In today’s Digest, we discuss HP launching an ad network, OpenAI introducing in-app purchases in a revenue push and launching ChatGPT Agent, as well as  Meta directors settling an $8bn privacy lawsuit.

HP launching ad network 

HP is expanding beyond hardware with the launch of HP Media Network, a new advertising platform aimed at turning its massive global footprint into ad inventory. According to a pitch deck reviewed by Adweek, the tech company is targeting advertisers with the promise of direct access to consumers across more than 100 million HP devices, reaching a global monthly audience of 830 million people. In the US alone, HP claims to reach 160 million individuals across 19 million devices, figures it says grow by 2 million devices globally each month.

HP is betting that laptops, long considered utility hardware, can similarly serve as gateways for consumer attention and therefore, advertising dollars. According to Michael Gifis, founder and managing partner at Marcy Damn, “The future battle for attention will unfold where there is access to the consumer, and hardware is the entry point to any digital journey.”

OpenAI introduces in-app purchases in revenue push and launches ChatGPT agent 

OpenAI is moving to profit from product sales made through ChatGPT, as the company intensifies efforts to generate new revenue streams beyond subscriptions. The firm plans to take a commission on purchases completed within ChatGPT, according to people familiar with the initiative.

Currently, ChatGPT displays products with links to external retailers, but OpenAI is working on a model that would allow users to check out directly within the platform. This would keep transactions entirely in-app, with participating merchants paying a fee to OpenAI for each sale. In April, the company also announced a partnership with payments group Shopify, further signalling its e-commerce ambitions. Monetising in-chat purchases would open up a new income stream from free-tier users, an audience the company has yet to directly profit from.

OpenAI has also introduced a powerful new capability to ChatGPT that allows the AI to complete complex tasks from start to finish, using its own virtual computer. The ChatGPT “agent” enables the model to not only reason through problems but also take actions like navigating websites, analysing data, and producing deliverables such as slide decks and spreadsheets. The AI combines reasoning and action to manage complex workflows. 

Importantly, users retain full control. ChatGPT asks for permission before taking meaningful actions and allows users to pause, override, or stop tasks at any point.

Meta settles $8bn privacy lawsuit

Mark Zuckerberg with current and former Meta Platforms executives have agreed to settle a lawsuit seeking USD$8bn (£6.15bn) in damages over alleged failures to prevent repeated violations of Facebook users’ privacy.

The lawsuit, filed by Meta shareholders, named Zuckerberg, Meta board member Marc Andreessen, former Chief Operating Officer, Sheryl Sandberg, and other former directors. Plaintiffs had sought to hold them personally accountable for the billions Meta has paid in fines and legal settlements related to user privacy violations in recent years.

A lawyer for the defendants declined to comment. However, Jason Kint, CEO of the digital media trade group Digital Content Next, called the outcome “a missed opportunity for public accountability.”