Need to Know News - October 2nd, 2025
In this week's Need to Know News edition:
🤖 OpenAI's insane "cameo" feature that clones your face and voice from one video... then drops YOU into any AI scene it creates.
🤖 The costly mistake 79% of companies are making with AI right now... and the new term for the useless content that's creating more work, not less.
🤖 Klaviyo's new AI that builds entire email campaigns, flows, and signup forms by simply studying your URL... then keeps generating fresh ideas every week on autopilot.
And a whole lot more!
Claude Sonnet 4.5 Has Arrived
Anthropic's latest flagship AI model is here - Claude Sonnet 4.5, calling it the world's best coding model. It leads SWE-bench Verified for real-world software tasks and maintains focus for over 30 hours on complex projects. On computer use benchmarks, it jumped from 42.2% to 61.4% in just four months.
The company also launched the Claude Agent SDK, giving developers the same infrastructure that powers Claude Code. Pricing stays at $3/$15 per million tokens. Max subscribers get five days of early access to "Imagine with Claude," where the AI generates custom software in real-time.
OpenAI's Sora 2 Generates Video, Sound, and Your Digital Twin
OpenAI just released Sora 2, which the company calls "the GPT-3.5 moment for video." The model generates physically accurate videos—basketballs bounce realistically, gymnasts perform triple axels. It also creates synchronized dialogue and sound effects. A standout feature called "cameos" lets users upload a short recording and insert themselves into any AI-generated scene with accurate voice and appearance.
OpenAI launched a new iOS app around this feature. It's designed to maximize creation over consumption. ChatGPT Pro users get access to Sora 2 Pro, a higher-quality experimental version. The free app starts rolling out in the U.S. and Canada today.
🚀 Missing One of These 5 Essential 'Copy Blocks' Could Cost You A Fortune!
Two $100+ million copywriters discovered what REALLY drives conversions—5 simple building blocks arranged in a specific order. This framework is so powerful that beginners are generating 5-figure profits with it. And you can learn the full system in just 33 minutes.
Discover All 5 'Copy Blocks' Now
Meta Launches Free AI Sales Agent for Small Businesses
Meta announced Business AI, a free sales agent that handles customer chats across WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, Facebook ads, and now your website It learns from your posts and campaigns, then talks to customers 24/7
Early results look promising. Beauty brand Julep saw a 13% jump in return on ad spend, while travel company Solgaard got 6x higher sales rates. The tool is free for ads and costs less than competitors for websites. Soon, Meta plans to unify everything so one agent runs across all your channels.
A New Buzzword is Hanging Over Businesses As They Rush Into AI
Companies are rushing into AI and paying the price. An Asana report surveyed over 9,000 workers and found 79% of companies expect "AI debt" from bad rollouts. The problems include security risks, poor data, and useless AI content that creates busywork.
Researchers call it "workslop" - AI writing that looks good but says nothing. Forty percent of U.S. desk workers have dealt with it. Meanwhile, AI use jumped to 70% in 2025, but worker burnout hit 84%. Experts say companies need to test small before going big.
TikTok Launches Travel Ads With Clickable Booking Cards
TikTok just launched Travel Ads, a new ad format built just for hotels, flights, and travel brands. The ads show clickable travel cards with prices, ratings, and flight info. Users can swipe through up to 10 cards per ad.
The format uses AI to match high-intent travelers with relevant offers based on their browsing habits. Travel content is already huge on TikTok. It's watched by 84% of users monthly. Expedia Group is already testing it across Expedia, Vrbo, and Hotels.com.
Klaviyo's New AI Agent Builds Entire Campaigns in Minutes
Marketing campaigns now write, design, and launch themselves. Klaviyo's new Marketing Agent is an AI that creates email campaigns, automated flows, and signup forms without needing prompts. You paste in your URL and it learns your brand voice. Then it generates a full marketing plan in minutes.
The AI stays on brand automatically by studying your past campaigns and brand guidelines. It keeps working after launch too. Marketing Agent adds fresh campaign ideas every week and will soon run optimization tests on autopilot. Marketers still review and approve everything before it goes live.
One-Third of Shoppers Will Use AI for Holiday Shopping
One in three shoppers will use AI to hunt for holiday deals this year. A UserTesting survey of 4,000 consumers found they want help with gift ideas, price comparisons, and spotting good deals. Younger shoppers are all in. Fifty-six percent of Gen Z and 50% of millennials plan to use AI tools.
Shoppers stay wary though. They worry about data privacy, scams, and losing the human touch. Other research shows mixed signals on actual adoption. One survey says 70% will use AI. Another claims only 12% will.
ActiveCampaign's AI Now Follows You Across Every Page
ActiveCampaign's AI assistant now follows you around the entire platform. The new Active Intelligence sidebar stays visible on every page you visit. It figures out what page you're on and offers tips that match your work.
Looking at campaign reports? It suggests why your open rates dropped. Writing an email? It recommends subject lines based on your past data. You can shrink it down or blow it up to full screen. Your chat history stays saved no matter where you go.
Meta Will Use Your AI Chats to Personalize Ads
Meta will use your AI chats to pick ads and posts for you. Starting December 16, what you ask its chatbot becomes another signal for its feed algorithm. Chat about hiking? Expect posts about trails and ads for hiking boots. Over 1 billion people use Meta AI monthly.
The company says this works just like liking posts or following pages already does. You keep control through ad settings. Health questions stay private. Meta won't use talks about religion, health, or politics for ads. WhatsApp chats stay separate unless you link accounts.
Thanks for reading.
Until next time!
The AI Marketers
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