure for Shopify merchants.
Investor claims AI is already replacing workers—especially in law and HR. VC Victor Lazarte claims AI is "fully replacing people," particularly in legal and HR roles. Critics point to recent courtroom mishaps involving flawed AI-generated legal documents as evidence that the technology isn't ready. Meanwhile, biased hiring AI continues to disadvantage certain job seekers. Importance for marketers: The rhetoric around AI replacement may shape how companies evaluate automation tools. Marketers must balance AI use with brand reputation, ethics, and accuracy—especially in regulated or people-centric sectors.
Meta expands AI assistant access on Ray-Ban smart glasses in Europe. Meta is rolling out its Meta AI assistant to Ray-Ban smart glasses users in seven European countries. The AI can respond to voice prompts, offer translations, and identify real-world objects. The expansion follows regulatory delays in the EU. Importance for marketers: Smart glasses with AI capabilities represent an emerging touchpoint for hyper-contextual marketing and real-world engagement—especially valuable for retail, travel, and local discovery applications.
IMF: AI's economic gains will outweigh emissions costs. The IMF estimates AI could boost global GDP by 0.5% annually from 2025–2030, outweighing increased emissions from energy-hungry data centers. Still, the report warns that benefits won't be distributed equally, and urges more sustainable deployment. Importance for marketers: This reinforces the importance of aligning AI innovation with ESG goals. Marketers promoting AI solutions should address sustainability and societal impact to resonate with stakeholders and regulators.
YouTube adds AI-generated background music tool for creators. YouTube's new "Music assistant" lets creators generate copyright-free instrumental tracks by entering text prompts. Available to some users of the Creator Music beta, it generates multiple options for download and editing. Importance for marketers: The tool enables fast, legal background music creation for video content, helping brands produce compliant multimedia assets without relying on stock libraries.
Creators Guild of America launches legal CGA Rider to protect content creators. The CGA has released a binding "CGA Rider" document that creators can attach to contracts with brands or agencies. It covers content rights, payment terms, revision limits, and AI usage permissions. Several platforms have already adopted it. Importance for marketers: As AI use and content reuse increase, marketers must align with creator rights protections. Using CGA-backed standards helps foster trust and compliance in influencer partnerships.
Italian newspaper Il Foglio finds success with AI-written sections. Il Foglio published a daily four-page AI-written section for a month and plans to continue weekly. Editor Claudio Cerasa says AI excels at irony and summarizing books, but lacks critical thinking. The trial boosted sales and readership. Importance for marketers: The experiment shows how AI-generated editorial content can complement human journalism and engage readers—offering creative opportunities for branded media, especially in niche or technical domains.
You can find the previous issue of AI Update here.
Editor's note: GPT-4o was used to help compile this week's AI Update.
