Open AI's new ChatGPT Shopping Tool

The DL: OpenAI has launched "Shopping Research," a new ChatGPT tool that performs in-depth product research, reads reviews, and compares options based on user preferences. While the tool aggregates information from a wide range of organic sources—including major retailers like Walmart, Best Buy, and Reddit—it notably limits results from Amazon, as the e-commerce giant restricts OpenAI's crawlers. The interface features interactive elements like swiping to refine recommendations and quizzes to gauge user priorities, though it currently lacks direct checkout capabilities. Despite Amazon's absence, analysts believe the tool remains robust given the availability of most products across other platforms, positioning OpenAI as a growing competitor in the race to become the default AI shopping assistant.

Brand Awareness Ads in Podcasts

The DL: As of late 2025, brand awareness campaigns made up over half of all U.S. podcast ad spend, rising to 56% (up from 52% a year earlier), while direct-response tactics fell to about 41%. This shift aligns with podcasts becoming a stronger conversion channel as Edison Research reports that nearly half of listeners made a purchase after hearing a podcast ad in early 2025, a significant increase from 2020.

CTV gets AI-Generated Ads

The DL: AI-generated ads are rapidly transforming Connected TV (CTV) advertising, making it faster and more accessible for small and medium-sized businesses that lack big budgets or creative resources. With CTV ad spend projected to hit $46 billion by 2028—surpassing linear TV—there are AI tools that let brands create "ready-to-run" videos in minutes from simple ideas. But skeptics like analyst Brian Wieser warn it's mostly cannibalizing local TV spend rather than sparking net growth—still, it could diversify CTV's big-brand dominance and boost platforms' revenue through easier self-serve creation.

MediAI Minute

YouTube Expanding "Likeness Detection"

DL: YouTube is rolling out a new AI-powered “likeness detection” tool that lets creators verify their identity — via a government-issued ID and a short biometric face/voice scan — so the platform can detect and flag any future videos that misuse their face or voice. If a video is detected as using a creator’s likeness without permission (e.g. deepfake impersonation or fake endorsement), the creator can review the flagged videos and request removal or file copyright/privacy complaints. The tool aims to give creators meaningful control over their personal image and voice in a digital environment increasingly plagued by AI-generated deepfakes.