With our latest release of GWI USA data, we have the answer to a question many have entertained: who’s most interested in signing up for the United States Space Force? Turns out people working in fashion are at the front of the queue. We’re not surprised – the uniforms are pretty tasty, and they’re no strangers to a runway.
Scroll down to read about Rickrolling ChatGPT, the return of Chatroulette, and Rayman as you’ve never seen him before.
Stats to power your week
🛍️ Almost a year since ChatGPT launched, we’re starting to think more about what role AI might play in the purchase journey. More use cases are springing up where the tech is used as a kind of personal shopper, but the most popular might be one of the most banal – over half of consumers would consider using an AI chatbot to do price comparisons. GWI Zeitgeist
⚽ Some of the biggest trends happening in the US right now are courtesy of one man: Lionel Messi. Following his signing for Inter Miami, year-on-year the number of online soccer viewers has increased 25%, Apple TV subscribers are up 30%, MLS viewers are up 33%, and the number interested in his team is up by over300%. Now that’s what we call the GOAT effect. GWI USA
👜 The data sets just keep on coming here at GWI (you’re welcome). Our latest is GWI Luxury, a deep-dive into all things haute couture. So how do Gen Z pin down something so famously hard to define? The most distinctive ways they describe luxury are “ethical” and “detailed”, but as with all generations, there’s one term they agree defines it more than anything else – “expensive”. GWI Luxury
🏥 The UK government is currently holding an inquiry on women’s reproductive health, which has shown just how many challenges women face in getting proper diagnosis and treatment. Over in the US, only 18% of women who experience chronic premenstrual pain see a doctor about it, compared to 57% who will get their back, muscle, or joint pain looked at. GWI USA
🏀 The NBA tipped off yesterday with its first games of the season. With the help of some clever marketing in recent years, it’s captured an audience of young sports fans – in fact, more 16-24s globally follow it than the English Premier League. GWI Sports
What’s on our radar
Paying for historically free platforms like YouTube is becoming more normalized, with users getting less shy about upgrading to Premium. It’ll be interesting to see if they think the same about TikTok or X’s new plans.
As BeReal reminded us last year, colleges are the place to keep an eye on for the next trending app. And right now, the kids on campus seem to be having fun with Lapse, which replicates a disposable camera, and Wizz, a kind of Gen Z Chatroulette.
It sounds like far-out science fiction, but AI tech is getting closer to reading your mind. Meta’s tech can now interpret images based on brain activity, while one startup hopes to use AI to encourage lucid dreaming.
This year’s Barbie movie showed corporations are becoming more comfortable and playful with how their IP is depicted on screen. Ubisoft’s new animated series Captain Laserhawk pushes those boundaries even further.
The last week or so has seen more tools emerge that put the brakes on AI, or help moderate it. A new service blocks scrapers from websites and essentially Rickrolls them, while OpenAI is on the cusp of releasing a tool to detect images made with DALL-E.
Meanwhile in Asia, there are some clues to how AI might become more embedded in day-to-day life, and how people may react. A beverage commercial using an AI-generated actress has received mixed reviews, Korean Christians are turning to AI for prayer, and the Philippines’ largest TV network is experimenting with virtual newscasters.
The secondhand clothes trade is facing increasing pushback, with African governments saying the business amounts to dumping and undermines the growth of local textile industries. Uganda’s leader wants a ban.
Chart of the week
With Halloween next week, we want to make sure you’re prepared for the knocks on your door – wherever in the world you may be.
The Italians show a taste for the finer things, with almost 7 in 10 enjoying Lindt chocolate. Those in the UK and Germany most prefer a local brand (Cadbury and Milka respectively), while French and Spanish trick-or-treaters would be happy to see the ambassador greet them with a pyramid of gold-wrapped Ferrero Rocher. We hope you’ve got a big tray handy.
Local lowdown
Indonesia’s Olympic breakthrough
Indonesia has never picked up a medal for gymnastics at the Olympics. In fact, they’ve never even qualified to compete in it. This seems unusual when you dig into our data, as almost a quarter of Indonesians take part in the sport – comfortably ahead of any other country.
This may have something to do with the demographic – as we see in some other countries, it’s actually older groups who are most likely to take gymnastics up.
Still, we may see Indonesia’s pedigree come through at the Olympics next year, as Rifda Irfanaluthi will become the first person to represent her country in the event. We’ll limber up our clapping hands now.
