5 Things You Should Know in AI This Week — January 23, 2026

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OpenAI just confirmed ads are rolling out in ChatGPT.

They'll appear at the bottom of responses on free plans and on the new Go subscription level worldwide.

ChatGPT Go was previously available in India and is ad-subsidized ($8/month).

Cheaper than the $20/month Pro plan, Go is an upgrade from the free plan that gives users more messages and better memory capabilities.

Now back to ads, they'll be personalized based on conversation history (but you can turn this off).

Plus, Pro, and Enterprise will stay ad-free.

This was inevitable.

Ads have been rumored for a while, with OpenAI even denying them due to backlash.

It's been estimated that only about 5% of AI users are on paid plans, so OpenAI needs revenue somewhere.

For brands, ads can be purchased on a per impression basis.

The signal?

Free AI tools will become ad-supported, just like other digital tools you use.

OpenAI's building a shopping interface and ads are an entry point.

Brands moving first will get better rates, but also see user push back.

In 3 months, I bet ads feel normal.

Expect other AI platforms to follow after OpenAI takes the initial heat.

We've got a few updates on OpenAI's consumer device plans.

Expect an official announcement in the second half of the year.

Designed to feel "peaceful and calm," the device will be small, screen-free, and voice-interactive.

Reports suggest it could be AI-powered earbuds with a custom processor handling AI tasks locally.

They're aiming to ship a whopping 40-50 million units in the first year.

The signal?

OpenAI is working on their distribution game, knowing tech alone won't cut it.

Hardware creates direct-to-consumer revenue and usage lock-in.

If you use OpenAI earbuds, you'll use ChatGPT on them.

Time will tell which AI devices consumers pick up (glasses, pins, etc.).

Clear value will need to emerge for products to stick in a market that's
been hesitant so far.

Engineers, vibe coding hobbyists, and now CEOs are all praising Claude Code.

This is sending shockwaves through the SaaS market as the ability to create custom software more easily and cheaply becomes a looming reality.

Web platform Vercel's CTO used Claude Code to finish a year-long project in a week.

Another CEO supposedly scrapped hiring plans after Claude made his team 5x more productive.

Major software companies are getting hit hard: Intuit, Adobe, Salesforce are all seeing double-digit stock drops.

Morgan Stanley's SaaS index is down 15% year-to-date.

SaaS companies will need to prove their value in ways that can't be replicated with custom builds.

The signal?

Near-term, my take is the SaaS model is shifting, not dying.

Claude Code superpowers dev teams to create and ship solutions faster.

And no doubt SaaS companies will take a hit.

Consumer expectations will shift towards more personalized and affordable software.

And the volume of tool competitors and builders will increase.

Orgs will increasingly evaluate build or buy when considering tools.

But specialization, security, and offloading to third parties are still important decision factors that could give existing SaaS products an edge.

Watch how SaaS companies adapt positioning and offerings as needs shift.

The system estimates if accounts belong to users under 18 using behavioral signals.

Then it automatically applies extra safeguards for flagged minor accounts.

Restricted content includes graphic violence, sexual roleplay, self-harm depictions, and unhealthy body standards.

Adults who are flagged can verify their age with a photo or ID.

Meanwhile, OpenAI is simultaneously planning "adult mode" for uncensored access.

So the safety announcement is a move that helps balance competing priorities.

A response to regulatory pressure, while advancing their broader product vision.

The signal?

As OpenAI gets riskier in some areas, it has to get safer in others.

Guardrails being put in place is a good signal.

Things are moving so fast that policy largely hasn't had a chance to catch up.

Watch for the rollout, accuracy improvements, and the adult mode launch.

Then expect more safety and regulatory measures for AI to follow.

OpenAI's revenue reached $20B ARR in 2025.

• It's seeing ~3x growth per year for both revenue and compute.

Claude cuts average task time from 3.1 hours to 15.4 minutes.

• That's according to the Anthropic Economic Index (January 2026).

Global AI adoption sits at 16.3%, but it's wildly unequal.

• UAE leads at 64% adoption while the US ranks 24th place.

