OpenAI adds ChatGPT ads while Google DeepMind partners films

Key Takeaways

• Florida and Wisconsin lawmakers are proposing bills to regulate AI data centers, focusing on resource consumption, infrastructure costs, and environmental impact.
• JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon warns AI's rapid spread may require slowing to prevent civil unrest and job displacement, advocating for worker retraining.
• Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang predicts the AI boom will create high-paying trade jobs, such as for electricians and plumbers, with potential six-figure salaries.
• OpenAI is integrating advertisements into ChatGPT to manage high operational costs and compete with platforms like Google Gemini, risking user trust.
• OpenAI launched a 10-year initiative to strengthen US AI hardware manufacturing, seeking domestic partners for components like chips and cooling systems.
• Saudi Arabia's National Infrastructure Fund and Humain signed a $1.2 billion agreement to build up to 250 megawatts of hyperscale AI data center capacity.
• Check Point Software is enhancing its AI security platform through acquisitions (Veriti, Cyberint) to offer stronger real-time protection for businesses.
• Salesforce data shows AI agents influenced 20% of global retail sales in the 2025 holiday season, with AI-powered searches converting nine times higher.
• A survey reveals a significant gap in AI efficiency perception: 60% of executives see gains, but only 29% of employees report time savings due to usability and training issues.
• Artists and filmmakers, including those working with Google DeepMind, are actively exploring generative AI as a creative tool for film and design.

Florida Lawmakers Propose Rules for Power-Hungry AI Data Centers

Florida lawmakers are working on Senate Bill 484 to regulate large data centers that power AI and streaming services. These facilities use massive amounts of electricity and water, comparable to a small city, mainly for cooling their servers. The bill aims to prevent secret development deals, ensure data centers pay full electric infrastructure costs, and tighten water use rules. It passed its first committee vote unanimously and now moves to other committees. Supporters believe it protects critical resources, while critics worry it might deter tech investments in the state.

Wisconsin Assembly Approves Bill to Regulate AI Data Centers

Wisconsin lawmakers passed a Republican-backed bill to regulate artificial intelligence data centers, despite ongoing debate with Democrats. The legislation requires the Public Service Commission to ensure that data center construction costs do not increase utility bills for regular customers. It also introduces new environmental rules, such as requiring contained closed-loop cooling systems and annual water consumption reports to the Department of Natural Resources. While the bill passed the Assembly, the Public Service Commission raised concerns about its workability, and Governor Evers is unlikely to support it. Democrats had proposed a competing bill that would mandate 70% renewable energy use for data centers.

JP Morgan CEO Warns AI Rollout May Need Slowing for Society

Jamie Dimon, CEO of JP Morgan, stated that the rapid spread of artificial intelligence might need to slow down to prevent civil unrest. He believes governments and businesses must collaborate to retrain and support workers displaced by AI. Dimon cited the example of 2 million US commercial lorry drivers who could lose their jobs to driverless trucks. However, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, also at the World Economic Forum in Davos, offered a different view. Huang argued that building AI infrastructure will create many new jobs, especially in skilled trades.

Nvidia CEO Predicts Six-Figure Trade Jobs from AI Data Centers

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang announced at the World Economic Forum in Davos that the artificial intelligence boom will create many high-paying trade jobs. He expects six-figure salaries for electricians, plumbers, and construction workers needed to build AI data centers and chip factories. Huang believes people do not need a PhD in computer science to earn a great living in these fields. This optimistic outlook contrasts with warnings from leaders like Ford CEO Jim Farley and BlackRock CEO Larry Fink. They highlight existing shortages of skilled workers, with Farley noting a deficit of 600,000 factory and 500,000 construction workers in the US.

OpenAI Introduces Ads to ChatGPT Changing User Experience

OpenAI is adding advertisements to ChatGPT, a move that many tech leaders, including Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk, previously said they would avoid for their products. This decision is a practical step for OpenAI due to the high costs of running AI at scale, many users' unwillingness to pay, and increasing competition from Google Gemini. While the advertising industry is excited about the potential for highly personalized ads, this change risks eroding user trust. Users might start questioning if ChatGPT's suggestions are genuinely helpful or commercially motivated, potentially leading them to switch to ad-free competitors or pay for a premium version.

