This week saw major developments in how AI agents are transforming the marketing world. These smart computer programs that can work independently are becoming powerful tools for businesses trying to reach and help their customers.

The most exciting announcement came from Google, which introduced something called Gemini 2.5 Computer Use. This AI is special because it can control a web browser just like a human would. It knows how to click on things, type information, and complete tasks that normally need a person to do them. The AI can look at what's on the screen, understand it, and then take the right actions to finish jobs like filling out forms or entering data into websites.

For people who work in marketing, this is a big deal because it means the AI could someday set up advertising campaigns automatically or research what other companies are doing. Instead of marketers spending hours on repetitive computer tasks, the AI agent can handle these jobs while the human workers focus on creative ideas and planning. Google says their AI works better than other similar programs at completing these kinds of tasks.

OpenAI, the company that makes ChatGPT, launched something groundbreaking this week too. They created an app store that lives inside ChatGPT. This means people can now use apps like Spotify for music, Zillow for finding houses, Canva for making designs, and Expedia for booking travel—all just by having a conversation with the AI. Instead of switching between different apps on your phone, you can ask ChatGPT to do things for you using natural language, like talking to a helpful friend.

This new feature is important for marketers because it creates a totally new way for businesses to connect with customers. With 800 million people using ChatGPT every week, companies now have access to a huge audience. Soon, developers will be able to create their own apps for this platform and even make money from them. This turns ChatGPT into a competitor for Apple's App Store and Google Play Store, but with conversations instead of scrolling through app lists.

The holiday shopping season is bringing more AI agent news too. Adobe, a major technology company, released predictions showing that AI use in shopping will explode by 520 percent during the 2025 holidays. They expect American shoppers to spend $253.4 billion online this year, which is 5.3 percent more than last year. The biggest shopping day, called Cyber Monday, will see $14.2 billion in sales all by itself.

What's driving this growth? People are turning to AI as a shopping assistant. Instead of searching through hundreds of products themselves, shoppers are asking AI to help them research items, find the best deals, and get gift ideas. The AI can quickly compare options and make suggestions based on what the person likes. More than half of all online shopping will happen on mobile phones—56 percent to be exact.

Retail marketers are learning they need to focus on AI-driven product discovery, personalized offers, and making sure their websites work great on phones. If their business isn't set up for AI assistants to find and recommend their products, they might miss out on lots of sales this holiday season.

Another interesting development this week involves OpenAI's Sora video app, which creates videos using AI. The app reached 1 million downloads in less than five days, even though it's only available by invitation and only works on iPhones. This shows how excited people are about AI that can make creative content. However, the app also ran into problems with Hollywood studios who were upset about AI using characters and voices that are protected by copyright. This reminds marketers that while AI is powerful, they need to be careful about legal issues when using AI-generated content.

At Advertising Week New York, which happened this week, marketing experts gave mixed opinions about how companies are using AI. While everyone agrees AI is important, not all businesses know the best way to use it yet. Scott Howe, who leads a company called LiveRamp, gave helpful advice. He said marketers should focus on two main things: what makes customers really happy and what causes customer problems. By concentrating on these specific goals instead of trying to use AI for everything, companies will see better results.

One success story came from Mars Inc., the candy company. They used AI to track how social media posts affected their sales. When the singer Justin Timberlake and swimmer Michael Phelps posted about Snickers ice cream on TikTok, Mars was able to use AI to measure exactly how much their sales went up because of those posts. In the past, they would have known the posts were good, but now they can see the exact impact on sales. This helps them make smarter decisions about their marketing.

Experts say that using AI well in marketing is becoming more like math and science than traditional creative advertising. Some speakers at the conference even had backgrounds in physics, showing how technical this field is becoming. But the message is clear: AI agents that can work independently are here to stay, and marketers who learn to use them effectively will have a big advantage over competitors who don't.