Field Notes: Creators + Artificial Intelligence ✏️

Happy Sunday everyone! This newsletter is going out a day or two late because I needed a day to decompress from all things social. I was in Las Vegas for the Adobe Summit earlier this week, and it was my first official brand trip with other creators. We talked all things gen AI, agentic AI, and how the world of marketing and business will be impacted by it all.

It was like drinking from a firehose: so much information, so many great conversations, but I left the trip feeling like I needed more time to think about how I would incorporate the learnings into my daily life. This was my biggest takeaway from the summit: I don’t think I’m leveraging AI enough. And I know I’m not alone in this, as many other creators echoed similar sentiments. Of course, there are the basic ways that I’m currently using Chat GPT and Claude, but there’s an ocean of information and so many great tools that I’m not taking advantage of. And I want to be careful, as I think that there’s an important line between organic, human creativity and AI-generated creativity (this is an essay for another day because I have many thoughts about this.)

In the meantime, I challenge you to also think about how you can help level-up your own work via AI. This could be professionally (helping to provide summaries, research, information), or personally (giving you a grocery shopping list for the week and helping you to prioritize your to-do list). As I learn about new tools and tricks, I’ll share them with you guys via this newsletter. And if you find any tools that you love, share them with me so I can create a list of our favorites and share it for next week.

Hope you have a restful remainder of the weekend. -Sammi

Business, Economy & Culture🛍️📈💸

🤑 Accusations of Corporate Espionage Shake a Software Rivalry I created a video on this story yesterday. This story is SO juicy. Without spoiling it here, the situation includes a corporate spy, several months of covert sabotage, and it’s truly movie-worthy content. (nyt)

📺️ A Former Child Star is Taking on the Dark Side of Utah’s Mommy Bloggers The Mormon mom to social media star pipeline is strong. The Ruby Franke scandal has inspired the state to take action- Utah’s governor is expected to sign a bill that would make Utah the first red state among a handful of others that have passed laws extending the rights of child TV stars to child internet stars. (wsj)

🛋️ Why You’ll Want a ‘Listening Room,’ Designed to Help You Put Down Your Phone The concept of 'listening rooms' is gaining traction, developing spaces designed to encourage individuals to disconnect from digital devices and immerse themselves in high-quality audio experience. 📵🎧 (wsj)

📊 Taco Bell Parent Yum Brands Partners with Nvidia to Speed Up its Use of AI Yum Brands, owner of Taco Bell, KFC, and Pizza Hut, is collaborating with Nvidia to integrate AI technologies across its restaurants. Plans include deploying AI-powered voice ordering at drive-thrus and utilizing computer vision to improve order accuracy and efficiency. This initiative aims to enhance customer experience and streamline operations. 🌮🤖 (cnbc)

🚫 The Owner of Ben & Jerry’s and Magnum is Ditching its Sweetest Business as America Falls Out of love With Ice Cream Unilever, the owner of popular ice cream brands like Ben & Jerry's and Magnum, is considering divesting its ice cream sector. This move comes as Americans' preferences shift, leading to a decline in traditional ice cream consumption. 🍦📉 (sherwood)

👟 Inside Puma’s New Brand Positioning and Largest Global Campaign to Date Puma is redefining sports with "Go Wild," its largest global campaign, shifting focus from elite performance to fun, self-expression, and community. Backed by research on consumer behavior, Puma is boosting marketing spend by 40% to fuel this fresh brand positioning. 🚀🎯 (retail dive)

🐾 As China’s Birth Rate Drops, Pampered Pets Reap the Benefits With China's declining birth rate, disposable income is increasingly being spent on pets. This trend has led to a booming pet industry with “pet kindergartens” as more individuals and families invest in the care and pampering of their furry friends to meet their emotional needs. 🐶🇨🇳( bloomberg)

📉 Forever 21 Files for Bankruptcy for Second Time in Six Years Fashion retailer Forever 21 has filed for bankruptcy protection for the second time within six years. The company continues to face challenges in adapting to the evolving retail landscape and consumer preferences. 🛍️⚠️ (wsj)

🔥 Coach's Owner Tapestry Files Trademark Infringement Suit Against Shein Tapestry, the parent company of Coach, has initiated a trademark infringement lawsuit against fast-fashion retailer Shein. The suit alleges unauthorized use of designs, highlighting ongoing tensions between luxury brands and fast-fashion companies. 👜⚖️ (wwd)

🤼‍♂️ Millennials and Gen Z Are Fighting Again. This Time About Gym Clothes. A generational debate has emerged between Millennials and Gen Z over appropriate gym attire. Differing fashion preferences and cultural values over tight gym attires or “baggier ensembles” have sparked discussions about style and functionality in workout clothing. 🏋️‍♂️👖(nyt)

