Adobe Announces Record Sales While Amazon Transforms AI Growth

Artificial intelligence significantly influenced Black Friday online sales, pushing spending to a record $11.8 billion, according to Adobe. This marks a 9.1% increase from the previous year, with AI tools contributing an estimated $3 billion to U.S. sales and $14.2 billion globally. Shoppers increasingly used AI for deals and product research, leading to an 805% surge in AI-driven traffic to U.S. retail websites. Mobile shopping accounted for 58.6% of sales, and Buy Now Pay Later services saw an 11% increase. Top-selling items included gaming consoles, LEGO sets, and Apple products, benefiting from substantial discounts. Amazon's Alexa and Walmart's Sparky were among the AI tools assisting consumers. Beyond retail, AI's impact is evident across various sectors. In music, Grammy-nominated artist Blanco Brown is challenging an AI-generated song, "Walk My Walk," which topped Billboard's digital sales chart using a voice strikingly similar to his own. Brown believes his sound was used without permission and has released his own version of the song. Meanwhile, Morgan State University is developing its own secure AI system, Obsidian, to create a "complete smart campus," aiming to enhance efficiency in tasks like grading and advising without replacing employees. AI's rapid growth also raises significant discussions and concerns. Marc Warner, head of British AI company Faculty, warns that AI's impact could be "bigger than COVID," as research firm Metr indicates AI capacity doubles every seven months. This exponential growth, however, will eventually face limitations due to the immense energy required for training models. Richard Moss suggests AI will manage the overwhelming complexity of modern information, but he cautions about verifying AI's output and potential government control. Ethical considerations are also paramount in fields like pharmacy, where AI improves personalized medicine and drug discovery but demands careful attention to patient data privacy and algorithmic bias. In creative applications, Amanda Smith experienced frustrations using Midjourney AI to design her holiday card. Despite specific prompts, Midjourney repeatedly generated images with fake family members and altered her uploaded photo, highlighting current limitations in personalized AI image generation. On a more positive note for AI capabilities, Google's DeepMind model accurately predicted Hurricane Melissa's path and Category 5 intensity during the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, marking a significant advancement in weather forecasting. Furthermore, Amazon Web Services (AWS) is transforming into a major AI growth engine, with a $132 billion annual revenue run rate and 20% year-over-year growth, as Amazon aggressively invests in capacity to meet high demand. The AI Revolution has also significantly boosted market gains, with companies like NVIDIA Corporation seeing soaring stock prices, though analysts note the market is currently in "extremely overbought territory."

Key Takeaways

• Black Friday online sales reached a record $11.8 billion, a 9.1% increase from the previous year, with AI tools contributing $3 billion to U.S. sales.
• AI-driven traffic to U.S. retail websites surged by 805% on Black Friday, as nearly half of shoppers planned to use AI for deals and product research.
• Top-selling items on Black Friday included gaming consoles, LEGO sets, and Apple products, benefiting from significant discounts.
• Grammy-nominated artist Blanco Brown is challenging an AI-generated song, "Walk My Walk," which topped Billboard's digital sales chart, alleging his voice was used without permission.
• Morgan State University is developing its own sovereign AI system, Obsidian, to create a "complete smart campus" for efficiency and cost savings.
• Marc Warner warns that AI's rapid growth, with capacity doubling every seven months, could have an impact "bigger than COVID," though energy demands will eventually slow it.
• Google's DeepMind AI model accurately predicted Hurricane Melissa's path and Category 5 intensity, showcasing AI's advancements in weather forecasting.
• Amazon Web Services (AWS) is a major AI growth engine, with a $132 billion annual revenue run rate and 20% year-over-year growth, driven by aggressive AI investments.
• Midjourney AI presented challenges for personalized holiday card design, repeatedly generating fake family members and altering uploaded photos.
• Ethical concerns regarding AI in pharmacy include patient data privacy and algorithmic bias, emphasizing the need for diverse datasets and human oversight.

Black Friday Online Sales Break Records with AI Boost

Black Friday online spending is set to break records, with early sales reaching $8.6 billion and a final total expected between $11.7 billion and $11.9 billion. This represents a 9.4% increase from last year. Shoppers are increasingly using AI tools, with nearly half planning to use AI for deals and product research. Mobile shopping also dominated, accounting for 58.6% of sales, and Buy Now Pay Later services saw an 11% increase in use. Top sellers included gaming consoles and Apple products, driven by significant discounts across various categories.

