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AI Search weekly round-up: OpenAI IPO rumours, deeper Google AI Mode integration and $60 CPM ChatGPT ads

AI Search weekly round-up: OpenAI IPO rumours, deeper Google AI Mode integration and $60 CPM ChatGPT ads

This week in AI Search, the pace isn’t slowing. OpenAI is edging closer to IPO territory, Google is pushing users deeper into AI Mode, and ChatGPT ads are being priced at a $60 CPM - a level that raises serious questions about value, intent and where ad budgets go next.

AI Search

+4

Why OpenAI’s push into ads may undermine trust in AI assistants, according to Demis Hassabis

Why OpenAI’s push into ads may undermine trust in AI assistants, according to Demis Hassabis

As OpenAI moves ChatGPT towards advertising, trust becomes the central issue - not capability. This edition looks at Demis Hassabis’ critique of the timing, the growing confusion around content “chunking,” and why citation analysis now matters more than ever in AI search.

GEO

+5

Crystal Carter at Wix on the future of AI search, as ChatGPT ads and Google’s UCP reshape the landscape

Crystal Carter at Wix on the future of AI search, as ChatGPT ads and Google’s UCP reshape the landscape

It’s been a pivotal week for AI search. ChatGPT confirmed ads are coming, Google doubled down with Personal Intelligence and UCP, and Gemini’s reach expanded again. I’m also delighted to share my conversation with Crystal Carter at Wix, where she talks through how she approaches the huge and fast-evolving role of AI Search communications at the company.

GEO

+7

ChatGPT moves into health, Gemini expands across Google’s ecosystem, and Obsero rolls out sentiment analysis

ChatGPT moves into health, Gemini expands across Google’s ecosystem, and Obsero rolls out sentiment analysis

The first full week of 2026 showed how AI search is starting to settle into its next phase. OpenAI is pushing ChatGPT further into everyday use through health features, while Google continues to weave Gemini across its products.

AI Search

+5

Will the AI Search industry be worth $171bn by 2030? Will ChatGPT apps ever take off and are they a threat to Apple's App Store?

Will the AI Search industry be worth $171bn by 2030? Will ChatGPT apps ever take off and are they a threat to Apple's App Store?

As AI search accelerates into 2026, I've taken a look at the top stories shaping the industry. Will the AI search industry be worth $171bn by 2030? Will ChatGPT apps ever take off? Lets dive in.

GEO

+8

OpenAI hits “Code Red”: ads pushed back as Altman shifts priorities towards stabilising ChatGPT amid mounting pressure from Google and Anthropic

OpenAI hits “Code Red”: ads pushed back as Altman shifts priorities towards stabilising ChatGPT amid mounting pressure from Google and Anthropic

OpenAI has hit the brakes. A leaked memo reveals ads, agents and Pulse have been slowed as Sam Altman declares “Code Red” in response to Google’s rapid progress. Publicly, Nick Turley insists there’s no ad testing - yet strings in the latest beta point to search ads, carousels and monetisation features quietly being prepared.

Perplexity

+3

AI Search Intelligence is very much in vogue and Adobe’s SEMrush acquisition proves it

AI Search Intelligence is very much in vogue and Adobe’s SEMrush acquisition proves it

Adobe’s $1.9B move for SEMrush, Google’s release of Gemini 3 and the first ads appearing inside AI answers all point to the same thing: the industry is shifting from SERPs to AI-driven answer engines. Here’s why this week matters more than most.

Survey

+5

Which retailers won Halloween in AI Search and what Big Tech’s $400B AI bet means for brands

Which retailers won Halloween in AI Search and what Big Tech’s $400B AI bet means for brands

Alphabet, Amazon, Meta and Microsoft all reported earnings this week. Alphabet impressed with strong ad and cloud growth and saw its stock rise, Microsoft beat expectations but dipped on AI-driven cost concerns, while Meta’s revenue beat was overshadowed by soaring expenses and weak profit, sending its shares sharply lower.

Perplexity

+7

OpenAI launches ChatGPT Atlas as SoftBank backs $22.5B round - and why a 25% traffic drop isn’t worrying the CMO of a leading hotel group

OpenAI launches ChatGPT Atlas as SoftBank backs $22.5B round - and why a 25% traffic drop isn’t worrying the CMO of a leading hotel group

OpenAI’s new ChatGPT Atlas browser. SoftBank’s multibillion-dollar AI bet. And a 25% traffic drop that hasn’t dented revenue.

GEO

+6

AI search is rewriting the traffic playbook - even for retail giants

AI search is rewriting the traffic playbook - even for retail giants

AI-driven referrals are transforming how people discover and buy online. From Walmart’s ChatGPT partnership to Google’s ad shake-up, the shift toward conversational commerce is well underway.

Perplexity

+5

The next search revolution: Duane Forrester on the evolution of search in the AI era

The next search revolution: Duane Forrester on the evolution of search in the AI era

Search is changing faster than ever. As AI systems replace lists of links with direct answers, marketers face a seismic shift in how visibility is earned and measured. Drawing on decades at Microsoft and Bing, Duane Forrester explores how intent, context, and human understanding will define the next era of discovery - and what it really takes to stay visible when machines start thinking for themselves.

Perplexity

+8

5 charts that prove AI search is reshaping the internet

5 charts that prove AI search is reshaping the internet

From ChatGPT’s explosive growth to the rise in attribution mentions and ad budgets, the data paints a clear picture - AI search isn’t a side trend, it’s a structural shift. These five charts show how discovery, attention, and money are rapidly flowing toward conversational platforms - and what that means for brands preparing for this new era.

AI Search

+3

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