Amazon Pushes Back Against WSJ Report on Price Hikes Amid Tariff ConcernsTechxnow | Retail Tech | July 29, 2025 Background: WSJ Alleges Price Increases Since Trump’s Tariff Plans Last week, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) published a report analyzing price trends on Amazon, claiming that essential household items saw a 5% average price increase between January 20 (Trump’s inauguration) and July 1, 2025. The analysis covered more than 2,500 common products such as cough drops, antibacterial wipes, and chicken broth. WSJ linked the rise to the former president’s proposed tariffs on international goods, implying that these trade measures may have quietly driven up everyday consumer costs. Amazon Responds: “Fundamentally Flawed” Analysis Amazon strongly disputed the findings. In a detailed blog post, the company described the WSJ’s methodology as “fundamentally flawed,” accusing the newspaper of cherry-picking data and misinterpreting pricing shifts caused by routine sales events. Amazon pointed to products like Dove deodorant and Yogi Tea bags, explaining that their lower January prices were part of limited-time promotions. The company claimed that the observed price increases were a result of those promotions ending—not inflation, tariffs, or broader market forces. Dynamic Pricing in Focus: Amazon Defends Its Model At the core of Amazon’s defense is its dynamic pricing system, which frequently adjusts prices based on supply, demand, competitor pricing, and timing. The company argued that using fixed points for price comparisons ignores the real-time fluctuations inherent to their platform. Despite this, Amazon’s swift and public response suggests that it is sensitive to political scrutiny—particularly in an environment where regulatory or governmental retaliation could be a risk. Wider Economic Context: Prices Are Rising Beyond Amazon, consumers have already been noticing moderate price increases. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ June 2025 report, consumer prices climbed by 0.3% over the past month and 2.7% year-over-year. This broader inflationary trend may explain some of the increased costs across multiple retailers—not just Amazon. What This Means for Consumers and Retailers With global trade policy in flux and economic pressures mounting, pricing strategy is becoming a key issue for retailers. Whether or not WSJ’s claims prove entirely accurate, this moment underscores the need for transparency in how online pricing works. Consumers are encouraged to monitor prices carefully, use price-tracking tools, and remain aware of seasonal promotions to get the best deals. Follow Techxnow for ongoing coverage of e-commerce, pricing trends, and the intersection of retail and regulation. sources ( Techcrunch )
AI Referrals Surge 357% in 2025, Led by ChatGPT
AI-generated referrals to top websites are skyrocketing. While Google Search remains the king of web traffic, the latest data reveals that AI platforms are beginning to make a significant impact across categories like news, e-commerce, and tech. AI Referrals Hit 1.13 Billion in June 2025 According to Similarweb, AI platforms generated over 1.13 billion referrals to the world’s top 1,000 websites in June 2025—a 357% increase compared to June 2024. This rapid growth highlights the growing role of AI in reshaping how users discover content. Despite this surge, Google Search still holds the lion’s share, clocking in at a massive 191 billion referrals for the same period. News and Media Brace for “Google Zero” News publishers are increasingly anxious about declining traffic from search engines, especially as AI Overviews begin to replace traditional link-based discovery. A recent Pew Research Center study found that when AI summaries appeared in Google searches, users clicked links only 8% of the time. When AI Overviews were absent, the click rate nearly doubled to 15%. Notably, Similarweb reported that AI referrals to news and media sites jumped 770% YoY. However, traffic gains aren’t evenly distributed—some outlets like The New York Times, which blocks AI crawlers due to its ongoing legal battle with OpenAI, see little benefit. Top News Sites by AI Referrals (June 2025) ChatGPT Dominates the AI Referral Market Among all AI platforms—ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity, Grok, DeepSeek, and Liner—ChatGPT leads by far, accounting for over 80% of all AI referrals to top sites. This suggests that ChatGPT isn’t just a productivity tool but is increasingly influencing user navigation and content discovery across the web. E-Commerce Winners: Amazon, Etsy, and eBay In the e-commerce space, AI referrals are already pushing significant traffic: This indicates a growing trend of users shopping through AI-assisted browsing experiences, recommendations, or search. Top Tech & Social Media Sites by AI Traffic In the tech, search, and social media category, Google.com remains dominant, but AI is distributing traffic to many familiar names: Other Noteworthy Domains by Category Here are the top AI referral recipients by category outside of news, e-commerce, and tech: The Big Picture While Google Search is still the undisputed driver of web traffic, AI platforms—particularly ChatGPT—are beginning to carve out a substantial slice of the pie. If growth continues at this pace, publishers and platforms alike will need to rethink their SEO, content strategies, and visibility within AI ecosystems. The countdown to “Google Zero” might just be starting. Sources ( Techcrunch )
