Tech
Snapchat brings AI-powered conversational advertising to its app
Snapchat announced on Tuesday that it’s rolling out “AI Sponsored Snaps,” which will allow users to interact directly with brands’ AI agents. Sponsored Snaps are the ads placed directly into the app’s main Chat tab. Until now, users couldn’t interact with these ads, but with the launch of AI Sponsored Ads, they’ll be able to do things like ask questions and get recommendations.
Of course, not everyone will be on board with AI-sponsored ads, as they introduce AI into yet another part of the Snapchat experience. Plus, not everyone is eager for more advanced advertising.
However, Snapchat said in a blog post that its “community isn’t just open to AI in conversation, they’re already embracing it,” given that over half a billion users have messaged its AI chatbot since it launched in 2023.

“Conversation is becoming the most valuable real estate in advertising,” said Ajit Mohan, Chief Business Officer at Snap, in the blog post. “AI is accelerating that shift, turning chat into the place where people discover products, ask questions, and make decisions in real time. The real opportunity isn’t just putting ads into those environments, it’s designing formats that feel native to how people already talk.”
For brands, the new AI Sponsored Snaps give them access to Snapchat’s nearly one billion monthly active users. They can bring their own AI agents onto the platform to drive engagement and purchases.
Snapchat says the new format builds on the momentum of Sponsored Snaps, which already drive 22% more conversions with nearly 20% lower cost per action. With the new format, they can engage users through personalized, AI-powered interactions right where they’re already having conversations.
The company says 85% of users engage regularly in the Chat feed, and that users sent over 950 billion chats in Q1 2026 alone. Additionally, 57% of teen Snapchat users message others daily, including 4 in 10 who do so several times a day.
Techcrunch event
San Francisco, CA
|
October 13-15, 2026
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.
>
Tech
OpenAI’s new AI smart speaker will reportedly sell for between $300 and $400
More details continue to trickle out about OpenAI’s mysterious new hardware device — described previously as an AI-fueled smart speaker that will be the “physical manifestation” of ChatGPT.
Bloomberg now reports that the device will be “donut-shaped,” designed thusly to allow users to carry it around their home and place it in different locations, like a bedside table or a kitchen counter.
It will be constructed from “high-quality metal,” have a “premium look,” and (in a detail that mystifies) will have distinct “moving parts,” sources told Bloomberg.
It also could be slightly more expensive than your average smart speaker, perhaps $300 to $400 per unit, according to this report. For comparison, most of Amazon’s smart home speakers range in price from $40 on the low end to $240 on the high end.
So, to sum up: an expensive talking AI donut that has … moving parts? OpenAI releasing a smart home device has a certain logic to it, in that it would further integrate ChatGPT into users’ lives. However, historically speaking, smart speakers have not always been profitable and may prove a difficult market to break into. The potentially high price point also might not help.
The device, which is being developed in partnership with LoveFrom, the design studio founded by famous former Apple developer Jony Ive, will likely be released at some point in 2027, Bloomberg writes.
The company’s attempt to enter the hardware market has not gone off without a hitch. OpenAI is being sued by the current king of hardware, Apple, which has accused the AI lab of stealing trade secrets. OpenAI has denied wrongdoing.
>
Tech
Vietnam’s FPT Says It Joined OpenAI Partner Network to Expand Enterprise AI in APAC
Vietnam’s FPT is seeking a larger role in Asia-Pacific’s enterprise AI market through a newly announced relationship with OpenAI. The technology services company says it has joined the OpenAI Partner Network as a Select Partner.
FPT plans to bring OpenAI technology into its FleziPT enterprise AI ecosystem and Patch the Enterprise cybersecurity initiative. The proposed services would automate business workflows and help security teams identify, prioritize and remediate software vulnerabilities.
FPT announced the designation on Aug. 6, 2026, but OpenAI had not included the company in its public partner directory when checked that day. Neither company disclosed commercial terms, named customers, pricing or a deployment schedule.
FPT targets security and workflow automation
OpenAI launched its Partner Network on June 14, 2026, for consulting, technology and systems integration companies that build, sell and deploy services using its products. The network has three tiers: Select, Advanced and Elite.
