
Welcome to the Loop. We here at InTheLoop know we’re a digital marketing newsletter, but this week’s about hardware - we're maybe finally escaping the grasp of endless SEO and Facebook CAC. When AI devices can anticipate needs, surface recommendations contextually, and eliminate the friction of discovery, consumer behavior shifts from active seeking to passive receiving.
This Week in Digital Marketing
OpenAI, Google, Apple Battle Over AI Device Dominance
I/O announcements, AI prioritizations, GOP’s AI Bill, and New AI Ventures
Leverage 3 Free Tools for Full Marketing Campaign
and more…
POINT OF CONTACT

Image Source: OpenAI
📱Ive Got It: The tech titans are placing massive bets on ambient AI that lives in your pocket, on your face, and everywhere in between. OpenAI, traditionally a software-first player, is now betting big on hardware after acquiring Jony Ive’s design firm in a $6.5 billion all-stock deal. They’re set to create “the coolest piece of technology that the world will ever see,” according to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. The device is supposedly “slightly larger than Humane’s AI Pin” and designed to be worn around the neck—screenless, but packed with cameras and mics to sense and interact with the world.
😎Hard-aware: Not to be outdone, Google is doubling down on AI-powered smart glasses, debuting Android XR with Gemini AI at the heart. Cupertino, however, finds itself in the unusual position of playing follow-the-leader, with smart glasses reportedly delayed until 2026. Both these glasses promise proactive, hands-free, context-aware assistance—think live translation, navigation, and messaging— to blend seamlessly and “ambiently” in daily life. Meta has also been quietly working.
🙈Invisible Influence: Consumers are about to gain new, always-available AI assistants that structure visibility that’s ambient, contextual, and—for the first time in decades—outside the walled gardens of Google and Facebook. As early signs of search trending down begin to show, modern consumer is poised to interact with brands and information in ways that are more spontaneous, intuitive, and, frankly, a lot more fun (for us).
THIS WEEK IN THE LOOP
Headlines on Digital Marketing, AI, and More

Image source Linkedin
🏃♂️AI Momentum Builds: Beneath the internet storm of uncannily realistic Ai-generated videos, Google’s recent Gemini AI enhancements signal a further step forward in practical AI integration, introducing “AI Mode” for more context-aware search and tools like Jules, an asynchronous coding assistant. In parallel, DeepMind’s AlphaEvolve is redefining problem-solving with its evolutionary AI model that iterates and refines complex solutions.
⏰Autopilot AI Era: AI is clocking in as the newest full-time hire—no coffee breaks required. According to EY, over half of execs say their AI systems will be running autonomously within two years. From Netflix’s recommendation engine to Tesla’s self-driving ambitions, and Amazon’s logistics brain, AI is moving from backstage to center stage. Even Stitch Fix is dressing you via algorithm. The robots aren’t just coming—they’re onboarding.
🦍Rule of the Jungle: A House GOP bill aims to "block states" from AI regulation for 10 years, but over 100 groups are vehemently "pushing back." With Workday already facing an "AI bias" lawsuit over alleged discrimination, some might call a decade-long ban on state rules less 'innovation-friendly' and more 'boldly ignoring the smoke alarm.' This legislative clash underscores the increasingly complex and high-stakes terrain of AI governance.
🤑Automation Agents, Assemble: Auxia and Skai are leading the charge in turning marketing automation from buzzword to business backbone. Auxia just raised $23.5M to expand its AI platform that crafts personalized content across email, SMS, and push—while quietly wiping out “manual workflows and repetitive tasks,” VentureBeat reports. Meanwhile, Skai’s new Celeste AI exited beta at ShopAble 2025, boasting “up to 50% efficiency gains and 20% performance improvements” after testing with 50+ brands. Apparently, it took only 50 marketers to prove that robots do sell smarter.
TO INFINITY & BEYOND
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Image source: Jasper AI
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WARP SPEED
Solutions to HyperCharge Your Productivity
⚡️xBloom Studio Coffee Machine: A coffee machine that integrates a grinder, brewer, scale, and mobile app for the perfect pour. |
⚡️Aniwow Folding Bike: The world’s smallest 16" folding bike. It folds in seconds and transforms into a rolling cart, picnic table, or pet stroller. |
⚡️Vizio MicMe: A two-in-one device that can be used both as a soundbar and a karaoke machine. |
⚡️Eight Sleep Pod 5: A full-bed system that cools, heats, and tracks your sleep. Each side automatically adapts to your body temperature for deeper, uninterrupted rest. |
CROSSROADS
Everything Else that’s Happening
✅ Code Awakening: Microsoft transformed GitHub Copilot into a full AI coding agent that can "reasoning and executing tasks" independently—developers might actually get some sleep now. |
✅ Elmo is Moving to a New Address: Sesame Street is ditching HBO Max for Netflix, trading a "$35 million" annual deal for access to 300 million subscribers—Big Bird likes his new home. |
✅ Avatar Economics: Klarna's CEO deployed an "AI avatar" for earnings delivery, reinforcing its pivot from fintech to AI company—even executives are embracing digital transformation quite literally. |
✅Pre-Dawn Push: The House Budget Committee advanced Trump’s long-delayed “big, beautiful” tax plan in a pre-dawn vote, signaling renewed push for economic growth. |
✅ Campus Standoff: A federal judge blocked the Trump administration from "cutting off Harvard's enrollment" of foreign students—apparently even Ivy League admissions need judicial protection now. |
STATS
Because We Marketers are Obsessed with Numbers
71%: Percentage of social media marketers utilizing AI tools, with the same percentage noting that AI-generated content outperforms non-AI content. |
3.8%: Target’s overall sales fell 3.8% in Q1 2025 — citing struggles to attract necessity-driven shoppers. Meanwhile Walmart, which continues to gain from price-conscious consumers. |
35%: Percentage of respondents believe AI is critically important to the success of marketing over the next 12 months. 1.3 - 1.6%: Estimated growth in E-Commerce Growth, following the rate cuts in China, indicating investor confidence in consumer spending. |
FEEDBACK LOOP
ContactLoop is an integrated suite of lead generation & lead capture software that enables businesses to streamline, shorten, and scale their sales operations with data & experience driven workflows. To learn more about ContactLoop, click here. For further inquiries, email us at [email protected]