Holiday retail sales are up nearly 4.9% this season. "Giftology" author John Ruhlin shares his picks for the top trends in gifts for the 2017 holiday season.
The top trends this year include personalization, being locally made, artificial intelligence enabled selection, conscious capitalism, and practicality over novelty. Ruhlin says Amazon's launch of Marketplace is a great example of how the e-commerce giant is capitalizing on the growing popularity of personalization.
Shoppers spent more than $800 billion during this holiday season according to Reuters. Ruhlin says ultimately its the story that sells to consumers.
OpenAI has announced that ChatGPT will soon engage in "erotica for verified adults." CEO Sam Altman says the company aims to allow more user freedom for adults while setting limits for teens. OpenAI isn't the first to explore sexualized AI, but previous attempts have faced legal and societal challenges. Altman believes OpenAI isn't the "moral police" and wants to differentiate content similar to how Hollywood differentiates R-rated movies. This move could help OpenAI, which is losing money, turn a profit. However, experts express concerns about the impact on real-world relationships and the potential for misuse.
CNN is launching a new “All Access” streaming subscription in the U.S. on October 28th, priced at $6.99 a month, or just $69.99 if you sign up for a full year.
