Ever wished you could leave your mark on the world? Millions already are - one pixel at a time. On Wplace, users are turning a world map into a living canvas, building a chaotic, collaborative mural in real time. It’s digital graffiti meets geopolitics, where national pride, anime fandoms, and internet memes serve as proof that everyone wants to leave something behind.
Scroll down to read about AI in artwork, AI in politics, and (you guessed it) AI in Hollywood. Is anything real anymore?
Stats to power your week
🎥 46% say an original story is the biggest draw for going to the cinema - a hopeful sign for fresh scripts. But here’s the twist: the rest of the box office is still dominated by sequels, remakes, and recognizable IP. A third of moviegoers say familiar characters seal the deal, and a quarter are drawn to sequels or remakes. Originality might sell tickets, but nostalgia fills theatres. GWI Zeitgeist
🎨 86% of consumers agree that artwork made by humans feels more meaningful. Just 35% believe AI can create “real” art, and even fewer (8%) feel confidentthat they’d be able to spot it. Even if they can’t spot what’s real, they know what they want to be. GWI Zeitgeist
🛍️ Top categories this Black Friday? Clothes, personal care, and smartphones are leading the charge - but the data shows we shop differently for others than we do for ourselves. Electronics are 18% more likely to be gifted than self-bought, while books and films see a 27% jump. Expect heartfelt paperbacks and slightly off-brand gadgets under the tree this year. GWI Zeitgeist
🦁 The Lionesses’ EURO 2025 win is still sending ripples through football. As the men’s EFL season kicks off, players from the squad are being recognized by the clubs they’ve long supported. For many, it’s a sign that the women’s game is finally getting the recognition it deserves, as 52% of European fans want to see more media coverage. GWI Zeitgeist
What’s on our radar
We know AI can analyze data, generate images, and churn out text (with a few em dashes sprinkled in for good measure), but how about running a country? Sweden’s Prime Minister has caused a stir by getting a second opinion from ChatGPT, while the UK’s Mark Sewards has created the “first AI prototype of a British MP” to speak to constituents on his behalf.
UK festival The Warehouse Project are looking to implement a mobile phone ban at their events this year, part of a growing trend to push party-goers to ditch the screen and live in the moment.
In a battle of the bots, OpenAI just scored a win over Elon Musk’s xAI. Its o3 model beat Grok 4 in a head-to-head chess tournament - a small win, but a symbolic one in Silicon Valley’s AI showdown.
Roku has launched Howdy, a new low-cost ad-free streaming service for content lovers looking after their budgets. As streaming giants pile on premium tiers and password crackdowns, Roku’s back-to-basics model could win over users tired of rising costs and overcomplicated plans.
Universal Pictures is taking a stand against big tech, adding a disclaimer stating that their films are not to be used to train AI models. As the debate over data scraping and intellectual property intensifies, this move reflects a growing push from content creators to protect their work from being repurposed by generative tools - often without permission, payment, or even awareness.
Chart of the week
At the end of last year, accuracy topped the list of improvements users wanted from AI tools. Now? Priorities have shifted. Creative and emotional features are climbing fast; image generation is up by 17 points, empathy by 13, and music or speech generation by 13. Meanwhile, traditionally prized features like accuracy, idea generation, and especially creative writing are falling out of favor - the latter dropping by a full 20 points.
It’s a clear signal that as users grow more familiar with AI’s analytical capabilities, they’re turning their attention to more expressive, human-like functions - and expecting their tools to not just work, but connect, create, and even care.
Case in point: OpenAI’s new GPT-5 is out, and it’s caused a bit of a stir amongst users. The ChatGPT subreddit has expressed grievance with the personality change from 4o, from requests in the AMA with Sam Altman to re-enable access to the previous model, to memes showcasing the difference in the two personalities. We know that over a third of AI users want their chatbots to be friendly, and nearly 1 in 5 are looking for empathy - so for those developing deeper relationships with AI, these factors will only become more important.
🔥 Hot take
Punchy perspectives, with data that nudges the narrative
“EV brands should ease up on the sustainability talk”
Electric car brands might be selling sustainability, but that’s not necessarily what consumers are buying. Yes, 41% of car buyers say eco-friendliness is one of the biggest perks of EVs, but when it comes to actually buying a car, even more (47%) say maintenance costs are important, compared to just 15% who prioritize CO₂ emissions. What buyers value and how EVs are marketed don’t always align.
But the truth is, EVs do seem to have low maintenance costs. A fleet vehicle operator named Tusker crunched the numbers and found that EVs cost 40% less to maintain than gas or diesel cars; that message just needs to reach consumers.
More from GWI
Ever wondered what really changes when you get married? We’ve got the data
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