X Tests Community Notes to Surface Popular Post
By Techxnow Editorial TeamPublished: July 25, 2025 Elon Musk’s X is taking its crowdsourced fact-checking tool, Community Notes, in a new direction. The platform is now piloting a feature that identifies popular and broadly liked content, not just misinformation. The goal? To spotlight posts that resonate with users across diverse viewpoints. From Fact-Checking to Finding Common Ground Community Notes has long aimed to combat misinformation by tapping into a unique “bridging algorithm.” Instead of relying on traditional upvotes or downvotes—which could easily be manipulated by like-minded groups—the system prioritizes consensus from people with differing opinions. This bridging model is what sets Community Notes apart. When contributors from opposing perspectives agree on a note’s accuracy, it becomes visible to the wider public. While critics have flagged the system for its slower response time, its core concept has gained traction—so much so that Meta has adopted a similar model for its own fact-checking efforts. ALSO SEE : DuckDuckGo Adds Option to Hide AI-Generated Images A New Role: Highlighting Widely Liked Posts Now, X wants to see if this same model can do more than just debunk misinformation. The company has launched a pilot test to explore whether Community Notes can help identify posts that are positively received by users from different backgrounds. How It Works: Starting today, a selected group of Community Notes contributors will notice a new prompt when certain posts gain attention through Likes. These contributors will be asked to rate the post and provide feedback about why they liked—or didn’t like—it. This input will feed into X’s algorithm, helping it determine whether a post has cross-perspective appeal. If successful, this approach could shift part of the platform’s focus from simply correcting falsehoods to also elevating valuable, resonant content. Why This Matters X’s Community Notes team shared in a post: “People often feel the world is divided, yet Community Notes shows people can agree, even on contentious topics. This experimental new feature seeks to uncover ideas, insights, and opinions that bridge perspectives.” By bringing in this new capability, X is hoping to do more than just fight misinformation—it aims to highlight what unites users, and offer insight into what resonates broadly across ideological divides. Building in Public, Shaped by Users As with previous Community Notes features, this pilot is being built transparently and iteratively. The platform says it is starting with a small group of contributors to test, refine, and evolve the idea based on real-world use and feedback. “We’re building in public with a small pilot so that this concept can be shaped by the people,” the Community Notes team noted. With misinformation still rampant on social media and echo chambers becoming the norm, this experiment could represent a significant shift in how social platforms surface and prioritize content—from polarization to perspective-bridging. Stay tuned to Techxnow for updates on this feature and how it may reshape online discourse Sources ( Techcrunch )
PayPal World Launches to Simplify Global Payments
PayPal has announced a major global initiative called PayPal World, aimed at simplifying international transactions by integrating with leading digital wallets across multiple regions. ALSO SEE : OpenAI Launches ChatGPT Agent for Task Automation A Unified Global Payments Ecosystem PayPal World is designed to eliminate the friction of cross-border payments by allowing users to transact using their local digital wallets. Whether you’re paying online or in person, the platform will make international commerce feel local—no matter where you are. Powerhouse Partners at Launch The platform debuts with several major partners across key markets: With these integrations, PayPal aims to provide coverage for over two billion users globally. Real-World Use Cases: How It Works The goal is to make payments seamless regardless of geography or wallet type: This creates a future where your digital wallet works almost anywhere in the world. Massive Volumes, Massive Impact The scale of this initiative is staggering: These volumes suggest PayPal World could soon become a backbone for global commerce. Industry Voices: Why This Matters “PayPal World is a first-of-its-kind payments ecosystem… We believe the changes we are announcing today have the potential to be a real game changer over time.”— Alex Chriss, President and CEO, PayPal “Tenpay Global will support PayPal and Venmo users with QR code payments in China, and we’ll expand our collaboration into remittances.”— Wenhui Yang, CEO, Tenpay Global PayPal World is set to launch this fall with its current set of global partners. In 2026, Venmo users will gain international shopping capabilities, both online and in-store, for merchants accepting PayPal. This is more than just a payment upgrade—it’s a step toward a truly global financial network. Sources : ( Techcrunch )
OpenAI vs Google: AI Tie at 2025 Math Olympiad
