Scale AI launches new tools as Google enhances AI search

Key Takeaways

• Retailers like David's Bridal and Macy's are implementing AI tools (Pearl, 'Ask Macy's') to enhance customer engagement and spending, shifting focus from efficiency to business process transformation.
• AI search tools (ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Claude) are transforming lead generation, with SEO firms adapting strategies to influence AI search results and gain visibility in AI-generated summaries.
• OpenAI CEO Sam Altman proposes a 'production tax' on AI services (computing power, data storage) and new government regulations, including oversight bodies and safety standards, to manage AI's societal impacts.
• Salesforce has enhanced Slackbot with 30 new AI features, including reusable skills and meeting intelligence, powered by Anthropic's Claude, which was selected partly for its FedRAMP Moderate certification.
• CNN is building in-house agentic AI infrastructure for media trading, with full implementation targeted for Q1 2027, to prepare for AI-driven buyer behavior.
• Apple Macs with Apple silicon now support AMD and Nvidia external GPUs (eGPUs) for AI processing, facilitated by Tiny Corp drivers, addressing demand for high-memory systems in LLM processing.
• AI is rapidly changing cybersecurity, enabling both attackers and defenders to identify vulnerabilities faster, with technologies from Anthropic, OpenAI, and Google playing a role.
• Arctic Wolf combines AI with human oversight in its Security Operations Graph and AI Trust Engine to provide scalable cybersecurity operations and validate AI decisions.
• Concerns exist that AI could widen the workplace gender gap if women are less likely to adopt generative AI, and that AI-driven decisions may lack necessary human deliberation and moral weight.
• Agencies like Instrument are positioning themselves to lead clients in AI adoption, leveraging AI to achieve ambitious visions and deliver work at unprecedented speed and scale.

Retailers focus on AI strategy and real results

Retailers are moving beyond just talking about artificial intelligence at industry events. Instead, they are focusing on proving AI's real-world benefits and developing clear strategies. Companies like David's Bridal with its AI wedding planner Pearl and Macy's with its 'Ask Macy's' shopping assistant are showcasing how AI increases customer engagement and spending. The conversation has shifted from AI for efficiency to using AI to rethink entire business processes and achieve new capabilities.

Instrument CEO: Agencies must lead clients in AI adoption

Laurel Burton, CEO of Instrument, believes agencies must guide clients through the rapidly evolving AI landscape. Instrument, which combines technology, design, and creativity, uses AI as a catalyst to achieve ambitious visions that were previously impossible. AI is closing the gap between ideas and creation, shifting the agency's value to strategic responses that drive business outcomes. Burton emphasizes that AI is now the product being delivered, enabling work at unprecedented speed and scale.

AI transforms lead generation: SEO and PPC teams must adapt

Artificial intelligence is fundamentally changing lead generation, with AI search tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity driving high-intent leads faster than traditional methods. SEO and PPC teams need to adapt by understanding AI trends, tracking which AI platforms generate leads, and gaining a unified view of AI-referred leads. ChatGPT leads in volume, Perplexity excels in high-consideration sectors, Gemini is growing in business services, and Claude is finding a niche in real estate and agencies. Teams must test AI platform visibility and create content that answers AI-driven questions.

SEO firms try to influence AI search results

The rise of AI search tools has created a new challenge for the SEO industry, with firms now trying to get brands cited in AI responses. Companies are creating content, like self-serving listicles, that AI search engines like Google's AI Mode may prioritize. While Google states it has protections against manipulation, the SEO industry is adapting to this ambiguous landscape. Firms are experimenting with new tactics to ensure their clients are visible in AI-generated summaries and recommendations.

OpenAI blueprint sparks AI regulation debate

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has proposed a blueprint for taxing and regulating artificial intelligence. His plan includes a 'production tax' on AI services, levied on computing power and data storage, to fund public services or AI safety research. Altman also suggests governments create new AI regulations, such as oversight bodies and safety standards. The blueprint emphasizes flexibility and international cooperation to manage AI's rapid evolution and potential risks like job displacement.

Sam Altman proposes AI tax and regulation plan

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has released a proposal for taxing and regulating artificial intelligence. His blueprint suggests a 'production tax' on AI services, based on computing power and data usage, to fund public services or AI safety. Altman also calls for new government regulations, including oversight bodies and safety standards, acknowledging the challenges of regulating a fast-changing technology. The proposal aims to address AI's economic and societal impacts while fostering responsible development.

