OpenAI is deepening its retail presence with the upcoming launch of a Target-branded ChatGPT shopping app. The beta version will let shoppers request ideas, browse items, build multi‑item baskets, order food and check out directly within ChatGPT. The move follows OpenAI’s recent rollout of dedicated retail apps for brands such as Canva, Coursera, Figma, Expedia, Spotify, and Zillow, and its new Instant Checkout feature that enables purchases from retailers like Etsy and Shopify. Target also plans to deploy ChatGPT Enterprise to its 18,000 employees for supply‑chain forecasting, store‑process optimization, and AI‑driven customer support. Leer más →

Google is expanding its shopping experience with a suite of artificial‑intelligence features. Users in the United States can now engage in conversational searches, have an AI agent call local stores to ask about inventory and promotions, and let the system automatically purchase items when price targets are met. The tools, rolled out through AI Mode in Search and the Gemini app, draw on billions of product listings and integrate with Google Pay. Early partners include Wayfair, Chewy, Quince, and select Shopify merchants, while the AI calling feature initially covers categories such as toys, health and beauty, and electronics. Leer más →

Shopify said traffic from AI tools to its merchants' stores has risen sevenfold since January, while purchases linked to AI-powered search are up elevenfold. The company highlighted AI as a central engine for its platform, citing partnerships with OpenAI, Perplexity and Microsoft Copilot. In its third‑quarter earnings, Shopify posted revenue growth of 32% to $2.84 billion and profit of $264 million, though operating income missed estimates, causing the stock to dip. Leer más →

OpenAI’s new Instant Checkout lets users buy products directly within ChatGPT, but early adopters report limited functionality, confusing availability, and a lack of true purchasing capability. While the feature is tied to partners like Shopify and Etsy, it currently supports only single‑item purchases and often fails to display a buy button. Users also encounter mixed messages about which listings are eligible. The rollout coincides with a lawsuit from Ziff Davis alleging copyright infringement in OpenAI’s training data. Leer más →

PayPal announced that it will integrate its payment services with OpenAI's ChatGPT platform next year, allowing users to buy and sell directly through the chatbot. The move brings PayPal to a growing list of e‑commerce partners that includes Walmart, Shopify and Etsy, and follows popular demand from developers. A demo shows a user requesting shoe recommendations and receiving a PayPal checkout button. PayPal CEO Alex Chriss highlighted the large base of wallet holders who will benefit from a secure, click‑to‑buy experience on ChatGPT. Leer más →

OpenAI’s ChatGPT recently introduced an Instant Checkout feature that promises to let users buy products directly within the chat interface. A tester attempted to purchase a specific lipstick using the new tool, only to encounter mixed messages and a lack of a functional buy button. Despite the partnership with platforms like Etsy and Shopify, the experience highlighted gaps in product eligibility, merchant support, and the overall reliability of the in‑chat purchasing flow. Leer más →

Fal.ai, a platform that hosts image, video, audio and 3D AI models for developers, announced a new financing round that values the company at more than $4 billion. The round raised about $250 million, with Kleiner Perkins and Sequoia Capital as lead investors. The latest raise follows a $125 million Series C earlier in the year that lifted the valuation to $1.5 billion. Fal.ai’s revenue has climbed to roughly $95 million and its services are used by over two million developers, including major customers such as Adobe, Canva and Shopify. The company’s rapid growth is tied to the surge in multimodal AI applications, especially video‑centric tools like OpenAI’s Sora. Leer más →

OpenAI has introduced an Instant Checkout feature that lets ChatGPT users in the United States buy directly from Etsy and upcoming Shopify merchants without leaving the conversation. The tool surfaces product details, reviews, and pricing, then allows users to confirm orders, shipping, and payment through options such as Apple Pay, Google Pay, Stripe, or credit cards. OpenAI describes the product results as organic and unsponsored, and it will charge merchants a small fee for completed purchases. The move positions OpenAI as a new gatekeeper in e‑commerce, challenging established platforms like Google and Amazon. Leer más →

OpenAI introduced Instant Checkout, a new feature that lets users purchase individual items from Etsy sellers directly inside ChatGPT. Powered by the Agentic Commerce Protocol developed with Stripe, the service currently supports single‑item purchases in the United States for both free and paid ChatGPT users. OpenAI says the rollout will expand to include multi‑item carts, more regions, and a broader set of merchants, with over a million Shopify sellers slated to adopt the technology soon. Payments are processed by the merchant, and merchants cover a small fee without affecting product prices. Leer más →

Augment, the AI‑powered logistics platform founded by former Deliverr CEO Harish Abbott, announced an $85 million Series A led by Redpoint with participation from 8VC and others. The round follows a $25 million seed round and will fund hiring and product expansion. Augment’s AI assistant, Augie, automates tasks such as bid collection, load building, tracking, and invoicing across voice, email, Slack, SMS, and Telegram. Early customers like Armstrong Transport Group report productivity gains, including a 40% reduction in invoice delays. The company aims to broaden its reach beyond what's described. Leer más →

Augment, the AI‑powered logistics platform founded by former Deliverr CEO Harish Abbott, announced an $85 million Series A led by Redpoint with participation from 8VC and others. The round follows a $25 million seed round and will fund hiring and product expansion. Augment’s AI assistant, Augie, automates tasks such as bid collection, load building, tracking, and invoicing across voice, email, Slack, SMS, and Telegram. Early customers like Armstrong Transport Group report productivity gains, including a 40% reduction in invoice delays. The company aims to broaden its reach beyond what's described. Leer más →

Augment, the AI‑powered logistics platform founded by former Deliverr CEO Harish Abbott, announced an $85 million Series A led by Redpoint with participation from 8VC and others. The round follows a $25 million seed round and will fund hiring and product expansion. Augment’s AI assistant, Augie, automates tasks such as bid collection, load building, tracking, and invoicing across voice, email, Slack, SMS, and Telegram. Early customers like Armstrong Transport Group report productivity gains, including a 40% reduction in invoice delays. The company aims to broaden its reach beyond what's described. Leer más →

Augment, the AI‑powered logistics platform founded by former Deliverr CEO Harish Abbott, announced an $85 million Series A led by Redpoint with participation from 8VC and others. The round follows a $25 million seed round and will fund hiring and product expansion. Augment’s AI assistant, Augie, automates tasks such as bid collection, load building, tracking, and invoicing across voice, email, Slack, SMS, and Telegram. Early customers like Armstrong Transport Group report productivity gains, including a 40% reduction in invoice delays. The company aims to broaden its reach beyond what's described. Leer más →

Augment, the AI‑powered logistics platform founded by former Deliverr CEO Harish Abbott, announced an $85 million Series A led by Redpoint with participation from 8VC and others. The round follows a $25 million seed round and will fund hiring and product expansion. Augment’s AI assistant, Augie, automates tasks such as bid collection, load building, tracking, and invoicing across voice, email, Slack, SMS, and Telegram. Early customers like Armstrong Transport Group report productivity gains, including a 40% reduction in invoice delays. The company aims to broaden its reach beyond what's described. Leer más →

At TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, a panel explored how startups are swapping early hires for AI agents. Speakers included Caleb Peffer of Firecrawl, who enables developers and firms like Shopify and Zapier to embed AI on the live web; Jaspar Carmichael‑Jack of Artisan, whose “Stop Hiring Humans” campaign backs a $35 million effort to build AI employees; and Sarah Franklin of Lattice, a former Salesforce president who shared scaling insights. The discussion covered practical uses, ROI, and the balance between automation and human teams, highlighting a shift toward AI‑driven go‑to‑market functions. Leer más →