OpenAI said it considers sales performance, technical capabilities, deployment experience and participation in joint sales efforts. It committed $150 million to the program and aims to train 300,000 certified consultants by the end of 2026.
Partner status provides access to training, technical resources and support, but it does not certify the security, performance or regulatory compliance of a partner’s products. Customers still need to evaluate each deployment independently.
FPT intends to incorporate OpenAI technology into Patch the Enterprise, its AI-assisted vulnerability-management initiative. FPT previously described Patch the Enterprise as a program that uses AI to analyze code and recommend fixes.
Other AI models for vulnerability triage can narrow searches for potentially affected code, but analysts must still validate their findings. FPT has not released performance tests or customer case studies for its proposed integrations.
The company also plans to develop AI agents and automated workflows through FleziPT. ChatGPT’s expansion into workplace tasks shows the controls organizations may need when agents can access files, applications and internal systems.
APAC deployments still require scrutiny
The announcement follows an FPT-commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting and published on July 8, 2026. The research surveyed 397 business and technology decision-makers.
Forty-one percent identified integration complexity as a barrier to operationalizing AI, while 38% cited data silos. The findings align with the implementation problems FPT is positioning its services to address, although the company funded the study.
Organizations evaluating the proposed services should establish where their data will be processed, who controls it and how long it will be retained. Source code, vulnerability findings, prompts, outputs and agent logs may be subject to privacy, security and cross-border transfer requirements that vary across APAC markets.
Customers should also restrict agent permissions and require human approval for consequential actions. Recent research has identified security gaps caused by excessive agent access across enterprise systems.
Procurement teams should request detection accuracy, false-positive rates, remediation results and compatibility details. Contracts should clearly assign responsibility among FPT, OpenAI and the customer.
FPT’s announcement offers APAC organizations another possible route to OpenAI deployment, but the first named customers, production results and OpenAI’s public confirmation will determine the partnership’s significance.
Read more: Organizations weighing regional hosting options can also examine how air-gapped Gemini deployments in India address data residency while leaving access controls, updates and auditability subject to customer review.
>
Tech
OpenAI’s new AI smart speaker will reportedly sell for between $300-$400
More details continue to trickle out about OpenAI’s mysterious new hardware device — described previously as an AI-fueled smart speaker that will be the “physical manifestation” of ChatGPT.
Bloomberg now reports that the device will be “donut-shaped,” designed thusly to allow users to carry it around their home and place it in different locations, like a bedside table or a kitchen counter.
It will be constructed from “high-quality metal,” have a “premium look,” and (in a detail that mystifies) will have distinct “moving parts,” sources told Bloomberg.
It also could be slightly more expensive than your average smart speaker, perhaps $300 to $400 per unit, according to this report. For comparison, most of Amazon’s smart home speakers range in price from $40 on the low end to $240 on the high end.
So, to sum up: an expensive talking AI donut that has … moving parts? OpenAI releasing a smart home device has a certain logic to it, in that it would further integrate ChatGPT into users’ lives. However, historically speaking, smart speakers have not always been profitable and may prove a difficult market to break into. The potentially high price point also might not help.
The device, which is being developed in partnership with LoveFrom, the design studio founded by famous former Apple developer Jony Ive, will likely be released at some point in 2027, Bloomberg writes.
The company’s attempt to enter the hardware market has not gone off without a hitch. OpenAI is being sued by the current king of hardware, Apple, which has accused the AI lab of stealing trade secrets. OpenAI has denied wrongdoing.
>
-
movies3 months agoSearch For Canadian TV Actor Stewart McLean Now Homicide Investigation
-
Fashion9 years agoThese ’90s fashion trends are making a comeback in 2017
-
Fashion9 years agoAccording to Dior Couture, this taboo fashion accessory is back
-
Fashion9 years agoModel Jocelyn Chew’s Instagram is the best vacation you’ve ever had
-
Fashion9 years agoYour comprehensive guide to this fall’s biggest trends
-
Fashion9 years ago9 Celebrities who have spoken out about being photoshopped
-
Fashion9 years agoEmily Ratajkowski channels back-to-school style
-
Fashion9 years agoA photo diary of the nightlife scene from LA To Ibiza
