In today’s Digest, we cover Apple and the EU holding talks over Siri’s AI rollout, DeepSeek introducing peak-hour API pricing amid China’s AI price war, and Amazon reporting that AI-referred purchases have doubled. 

Apple & EU hold Siri AI talks

Tim Cook and Henna Virkkunen held talks on Tuesday as Apple and the European Union seek to ease tensions over the launch of Apple’s next-generation Siri AI assistant. According to an EU spokesperson, the meeting involved a constructive exchange on issues of mutual interest, with discussions continuing between the two sides.

A key focus of the talks was reportedly how Apple can launch its AI-enhanced Siri in Europe without breaching the bloc’s Digital Markets Act (DMA). Apple has argued that uncertainty around DMA compliance has delayed the service’s European rollout, while the EU maintains its rules are intended to ensure greater competition in digital markets. The outcome of the discussions could be significant for Apple’s broader AI strategy, as investors increasingly view the new Siri as central to the company’s competitiveness in the AI race.

DeepSeek introduces peak-hour API pricing

DeepSeek is introducing peak-hour surcharges for access to its AI models through its application programming interface (API), marking a shift from the aggressive pricing strategy that helped spark China’s AI price war. The company will double API prices for its V4 models during peak usage periods, 9am to noon and 2pm to 6pm Beijing time, with the cost of its V4 Pro model rising from 6 yuan (£0.67) to 12 yuan (£1.33) per million output tokens.

DeepSeek said the new pricing is intended to improve resource allocation and maintain service stability during periods of high demand. 

Amazon doubles AI-referred purchases

AI-generated product recommendations are playing an increasingly important role in online shopping, with AI-referred purchases on Amazon doubling year-on-year, according to new data from Datos, a Semrush business owned by Adobe. Consumers are increasingly using AI assistants such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and Amazon’s Rufus to discover products before completing purchases.

The report found AI-generated traffic grew between 45% and 60% over the past year, although it remains around one-tenth the volume of traditional search traffic. ChatGPT continues to lead AI platform usage, accounting for 38% of usage in the US and 44% across Europe and the UK, while Gemini has nearly tripled its market share over the same period. 

The study also found AI is increasingly influencing multiple stages of the customer journey, from product research and comparison to post-purchase support, highlighting its growing role in digital commerce.