OpenAI and Google DeepMind have both achieved gold-medal level scores at the 2025 International Math Olympiad (IMO), one of the world’s most prestigious and intellectually demanding competitions for high school students. Both companies independently announced that their AI models correctly answered five out of six problems — a feat accomplished by only a small percentage of human participants. This milestone underscores just how rapidly AI systems are advancing in abstract reasoning and mathematical problem-solving, traditionally considered strongholds of human intelligence. From Formal Systems to Natural Language Reasoning Last year, Google participated using a formal system, requiring human translators to convert IMO questions into machine-readable formats. In contrast, the 2025 entries from both OpenAI and Google marked a turning point: they used informal systems that could read and understand the problems in natural language and generate full, proof-based solutions. This natural language capability reflects a significant step toward general reasoning, enabling AI to tackle problems with less structure and more ambiguity — a crucial advancement for AI applications beyond math. Dispute Over Disclosure: Timing Matters While the performance of both models was impressive, controversy arose around how and when results were disclosed. OpenAI published its gold-level achievement on Saturday morning, shortly after the IMO announced student winners. Google DeepMind quickly criticized the move, claiming that OpenAI had acted prematurely and without official IMO validation. Thang Luong, a senior researcher at Google DeepMind and lead on the IMO project, told TechCrunch that Google chose to wait until Monday morning to announce its results — after receiving official evaluation and approval from the IMO grading committee. OpenAI’s Independent Evaluation OpenAI defended its approach, stating that it had hired three former IMO medalists to grade its model’s responses using the official scoring rubric. Noam Brown, a senior researcher at OpenAI, added that the company only proceeded with the announcement after being told by IMO organizers to wait until the student ceremony concluded on Friday night. Interestingly, OpenAI said it was unaware that Google had coordinated directly with IMO to participate in an informal trial this year. The company chose not to participate in last year’s formal test, preferring instead to focus on informal reasoning capabilities. IMO organizers did not respond to media inquiries regarding the dispute. More Than a Math Contest — A Symbolic Rivalry While Google arguably followed the more official and rigorous path, both companies demonstrated that today’s leading AI models are now capable of solving complex mathematical problems at a gold-medal level — a benchmark few humans can reach. But beyond the numbers, this competition reflects a broader symbolic rivalry. AI companies are battling not just for technical superiority, but for perception, prestige, and talent. Many leading AI researchers come from competitive math backgrounds, so the IMO serves as more than a benchmark — it’s a recruiting signal. What’s Next in the AI Race? This outcome suggests that the once-clear lead held by OpenAI may now be narrowing. With the anticipated launch of GPT-5 in the coming months, OpenAI is aiming to reassert its dominance. Meanwhile, Google DeepMind continues to make strategic, research-driven moves in key domains. Regardless of who takes the lead, one thing is clear: the AI frontier is accelerating, and math — once considered too abstract for machines — is now fair game. Sources ( Techcrunch )
DuckDuckGo Adds Option to Hide AI-Generated Images
DuckDuckGo, the privacy-focused search engine, has announced a new feature that allows users to filter out AI-generated images from their search results. The move aims to improve the quality of search experiences as generative AI content becomes increasingly widespread online. A Response to User Feedback According to DuckDuckGo, the decision to launch this feature comes after users expressed frustration over AI-generated visuals interfering with their search for real-world content. The company says the filter will help users find more relevant and authentic image results. How the Feature Works The AI image filter is available within the Images tab after performing a search. A new drop-down menu labeled “AI Images” allows users to toggle between “Show” or “Hide” AI-generated content. For users who prefer a more permanent setting, the option can also be activated via Search Settings under “Hide AI-Generated Images.” Built on Open-Source Blocklists To enable the filtering, DuckDuckGo is using curated open-source blocklists — including the widely known “nuclear” list from uBlockOrigin and the Huge AI Blocklist maintained by uBlacklist. While the system won’t eliminate all AI-generated content, the company says it will “greatly reduce” the visibility of such images in results. Addressing the Rise of ‘AI Slop’ The feature comes amid growing concern over “AI slop” — a term used to describe low-effort or misleading media created by generative AI tools. DuckDuckGo’s filter is intended to counter this trend by helping users prioritize real-world imagery. An example provided by the company references a search for “baby peacock,” possibly nodding to the controversy Google faced last year when its search results prioritized AI-generated birds over actual photos. More Filters Coming Soon DuckDuckGo says this is just the beginning. While no specific details have been shared, the company confirmed it is working on adding more content filtering options in future updates. sources ( Techcrunch )
OpenAI Launches ChatGPT Agent for Task Automation