👜 In a Market of Copycats, Handbag Innovators Stand Out With knockoffs everywhere, handbag designers are getting creative to stay ahead. Alaïa’s Teckel, Lemaire’s Croissant, and Prada’s Buckle bag are redefining style with bold, distinctive shapes. Continuous innovation is essential to sustain success and avoid fading after a single breakthrough.👛🚀 (bof)

📱Why Oracle Could Be Key to a TikTok Deal Oracle is once again at the center of TikTok’s survival in the U.S., with a new proposal that could keep the app running while easing national security concerns. The tech giant may offer security assurances and take a stake in a U.S.-based TikTok entity. This move builds on their 2020 partnership, when Oracle became TikTok’s secure cloud provider amid government scrutiny. 🔑🇺🇸 (bloomberg)

🍪 Chips and Cookies Have Gotten Too Expensive. Shoppers are Buying Less Rising prices of snacks like chips and cookies have led consumers to reduce their purchases. Inflation and increased production costs are contributing factors, prompting shoppers to seek more affordable alternatives or cut back on indulgent items. 🍪💲(cnn)

Concept of the Week: Customer Churn Rate🧠

Customer churn rate is the percentage of customers who stop using a product or service within a specific period. It’s a critical metric for businesses, especially in subscription-based models, SaaS, and e-commerce, as it directly impacts revenue, growth, and long-term stability.

Venture Capital, Innovation & Entrepreneurship💰🌍💼

🚀 Klarna Lands Buy Now, Pay Later Deal with DoorDash, Notching Another Win Ahead of IPO Klarna, the Swedish buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) firm, has teamed up with DoorDash to offer flexible payment options for food deliveries. Customers can now choose to pay in full or split payments into four interest-free instalments. This collaboration aims to enhance convenience for users, allowing them to manage their expenses more flexibly when ordering meals and other essentials through DoorDash. 🍔💳 (cnbc)

💰 Google Buys Wiz for $32B to Beef Up In Cloud Security Google's parent company, Alphabet, is acquiring Israeli cloud security startup Wiz for $32 billion in cash. This strategic move aims to bolster Google's cloud security offerings and compete more effectively with rivals like Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure. 🛡️☁️💰 (tech crunch)

🚗 Nvidia, GM Announce Deal for AI, Factories and Next-Gen Vehicles Nvidia and General Motors (GM) have announced a collaboration to integrate advanced AI technologies into vehicle manufacturing and next-generation vehicles. This partnership aims to enhance factory automation and develop sophisticated driver-assistance systems, signaling a significant shift towards AI-driven automotive innovation. 🤖🚗🔧(cnbc)

🩺 Dr. Peter Attia's $7,500 a Year Biohacking Attracted Silicon Valley. Now He's Betting on The Wealthy Elite of New York City After building a cult following in Silicon Valley, longevity expert Dr. Peter Attia is bringing his high-priced biohacking program to New York’s wealthy elite. For $7,500 a year, members get elite diagnostics, personalized health plans, and cutting-edge longevity science—maybe ageing is optional when you can afford it? 🏃‍♂️🩺🚀 (fortune)

Resources/Links 🌶️🧥

👘 Thread Up Resale Report Juicy, information-packed takeaways about the state of resale. (thred up)

🍿Netflix’s Origin Story: How the Streamer Killed Blockbuster Video, Snagged ‘House of Cards’ From HBO and Changed Hollywood Forever Netflix's journey from a DVD rental service to a streaming giant revolutionized the entertainment industry. By outmaneuvering Blockbuster and securing original content like 'House of Cards,' Netflix set new standards for content consumption, leading to Hollywood's digital transformation. This article walks us through Netflix’s journey from the get-go! 🎬📉 (variety)

💡The Most Innovative Companies in Retail for 2025 Fast Company highlights the top retail innovators of 2025, showcasing brands that are redefining the shopping experience through technology, sustainability, and customer engagement. These companies set new benchmarks in the evolving retail landscape. ​🛍️🚀 (fast company)

🎧The Surprising Thing I Learned from Quitting Spotify After leaving Spotify due to interface issues and ads, the author discovered the platform's personalized algorithm was irreplaceable. This experience underscores the powerful role of tailored recommendations in user satisfaction. 🎧❌ (vox)

🏨 Architecting Desire: How Retail-Hospitality Hybrids are Changing Consumption The fusion of retail and hospitality is reshaping consumer behavior by creating immersive shopping experiences. These hybrids encourage longer stays (dwell times) and increased spending, altering traditional consumption patterns. 🏬🏨 (future commerce)

💍 The IKEA Marriage Test Before You Marry Someone Navigating IKEA's maze-like stores and assembling its furniture have become modern relationship rites of passage, humorously dubbed the 'IKEA Marriage Test.' These experiences can reveal compatibility and teamwork skills between partners.​ 🛋️❤️

🌍 Beli Beli is a social app that allows users to track, share, and discover restaurants. By creating organized lists and maps of dining experiences, users can see where friends are eating and receive personalized recommendations, enhancing their culinary adventures. 🍽️📱

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