Ive Got It.

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

📱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).

🏃‍♂️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.

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