OpenAI has officially launched a new AI-powered general-purpose agent integrated into ChatGPT, designed to complete complex digital tasks on users’ behalf. Dubbed the ChatGPT Agent, the tool marks a major leap in OpenAI’s efforts to evolve its chatbot from a conversational assistant into a fully functional autonomous agent. What Can ChatGPT Agent Do? The new agent is capable of handling a broad spectrum of computer-based activities, including: OpenAI has integrated technologies from its existing agentic systems — such as Operator, which can interact with websites, and Deep Research, known for synthesizing insights from vast amounts of web data. ChatGPT Agent is now available to subscribers of OpenAI’s Pro, Plus, and Team plans. To use it, users simply select “Agent Mode” from the tools dropdown menu within ChatGPT and start prompting in natural language. Smarter, More Capable, and Tool-Ready Unlike previous agent experiments, this new version is deeply integrated with OpenAI’s Connectors, allowing it to access third-party apps like Gmail and GitHub to retrieve relevant data. It also features a built-in terminal and the ability to use APIs — a first for ChatGPT. Example use cases promoted by OpenAI include: These scenarios demand complex reasoning, task planning, and multi-tool coordination — all of which this new agent is designed to handle. Benchmark Performance According to OpenAI, the underlying model driving ChatGPT Agent sets new standards in several major benchmarks: These scores suggest significant improvements in both general knowledge reasoning and high-difficulty mathematical problem solving. Safety, Security, and Restrictions With its increased capabilities, OpenAI acknowledges the enhanced risks. In its safety report, the company designates ChatGPT Agent as “high capability” in areas like biological and chemical weapon domains — per its own Preparedness Framework. While OpenAI found no direct misuse evidence, the company is implementing several new safety measures: The Road Ahead While the capabilities of ChatGPT Agent are promising, OpenAI admits real-world performance will be the true test. To date, agent-based systems have often underdelivered when interacting with real-world workflows. Still, the company claims this is its most advanced and reliable attempt yet. Stay tuned to TechXNow for continued updates on AI agents and real-world testing insights as ChatGPT Agent rolls out to users globally. sources ( Techcrunch )
Google Rolls Out AI Calls & Gemini 2.5 Pro in Search
AI Handles Business Calls for You Google has officially launched a new AI-powered business-calling feature for all Search users in the United States. This intelligent agentic system makes calls to local businesses on your behalf, gathering real-time information such as service availability and pricing — all without you needing to speak to anyone directly. To use the feature, users can simply search for something like “pet groomers near me”. A new button labeled “Have AI check pricing” will appear in the search results. Once clicked, users are prompted to answer a few quick questions — such as the type of pet, services needed, and preferred timing. The AI will then make the call, collect the relevant data, and return it to the user. Transparency and Ethical Calling Every call made by the AI system begins with a clear disclaimer: it’s an automated service calling from Google on behalf of a user. This follows past criticism from a few years ago when a similar Google feature mimicked human speech too closely, leading to concerns about transparency. In response, Google has since made it a policy that its AI agents clearly identify themselves during calls. Exclusive Perks for Subscribers While the feature is rolling out broadly, Google AI Pro and AI Ultra subscribers will enjoy higher usage limits, making the service more practical for power users or small business owners looking for quick information gathering. Gemini 2.5 Pro Comes to AI Mode In addition to the calling upgrade, Google has integrated its advanced Gemini 2.5 Pro model into AI Mode within Google Search. This enhancement is available exclusively to Pro and Ultra subscribers, allowing users to toggle to Gemini 2.5 Pro from a dropdown menu. According to Google, this model excels in advanced reasoning, math, and coding—making it ideal for users seeking deeper assistance with technical or multifaceted queries. Introducing Deep Search: Fast, Cited Research in Minutes Google is also rolling out a powerful new tool called Deep Search within AI Mode. Designed for tasks that require thorough investigation, Deep Search can conduct hundreds of individual searches and synthesize the findings into a comprehensive, cited report — all in just a few minutes. Ideal for researching job opportunities, making big life decisions, or conducting financial analysis, Deep Search is aimed at users who need fast but reliable information across multiple sources. Taking on the Competition These updates mark Google’s ongoing effort to compete with AI-driven platforms like Perplexity AI and OpenAI’s ChatGPT Search. Just last month, the company introduced voice conversation capabilities in AI Mode. In May, it unveiled a shopping experience powered by product data and AI visual tools — another signal of Google’s broader ambitions in the AI assistant space. Sources ( Techcrunch )
Google Discover Adds AI Summaries, Worrying Publishers
