In today’s Digest, we cover OpenAI setting a $200,000 minimum spend for ChatGPT advertising, Alibaba’s Qwen heating up the AI app race, and Sky research suggesting the UK could fully shift to internet TV in the 2030s.

OpenAI sets $200,000 spend for ChatGPT Advertising

OpenAI has begun asking a small group of advertisers to commit a minimum spend of USD$200,000 (£148,000) as it tests advertising on ChatGPT, the company has confirmed. The initiative is being run as a tightly managed beta, with participation limited to a select number of brands. According to an OpenAI spokesperson, the restricted rollout is intentional and designed to assess which types of advertising deliver meaningful value to users within the ChatGPT experience.

Alibaba’s Qwen heats Up AI App

Alibaba Group Holding has joined China’s biggest tech players in deploying Spring Festival red-packet promotions to accelerate consumer uptake of its AI offerings, pledging 3bn yuan (£320 m) to stimulate spending across its digital ecosystem.The e-commerce and AI group said that its AI app, Qwen, will sit at the centre of a Lunar New Year campaign spanning platforms including Taobao, Shangou, Fliggy, Damai, Amap and Freshippo. Promotions will feature cash rewards and lottery-style free purchases.

The company said the initiative aims to encourage users to explore “new AI-enabled lifestyles”, with the campaign set to launch on 6th February.

Sky research says UK could fully shift to internet TV in 2030s

The UK could transition entirely to internet-delivered television during the 2030s, leaving only a small minority of households requiring additional support, according to independent research commissioned by Sky. The study by Oliver & Ohlbaum Associates suggests that around 330,000 homes, roughly 2.2% of UK households, would need targeted assistance to complete the shift, provided the Government sets out a clear timetable and invests in measures to address digital exclusion.

Based on a nationally representative survey of 1,000 viewers, alongside consumer workshops and expert interviews, the Stream On: The Future of UK TV report finds that the vast majority of viewers have already embraced streaming, with 94% of adults having internet access at home and 92% using video-on-demand services.