ChatGPT goes shopping while DeepSeek hires product people: This week's news roundup
From shopping with ChatGPT to Duolingo ditching contractors for AI generated courses, here's a roundup of the news stories that caught our attention this week.
OpenAI adds shopping to ChatGPT
OpenAI has added a shopping feature to ChatGPT, so that users can now get personalised product recommendations directly through the chatbot. Adam Fry, ChatGPT search product lead at OpenAI, told Wired that the ChatGPT shopping experience is more personalised and conversational than Google Shopping which is keyword-focused.
Spotify continues to grow
Ongoing growth at Spotify, although its first quarter results failed to meet market expectations, with Q1 earnings per share of 1.07 euros against analyst expectations of 2.33 euros. Subscriber numbers also continue to grow – monthly active users are up 10% to 678 million and premium subscribers are up 12% to 268 million. Spotify CEO Daniel Ek said that engagement remains high and retention remains strong, and that while there might be some short-term “economic noise”, he is confident in Spotify’s long-term story.
Duolingo uses AI to create 148 new language courses
Duolingo is launching 148 new language courses that have been created using generative AI, shortly after announcing it would be replacing contractors with AI. The launch doubles the company’s number of courses. The company is facing backlash from users over dropping contractors. According to TechCrunch, some users argue that the use of AI is making the app less useful, with inaccurate and lower-quality content.
DeepSeek looks to hire product managers
AI startup DeepSeek is on the hunt for product managers and designers in China, the Times of India reports.The company is also looking for a chief financial officer and a chief operating officer. It’s thought that the recruitment drive signals a move towards commercialisation of its language models.
Google changes compensation to push performance culture
Google is changing the way it compensates employees, according to Business Insider. Higher performers will be better rewarded, with better bonuses and equity to staff who score highly on their annual reviews. Google staffers are rated on a scale from ‘not enough impact’ to ‘transformative impact’.
WhatsApp exceeds 3 billion users a month
Meta-owned WhatsApp now has over 3 billion users a month, according to Meta CFO Susan Li, speaking at the company’s quarterly earnings conference call this week. WhatsApp has the greatest usage of Meta AI across all of the company’s apps, she said, and most WhatsApp users engage in one-on-one chats with Meta AI.
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About the author
Eira Hayward
Eira is an editor for Mind the Product. She's been a business journalist, editor, and copywriter for longer than she cares to think about.