AI-Powered Summaries Replace Traditional Headlines Google has officially launched AI-generated news summaries within its Discover feed—the main content stream inside its iOS and Android search apps. Instead of a headline linking directly to a news article, users now see a brief AI summary alongside the logos of multiple publishers whose content contributed to it. U.S. Launch Confirmed, Focused on Lifestyle and Entertainment A Google spokesperson confirmed this is not a test but a full U.S. rollout, initially targeting trending lifestyle topics such as sports, entertainment, and other high-interest areas. The summaries are designed to help users decide whether they want to visit a full article. Discover Feed Sees Broader Content Experiments In addition to AI summaries, Google is also experimenting with: AI Integration Expands Across News Industry Google’s update comes as several publishers are themselves adopting AI: Traffic Woes Deepen for Publishers Despite these innovations, publishers are increasingly worried about losing traffic. Tools like Google’s AI Overviews and AI Mode let users get answers or summaries without ever clicking through to the original source. This trend is mirrored across other platforms like ChatGPT and Perplexity. Search Traffic and Click-Through Rates Decline Sharply According to Similarweb data, global search traffic fell 15% year-over-year as of June 2025. The percentage of news-related searches that don’t result in any clicks rose from 56% in May 2024 to nearly 69% in May 2025. Organic traffic also dropped from over 2.3 billion monthly visits in mid-2024 to fewer than 1.7 billion. Offerwall: Google’s Attempt to Offset Publisher Losses To ease publisher concerns, Google has introduced Offerwall, allowing content monetization via: However, many publishers argue that these solutions are arriving too late, as traffic continues to decline. The Bottom Line As AI summaries become more prevalent, Google Discover—once a key traffic driver—may soon follow Google Search in offering users everything they need without a single website visit. While convenient for readers, the shift could fundamentally alter how journalism is funded and consumed. Sources ( Techcrunch )
Nextdoor Redesigns App with AI, Local News & Alerts
Neighborhood social app Nextdoor has launched a major redesign, calling it the “new Nextdoor.” The update introduces a more modern look, smarter AI-powered features, and a stronger focus on timely, hyperlocal content—including local news, emergency alerts, and business recommendations. Smarter, More Useful Neighborhood Connections Nextdoor has long been a go-to platform for neighborhood discussions, local services, and recommendations. But in recent years, the platform struggled with declining engagement and a reputation for misinformation. Now, Nextdoor is looking to reverse that trend with a smarter, utility-focused approach. CEO and co-founder Nirav Tolia told TechCrunch that the redesign is aimed at making Nextdoor more helpful, relevant, and community-focused. “We’re recommitting to being hyperlocal. It’s really important for us to be seen less as a social network and more as a utility-centric network,” he said. Local News Now Built-In For the first time, Nextdoor is integrating local news directly into the platform through partnerships with over 3,500 publications across the U.S., U.K., and Canada. Outlets like The San Francisco Standard, The London Standard, and The Toronto Star are among those participating. Instead of relying solely on user-generated posts, users will now see curated headlines, snippets, and images linking back to original stories—while retaining the ability to comment and discuss them with neighbors. These content partnerships are not commercial, and Nextdoor doesn’t host or pay for the articles. Real-Time, Hyperlocal Emergency Alerts Nextdoor’s new real-time alert system is designed to provide timely information about weather, traffic, power outages, wildfires, and more. Alerts are visually mapped within the app, helping communities stay informed and prepared. Alerts are powered by integrations with Samdesk and Weather.com (including The Weather Channel), and are categorized by urgency—such as “yellow” for notable issues and “red” for critical events. Thanks to Nextdoor’s geospatial technology, alerts can be delivered with pinpoint accuracy—down to the household level. Meet “Faves”: AI-Powered Local Recommendations One of the most ambitious features in the new app is Faves, an AI-driven recommendation tool that curates suggestions for local businesses, restaurants, and activities. Users can browse curated lists or ask specific questions like, “Where’s the best place to hike with kids?” Tolia says this new feature is built on 15 years of neighborhood conversations, powered by local large language models (LLMs). “We’ve created what we believe is the first truly local AI—trained on neighbor posts,” he said. The results are personalized, hyperlocal, and based on real conversations—not scraped data or general search engine results. As Tolia noted, “You can’t ask Google or ChatGPT where the neighborhood lemonade stands are—but you can ask your neighbors on Nextdoor.” What’s Next for the New Nextdoor? Beyond news and AI, Nextdoor plans to open up its platform to small businesses, schools, and community organizations. These groups will soon be able to build native presences within the app, expanding Nextdoor’s value as a neighborhood utility. As it shifts toward becoming a “utility-centric” platform, Nextdoor is betting big on hyperlocal relevance and real-world usefulness—moving beyond social networking to become the digital heartbeat of your neighborhood. Sources ( Techcrunch )
