OpenAI is now creating meal plans for us – and even doing the shopping. 😳🛍️
Phew, we’ve outsourced one of the day’s most tedious decisions to an AI agent. The startup’s new "Operator" is designed to handle simple browser-based tasks for us in the future. It’s powered by a new model that OpenAI calls the "computer-using agent" (CUA).
The Operator could spell the end of HelloFresh. But more importantly, it highlights the technology trend that will dominate this year – and the years to come: Agentic AI.
The exciting about AI agents is that they can independently initiate actions, make decisions and automate complex tasks with minimal human intervention.
This change is a big step in how businesses use AI. We are moving from tools that simply support human decision-making to systems that actively participate in organizational processes.
That’s why the experts of Gartner see huge potentials
🤖 By 2028, 33 per cent of enterprise software will use Agent AI. (2024: just 1 per cent).
🤖 Likewise by 2028, 15 per cent of everyday decisions will be made by agents.
🤖 In only three year’s time, 20 per cent of interactions on digital storefronts will be done by AI agents.
AI agents in marketing
As AI agents continue to evolve, AI agents will also have a major impact on marketing. They have the greatest potential in these areas:
1️⃣ Data Integration: AI agents excel in managing and processing data spread across silos. They will be bringing this data together, organizing it, and making it accessible.
2️⃣ Real-Time Personalization: AI agents analyze data across various touchpoints, identify customer needs, to deliver tailored offers and experiences in real time.
3️⃣ Content Creation: AI agents generate content and automate marketing from existing resources or data.
4️⃣ Customer Journey Optimization: As AI agents learn to understand the customer journey, brands will be able to address customer needs with even greater precision and orchestrate messages across different touchpoints.
5️⃣ Scalability and Efficiency: AI agents empower businesses to scale their marketing efforts by automating complex processes.
Personally, I’m most looking forward to the AI agent that manages my schedule better than I do. 🗓️🔝🫶
Happy weekend
Yours, Verena
😠 OpenAI’s agent threatens advertisers and publishers
OpenAI’s new AI agent "Operator" threatens the traditional business models of advertisers and publishers. The autonomous software can independently perform tasks such as booking holidays or making purchases without first visiting advertising sites. Experts warn that this could drastically reduce advertising revenue, as users will interact via AI agents instead of surfing websites directly. Publishers need to fundamentally rethink their strategies to stay relevant in this new digital landscape. >>> The Drum
🇨🇳 Bytedance: TikTok can remain without a US sale
William E. Ford, member of the Board of Directors of Bytedance and CEO of General Atlantic, sees a solution to the TikTok conflict without a complete sale to a US company. He is optimistic that negotiations between Presidents Trump and Xi could find a constructive solution. Ford proposes alternative compromises that may involve a change of control but do not require a complete sale. >>> 9to5Mac
🖍️ First professional AI exam for concept developers and copywriters
The first professional examination for concept developers and copywriters focussing on generative AI will be launched in Switzerland in May. The new federal qualification is a response to the digital transformation in communication and marketing. Graduates learn how to use AI tools professionally, assess opportunities and risks and take legal aspects into account. Language skills remain crucial: creative professionals need to use language more precisely and creatively in order to generate optimal results from human-machine collaboration. >>> KonzeptText CH
📲 Mobile Report 2025: 13 per cent more spending on in-app purchases
The "State of Mobile Report 2025" by Sensor Tower shows that consumer spending on in-app purchases and subscriptions rose by 13 per cent to USD 150 billion worldwide in 2024. Germany ranks fifth, with streaming (USD 11.9 billion) and social media (USD 11.7 billion) globally dominating, while AI chatbots achieved the strongest growth at USD 1.1 billion. App downloads fell slightly. >>> Sensor Tower
👓 Meta returns to the Super Bowl with smart glasses
Meta returns to the Super Bowl after two years with an advert for its Ray-Ban Smart Glasses. Actors Chris Pratt and Chris Hemsworth present the AI-controlled glasses, which take photos and videos, play music and enable calls and text messages by voice command. Details of the advertising agency and the exact broadcast time during the game were not disclosed. In 2022, Meta advertised its Metaverse concept with a 60-second commercial – a topic that now seems almost forgotten. >>> AdWeek (€)
🎙️ "Check My Ads" CEO Arielle Garcia in the DMEXCO podcast
In the new DMEXCO podcast, Arielle Garcia, COO of "Check My Ads", uncovers the dark side of digital advertising. She reveals alarming figures: Around 84 billion dollars are lost to advertising fraud every year, and only 36 cents of every advertising dollar actually reaches the target audience. Garcia criticises the lack of transparency and calls for companies to take more responsibility when spending on advertising. She emphasises the importance of audit clauses and active monitoring of advertising budgets. >>> DMEXCO
📈 German e-commerce back on track for growth
According to the industry association "BEVH", German e-commerce returned to growth in 2024 after a three-year decline. Gross sales rose by 1.1 per cent to 80.6 billion euros, with online marketplaces expanding their market share to 55 per cent. Pharmaceuticals (+6.3 per cent), food (+5.5 per cent) and pet supplies (+5.4 per cent) saw particularly dynamic growth. Social commerce and re-commerce are seen as promising growth areas. Despite persistently difficult consumer sentiment, experts expect sales to grow further by 2.5 per cent in 2025. >>> BEVH
🛒 BVDW: Retail media also shines in the upper funnel
German Bundesverband Digitale Wirtschaft (BVDW) confirms the boom of retail media in the upper funnel. 83 per cent of the advertisers surveyed already use this form of advertising to activate target groups. 51 per cent see a high impact potential. The main advantages are precise targeting based on shopper data, increased conversion probability and improved brand awareness. Onsite display (76 per cent), social media (69 per cent) and digital-out-of-home (59 per cent) are the most important channels. >>> BVDW / PDF
📺 German streaming users do not want to pay for ad-free content
The trend towards ad-financed streaming subscriptions continues to grow in Germany, according to a GroupM study. While only 24 per cent of users used such services in 2023, this figure had already risen to 32 per cent by the end of last year. The number of ad-free subscriptions fell from 62 to 54 per cent. According to the study, only 15 per cent are willing to pay more for ad-free streaming. Amazon Prime Video leads the ad-financed services with 20 per cent, followed by Netflix with 17 per cent. Experts see favourable advertising offers as an attractive alternative for consumers and new opportunities for advertisers. >>> GroupM
✋ GWA makes five demands of the communications industry
The GWA (Gesamtverband Kommunikationsagenturen) is calling for more social responsibility from the German communications industry and politicians. In five points, President Larissa Pohl appeals to advertisers and agencies to support independent journalism, distribute media budgets ethically and strengthen media expertise. The main demands also include clear labelling of journalistic content and the rejection of advertising bans that could jeopardise media quality. >>> GWA
