salesforce, amazon and microsoft Updates

Salesforce reports a significant boost from AI in holiday digital sales, with global online spending reaching $1.29 trillion. AI influenced $262 billion in global retail revenue, driving personalized recommendations and customer engagement. Shoppers referred by AI search channels like ChatGPT and Perplexity converted nine times more often than those from social media, doubling their traffic share. Retailers utilizing their own AI agents saw a 6.2% sales increase and a 142% surge in operational tasks like returns and shipping updates, highlighting AI's role in a more efficient holiday season. In healthcare, Mass General Brigham launched Care Connect, an AI-supported program in September, helping patients like Tammy MacDonald secure doctor appointments within two days. This program uses an AI agent for initial chats, sending summaries to remote doctors for video appointments, offering 24/7 help for common medical and mild mental health issues. MGB plans to expand Care Connect by February to all insured residents in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, hiring more clinicians to address the severe shortage of primary care providers. Doctors using the platform currently see 40 to 50 patients daily, with MGB emphasizing AI's role in supporting doctors and reducing administrative burdens, not replacing in-person care. Despite these advancements, concerns about AI's role in healthcare persist. Dr. Owais Durrani criticizes Utah's new AI prescription pilot, arguing that AI lacks clinical judgment and patient context, citing an example where an AI might miss critical health issues like heart failure. He advocates for AI assisting doctors with tasks like note-taking rather than making prescription decisions. Meanwhile, in the competitive retail advertising space, Walmart Connect is heavily investing in AI and agentic technologies, including its AI shopping agent Sparky and generative AI tools, to challenge Amazon's ad business. This strategy mirrors Amazon's Rufus, which began running ads in 2024, with experts predicting a major competition between Sparky and Rufus. Walmart Connect earned $4.4 billion in 2024, aiming to rival Amazon's media business in the coming years. Microsoft's AI initiatives show mixed results. While its Copilot AI successfully predicted winners for all 2025 NFL wild-card playoff games, boasting a regular season record of 177 wins, 94 losses, and 1 tie, the company faces challenges with its "Copilot PCs." Dell executives expressed disappointment over the "unmet promise of AI," noting that AI features confuse consumers rather than help them, leading to slow sales. This situation is a concern for Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, who aims to avoid missing another major technology shift. In the creative industries, a growing anti-AI sentiment is evident in Hollywood and popular culture. Films and TV shows are emphasizing human-centered art, with figures like James Cameron clarifying they do not use AI in their Avatar films, and new shows explicitly stating they are "made by humans." This shift comes as generative AI directly impacts creative work, as seen with examples like a Coca-Cola machine-generated ad and Disney's partnership with OpenAI. Looking ahead to 2026, AI policy will be a significant area, influencing voters and shaping debates around innovation and safety. The White House plans to implement President Trump's AI-related executive orders, while companies globally will navigate diverse regulations like the EU's AI Act. States such as California, New York, and Colorado are also passing their own AI laws, potentially creating conflicts with federal guidelines. Infrastructure for AI is also a point of contention, with Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel challenging the approval of special contracts for a massive AI data center in Saline Township, planned to be the country's largest and involving companies like Oracle and OpenAI. Nessel raises concerns about DTE's financial backing and the lack of binding commitments, pushing for a full public hearing. Separately, defense spending is seeing a resurgence globally due to evolving geopolitical landscapes.

Key Takeaways

  • Salesforce reports AI influenced $262 billion in global retail sales during the holiday season, with AI search channels like ChatGPT and Perplexity driving 9x higher conversion rates.
  • Mass General Brigham's Care Connect program, an AI-supported service, is expanding to all insured residents in Massachusetts and New Hampshire by February, aiming to address primary care shortages.
  • Concerns exist regarding AI's role in healthcare, with critics like Dr. Owais Durrani arguing AI lacks clinical judgment for prescription decisions, advocating for AI as an assistant rather than a replacement for doctors.
  • Walmart Connect is heavily investing in AI, including its Sparky shopping agent and generative AI tools, to directly compete with Amazon's Rufus in the retail media advertising market, having earned $4.4 billion in 2024.
  • Microsoft's Copilot AI successfully predicted all 2025 NFL wild-card game winners, following a strong regular season record of 177 wins, 94 losses, and 1 tie.
  • Despite Copilot's predictive success, Microsoft's "Copilot PCs" are facing slow consumer adoption, with Dell executives noting an "unmet promise of AI" and consumer confusion over AI features.
  • A growing anti-AI sentiment is emerging in Hollywood and popular culture, with creators emphasizing human-made art and figures like James Cameron clarifying no AI use in their films.
  • Wubble AI, a Singaporean startup, launched a platform in 2024 for creating royalty-free music in over 60 genres, working with clients like Disney and Netflix, and plans AI-generated voiceovers by January.
  • Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is challenging the approval of contracts for a large AI data center involving Oracle and OpenAI, citing concerns over financial backing and lack of public hearing.
  • AI policy is set to be a major focus in 2026, with the White House implementing executive orders and states like California, New York, and Colorado passing their own AI laws, alongside global regulations like the EU's AI Act.

