your next hire? AI

Every week, it gets a little clearer:

AI isn’t a single tool. It’s a new way to work.

This week’s picks are all about how to think with AI, create with AI, and collaborate with it like it’s part of your team.

From smarter prompting to AI agents in your DMs, here’s what’s new, what’s working, and what’s coming next.

Let’s dive in.

🔍 AI Idea of the Week

“You don’t need a designer to run good ads anymore.”

Recent research with small business owners in London showed something big:
AI-powered ad builders are putting small businesses on the same stage as the big players.

Instead of hiring a full creative team, founders are using AI to co-create ad copy, visuals, and branding, all through guided prompts. 

Tools walk you through the process and give you ready-to-post assets that actually look polished and on-brand.

➡️ Think: copy-paste-ready carousels, captions, and visuals… for a fraction of the cost of outsourcing.

I did the same with my own team.

We kept running into delays getting ads out… too much back and forth, too many versions. 

So I created a short internal guide that shows how to use ChatGPT to come up with ad ideas and quickly turn them into high-quality image ads.

Then we ran with it.

Each team member followed the prompts, and we A/B tested outputs against our usual copy. The AI‑assisted ads didn’t just match our best work - a few outperformed it.

The key wasn't “let AI do everything”.

It was giving the team a clear workflow: human context, AI draft, human polish.

Now we’ve got a repeatable ad creation system that saves time, gets better results, and scales without burning out our creative brainpower.

AI isn’t replacing creativity.

It’s replacing the manual tasks that slow you down.

⚡ AI Signals

🎥 Midjourney launches AI video generation

Midjourney is rolling out short-form video generation in its alpha phase. Users can type a prompt like “cinematic Tokyo crosswalk, dusk, soft focus”, and the platform creates a short animated scene. 

Why it matters: It’s a major step forward for the platform, which until now focused only on still images.

🎙️ ChatGPT adds Record Mode

OpenAI has rolled out Record Mode in the ChatGPT macOS app for Pro, Enterprise, and Edu users. You can now record voice notes, meetings, or brainstorms (up to 2 hours), and ChatGPT will transcribe and summarize them with key points and action items. Audio is deleted after transcription.

Why it matters: It turns ChatGPT into a smart, hands-free notetaker, perfect for capturing ideas and meetings without typing.

🔍 Google Search gets “Live AI Mode”

Google is testing Search Live, a new voice-based AI mode in the Google app (via Search Labs). It lets you talk to Search in real time, ask follow-ups and view transcripts.

Why it matters: It makes search feel like a conversation - faster, more natural, and great for multitasking.

💼 Reddit rolls out “Community Intelligence” AI ad features

Reddit has introduced two new AI tools: Reddit Insights and Conversation Summary Add-ons that help brands tap into real-time conversations and highlight supportive community comments beneath their ads.

Why it matters: These tools make it easier for advertisers to connect with Reddit’s communities in a more authentic and relevant way, using AI to surface what people are really saying and improve how ads resonate with users.

🛠 Tool We’re Testing: ChatGPT Image Generator

If you’re a small business without a full creative team, this is your unfair advantage.

The easiest way to create an ad with ChatGPT:

1. Start with a brainstorm

Drop in a quick description of what you’re promoting and who it’s for. Ask ChatGPT for 5–10 ad angles or concepts. It’ll give you hooks, value props, and messaging ideas to work from.

2. Pick one and write the ad

Choose the angle you like, then ask it to expand that idea into a full caption or script: short-form, long-form, carousel-style, whatever you need.

3. Generate the visual

Once the copy’s locked in, just type: “Give me a prompt to create a matching image ad.”

ChatGPT will write the image prompt and generate the visual, so you get a polished, on-brand ad in seconds, without needing a designer.

Here’s a quick comparison: the first ad was made by a designer, the second one was made by ChatGPT in just a few seconds. It’s a meme, it’s fast, and honestly, it works.

vs:

🌟 Prompt of the Week: Story that Sells

🧠 Your Role:

You’re a founder or creative who wants to sell without sounding salesy. You believe good stories convert.

Start here:

• Niche: [What you do]

• Audience: [Who they are, what they want]

• Offer: [What you’re selling and why it matters]

• Shift: [What belief or mindset shift you’re giving them]

Now build your post:

🔥 1. Start with a scene
"A year ago, I was burning out, staring at Google Docs at 2am..."

🔊 2. Name the problem
"Everyone says write more, post more... but no one tells you what to say."

🌟 3. Deliver the shift
"Then I realized: the best copy isn't clever. It's clear."

🎯 4. CTA
"If you're tired of blank pages, I made something for you."

🎨 Format
Pick what's native to your audience: tweet, carousel, email, story.

🔖 Search the web for the top 5 most relevant hashtags on the subject