AI Is Getting Expensive, Nostalgia Is Going Viral & Your Apps Might Be Obsolete
The tension continues to mount between the human and the machine
This week something caught my attention: Claude Cowork. It’s been all over my socials lately, with marketers and creators quietly connecting their favorite tools behind the scenes and letting Claude do the heavy lifting — things like pulling from Notion, Slack, and Monday to turn a content calendar into a fully drafted campaign brief, converting a folder of scattered meeting notes into a polished brand strategy doc, or synthesizing client feedback from Slack threads into a prioritized creative roadmap. All without writing a single line of code.
What makes it different from just chatting with AI is that it’s agentic — meaning it doesn’t just answer your questions, it actually takes over complete parts of your workflow and executes them end to end. Think of it as your first real taste of agentic AI, but with very firm guardrails. You stay in control, you approve the steps, and you can redirect at any moment. It’s like watching a very capable assistant work in real time — and honestly, it’s so fun to see it in action.
I started dabbling in it myself to help set up a video marketing strategy — and one automation in particular blew my mind. I fed it my latest Substack issue and it produced a full content packet: video scripts, a LinkedIn post angle, and a content brief. The way it framed it stuck with me: video should be a downstream channel, fed by your newsletter. I thought that was incredibly smart — and honestly, it articulated something I’d been feeling but hadn’t quite put into words.
I’m genuinely enjoying being able to hand off parts of my workflow as a copywriter and content creator — the research, the creation, the iteration, the distribution — all seriously powered by AI running in the background. Stay tuned as I continue to explore and implement.
Platform Updates
OpenAI Eyes AI-Powered Phone to Replace Apps
OpenAI is reportedly developing a phone where AI agents replace traditional apps entirely. Instead of opening Instagram or Gmail, you’d simply tell the AI what you want done and it handles the rest.
💡 Why this matters This is the long game worth watching. If the app-centric model gives way to agent-led experiences, the way people discover, consume, and interact with content changes completely. Creators who are already thinking about how to show up in AI-powered environments, not just social feeds, will have a head start when this shift arrives.
Advertising
Podcast Advertising Surges Ahead of World Cup
Brands are pouring money into podcast and streaming audio ahead of the World Cup, betting that audio is where attention will be when the world tunes in.
💡 Why this matters Audio is having a serious moment, and sports events are amplifying it. If you’re a creator or marketer who hasn’t explored podcasting as a brand collaboration channel, this is your signal. Brands are actively looking for audio-first voices to partner with. The timing couldn’t be better.
Social Media
The ‘Devil Wears Prada 2’ Fake Magazine Outperforms Real Publications
The fictional ‘Runway’ magazine created for the Devil Wears Prada sequel is generating more social media buzz than most actual publications. A fake brand built on nostalgia and meme culture is outperforming real ones, and marketers are taking notes.
💡 Why this matters There’s a lesson here that goes beyond movie marketing. The most viral content isn’t always the most polished. It’s the most culturally resonant. Tapping into a shared memory, a beloved story, or an authentic human moment can do more for engagement, especially in this AI-powered reality we are living in, than any ad placement. Ask yourself: what cultural touchstone does your audience already love that you could build a creative moment around?
AI & Tools
Nvidia VP: AI Costs Now Exceed Human Employee Salaries
Bryan Catanzaro, VP at Nvidia, made headlines this week with a statement that reframes the entire AI conversation: running AI at scale now costs more than paying a human employee. The economics of AI are more complicated than the hype suggests.
💡 Why this matters This is a reality check worth bookmarking. AI isn’t automatically cheaper, it’s a tool with real operational costs that compound over time. For creators and small businesses, this is actually good news: the human touch you bring still has genuine economic value. The key is being strategic about what you automate and what you keep in your own hands.
Creator Economy
Taylor Swift Intensifies Legal Battle Against AI Copycats
Taylor Swift is taking aggressive legal action against AI tools that replicate her voice and likeness without permission. It’s one of the most high-profile IP battles in the generative AI era and the outcome will set a precedent for every creator.
💡 Why this matters If Taylor Swift — with her resources and legal team — is fighting this battle, it tells you something about how serious the threat is. As a creator, your voice, your face, and your style are assets worth protecting. Start thinking proactively about your IP rights now, before you need to defend them.
🎯 YOUR EDGE THIS WEEK
This week’s stories all point to something worth thinking about. AI is getting more expensive, more capable, and harder to distinguish from the real thing.
Which gives us a reason to get intentional. The Devil Wears Prada fake magazine went viral not because of AI, but because it tapped into something genuinely human: nostalgia, community, and a shared story. Taylor Swift isn’t just fighting a legal battle. She’s fighting for the value of an authentic, irreplaceable creative identity.
So this week’s challenge: identify one thing about your creative work that no AI can replicate. Your perspective. Your story. Your community. Then do one thing to make it more visible — a post, a voice note to your list, a conversation with a follower. The human edge is still the strongest edge. Use it.
See you next week! — Karina