AI Agents Boosted 2025 Holiday Shopping to Record Levels

The 2025 holiday shopping season set new records, with AI agents playing a significant role in driving sales and efficiency. Salesforce data shows that AI agents influenced 20% of global retail sales, and traffic from AI-powered searches converted nine times more often than social media referrals. Companies like Pandora and SharkNinja that used their own AI agents experienced 59% higher growth. AI agents also became operational heroes, handling a 142% surge in complex tasks like initiating returns and updating shipping details. Mobile devices continued to dominate, accounting for 78% of global online traffic and 70% of orders during Cyber Week.

Check Point Builds AI Security Platform Through Acquisitions

Check Point Software is changing its security approach to offer stronger real-time protection as businesses increasingly adopt artificial intelligence. CEO Nadav Zafrir explained that the company focuses on network connectivity, workspace defense, exposure management, and AI runtime security. Check Point acquired Veriti and Cyberint to boost its capabilities in threat exposure and remediation. The company also issued convertible notes to fund future mergers and acquisitions and invest in talent. Zafrir, who joined Check Point in December 2024, previously co-founded Team8 and led the Israel Defense Forces' elite Unit 8200.

CEOs and Employees Disagree on AI Work Efficiency

A survey by the Wall Street Journal and NORC at the University of Chicago reveals a significant difference in how CEOs and employees view AI's impact on work efficiency. About 60% of executives believe AI has made their companies more efficient. However, only 29% of workers report that AI tools have saved them time on the job. Employees often find AI tools difficult to use, require extensive training, and add new tasks to their already busy schedules. Experts suggest that for AI to truly deliver on its promise, companies must invest in proper training, user-friendly tools, and clear communication about its use.

OpenAI Seeks US Partners for Decade-Long AI Hardware Push

OpenAI has launched a major, ten-year initiative to strengthen the US role in building AI hardware. The company issued a Request for Proposals inviting domestic manufacturers and suppliers to produce a wide range of physical technologies for AI infrastructure. This includes not only chips but also server racks, networking, cooling systems, and robotic components. The goal is to bring manufacturing back to the US, shorten delivery times, diversify suppliers, and build a more resilient supply chain for large-scale AI projects like its Stargate data center program. Proposals are due by June 2026, with vendor selection expected in early 2027.

Saudi Arabia Funds $1.2 Billion AI Infrastructure Project

Saudi Arabia's National Infrastructure Fund, Infra, and its global artificial intelligence company, Humain, signed a $1.2 billion framework agreement. This partnership aims to build advanced AI infrastructure within Saudi Arabia. The agreement includes nonbinding financing terms for Humain to develop up to 250 megawatts of hyperscale AI data center capacity. This capacity will support AI training and inference for Humain's customers worldwide. Infra and Humain also plan to explore creating an AI data center investment platform to attract global and local investors. Humain, a company of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, seeks to become a leading AI player in the Middle East and globally.

Artists Explore Generative AI as a Creative Tool

Filmmakers and designers are experimenting with generative AI as a new tool to push creative boundaries. Darren Aronofsky's creative technology company, Primordial Soup, partnered with Google DeepMind for the short film "Ancestra." Director Eliza McNitt used Google's image-generation model to create an AI infant and Google's Veo video-generation model for cinematic effects. Animation director Connie He, known for her work at Pixar, also embraces AI to express ideas. These artists are exploring the limits and possibilities of AI, treating it as a creative partner rather than a threat.

Sources

• AI data centers use massive amounts of power and water, Florida lawmakers want new rules
• Wisconsin assembly passes Republican bill to regulate AI data centers
• Rollout of AI may need to be slowed to ‘save society’, says boss of JP Morgan
• Six-figure plumbing and construction jobs are coming, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang says—as AI data centers need to be built
• Ads in Chats: Your AI BFF Just Got a Sales Job
• How AI agents shaped the record-breaking 2025 holiday season
• How Check Point Has Built Its AI Security Platform With M&A
• CEOs Say AI Is Making Work More Efficient. Employees Tell a Different Story.
• OpenAI Pivots to Build a Strong U.S. AI Hardware Supply Chain
• Infra and Humain Partner to Build AI Infrastructure in Saudi Arabia
• The Art of the Experiment