Trending In AI

Are Shops Charging You A Personal Price?

USA

On 28 October the US Federal Trade Commission ordered nine companies, including Walmart, Target, Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, Instacart, Delta, United and JetBlue, to explain whether they use personal data such as your location, browsing history and income to set individual prices. The worry is that pricing software, including AI tools, could charge different shoppers different prices for the same thing. The FTC will use the answers for a study, and there were about 360 posts about personalized pricing on X this week, so it's worth comparing prices on another device or while logged out before you buy.

Source: CNBC: FTC demands Walmart, Uber, Delta and others hand over data on personalized pricing (28 Oct 2026). Read more on exonexo: Privacy and settings guides.

ChatGPT Tightens Safety Rules For Teens

On 30 October OpenAI said ChatGPT will place further limits on weapons-related information for teenagers and apply stricter limits when it predicts a user is under 18. It will also be able to end a chat automatically when someone seems fixated on harming others, and the changes roll out over the next few weeks. If your grandchildren use ChatGPT, its parental controls let a parent link accounts and get safety alerts.

Source: OpenAI: Community safety report and new protections for teens (30 Oct 2026). Read more on exonexo: Is ChatGPT safe?.

Nearly 4 In 10 British Singles Use AI For Dating

UK

A Match Group survey of 3,000 British singles, reported by the Guardian on 31 October, found 39% had used AI in their dating lives, for advice about someone, date ideas, writing a profile or checking whether a profile or photo is genuine. One 51-year-old told the paper a chatbot persuaded him to look again at a match he'd overlooked, who is now his partner. But about a third of UK singles would end a date if they found out AI had written the other person's messages, so use it for checks and ideas rather than to write for you.

Source: The Guardian: Is AI your new wingman? How chatbots are transforming dating (31 Oct 2026). Read more on exonexo: Is this a real person or an AI?.

Deepfake Celebrity Investment Scams Hit Over-60s

UK

On 27 October the UK's Report Fraud service said criminals stole £24.3 million between January and August 2026 using fake investment offers made more believable with AI, such as deepfake videos of famous people 'endorsing' a scheme. People aged 60 or over made nearly 80% of the 1,300-plus reports. If an advert shows a celebrity or a bank backing an investment, assume it's fake, never be rushed, and check the firm on the FCA Firm Checker first.

Source: Report Fraud: Warning after £24.3 million stolen through AI enabled investment endorsement schemes (27 Oct 2026). Read more on exonexo: Fake endorsements in ads.

Chrome Can Fill In Forms Using Details From Your Gmail

USA

From 28 October, Google Chrome in the USA can suggest details from your Gmail, such as order numbers, tracking information and flight bookings, while you fill in online forms. It uses Gemini and only works if you've switched on Personal Intelligence in Gemini in Chrome. It could save digging through your inbox, and you can turn it off or limit what it sees in your Chrome settings.

Source: Google: Chrome's enhanced autofill now pulls data from Gmail (28 Oct 2026). Read more on exonexo: Privacy and settings guides.

Gemini Can Now Make And Edit Documents In The Chat

Since 29 October you can ask the Gemini app to create a document, PDF, spreadsheet or slide deck and then edit it right there in the chat, typing changes yourself or highlighting a part and asking Gemini to change it. It's available to everyone, in every language the Gemini app supports; PDFs work on phones and computers, while Docs, Sheets and slides need the web version for now. It's handy for a letter, a club newsletter or a simple budget sheet.

Source: Google: Edit and preview documents directly in Gemini (29 Oct 2026). Read more on exonexo: Our guide to Gemini.

The New Siri AI Gets Smarter In iOS 27.2

Apple's 27.2 software updates, out since 26 October, bring its new Siri AI to more languages, including Spanish and French alongside English. Siri AI can find things across your messages, emails and photos, understand what's on your screen and help draft an email, and it's still labelled a beta. There were about 5,800 posts about Siri AI on X this week, and it needs an Apple Intelligence-capable iPhone, iPad, Mac or Watch, so check Settings, then General, then Software Update.

Source: Apple Newsroom: Siri AI is available in more languages starting today (26 Oct 2026). Read more on exonexo: Our guide to Siri and Apple Intelligence.

ChatGPT Can Now Connect To Your iCloud Mail And Calendar

Since 27 October you can let ChatGPT search and read your iCloud email, manage drafts, send email and add or change events in your iCloud Calendar, on every plan including the free one. You have to switch it on yourself and create a special app-specific password, so never type your normal Apple password into ChatGPT. There were about 1,150 posts about ChatGPT and iCloud on X this week, and if you'd rather keep your inbox private, simply leave it switched off.

Source: MacRumors: ChatGPT can now access your iCloud Mail and Calendar (27 Oct 2026). Read more on exonexo: Our guide to ChatGPT.

Google's AI Answers Are Eating Into Its Advert Money

On 28 October Google's owner Alphabet said its AI Mode, which answers search questions conversationally, was cutting into the money it makes from search adverts, and the next day about $500bn (£374bn) was wiped off its stock market value, the BBC reported. Google is now expanding adverts inside its AI search answers, and there were about 1,900 posts on X this week about AI Mode and ads. So look out for 'Sponsored' labels in AI answers, just as you would in ordinary search results.

Source: BBC News: Google value plunges by $500bn as its own AI search hits ad sales (29 Oct 2026). Read more on exonexo: Our guide to Google AI Mode.

UK Watchdog Investigates Meta Over Using Websites For AI

UK

On 30 October the UK's competition watchdog, the CMA, opened an investigation into Meta, owner of Facebook and Instagram, over business terms that could let it collect content from news publishers' and other businesses' websites to build its AI features, without them getting a real choice. Meta has paused the change while it consults industry groups, and no decision has been made yet. It's part of a wider argument over who gets to use people's work to build AI.

Source: GOV.UK: CMA opens investigation into Meta's commercial terms (30 Oct 2026). Read more on exonexo: Meta AI in WhatsApp and Facebook.

AI To Speed Up Planning Decisions For Extensions

UK

From 31 October, straightforward planning applications in England, such as a loft conversion or extension, are decided by expert planning officers instead of waiting for a committee, and an AI tool called PlanAssist is being tested in 15 councils. The government says early testing cut time spent on key tasks by 58% and aims to halve routine householder decisions from eight weeks to four, with officers still making every decision. There were about 370 posts about PlanAssist on X since the announcement, and the plan is to offer it to every council in England by the end of 2027.

Source: GOV.UK: Faster planning decisions as new rules and AI tackle delays (30 Oct 2026). Read more on exonexo: AI at work.