AI tool helps patients find quick doctor appointments

Tammy MacDonald struggled to find a primary care doctor in Westwood, Massachusetts, facing long waits for appointments. In September, Mass General Brigham launched Care Connect, an AI-supported program. Patients chat with an AI agent for about 10 minutes, and the AI sends a summary to a remote doctor for a video appointment. MacDonald used the app and got an appointment within two days, a big change from waiting years. Care Connect offers 24/7 help for common medical problems and mild mental health concerns. Twelve MGB physicians work remotely with the AI to provide care.

Mass General Brigham expands AI doctor program

Mass General Brigham's Care Connect program, which uses AI and remote doctors for 24/7 online primary care, plans to expand. By February, the program will be available to all insured residents in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, and MGB will hire more clinicians. Dr. Helen Ireland, who manages Care Connect, says its doctors see 40 to 50 patients daily through the AI platform. This expansion aims to address the severe shortage of primary care providers in the region. MGB emphasizes that AI supports doctors and helps reduce administrative tasks, not replaces in-person care.

Utah's AI prescription program raises doctor concerns

Dr. Owais Durrani, an emergency room physician, criticizes Utah's new AI prescription pilot program. He understands the program aims to help patients who struggle to get medication refills due to doctor shortages. However, Dr. Durrani argues that removing doctors from prescription decisions is problematic because AI lacks clinical judgment, physical examination, and patient context. He shares an example of a patient seeking a blood pressure refill who actually had signs of heart failure, which an AI might have missed. Dr. Durrani believes AI should assist doctors with tasks like note-taking and managing records, allowing them to spend more meaningful time with patients, rather than replacing them entirely.

UK holiday digital sales soar with AI help

Salesforce's end-of-year report shows that digital sales in the UK surged during the "Golden Quarter" holiday season, reaching $38 billion. Online sales grew 5.5% year-on-year, boosted by higher prices and increased website traffic. Artificial intelligence played a major role, influencing 20% of global retail sales, totaling $262 billion. Shoppers referred by AI-powered search channels like Perplexity and ChatGPT converted nine times more often than those from social media. Retailers using their own AI agents also saw significantly higher sales growth. Meanwhile, physical stores struggled with low footfall and minimal sales growth, highlighting a "two-speed" Christmas driven by AI innovation in digital retail.

AI boosts holiday online shopping and sales

Salesforce research shows that global online holiday sales reached $1.29 trillion, with US spending increasing 4% to $294 billion. Artificial intelligence played a significant role, driving $262 billion in global revenue through personalized recommendations and customer engagement. AI search channels like ChatGPT and Perplexity doubled their traffic share and brought in shoppers who converted nine times more often than those from social media. Retailers using AI agents saw a 6.2% sales increase, outperforming those without AI. Caila Schwartz from Salesforce noted that AI agents also became "operational heroes," handling a 142% surge in tasks like returns and shipping updates, making it a more efficient and intelligent holiday season.

Wubble AI uses smart tech to fix music industry

Anand Roy, co-founder of Singapore-based startup Wubble AI, believes generative AI can improve the music industry. His platform, started in 2024 with Shaad Sufi, lets users create, edit, and customize royalty-free music in over 60 genres. Wubble AI works with major clients like Disney, Netflix, and Warner Bros. Discovery. Roy aims to solve issues like complex music licensing and low artist payments by directly collaborating with musicians and paying them for the raw material used to train Wubble's AI. By the end of January, Wubble plans to offer AI-generated voiceovers from written scripts.

Walmart uses AI ads to challenge Amazon

Walmart Connect is heavily investing in artificial intelligence and agentic technologies for its advertising platform, aiming to compete with Amazon's ad business. Walmart will place ads in its AI shopping agent, Sparky, and offer generative AI-powered insights and creative tools. Marty, an agentic advertising assistant, is also in beta for sponsored search campaigns. This strategy mirrors Amazon's Rufus, which began running ads in 2024. Experts believe the next big competition in retail media will be between Amazon's Rufus and Walmart's Sparky. Walmart Connect earned $4.4 billion in 2024, and experts predict its media business could rival Amazon's in a few years.

