ChatGPT now serves product carousels, LinkedIn punishes AI slop
A handful of marketing and platform shifts landed this week that are worth tracking if you run ads, post on LinkedIn, or care about where creator revenue is heading.
OpenAI brings carousel ads to ChatGPT
OpenAI is rolling out a product carousel format for ChatGPT ads. Instead of the single-product unit that has run for the past five months, multiple products from one retailer can now appear in a single placement. The system pulls product data directly from retailer feeds, similar to Google’s Shopping feed. OpenAI’s platform decides whether to serve a single ad or a carousel. That choice is not left to advertisers. The mechanics are already built to support competing retailers in the same carousel.
LinkedIn is suppressing AI-generated posts
LinkedIn’s own embedded AI writing tools contributed to the flood of generic content the platform is now penalizing. Posts flagged as AI-generated keep visibility to direct connections but lose distribution through the recommendation engine. Posting more frequently now fills slots without adding reach. According to the analysis, the threshold is whether a post contains something only the author or their organization could provide: a client outcome, a first-party data point, or a specific internal observation. Using AI for research and drafting is fine. Using it as a substitute for the actual thinking is what gets flagged.
Gen Z and Gen Alpha: humor drives purchase intent
Snapchat’s study found 74% of Gen Z and Gen Alpha are more likely to consider buying from brands they find funny, and 83% pay more attention to those brands. The caveat: brands need to understand the context behind internet humor before joining trends. The content that lands best adds to existing conversations through irony and formats audiences can remix and share.
Topical authority and AI search citations
A new study found brands earned citations in 50% of distant topic categories but recommendations in only 25%, suggesting AI will cite broad expertise but reserve recommendations for brands that repeatedly cover their core topics. Shallow presence across many categories reduced brand mentions. The effect varies by industry. Finance and real estate brands can test adjacent category expansion using citations as an early signal. Legal and healthcare brands need repeat brand mentions before treating a new category as established.
Creators as media conglomerates
US brands will spend at least $21 billion on creators in 2026, nearly double the 2022 figure. Publishers’ revenue advantage over creator earnings has narrowed from 44% to roughly 26% over that same span. The biggest operators, led by MrBeast’s Beast Industries, are restructuring into parent companies spanning chocolate, toys, financial services, and a planned mobile carrier. They’re hiring CEOs from traditional media rather than running a single channel. The diversification hedges against any one line failing and reduces key-man risk, since buyers want a business that can run without its founder.
⚡ Quick notes
- Wispr Flow launched a Mac notetaker that captures meetings via system audio without joining the call. It transcribes in real time, cleans up notes, generates summaries and action items, and lets users query past meetings with AI.
- Google Maps added agentic features: food ordering through Square, Toast, or Uber Eats, plus hotel price comparison inside Ask Maps.
- American Eagle outperforms Gap in conversion and brand lift through celebrity marketing, while Gap’s nostalgia strategy delivers weaker results, according to brand tracking data.
I’m founder of BizStack at Cagri Sarigoz LLC and a passionate advocate for entrepreneurs.
With over 14 years in tech, marketing, and AI, including my role as Head of SEO at CitizenShipper and co-founder of TaleBot at Intale AI, I’m dedicated to sharing genuine, useful product insights and tips.
At BizStack, I aim to cut through the digital noise to provide clear, actionable advice.
And more than all else, I’m a father to a (always) little girl and a husband.
Contact me at [email protected] for assistance.
