š Googleās AI Agents are Here
Plus- š§ Amazonās AI Talks Products
Happy Wednesday!
Welcome to The AIfoundry family. A newsletter that demystifies AI for 75,000+ business professionals from companies like Coca-Cola, Walmart, Meta, Google, Starbucks, and more.
What a day! The latest AI scoop covered in todayās newsletter:
Googleās AI Agents Will Bring You the Web Now
Amazon Rolls Out AI-Powered Audio Product
Shopify Launches an AI-Powered Store-Builder
Word From Today's Partner: Hubstaff ā¤ļø85% Use AIāBut Only 4% of the Time: Why Most Teams Are Missing AIās Real Value
Hubstaffās latest research report reveals how top teams turn AI into real results: 77% faster task completion, 70% fewer distractions, and 45% more output. Learn 5 proven moves to sharpen focus, scale smarter, and work ahead of the curveābefore your competitors do.
Daily new AI tools for supercharging your growth & success!TRENDING TOOLS
š¬ Flow ā Googleās new AI filmmaking platform
š„ Veo 3 ā Googleās SOTA video model with audio
š² Gemma 3n ā Open-source, mobile-first AI model
šļø Imagen 4 ā Upgraded image model with better text
Stay at the forefront with exhilarating daily AI breakthroughs!š Googleās AI Agents Will Bring You the Web Now
Foundry Brief:
At Google I/O 2025, Google unveiled a new era where AI agents will replace traditional search results by browsing the web autonomously and delivering personalized answers. Features like AI Mode in Search and Project Mariner offer users interactive, multitasking AI helpers that visit sites, summarize content, and assist with complex queries ā fundamentally reshaping how users access information.
Highlights:
Google shifts from classic search lists to AI agent-driven web interaction.
AI Mode available now to U.S. Search users allows conversation with agents that visit and summarize web pages.
Project Mariner handles multiple web tasks simultaneously for premium users.
Deep Research agent visits dozens of sites, personalizes reports, and integrates with Gmail and Drive.
Project Astra adds multimodal, real-time AI interaction using voice and visuals.
Google supports Anthropicās MCP to connect AI agents with web data sources.
Microsoft and Google both envision an āagentic webā where AI agents autonomously act on usersā behalf.
Potential challenges include threats to the ad-supported web model and concerns over AI hallucinations (misinformation).
Industry impacts vary: companies like DoorDash embrace agents; publishers risk losing revenue.
Google aims to return human attention to users by automating web interaction, despite risks.
In a Wrap:
Googleās AI agents mark a profound shift in how people will access and interact with information online, moving from passive searching to dynamic AI intermediaries. While this promises convenience and personalization, it raises critical concerns about web economics, misinformation, and the future role of content creators and publishers. The move signals the start of a new internet era where AI agents could redefine the very fabric of the web.
š§ Amazon Rolls Out Short-Form AI-Powered Audio Product Summaries
Foundry Brief:
Amazon is testing short-form AI-generated audio summaries for select product pages, voiced by āAI-powered shopping experts.ā These audio clips highlight key features, customer reviews, and web information to help shoppers save time and get quick, conversational product insights directly from the Amazon Shopping app.
Highlights:
AI audio summaries accessed via a āHear the highlightsā button in the app.
Feature targets products that typically need careful consideration before purchase.
Summaries use large language models (LLMs) to generate scripts from reviews and web data.
Currently available to some U.S. customers on select products, with plans to expand.
Joins Amazonās AI shopping tools like Rufus (generative AI assistant) and Interests (product monitoring).
Similar to Googleās NotebookLM Audio Overviews, which create AI-hosted podcasts from user documents.
In a Wrap:
Amazonās AI audio summaries represent a move toward conversational, AI-driven shopping experiences that save users time and make research easier, especially while multitasking. This innovation reflects how AI-powered content can enhance e-commerce by providing quick, personalized, and accessible product information, potentially reshaping how customers discover and decide on purchases.
š Shopify Launches an AI-Powered Store Builder
Foundry Brief:
Shopify has introduced a new AI-powered store builder that lets merchants create storefronts from a single prompt, alongside an AI generator for design elements like banners without coding. The company also upgraded its AI commerce assistant, Sidekick, adding voice chat and screen sharing to improve merchant support.
Highlights:
The AI store builder generates ready-to-launch storefronts based on simple brand descriptions (e.g., ātennis gear and stylish athleisureā).
Shopify launched a new public theme called āHorizonā featuring AI-assisted design and customizable Theme Blocks for no-code storefront edits.
Merchants can describe design needs (like banners with animation), and AI generates the necessary code.
Sidekick now supports voice responses and screen sharing, helping merchants navigate settings or answer questions (e.g., tariffs).
Sidekick is available on the Shopify mobile app and has seen its monthly user base more than double since December 2024.
CEO Tobi LĆ¼tke hinted that AI may help Shopify operate with a smaller workforce going forward.
In a Wrap:
Shopifyās AI upgrades streamline store setup and design, reducing technical barriers for merchants while enhancing customer experience. The integration of voice and screen-sharing in Sidekick reflects a growing emphasis on intelligent, interactive support. These advancements highlight how AI is reshaping e-commerce infrastructure by automating complex tasks and personalizing merchant tools.
š AI Crisps
Brief & Unmissable Vital AI Developmentsš§© ByteDance launched BAGEL: multimodal AI model released.
š xAIās Live Search API enables real-time searches.
š¤ OpenAIās Responses API adds image and code support.
š Sergey Brin says Gemini aims for AGI 2030.
š° OpenAIās Abilene data center secured $11.6B funding.
š LMArena raised $100M, plans site relaunch soon.
Great edition!
Google supports Anthropicās MCP. Interested to see the Giant bending to adopt third party frameworks