In this week’s digital news, Apple has officially joined forces with Google to integrate the “Gemini” artificial intelligence into its iPhones, iPads, and Macs. OpenAI says AI is nearing a point where everyone could have a personal super-assistant, making access a key equity issue.
Google has launched a major cleanup of its search results to remove “Prediction News”; articles that speculate on future events as if they are currently happening. Google Ads is testing A/B experiments for Shopping Ads, letting advertisers compare product titles/images to see what performs better.
Apple has officially joined forces with Google to integrate the “Gemini” artificial intelligence into its iPhones, iPads, and Macs. This partnership means that when you ask Siri a complex question or need help writing an email, Apple’s devices will now use Google’s powerful AI to provide the answers. For the average user, this makes Siri much smarter and more capable of handling natural conversations.
For SEO, this is a monumental shift; because Google’s AI is now the “brain” for billions of Apple devices, your website must be “AI-friendly” to be recommended. To stay visible, businesses must focus on Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO), ensuring their brand information is clear and factual so that the AI feels confident quoting them as a trusted source to iPhone users.
OpenAI says AI is nearing a point where everyone could have a personal super-assistant, making access a key equity issue. To widen access, ChatGPT Go is expanding to the US and globally for $8/month, alongside a free tier. Ads will soon be tested in the US on free and Go plans, while paid tiers remain ad-free. OpenAI says ads will be clearly labelled, won’t influence answers, won’t use conversation data, and can be personalised or turned off. The goal is broader access without compromising trust, privacy or answer quality.
Google has launched a major cleanup of its search results to remove “Prediction News”; articles that speculate on future events as if they are currently happening. This move targets low-quality websites that churn out “clickbait” stories about things like unconfirmed sports transfers or celebrity rumours just to trick people into clicking. For everyday searchers, this means the “Top Stories” section will become more reliable, showing only confirmed, factual reporting.
The impact on SEO is significant as it signals that Google is now prioritising “Information Gain” and accuracy over keyword matching. Sites that rely on speculation or AI-generated “what-if” content risk being hidden from search results entirely, making high-quality, human-verified journalism more valuable than ever for maintaining a high ranking.
Years of predictions about privacy regulation reshaping digital advertising have not played out in practice. Despite dozens of state laws now being active. Enforcement actions have resulted in relatively small fines that have not disrupted business models or significantly altered data-driven targeting strategies. For most advertisers, privacy compliance has become a manageable cost rather than a fundamental constraint on growth.
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Google Ads is piloting a new “product data experiments” feature that lets some advertisers A/B test product titles and images in Shopping Ads. The limited test allows merchants to compare variations without permanently changing their feeds. With results expected in three to four weeks. Currently available to a small group, broader rollout is planned. The update addresses a long-standing challenge for advertisers, who have had little ability to test feed changes safely. It also reflects Google’s wider push towards built-in experimentation as automation increases across Shopping and Performance Max campaigns.
Snowflake industry experts will break down how AI agents are changing the rules of marketing. What shifts are already underway, and what marketing leaders should be preparing for now. They’ll discuss how to adapt in 2026 as customer behaviour evolves. The free event will take place on January 21 at 10:00 AM PT.
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