CNN builds AI infrastructure for future media trading

CNN is developing its own agentic infrastructure to prepare for AI-driven media trading, aiming for full implementation by the first quarter of 2027. The company plans to test properties and buyer behavior related to AI trading in the coming quarters. CNN is building this in-house system alongside third-party vendors, focusing on agent-to-agent communication protocols. This proactive approach allows CNN to learn and become efficient in AI trading even before revenue generation begins.

Salesforce enhances Slackbot with 30 new AI features

Salesforce has significantly upgraded Slackbot, adding 30 new AI capabilities focused on reusable AI skills and meeting intelligence. Users can now save custom workflows as named skills that Slackbot can automatically execute. Meeting intelligence can transcribe calls, identify decisions, and assign action items. Slackbot also gains a native CRM for small businesses and can connect with over 6,000 applications via Model Context Protocol. These new features run on Anthropic's Claude, chosen partly for its FedRAMP Moderate certification.

AI risks widening gender gap at work

Artificial intelligence is reshaping workplace culture and potentially increasing the gender gap. Women may be less likely to use generative AI due to concerns about attribution and perception. AI-driven tools are changing how leadership, trust, and evaluations work. Without deliberate organizational policies, the unequal adoption of AI could deepen existing workplace gender disparities.

Can AI replace real estate agents?

The growing impact of artificial intelligence is raising questions about its role in the real estate industry. Realtor Stephanie Jones discussed with John Redfield how AI might affect real estate transactions. The conversation touched on potential concerns people might have about AI and how to properly use it when buying or selling a house.

Apple Macs now support AMD, Nvidia GPUs for AI

Apple has enabled support for AMD and Nvidia external GPUs (eGPUs) on Macs with Apple silicon, specifically for AI processing. Tiny Corp developed drivers that remove the need for previous workarounds, allowing users with Thunderbolt or USB4 eGPUs to enhance their AI capabilities. This move addresses the increasing demand for high-memory Macs in AI large language model processing, which has led to shortages and price changes.

Arctic Wolf uses AI with human oversight for security

Arctic Wolf is advancing its cybersecurity approach by combining AI with human expertise, recognizing that many organizations struggle to leverage AI effectively against rising AI-driven threats. The company's Security Operations Graph uses AI to analyze vast amounts of data, while the AI Trust Engine provides validation and guardrails. This model allows for scalable security operations, reducing the operational burden on MSSPs and enabling them to handle more clients and focus on higher-value tasks.

AI is changing cybersecurity defenses and attacks

Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming cybersecurity, enabling both hackers and security experts to identify system vulnerabilities much faster. Technologies from companies like Anthropic, OpenAI, and Google can be used for offensive or defensive purposes. The critical question is who discovers flaws first, as AI accelerates the pace of both attacks and defenses in the ongoing fight to protect computer networks.

AI decisions lack human weight and meaning

The increasing speed of AI-driven decisions, such as approving military strikes or denying insurance claims, removes the necessary human deliberation and moral weight from critical actions. While AI offers efficiency, some decisions are inherently difficult and require time for institutions to fully consider their consequences. When AI removes this burden, it can lead to a degradation of ethical judgment and a numbness to the significance of these actions.

Sources

• AI talk at retail events shifts to proving real results, defining a true strategy
• Media Buying Briefing: Instrument’s CEO on how agencies need to lead clients on AI
• How AI Is Changing Lead Generation: 3 Key Things SEO & PPC Teams Need To Do Now
• Can AI responses be influenced? The SEO industry is trying
• OpenAI policy blueprint sparks AI regulation debate
• OpenAI’s Altman releases blueprint for taxing, regulating artificial intelligence
• CNN builds in-house agent infrastructure as it prepares for AI-driven media trading
• Salesforce gives Slackbot 30 new AI powers, and a strategy that looks a lot like Microsoft’s
• Artificial Intelligence Amplifies Workplace Gender Gap
• Can artificial intelligence replace a real estate agent
• Apple enables AMD, Nvidia eGPUs on Macs for AI processing
• AI-Led Security Model With Humans Still in the Loop, Arctic Wolf Says
• A.I. Is on Its Way to Upending Cybersecurity
• Twenty seconds to approve a military strike; 1.2 seconds to deny a health insurance claim. The human is in the AI loop. Humanity is not