The Keyword

Shopify merchants to pay 4% fee for ChatGPT Checkout sales Beginning January 26, Shopify products will be available for purchase directly through AI chatbots, including ChatGPT, Google’s AI Mode, and Microsoft’s Copilot. This fee will be in addition to Shopify’s regular transaction and payment processing charges. Currently, Google AI Mode/Gemini and Microsoft Copilot do not charge extra fees for chatbot sales. #Shopifymerchants #ChatGPTCheckout #AIcheckout

Threads expands ads to all users globally Starting next week, users will begin to see single-image, video, carousel, and catalog ads in the Threads feed. Meta claims these ads will use the same formats and layouts as regular posts, and are labeled as “sponsored.” #Threadsads #MetaThreadsadvertising

OpenAI plans impression-based ads inside ChatGPT Ads could roll out as early as next month for logged-in U.S. users, according to The Information. Advertisers will pay per impression, and campaigns will be managed directly by OpenAI rather than through self-service tools. Advertisers have been asked to commit less than $1 million each for a short trial period. #OpenAIChatGPTads #AdsinChatGPT

Over 50% of Instagram ads ran in Reels in 2025 This is up from 35% reported in 2024, according to data from Sensor Tower. In the U.S., users spent 46% of their Instagram time on Reels, while Reels on Facebook also grew to 29% of user activity. Overall, increased Reels use drove a 2% growth in Instagram’s daily active users. #Instagramads2025 #Reelsadvertising #shortformvideoads

Agentic checkout grows across major AI platforms AI systems can now guide users through multiple steps of shopping, from discovery to payment, without leaving chat interfaces. Companies including OpenAI, Google, Microsoft, and Perplexity are rolling out tools that let users browse, compare, and complete purchases entirely within AI assistants.  AI checkout. #Agenticcommerce #Agenticchckout #Conversationalcommerce

Threads continues to lead X on mobile globally New data from Similarweb shows that Threads has 141.5 million daily users on iOS and Android, about 13% more than X’s 125 million. On the web, X still dominates with roughly 145.4 million daily visits, while Threads has only 8.5 million. #Threaddailymobileusers #Threadsdailyactiveusers

OpenAI plans to test ads in ChatGPT The test will start in the coming weeks and will apply to logged-in adult users in the U.S. Pro, Business, and Enterprise subscribers will not see ads. OpenAI says ads will appear separately from chat responses and will not influence answers. However, ads may be shown if they are relevant to users’ conversations.  #ChatGPTadstest #OpenAIadvertising #ChatGPTfreetierads

Instagram’s Mosseri says AI is eroding trust in photos and videos Mosseri says the internet is moving into a period where “authenticity is becoming infinitely reproducible,” making it harder to trust what images and videos represent. He claims trust will move toward who is posting and why, rather than what an image or video looks like. #InstagramAIcontent #AIgeneratedmedia #AdamMosseriInstagram

Instagram expands Reels algorithm controls to all English-speaking users Users can now directly adjust the topics that shape their Reels feed instead of relying on Instagram’s automated recommendations. Instagram is also offering a limited-time option for users to choose three interests they want to see more of in 2026. #InstagramYourAlgorithm #InstagramReelsalgorithm #Reelsrecommendations

Apple picks Google’s Gemini to power Siri upgrade The multi-year deal will see Apple’s next generation of Foundation Models built on Google’s Gemini AI and cloud technology. The upgraded Siri and other Apple Intelligence features will run on Apple devices and private servers, keeping user data under Apple’s control. #AppleGeminiAI #AppleFoundationModels #AppleIntelligencefeatures