AI in Marketing

In a lakeside lab in Vevey, Switzerland, researchers at FinalSpark are pushing the boundaries of computing by growing clusters of human neurons that could process information more efficiently than traditional silicon chips. Founded in 2014 by Fred Jordan and Martin Kutter, the company is cultivating tiny brain organoids from stem cells, which they connect to electrodes to respond to electrical signals. This innovative approach, dubbed "wetware," forms the core of FinalSpark's Neuroplatform, a unique remote-access biocomputing lab that allows researchers from global universities to conduct real-time experiments on living neural tissue. The company's aim is to create biocomputers that can significantly reduce the energy consumption associated with AI training, which currently has a large carbon footprint. They have tested over 10 million neurons and published findings in respected journals like Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence. Their latest development includes using chemical stimulation, such as dopamine and serotonin, as new inputs for computation. Although the founders acknowledge they're far from creating a sentient machine, they see their work as pioneering a future where intelligence grows organically, from cells rather than code. FinalSpark has already attracted early clients and academic partners eager to explore this frontier in computing.

Turning from biocomputing to Etsy's strategic AI investments in leadership.

Etsy is channeling its energy into artificial intelligence as it transitions leadership. The company reported a decline in gross merchandise sales, with numbers falling to $2.72 billion, a 6.5% drop from the previous year. Simultaneously, Josh Silverman is stepping down as CEO after eight years, passing the baton to Kruti Patel Goyal, Etsy’s president and former Depop CEO. Silverman will become executive chairman. Under Goyal’s leadership, Etsy aims to enhance personalized shopping through AI, leveraging its partnership with OpenAI. While Etsy’s user base has dipped, Goyal is focusing on strategic priorities like improving discovery and buyer loyalty. The integration of AI is seen as pivotal in reshaping the shopping experience and maintaining growth momentum.

Following Etsy's AI focus, Meta ramps up its own AI spending.

Meta has increased its spending forecast for artificial intelligence to over $70 billion, planning further investments in 2026. The company will primarily fund data centers and A.I. researcher salaries. This adjustment brings Meta's spending closer to tech giants like Microsoft, which plans to spend $88 billion in 2025. Meta's capital expenditure has significantly risen from $28 billion in 2023 to an estimated $100 billion next year. Despite a 26% rise in third-quarter revenue to $51.2 billion, profits fell 83% due to a substantial tax charge. As Meta continues to focus on A.I., questions about the return on investment persist, although the company claims improvements in its online advertising and social media algorithms.

From Meta's AI investments to Nvidia's market valuation surge.

Nvidia has become the first company to reach a $5 trillion market valuation, driven by the booming artificial intelligence sector and surging US stock markets. The Silicon Valley chipmaker, which crossed the $4 trillion mark just three months prior, now holds a valuation surpassing the GDP of major countries like India and Japan. Nvidia's stock jumped as its shares hit $207.86, attributed to strong demand for its advanced AI chips. CEO Jensen Huang revealed $500 billion in chip orders, alongside partnerships with Uber for robotaxis and Nokia for 6G technology. Nvidia also plans to invest $100 billion in OpenAI. President Trump supports Nvidia, hinting at potential sales to China, which could further boost the company's shares.

On the creative side, Emma Thompson critiques AI's role in scripts.

Emma Thompson recently expressed her frustration with AI while speaking to Stephen Colbert on his talk show. The actor and screenwriter, known for her Oscar-winning adaptation of "Sense and Sensibility," described her irritation with Microsoft's Copilot for suggesting script rewrites. Thompson prefers writing scripts by hand, believing in a connection between the brain and hands, before typing them into a word processor. She shared an incident where technology altered her script into hieroglyphs, requiring Stephen Fry's help to recover it. Thompson criticized AI's role in creativity, advocating for authentic storytelling to connect with audiences. Her views align with other industry figures like director Guillermo Del Toro, who also opposes AI's influence in filmmaking.

Addressing AI's impact, Character.AI restricts access for under-18 users.

Character.AI, a start-up known for creating A.I. companions, announced it will prohibit users under 18 from accessing its chatbots starting November 25. This decision comes in response to growing concerns over child safety and the mental health impacts of chatbots. The company plans to identify minor users and impose time limits on their app usage before implementing the ban. Karandeep Anand, Character.AI's CEO, emphasized the company's commitment to protecting teenagers, suggesting chatbots aren't the best form of entertainment for them. Character.AI is also establishing an A.I. safety lab to further address these concerns. The move follows lawsuits from families alleging the company's chatbots have contributed to tragic outcomes, such as the case of a Florida teenager's suicide. A.I. firms, including OpenAI, have faced similar scrutiny, leading to heightened regulatory interest and investigations by lawmakers into the safety of A.I. companions for younger audiences.

From concerns over AI companions to healthcare's AI-driven improvements.

Healthcare organizations are scaling up their use of artificial intelligence to automate workflows and enhance digital capacity, signaling a shift from pilot projects to enterprise-level deployment. This expansion aims to improve patient care, with findings from Google Cloud's report indicating that 44% of healthcare executives have adopted AI agents. Governance and data security remain critical, with 37% prioritizing these factors in AI provider selection. Despite AI's potential, Aashima Gupta from Google Cloud stresses it isn't a substitute for doctors. AI could cut treatment costs by half and boost outcomes by 40%, but the World Economic Forum notes healthcare lags in AI adoption. The World Health Organization warns of a projected shortfall of 11 million health workers by 2030.