In today’s ExchangeWire news digest: Google rolls out Universal Cart, its AI shopping tool, in the US ahead of the holiday season, Universal Music Group launches layoffs and an executive shake-up across the US and UK, and Apple and Meta team up on an open AI model built for Mac

Google rolls out AI shopping cart 

Google has begun rolling out Universal Cart in the US, a shared shopping cart that lets users save products from multiple retailers in one place. First previewed at I/O in May, the tool is available through the Gemini app and Google Search’s AI Mode, with items added in either place landing in the same cart. Google plans to extend it to Gmail and YouTube but has not given a timeline.

The cart tracks saved items for price drops and restocks, shows promo codes it finds, and lets users pay through Google Wallet or move items to a retailer’s own cart to check out there. Paired with Wallet, it can also suggest the best saved credit card to use. 

Universal Music Group cuts jobs and reshuffles leadership 

Universal Music Group is carrying out wide-ranging layoffs across its US and UK operations, with several senior executives among those leaving, according to Variety. The cuts are expected to land on Wednesday and Thursday this week, following a dozen layoffs at UMG’s Canadian arm late last month, and continue a restructuring first announced in January 2024. Rebecca Allen, a 27-year company veteran, has announced she is stepping down as Chief Artist and Strategy Officer, a role she took on only in December.

Sources say Def Jam Records Chairman-CEO Tunji Balogun and Interscope executives Sam Riback and Nicole Wyskoarko will also depart, with Balogun expected to stay through year-end to help with the transition. Republic Records chairman and co-CEO Jim Roppo is reportedly moving to Warner Records, though neither company has confirmed this. Several remaining executives across Republic, Mercury, Island and Interscope-Geffen-A&M will take on broader roles, with details to be announced.

Apple and Meta team up on open AI model 

Apple and Meta have jointly announced Muse Spark Open, a downloadable open-weight version of Meta’s latest AI models, optimised to run on Apple’s Mac Studio desktops. Meta describes it as its most capable open model to date, aimed at coding and at powering AI agents that can carry out complex tasks on their own. It is being released under limited commercial terms that let many developers use it free of charge.

Apple said a cluster of two to four Mac Studios with its new M5 Ultra chip can handle the most advanced models, and it is pointing to the privacy benefits of running AI locally rather than in the cloud. Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg credited the work to a collaboration with Apple’s new chief executive, John Ternus, who took over in September.