Black Friday Online Sales Hit Record $11.8 Billion

Black Friday online sales reached a record $11.8 billion, according to Adobe. This marks a 9.1% increase from the previous year, exceeding industry expectations. Heavy discounts on big-ticket items and a boost from AI-driven traffic contributed to this surge. Gaming consoles like Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox were among the top-selling products.

AI Tools Drive Record Black Friday Online Sales

AI-powered shopping tools significantly boosted U.S. online spending on Black Friday, leading to a record $11.8 billion in sales. This represents a 9.1% increase from 2024, with AI contributing $3 billion to U.S. sales and $14.2 billion globally. Consumers used chatbots for price comparisons and discounts, avoiding crowded physical stores. E-commerce grew by 10.4%, while physical store sales only increased by 1.7%. Popular items included LEGO sets and gaming consoles, setting a positive outlook for Cyber Monday.

AI Powers Record $11.8 Billion Black Friday Sales

AI-powered shopping tools helped American shoppers spend a record $11.8 billion online this Black Friday. This amount is 9.1% higher than in 2024, according to Adobe Analytics. Shoppers used chatbots to compare prices and find discounts, choosing online shopping over crowded physical stores. This surge highlights the growing influence of artificial intelligence in retail.

Shoppers Use AI to Push Black Friday Sales to $11.8 Billion Record

American shoppers spent a record $11.8 billion online this Black Friday, largely due to the increased use of AI technology. AI-driven traffic to U.S. retail websites saw an 805% increase compared to 2024. Tools like Walmart's Sparky and Amazon's Alexa helped consumers compare prices and find deals. An Adobe survey found that almost half of U.S. shoppers plan to use AI for their holiday shopping. This record Black Friday followed a strong Thanksgiving Day, which saw $6.4 billion in online spending.

US Black Friday Online Sales Reach Record $11.8 Billion

Black Friday 2025 set a new U.S. record with $11.8 billion in online sales. This impressive spending was boosted by the use of AI tools and widespread mobile shopping. Shoppers also benefited from steep discounts, especially on popular items like electronics and apparel. The record sales show a strong shift towards digital purchasing.

Blanco Brown Challenges AI Song Using His Voice

An AI-generated country song called "Walk My Walk" hit number one on Billboard's digital sales chart, but it sounds just like Grammy-nominated artist Blanco Brown. Brown was unaware of the song, which is credited to a fictional artist named Breaking Rust. Aubierre Rivaldo Taylor is listed as a creator, and Abraham Abushmais, a former collaborator of Brown's, is linked to an AI music generator. Brown believes his sound was used without permission and has released his own version of the song to challenge the ethics of AI music.

Blanco Brown Says AI Song Stole His Voice

Grammy-nominated artist Blanco Brown believes the AI-generated song "Walk My Walk," which topped the Billboard Country Digital Songs Sales chart, copied his unique sound. The song is credited to Aubierre Rivaldo Taylor and a fictional artist named Breaking Rust, whose social media does not mention AI. Brown learned about the song when friends told him it sounded like a "white version" of him. He suspects a former collaborator, Abraham Abushmais, who co-wrote songs on Brown's 2019 album, may be involved. Brown has since released his own cover and plans a reworked version, stating, "If someone is going to sing like me, it should be me."

Morgan State University Builds Its Own AI System Obsidian

Morgan State University is developing its own secure artificial intelligence system called Obsidian to become a "complete smart campus." This sovereign AI, created by Morgan State engineers, aims to improve efficiency and save money without replacing employees. Obsidian will help with tasks like grading, advising students, and managing files, eventually reaching every department. The university plans to rebuild its systems around this AI, including a unique ChatGPT-style platform and a ledger for transparency. Funding for Obsidian comes partly from Scott's record-breaking gift, and early pilots are already helping faculty and students.

Expert Warns AI Growth Could Be Bigger Than COVID

Marc Warner, head of the British AI company Faculty, warns that artificial intelligence's impact could be "bigger than COVID" if its rapid growth continues. Research firm Metr suggests AI capacity is doubling every seven months, with this trend likely to continue for at least five more years. Warner, who previously helped the UK government understand COVID's exponential spread, explains that AI's growth follows a similar pattern. He notes that while AI is improving fast, its growth will eventually slow due to the immense energy needed to train models.