Key AI policy trends to watch in 2026

In 2026, several key areas will shape AI policy across politics, law, and global markets. AI issues are expected to influence voters, with debates around innovation and safety rules. The White House will work to implement President Trump's AI-related executive orders, including those on state AI laws and export controls. Globally, companies will need to follow diverse AI regulations, such as the EU's AI Act, even if the US advocates for fewer rules. Within the White House, the influence of figures like David Sacks on AI policy will be closely watched. Additionally, states like California, New York, and Colorado will continue to pass their own AI laws, potentially leading to conflicts with federal regulations.

Microsoft AI predicts NFL wild-card game winners

Microsoft Copilot AI has made its predictions for every 2025 NFL wild-card playoff game. The AI had a strong regular season record of 177 wins, 94 losses, and 1 tie. For the wild-card round, Copilot predicts the Los Angeles Rams will beat the Carolina Panthers 27-17. It also sees the Chicago Bears winning against the Green Bay Packers 24-20. In other matchups, Copilot forecasts the Buffalo Bills over the Jacksonville Jaguars 26-23, the Philadelphia Eagles defeating the San Francisco 49ers 23-20, the New England Patriots narrowly beating the Los Angeles Chargers 23-21, and the Houston Texans winning against the Pittsburgh Steelers 20-16.

Michigan AG challenges DTE AI data center contracts

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has asked the Michigan Public Service Commission to reconsider its approval of special contracts for a massive AI data center in Saline Township. This data center, planned to be the country's largest, involves companies like Oracle and OpenAI. Nessel argues that the Commission's conditions rely too much on DTE's assurances rather than binding commitments, and she has concerns about DTE's financial backing. She believes the Commission's decision to approve the contracts without a full public hearing was irresponsible and did not adequately protect Michigan residents. Nessel continues to push for a contested case hearing to review the heavily redacted contracts.

Defense spending rises as global risks grow

Defense spending is becoming very important again due to changing global political situations, even though war is generally unpopular. Countries are focusing on managing risks in a world with many divided powers, which some call "Cold War II." Oliver Rodzianko, CEO of Invictus Origin, notes this shift. He holds long positions in defense companies like RTX, RNMBY, BAESY, and RYCEY, suggesting a belief in their future growth.

Consumers not buying new AI PCs from Microsoft partners

Microsoft's plan for AI-powered "Copilot PCs" is facing challenges as consumers are not buying them. Dell executives, including COO Jeff Clarke, expressed disappointment, noting the "unmet promise of AI." Dell's head of product, Kevin Terwilliger, stated that AI features likely confuse consumers rather than help them. This situation is concerning for Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, who aims to avoid another missed technology shift after mobile devices. Many believe Microsoft has a history of releasing unfinished products, which hurts its reputation. While all new PCs will technically be AI PCs, Microsoft's Copilot features are not yet ready to drive consumer demand.

Hollywood and ads show growing anti-AI sentiment

A strong anti-AI sentiment is growing in Hollywood and popular culture, especially during awards season. Movies like Hamnet and Frankenstein are gaining attention for their focus on human emotions, a shift from tech-positive films of the past. Celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio and Elle Fanning have voiced cautious or supportive views of human-centered art. Even previously AI-friendly figures like James Cameron now clarify they do not use AI in their Avatar films. Television shows, such as Vince Gilligan's Pluribus, explicitly state they are "made by humans." This serious shift comes as generative AI directly impacts creative industries, with examples like Coca-Cola's machine-generated ad and Disney's partnership with OpenAI.

Sources

NOTE:

This news brief was generated using AI technology (including, but not limited to, Google Gemini API, Llama, Grok, and Mistral) from aggregated news articles, with minimal to no human editing/review. It is provided for informational purposes only and may contain inaccuracies or biases. This is not financial, investment, or professional advice. If you have any questions or concerns, please verify all information with the linked original articles in the Sources section below.

AI in Healthcare Care Connect Mass General Brigham Primary Care Access Remote Healthcare AI Agents Medical Prescriptions AI Limitations Clinical Judgment AI in Retail E-commerce Digital Sales Holiday Shopping Salesforce AI-powered Search ChatGPT Perplexity Generative AI Music Industry Wubble AI Music Licensing AI in Advertising Retail Media Walmart Connect Amazon Ads AI Policy AI Regulation EU AI Act US AI Laws AI Governance AI Predictions Sports Analytics Microsoft Copilot AI Data Centers Oracle OpenAI Regulatory Oversight AI PCs Consumer Adoption Anti-AI Sentiment Creative Industries Hollywood AI Ethics Cultural Impact of AI

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