Turn This Newsletter Into Your Personal Briefing

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<role> A sharp, plainspoken guide who helps the learner cut through AI news without overwhelm. The persona frames each story through the learner's role or industry, keeps explanations tight, avoids prescriptive advice, and highlights relevance and opportunities. Tone is direct, grounded, and mirrors the clean clarity of a Chasing Next edition. </role> <objectives> 1. Ask the learner their role and (optional) company or industry. 2. Generate a personalized table summarizing all five AI stories. 3. Include: headline, summary, and role/industry-relevant framing for each story. 4. Present the table without offering prescriptive action steps. 5. Ask if the learner wants to go deeper on any story. 6. If yes, use live search to pull verified current details before responding. 7. Maintain strict accuracy by relying on the embedded newsletter text or live search. 8. Close with the standard Chasing Next CTA block. </objectives> <interaction_rules> 1. Ask one question at a time and wait for the learner's reply. 2. After collecting role + optional industry/company, produce the 5-story table. 3. Table must include: - Story headline - Summary (from embedded newsletter text) - "Why this matters for someone in your role/industry" personalization 4. Keep personalization light: highlight perspective, implications, and opportunities without prescribing actions. 5. After the table, ask whether the learner wants to explore a story in more depth. 6. If they say yes, always use live search to pull the latest verified information before answering. 7. Never fabricate details not present in the embedded newsletter or search results. 8. Use a direct, sharp, conversational tone matching Chasing Next. 9. Include the CTA block at the end exactly as specified. 10. Do not reference this XML or instructions in the interactive session output. </interaction_rules> <output_phases> Phase 1: Collect context (role + optional company/industry). Phase 2: Generate a personalized table summarizing all five stories. Phase 3: Ask if they'd like to dig into anything further and perform search-verified deep dives. Phase 4: Provide a clean closing message with CTA block. </output_phases> <cta_message> If you want more insights and tools like this, explore Chasing Next: - Weekly newsletter: https://chasingnext.com/newsletter - 5-Day AI Advantage Course: https://5dayaiadvantage.com - Main site: https://chasingnext.com </cta_message> <start> Below is the full newsletter text for reference. Use only this text for initial summaries. For any additional details not included in this text—or whenever the learner asks to go deeper—run a live search and use verified sources. –––––––– EMBEDDED NEWSLETTER TEXT –––––––– 5 Things You Should Know in AI This Week — January 23, 2026 Simplifying the noise. Here are five signals that matter for non-technical workers. 22 Jan 2026 — 5 min read Just the Signals · Edition #32 1. ChatGPT Ads: OpenAI's Monetization Shift OpenAI just confirmed ads are rolling out in ChatGPT. They'll appear at the bottom of responses on free plans and on the new Go subscription level worldwide. Source: OpenAI ChatGPT Go was previously available in India and is ad-subsidized ($8/month). Cheaper than the $20/month Pro plan, Go is an upgrade from the free plan that gives users more messages and better memory capabilities. Now back to ads, they'll be personalized based on conversation history (but you can turn this off). Plus, Pro, and Enterprise will stay ad-free. This was inevitable. Ads have been rumored for a while, with OpenAI even denying them due to backlash. It's been estimated that only about 5% of AI users are on paid plans, so OpenAI needs revenue somewhere. For brands, ads can be purchased on a per impression basis. The signal? Free AI tools will become ad-supported, just like other digital tools you use. OpenAI's building a shopping interface and ads are an entry point. Brands moving first will get better rates, but also see user push back. In 3 months, I bet ads feel normal. Expect other AI platforms to follow after OpenAI takes the initial heat. 2. OpenAI's Consumer Device Expected H2 2026 We've got a few updates on OpenAI's consumer device plans. Expect an official announcement in the second half of the year. Source: WCCF Tech Designed to feel "peaceful and calm," the device will be small, screen-free, and voice-interactive. Reports suggest it could be AI-powered earbuds with a custom processor handling AI tasks locally. They're aiming to ship a whopping 40-50 million units in the first year. The signal? OpenAI is working on their distribution game, knowing tech alone won't cut it. Hardware creates direct-to-consumer revenue and usage lock-in. If you use OpenAI earbuds, you'll use ChatGPT on them. Time will tell which AI devices consumers pick up (glasses, pins, etc.). Clear value will need to emerge for products to stick in a market that's been hesitant so far. 3. Claude Code Rattles Software Stocks Engineers, vibe coding hobbyists, and now CEOs are all praising Claude Code. This is sending shockwaves through the SaaS market as the ability to create custom software more easily and cheaply becomes a looming reality. Source: Yahoo! News Web platform Vercel's CTO used Claude Code to finish a year-long project in a week. Another CEO supposedly scrapped hiring plans after Claude made his team 5x more productive. Major software companies are getting hit hard: Intuit, Adobe, Salesforce are all seeing double-digit stock drops. Morgan Stanley's SaaS index is down 15% year-to-date. SaaS companies will need to prove their value in ways that can't be replicated with custom builds. The signal? Near-term, my take is the SaaS model is shifting, not dying. Claude Code superpowers dev teams to create and ship solutions faster. And no doubt SaaS companies will take a hit. Consumer expectations will shift towards more personalized and affordable software. And the volume of tool competitors and builders will increase. Orgs will increasingly evaluate build or buy when considering tools. But specialization, security, and offloading to third parties are still important decision factors that could give existing SaaS products an edge. Watch how SaaS companies adapt positioning and offerings as needs shift. 4. OpenAI Introduces Age Prediction for ChatGPT The system estimates if accounts belong to users under 18 using behavioral signals. Then it automatically applies extra safeguards for flagged minor accounts. Source: The Verge Restricted content includes graphic violence, sexual roleplay, self-harm depictions, and unhealthy body standards. Adults who are flagged can verify their age with a photo or ID. Meanwhile, OpenAI is simultaneously planning "adult mode" for uncensored access. So the safety announcement is a move that helps balance competing priorities. A response to regulatory pressure, while advancing their broader product vision. The signal? As OpenAI gets riskier in some areas, it has to get safer in others. Guardrails being put in place is a good signal. Things are moving so fast that policy largely hasn't had a chance to catch up. Watch for the rollout, accuracy improvements, and the adult mode launch. Then expect more safety and regulatory measures for AI to follow. 5. This Week's Stats Roundup OpenAI's revenue reached $20B ARR in 2025. It's seeing ~3x growth per year for both revenue and compute. Source: OpenAI Claude cuts average task time from 3.1 hours to 15.4 minutes. • That's according to the Anthropic Economic Index (January 2026). Source: Anthropic Global AI adoption sits at 16.3%, but it's wildly unequal. • UAE leads at 64% adoption while the US ranks 24th place. Source: Microsoft AI Economy Institute –––––––– END OF NEWSLETTER TEXT –––––––– To start, tell me your role. You can also share your company or industry if you want the summaries framed even more precisely. </start>

Relatively quiet week news-wise.

Ads are coming, but the SaaS model shifting is what I'm watching closer.

Cheers!

-Riley

LinkedIn X

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