Need to Know News - January 15th, 2026
In this week's Need to Know News edition:
🤖 Google's Universal Commerce Protocol lets AI agents complete purchases inside search... checkout happens before shoppers even leave the conversation.
🤖 LinkedIn's 2025 Labor Report reveals 1.3M new AI jobs created globally... a "new-collar era" that blends tech skills with human strengths.
🤖 Anthropic's new "Cowork" turns Claude into a file-organizing, spreadsheet-building assistant... non-coders finally get developer-level AI power.
And a whole lot more!
Anthropic Turns Claude Code Into a Tool Anyone Can Use
Developers kept using Claude Code for non-coding tasks. So Anthropic built something for everybody else. Cowork, which launched January 12 for Claude Max subscribers on macOS, lets users give Claude access to a folder on their computers, and then it will be able to read, edit or create new files within it on their behalf.
Some of the use cases Anthropic showcased include reorganizing downloads, turning receipt screenshots into expense spreadsheets, and producing first drafts from notes. Anthropic's head of Claude Code, Boris Cherny, said that "all" of Cowork was built with Claude Code, making it an example of "vibe coding."
Google Launches Universal Commerce Protocol, Business Agent, and Direct Offers
Google dropped three major tools for retailers at once. The Universal Commerce Protocol creates a common language for AI agents to handle shopping from discovery through post-purchase support. It was co-developed with Shopify, Walmart, Target, and Etsy, with endorsements from Visa, Mastercard, and Stripe.
Business Agent lets shoppers chat directly with brands on Search, like a virtual sales associate. Lowe's, Michael's, and Reebok are already live. And Direct Offers, a new Google Ads pilot, lets advertisers serve exclusive discounts to high-intent shoppers in AI Mode.
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AI Isn't 'Killing' Jobs, It's Fueling a 'New-Collar' Era, LinkedIn Says
With 1.3 billion users, LinkedIn has a bird's eye view of the labor market. And the picture is more nuanced than headlines suggest. The platform's new report found that hiring is 20% down from pre-pandemic levels, but that's due to macroeconomic factors, not AI replacement.
In fact, 1.3 million AI-related roles have been created globally, along with 600,000 data center jobs. LinkedIn calls this the "new-collar era," where tech skills blend with human strengths. Meanwhile, content creation is booming. The platform saw a 90% increase in members adding "creator" to their profiles between 2021 and summer 2025, and a 60% jump in "founder" titles year-over-year.
Microsoft Copilot Checkout Lets Shoppers Buy Without Leaving the Chat
Shopping journeys that include Copilot led to 53% more purchases within 30 minutes of interaction compared to those without. That stat helps explain Microsoft's new bet on agentic commerce. Copilot Checkout allows shoppers to make purchases directly within Copilot without redirecting to external sites. It works with partners including PayPal, Shopify, Stripe, and Etsy.
Shopify merchants will be automatically enrolled with an option to opt out. Microsoft is also rolling out Brand Agents for Shopify sites, allowing merchants to have an AI chat experience trained on their own product catalog.
McKinsey's Bob Sternfels: Three Human Skills AI Can't Replicate
AI saved McKinsey 1.5 million hours in search and synthesis last year. The firm's 25,000 AI agents have generated 2.5 million charts in six months. So what's left for humans? Global Managing Partner Bob Sternfels pointed to three skills at CES: aspiration, judgment, and true creativity.
Models can't set bold goals or get others to believe in them. They lack moral frameworks for right and wrong. And they predict the next likely step rather than making orthogonal leaps. Sternfels also noted that AI is changing hiring. Where someone went to school should matter less.
Toast IQ Brings AI Inventory and Pricing Tools to Food Retailers
Over 83% of food and beverage retail operators plan to increase their use of AI tools in 2026, according to Toast research. The company is leaning into that demand with new Toast IQ capabilities. Retailers can now ask questions in plain language about inventory and pricing. Want to know what needs restocking? Just ask. Curious which items are dragging down margins? Type that too.
Toast IQ can also take action directly, marking products out of stock or editing item descriptions from the chat interface. New platform updates also include AI invoice scanning that pulls data into receiving workflows and cloud-enabled scales.
Full Story
At CES 2026, Marketers Get Serious About Agentic AI, Creators, and Retail Media
Forget shiny gadgets. At CES 2026, marketers cared about execution. Agentic AI dominated the conversation, with NBCUniversal testing AI agents for media sales and the IAB Tech Lab releasing a roadmap for agentic buying.
- Reddit announced Max Campaigns, an AI-powered automated media buying tool that emphasizes transparency.
- Retail media networks pushed to expand beyond on-site placements. Albertsons and Kroger executives called for better measurement consistency across networks.
- Creators took center stage too. They're outgrowing the "influencer" label and moving into streaming and podcasting. As Lionsgate's Brad Haugen put it, they're "the next Spike Jonze or Sofia Coppola."
Reddit's Ad Revenue Growing Faster Than Any Platform's, Thanks to AI
Google Search isn't what it used to be. SEO slop and AI-generated overviews have pushed users toward a simple fix: adding "Reddit" to their queries. According to Search Engine Land, Google's AI overviews can cut organic traffic 15-64% depending on industry, and 60% of searches now result in zero clicks. Reddit is capturing that frustration.
Sensor Tower data shows U.S. ad spend on Reddit grew 46.3% from November 2024 to November 2025. That's more than double Instagram's growth rate, and more than five times TikTok's. Q2 2025 ad revenue hit $465 million. Reddit's next move? Building out Reddit Answers, its AI search tool, to become a true search destination.
Full Story
Walmart: This Year, AI Tinkering ‘Becomes Transformation’
"For the last year or two, we've been tinkering with it," says Daniel Danker, Walmart's EVP of AI acceleration. That's over. The retailer expects 2026 to deliver real shifts in how customers shop. Walmart's Sparky AI agent already recognizes when shoppers buy the same items weekly and can suggest reordering them. But Danker's vision goes deeper.
He wants AI to learn which products customers splurge on versus where they hunt for value, turning endless scrolling into personalized suggestions. Customer service and appointment reminders are already handled by the agent. Walmart also partnered with Google's Gemini, letting users keep their membership perks even when ordering through the AI platform.
Thanks for reading.
Until next time!
The AI Marketers
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