Guest Essay Explores How AI Manages Information Overload

Richard Moss, a guest essayist, proposes that artificial intelligence will "win" by managing the overwhelming complexity of information in our modern world. He argues that the global population and vast amount of data make it impossible for any single person to understand the full picture. While the internet made all voices heard, it also created an "impenetrable tangle" of useful information and noise. AI can digest this complexity, but Moss raises concerns about verifying AI's information and the potential for governments to control it. He advises caution with AI, noting its environmental impact, and views it as a useful tool when used properly and in limited doses.

AI Revolutionizes Hurricane Forecasting with Google DeepMind

The 2025 Atlantic hurricane season highlighted a major shift in weather forecasting, with artificial intelligence leading the way. Google's new AI-based model, DeepMind, surprised meteorologists by accurately predicting Hurricane Melissa's path and Category 5 intensity. This storm, which hit Jamaica with 185 mph winds, caused significant damage and deaths. Unlike traditional physics-based models, DeepMind learns from historical weather patterns. Experts like James Franklin and Kate Musgrave believe AI models will become crucial for forecasting hurricanes and other weather events, providing earlier and more accurate predictions to help protect populated coastlines.

Amazon AWS Becomes a Major AI Growth Engine

Amazon's cloud business, Amazon Web Services (AWS), is transforming into a significant artificial intelligence growth engine. AWS, already the world's largest cloud provider and 65% of Amazon's operating income, is seeing rapid expansion due to AI investments. The unit currently has a $132 billion annual revenue run rate, with a 20% year-over-year growth, its fastest in 11 quarters. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy confirmed aggressive investment in capacity to meet high demand. AWS aims to simplify AI development for its customers, positioning Amazon as a key player in the booming AI market.

My AI Holiday Card Design Failed with Fake Families

Amanda Smith attempted to use Midjourney AI to design her 2025 holiday card but encountered unexpected issues. Despite specific prompts and uploading her own photo, Midjourney repeatedly generated images with a fake husband and children. The AI tool also altered her photo, replacing her wife with a cat or a reindeer, and created unrelated snowy scenes. Smith found that Midjourney is known for changing faces in uploaded images, with other users reporting similar frustrations. Ultimately, she used VistaPrint to create her card quickly, concluding that Midjourney is better suited for generic designs or cartoons rather than personalized photo cards.

Ethical Concerns Arise with AI Use in Pharmacy

Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing pharmacy by improving personalized medicine, streamlining operations, and speeding up drug discovery. However, its use also brings significant ethical challenges that need careful thought. Key concerns include protecting patient data privacy and preventing algorithmic bias. AI systems rely on large amounts of sensitive patient information, making them vulnerable to breaches and re-identification risks. To ensure fairness, AI algorithms must be trained on diverse and complete datasets to avoid reproducing biases. Pharmacists, institutions, and AI developers must work together to balance innovation with ethical standards and human oversight.

AI Revolution Drives Market Gains But Faces Downsides

The AI Revolution has significantly boosted market gains since ChatGPT launched in November 2022, causing stock prices for companies like NVIDIA Corporation and Advanced Micro Devices to soar. This transformation is driving innovation and creating new investment opportunities across many technology sectors. However, the current market rally has put it in "extremely overbought territory" based on historical metrics. Analyst Bret Jensen points out that investors are not fully considering two major potential downsides to the AI Revolution.

Sources

• Shoppers are on pace to break Black Friday online spending records and use AI more than ever
• Black Friday sales surge amid heavy discounting on big-ticket items, AI traffic boost
• AI Tools Propel Record Online Sales on Black Friday: A Digital Shopping Revolution
• AI helps drive record $11.8 billion in Black Friday online spending
• Black Friday online spending hits record $11.8B as American shoppers embrace new AI technology
• Black Friday US online sales hit record $11.8 billion
• AI country hit built on Blanco Brown's sound sparks questions about rights, payment
• Blanco Brown Claims Breaking Rust, The AI-Generated Artist That Topped Country Digital Sales Chart, Is Based On Him
• Morgan State is building its own AI to become a 'complete smart campus'
• Bigger than COVID? The graph that explains why AI is going to be so huge
• Guest essay: How artificial intelligence wins
• As the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season ends, the future of forecasting is AI
• Amazon Is Turning Its Cloud Business Into an Artificial Intelligence Growth Engine
• I Tried AI to Design a Holiday Card. It Kept Giving Me a Fake Family
• Carefully Consider Ethical Implications of Artificial Intelligence Use in Pharmacy
• It All Could Come Down To Depreciation