Today’s Insights

💸 Google pays Samsung
🧠 OpenAI wants Chrome
📉 Meta’s shrinking share
🛒 Shopify Joins ChatGPT
💬 TikTok adds reviews

Welcome back,

Meta and Google’s court battles are revealing more behind-the-scenes details. Meanwhile, in OpenAI’s boardroo everything seems up for discussion—social media, ecommerce, even major acquisitions.

I came across a subtle jab from Bluesky’s CEO aimed at Zuck, which got me looking more closely at what Bluesky’s building—and why she wants social media to have no “Caesars” in control. I just posted it on LinkedIn if you are curious too.

— Kole

Feature

OpenAI is exploring a social media network

OpenAI is quietly building a social network, according to sources cited by The Verge (paywall).

An early-stage prototype features a feed tied to ChatGPT’s image generation tools, and CEO Sam Altman has been privately seeking feedback.

It’s still unclear whether this would launch as a standalone app or live within ChatGPT—now the most downloaded app globally.

Unlike X and Meta, which can leverage real-time social data to train their models, OpenAI currently relies on more static sources.

Launching a social layer would change that.

And after viral moments like the AI-generated action figures and Studio Ghibli-style portraits, OpenAI may be looking for ways to keep at least some of that attention—and the conversations it sparks—within its own ecosystem.

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Google & Meta

💸 Google pays Samsung an “enormous sum of money” to pre-install Gemini

Court testimony revealed Google offered Samsung fixed payments to make Gemini the default AI assistant on Galaxy phones. The agreement also includes a share of advertising revenue from the Gemini app. The deal started in January and will last for at least two years. These details emerged as part of an antitrust case into how Google maintains its search dominance through exclusive contracts.

🧠 OpenAI would buy Chrome if regulators force Google to sell it

ChatGPT’s Head of Product, Nick Turley, tells antitrust court Chrome could help deliver a more “AI-first browser experience” by integrating ChatGPT into the browser.

📉 Zuckerberg: Meta’s share of social media usage has “gone down meaningfully”

Meta’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, says time spent viewing friends’ posts has dropped to 17% on Facebook, down from 22% in 2023 and 7% to 11% on Instagram. As part of its antitrust defense, he claims that private messaging is growing instead. 

More Headlines

 🤖 OpenAI is working with Shopify to bring shopping directly into ChatGPT

New code found in ChatGPT’s public assets points to a new in-chat shopping feature. The code strings include “buy_now,” “price,” “shipping,” “product-offer ratings,” and “shopify_checkout_url.” The feature could allow users to buy products within ChatGPT.

🧪 LinkedIn tests ‘The Wire Program’ to support in-stream video ads

The program allows advertisers to place short video ads before content from trusted publishers. Advertisers can now choose from a list of publishers directly within LinkedIn’s Campaign Manager. Publishers like Bloomberg, Forbes, and Reuters are already participating in the pilot.

💼 Apple renames 'Search Ads' to 'Apple Ads' as it expands beyond search

The rebrand reflects the fact that Apple has ad placements across the App Store, including the Today tab and app pages. It also signals Apple’s desire to build a unified advertising brand that could grow across more inventory.

📍TikTok tests new “Reviews” tab directly in video comments section

The feature lets users view star ratings, written reviews, and photos about places mentioned in videos without leaving the app. The feature aims to offer an alternative to Google Maps for local product recommendations.

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