I’ve been hearing rumors about an AI bubble that echoes the dot-com era…
Talks on huge hype, inflated valuations, and companies sprinting to be everywhere at once.
At the same time, AI agents are heading to become the next major platform—transforming customer service and enterprise software by shifting how work just gets done.
And just like the internet only increased after its bubble, AI is poised to keep growing—despite the hype and inevitable shakeouts.
With that said, here’s what’s new in the AI world this week:
📈 How are companies using AI?
➜ Luxury Meets AI Styling. Ralph Lauren is piloting an AI-powered shopping assistant to guide customers through product discovery and recommendations—bringing personal stylists to scale while keeping brand voice polished.
Retail Dive
➜ Training the Frontline, AI-Style. Walmart is teaming up with OpenAI to roll out generative AI training for both store associates and office staff, aiming to upskill millions with conversational, scenario-based learning.
Retail Tech Innovation Hub
➜ China’s End-to-End AI Payments. Alipay and Luckin Coffee have launched the country’s first AI-native payment system, handling identity verification, fraud detection, and transactions with zero human input.
CoinCentral
➜ Goodbye Spokespeople? Vodafone is testing an AI-generated actor to pitch products instead of hiring human talent, cutting production costs while raising questions about trust and authenticity.
Engadget
➜ AI as a Campus Mediator. Columbia University is experimenting with AI-driven conflict resolution tools to help cool down student tensions before they escalate—an algorithm as a campus peacekeeper.
Slashdot
