A whole host of slang, like “skibidi”, has been added to the Cambridge dictionary. You’d think that a proper definition would clear up the word’s meaning, but we’re left just as lost.
Scroll down to read about AI influencers and anime streaming taking flight.
Stats to power your week
🤖 ChatGPT’s meteoric rise continues: 46% year-on-year, to be exact. 27% of consumers globally now use the tool, more than Wikipedia, Zoom, Snapchat, and Prime Video. GWI Core
📱As much as the discourse over Sydney Sweeney’s American Eagle ad would have you think otherwise, celebrity endorsements aren’t moving the needle like they once did. The number of Americans who find out about new brands and products this way has fallen 18% year-on-year. There’s been a similar decrease in the number who pay attention to what celebrities and influencers are wearing for fashion inspiration. GWI USA
💆 26% more consumers are using a meditation tool on a weekly basis than were last year, as more are trying to balance their life and curate their calm. This comes with a 12% increase in the number who say that social media causes them anxiety over the same period. GWI Core
🎮 Roblox continues to show that it’s not just for kids, as the gaming platform has grown 18% year-on-year. GWI Core
📰 The number of Americans who use social media to read news stories has increased 16% year-on-year, as has the number who follow journalists and news companies (+14%). Social media continues to be an increasingly important touchpoint for Americans to understand the world at large, but the number who think that it helps them feel more connected to other people has decreased 10%. GWI USA
What’s on our radar
AI is causing mass disruption in the tech industry, particularly when it comes to the entry level job market - with wider consequences predicted. But as scaling of AI capabilities is appearing to slow with additional updates to models, many have started to question whether AGI will be possible at all.
A proposed California bill would seek to improve transparency, requiring police reports to disclose their use of AI, while insurance companies in the US are increasingly using the technology to auto-deny claims.
AI influencers are in full swing, as the likeness of others is being used to sell supplements on TikTok.
Delta airlines have partnered with anime streaming platform Crunchyroll to bring their content exclusively to the airline.
The online safety act in the UK is already seeing results. Traffic to pornographic websites is down, but the wider ramifications are now coming to light. Data privacy is in the spotlight, from end-to-end encryption being at risk, to Wikipedia losing their battle against requiring verification to access their information. And this policy is causing a domino effect: in the US, states are beginning to roll out their own age verification laws, while YouTube has created an AI tool to estimate ages and restrict child accounts.
Chart of the week
There’s a lot of talk around Gen Z drinking habits, and how they’re drinking less. Many thumb it down to cost of living, or that some of their formative drinking years took place during the pandemic. Yes, the number of Gen Z in the UK who drink non-alcoholic beer has more than doubled since 2020, but we’ve also seen increases in the number who drink beer, wine, and spirits at least monthly.
The fact of the matter is, this idea that Gen Z don’t drink has been vastly overblown. The main difference is in the frequency of their drinking. While for older generations, after work drinks on a weekly basis may be the norm, younger consumers are a bit more selective. While the number of UK Gen Z who drink more than once a week has decreased 29% since 2020, the number that drink once a month has increased 20%. “Everything in moderation” really rings true with the younger consumer.
🔥 Hot take
Punchy perspectives, with data that nudges the narrative
“Boys need 'you can be anything' pep talks too”
We’ve spent decades telling girls “the sky’s the limit” and to challenge gender stereotypes - from Alway’s #LikeAGirl campaign to Microsoft’s Make What's Next content. Loads of programs and investment have gone into getting them into STEM jobs too, and it’s paying off.
But boys haven’t had the same push, and it shows: 37% of them believe boys can do any job they want, compared to 54% of girls believing they can do anything.
Roles viewed as “feminine” can feel off-limits to boys, which could be a bigger problem in light of today’s online “manosphere”. Lower university attendance and weaker literacy rates than girls could see them increasingly cluster around specific blue-collar roles - unless more support is directed their way.
