OpenAI's evolution, WeWork's continuing decline, and more

Welcome to Razorfish Radar, a newsletter about life on the internet brought to you from the pioneers of digital innovation for marketing change makers. Radar delivers the latest news on cultural trends, technology, and platforms—along with the expert insights to help you make sense of it all.

Open AI offers custom AI agents to creators

On Monday,?at OpenAI’s first developer conference in San Francisco, generative-AI agents?were the breakout stars. OpenAI is now granting users the opportunity to?create their own custom AI agents?via its platform, with no coding experience required. (In Platformer, Casey Newton?includes screenshots?of the plain-language prompts he used to create a “copyeditor” agent for his newsletter.)?

Open AI CEO Sam Altman’s full DevDay keynote speech?is available on YouTube.

OpenAI will be rolling out paid GPT versions to?ChatGPT Plus subscribers?over the next few weeks through the GPT Store, but people are?already speculating?about the potential ways directed agents could engage with audiences—and each other—across digital platforms. There’s a risk that such agents could?go rogue?and?do harm, and there’s?an uphill battle ahead?for any?industry-standard and enforceable regulation.

Related:?A new study from Duke University?shows that data on US military decisionmakers is “shockingly easy” to find and purchase online, prompting discussions about the ease of access US adversaries could have to sensitive data “for as little as $0.12 a service.”

Why it matters: Sophisticated advances across the digital landscape, and particularly in Gen AI, are happening all the time. Experimenting judiciously in the space requires working with the right partner to maintain an appropriate level of investment in tests and pilots that keep brand safety at the core. And brand safety remains the key unlock to this type of innovation; until universal governance standards are put in place, brands and organizations will need to create their own governance frameworks to preserve consumer trust.

Other news and trends

• WeWork.?In a new bankruptcy filing, WeWork—once valued at $47B—claims that it has accrued liabilities between $10 billion and $50 billion. The company’s decline began in 2019 with the highly publicized ousting of its?CEO, Adam Neumann. As?companies across the world?start to request that their employees return to the office, the state of coworking spaces, like WeWork, may influence?cultural shifts in the workforce.
• Netflix’s Geeked Week.?Netflix is courting sci-fi and “geek”-minded viewers with their?third annual Geeked Week, which will run through November 12th and feature a slew of events promoting exclusive news, sneak peaks, and surprises, including teasers for?the final season of?Stranger Things. The streamer is launching new @netflixgeeked accounts to connect with fans on?X,?Facebook,?Instagram, and?TikTok.
• Halloween retrospective: Everyone’s a creator.?The omnipresence of?“niche” or meme-focused?costumes that were so?hyperspecific as to require explanation?has people talking about what it means to wear a costume not just for laughs but for laughs?that will play well in social videos?long after the party.Related: Today in food trends.?You may notice more pink drinks the next time you go to a bar, thanks, according to some, to?Taylor Swift’s “single-handed” cosmopolitan renaissance.?There may also be some?smart marketing behind?the drink trend, amplified by?nuanced tweaks from mixology-focused bartenders?around the country.

Contributors: Head of Social Content and Engagement Strategy Cristina Lawrence , Senior Vice President Jerry Lawrence , Group Vice President Andrew McKernan , and Senior Vice President Tammy Pepito .?

At Razorfish, we help brands define their higher purpose—the emotional reason why they belong in people’s lives. Ready to find your purpose? Learn more here.

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