This week, the big tech companies continued putting AI directly into the software you already use every day. I've been waiting for this shift from 'what can this tech do?' to 'how does this save me an hour by Friday?' Here's what changed, why it matters, and what you can do.
— MICHAEL
What changed this week
Microsoft released its new AI assistant to all Microsoft 365 users.
Microsoft just made its automated workplace assistant, Copilot Cowork, available globally to anyone using their office software. They are aggressively pricing it to be 30 to 40 percent cheaper per task than competitors like Anthropic's Claude.
Source · Superhuman AI
Customers arriving from AI search engines are spending 53 percent more.
New data from Adobe Analytics reveals that shoppers who land on retail websites through AI tools like ChatGPT or Gemini convert into buyers at a 53 percent higher rate than traditional search traffic. They also spend significantly more time browsing your site. Why it matters: This means optimizing your website so AI systems can easily read your product pages and FAQs is quickly becoming the most profitable marketing work a local retail shop can do.
ChatGPT can now schedule tasks and set reminders for you.
OpenAI updated ChatGPT so you can now pin important conversations and ask the tool to schedule future tasks. Instead of just answering questions, it can now hold onto deadlines and ping you when it's time to act. Why it matters: This turns ChatGPT from a passive brainstorming tool into an active assistant that can remind you to follow up on a client proposal or re-order supplies on Tuesday morning.
Why it matters
I'm seeing a massive shift this week: AI companies are finally building tools for shops your size, not just for Fortune 500s. You no longer have to go out of your way to find an AI solution, because it's being handed to you inside the platforms you already rely on. That changes who can compete.
With Microsoft bringing its AI directly into its core office suite, you don't need to hire a developer to figure out how to automate your filing. The tools you already pay for are just going to start doing the heavy lifting for you.
The data on AI-referred shoppers is a wake-up call for how customer expectations are changing. If your customers are asking ChatGPT for local recommendations instead of using Google, your business needs to show up clearly and accurately in those AI answers.
The ability to set reminders inside ChatGPT bridges the gap between getting a good idea and actually executing it. You can now draft a difficult email and instantly tell the software to remind you to send it out next Wednesday.
You can use this week
Pin your most useful ChatGPT conversations.5 min
Take a moment to pin the chat where you keep your company's brand voice or your standard email templates. This saves you from having to explain who you are every time you open the app.
Test a scheduled reminder in ChatGPT.5 min
Open ChatGPT, ask it to draft a quick follow-up message to a client, and then tell it to remind you to send it in two days. Get a feel for how it manages your workflow.
Check how AI sees your business.10 min
Open Claude, Gemini, or ChatGPT and ask it to recommend a business like yours in your town. If it doesn't mention you, or gets your details wrong, you know what needs updating on your website.
This week's tip
For images and screenshots use ChatGPT
ChatGPT reads photos. Screenshot a confusing error message, snap a paper invoice, or take a picture of a handwritten note — paste it in and ask "What's this telling me?" to remove a whole category of "what does this mean?" friction.
Rise Above pick
Adobe's Firefly AI Assistant
I've been watching how much time small teams waste jumping between different apps just to resize a photo or tweak a social media graphic. Adobe has been running a pilot for paid users of its AI assistant so you can give it one plain-English instruction and watch it execute multiple steps across its design tools. If you do your own marketing, this is the closest thing to having a junior designer sitting next to you.
Open it →One thing to think about
If your primary software tools automatically handled 30 percent of your daily administrative clicks starting tomorrow, which high-value project would you finally have time to focus on?
Michael Browne
Founder · Rise Above Partners · Viroqua, WI
Want a thought partner on any of this? I read every reply. Or grab 15 minutes on my calendar — no pitch, just useful.