OpenAI moves beyond chatbots to AI agents: The move could be a sector game-changer but poses risks that will make consumers uneasy and require winning trust.

The company’s shares soared 60% as a vote of confidence in its resilience and importance in the shift to on-device AI and data center technologies.

It’s executing a three-pronged strategy in hopes of turning around its struggling wealth management business.

36% of marketers worldwide will increase investment in brand marketing this year, a 13 percentage point increase over 2022, according to a December 2023 report from WARC.

As debts rise and credit quality weakens, banks are tightening lending standards, and consumers are starting to turn to alternative payment methods

This move solidifies Mastercard’s leadership in this high-value payments space

While these offerings can improve sales and customer satisfaction, merchants must also take into account this added and very costly risk

Target looks to a paid membership program to fuel growth: The Amazon Prime-like program could incorporate Shipt, the company’s $99 annual delivery service.

Alibaba is stuck in a rut: China’s largest ecommerce company faces diminishing growth and market share as consumers cut spending.

Ford reformulates its EV strategy after premium model sales stall. Small and affordable EVs could reignite interest while enabling expansion to emerging markets.

Fast food has gotten too expensive for low-income consumers: High prices are causing some to think twice before venturing to McDonald’s, Taco Bell, or Starbucks.

Apple’s Vision Pro, rich in apps and retail support, faces a crucial test: public acceptance in everyday scenarios—echoing Google Glass’ challenges.

Google Cloud teams up with Singapore on AI expansion: The country’s AI enthusiasm and investment could be advantageous for Google as it competes with AWS and Microsoft.

Uber rides strong mobility, delivery demand to Q4 earnings beat: The company’s flywheel is accelerating as user frequency, transaction size continue to grow.

On today's podcast episode, in our "Retail Me This, Retail Me That" segment, we discuss why folks are shopping more on their mobile devices and the role of mobile in-store. Then, for "Red-Hot Retail," our analysts give us some spicy predictions about the future of mobile shopping. Join our analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts analysts Carina Perkins and Yory Wurmser.

VC hesitancy is the latest generative AI trend: Funding still invigorates the sector, but overvaluation and competitiveness concerns have quelled the excitement.

47% of US digital media professionals think social media will face serious challenges in the next 12 months, per a September 2023 Integral Ad Science survey by YouGov.

US advertising sector adds 2,000 jobs, reaching a record high: The robust job market reflects a stable, growing economy.