Archive
Chick-fil-A's CEO told CNBC the chain won't use AI to take drive-thru orders, and the debate over bots that block access to a person kept trending this week. What was said, what Verint's and Alchemer's surveys show, what California's AB 1609 asks of big companies, and seven customer service steps for small businesses.
Semafor reported on Oct. 7 that Higgsfield updated its AI influencer tool, while an AI comedian account on Instagram was accused of copying real comics' jokes. What happened, what YouTube's AI disclosure rules and the FTC's endorsement guidance say, and seven steps for creators and brands before building or hiring an AI influencer.
Meta and Sierra announced the Personal Agent Protocol on Oct. 6, an open standard for how personal AI agents like Muse sign in and get tasks done with businesses, backed by Shopify, Stripe and Walmart. What it does, what's still missing, how agents already call businesses, and seven steps for small businesses.
Amazon confirmed on Oct. 7 that it cut a small number of jobs, mainly in its Stores unit, and internal posts named customer service and selling partner services among the teams affected. What was reported, what isn't known about seller support, and seven steps so your account can run without waiting on a case.
Synthesia launches Syren on Oct. 9, a video engine that learns colors, fonts, motion and pacing from your existing videos and builds on-brand videos from a prompt. What Synthesia has published, which claims are still marketing, the waitlist bonus terms for US users, current plan costs, and seven steps for sellers and creators testing it.
CoinDesk reported on Oct. 7 that Cointelegraph is seeking a buyer after a Google manual penalty cut its organic traffic about 80%. Cointelegraph says it is not for sale. What was reported, what isn't known, how Google manual actions and reconsideration requests work, and seven checks for site owners.
Amazon's About You page, launched May 13, went viral this week after shoppers posted the blunt inferences Amazon draws from purchases, searches, lists, reviews and Alexa for Shopping chats. How the page works, how to check and edit yours, and seven steps for Amazon sellers writing listings for need-based recommendations.
Bluevine's Lean Team Economy Report (Oct. 7) finds 75% of small business owners plan to hand a function to software or AI instead of hiring, and 53% say AI already covers one employee's workload. It lands after a September jobs report with just 29,000 new jobs. What the data says, what it doesn't, and 7 steps for running lean without burning out.
Instagram's Edits app added carousel creation on Oct. 7: photos and videos on one canvas, text and layouts that span slides, saved presets, and direct publishing to Instagram. iOS first, Android coming soon. What it does, where it falls short, and seven steps for creators and small brands.
ICSC (Oct. 6) forecasts 4.3% to 4.9% holiday sales growth and finds 78% plan to spend the same or more; JLL and Teneo show budgets split by income. The New York Fed (Oct. 6) says tariffs added 2.9 points to goods inflation at the peak, and Fed minutes (Oct. 7) point to another rate hike. What it means and 7 steps for online sellers.
Google Search Console began emailing site owners on Oct. 6 with their 'Preferred source selections' count and a nudge to add Google's button. What preferred sources do in Top Stories, AI Overviews and AI Mode, which sites are eligible (domains and subdomains only), the three ways to add the button, and seven next steps.
Walmart Marketplace posted six seller changes between Oct. 5 and Oct. 7: suspension after 455 days of inactivity, self-service Brand Highlights for up to 500 items at a time, an upgraded Assortment Growth tool, earlier Cross Border Imports booking, easier Simplified Shipping Settings migration, and Ship with Walmart inside ShipStation. What each means and a 7-step checklist.