This week brands cash in on outrage, newsrooms are evolving, babies are watching AI slop on YouTube, and more.
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TRENDING
Consumers are more frustrated than ever
A new report finds that 77% of U.S. consumers experienced a problem with a product or service in the past 12 months, marking a record high. According to The Customer Experience and Communications Consumer Insights survey, 71% of U.S. and Canadian respondents think most companies need to improve their customer experience. Consumer frustration has been steadily increasing over the years, driven in part by long wait times and limited human contact when trying to resolve issues over the phone or online, the growing use of AI in chatbots, and the difficulty of canceling subscriptions. Source: The Wall Street Journal
CNN and Kalshi start partnership to bring the prediction market to the newsroom
Prediction market company Kalshi has partnered with CNN to integrate real‑time prediction market data into the network’s news coverage, providing live probabilities on elections, economic events, weather, and cultural topics. CNN will use this data in on‑air tickers, graphics, and reporting tools to give audiences a forward‑looking perspective on events rather than only reporting what has already happened. CNN says the partnership will give journalists fresh angles to better understand the world around us. Source: Axios
TECHNOLOGY
Business Insider is using AI to draft content
Business Insider announced the beginning of a pilot phase using a custom GPT to quickly publish news stories. The model, said to be trained to write in the outlet’s style, will draft stories that are then edited by Business Insider editors. During the a month-long pilot, the tool will help publish a few stories each day. The stories will have an AI byline as well as clear disclosure that they were written by AI and edited by a person. Source: Business Insider
ChatGPT is losing its lead in the AI race
According to new data, the number of monthly users for the ChatGPT mobile app has plateaued since the summer, and competitors like Google have begun to surpass OpenAI on industry benchmarks comparing different AI systems’ capabilities. In late October, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said the company’s 2025 revenue was more than $13 billion, but analysts estimate the company is losing billions more. For the last three years, OpenAI was far ahead of its rivals, but other tools, like Google’s Gemini, are gaining ground quickly. ChatGPT’s monthly active users increased by just 5% between July and November. Source: The Washington Post
BRAND
Brands are trying to rage bait you
Two recent NYC subway ad campaigns are turning heads and inviting controversy. Friend AI ran ads promising obedient AI companions, while Nucleus Genomics promoted picking traits like IQ or height for babies, sparking eugenics debates. Experts say this “rage bait” approach works because it leans into the controversy already baked into these products, grabbing attention and boosting sales. It’s part of a bigger trend of brands using shock and debate to break through the noise and get noticed. Source: Fast Company
Spotify Wrapped 2025 and its new feature earning buzz
Spotify’s year-end recap walks users through data on their top artists, albums, genres, and more from the past year. This year, a new feature tells users their “listening age.” It gives a listener their age informed by the types of music they listen to. Users usually proceed to post on social media about their top data from the recap, and marketing experts say it’s a way they’re able to project their identities based on our cultural consumption. Spotify’s “listening age” is a major topic of conversation this year, with many taking to the internet to share theirs with others. Source: NPR
SOCIAL
YouTube creators are using AI to make video content for infants and toddlers
Pew Research data shows over 60% of U.S. parents with children under two say their kids watch YouTube and more than a third watching daily. Creators like Monique Hinton are using AI to quickly produce animated and musical videos for infants and toddlers on YouTube, earning significant revenue with minimal effort. Child safety advocates and experts say watching AI-produced videos consistently at such a young age can negatively impact a child’s understanding of the world, including their social and emotional development and critical thinking skills. Source: Bloomberg
