The Biggest AI News This Week
October has been busy for AI in the small‑business world. Here are the announcements that deserve your attention.
- AI training for Main Street entrepreneurs. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and its foundation, in partnership with Google.org, launched the Small Business B(AI)sics initiative on October 9 2025. The program aims to train 40,000 U.S. entrepreneurs in AI skills via in‑person workshops and a digital learning hub. The initiative is backed by $5 million in funding and responds to the Chamber’s research showing that more than half of small‑business leaders consider AI critical to their success.
- GoDaddy expands Airo® digital ads to nine new markets. On October 9 2025 GoDaddy announced that its AI‑powered Digital Ads feature, part of the GoDaddy Airo® suite, is now available in nine additional English‑language markets including Ireland, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates. The tool automatically writes ad copy, selects keywords and structures Google Ad campaigns so entrepreneurs can set up professional ads in minutes. It’s designed for business owners with no prior advertising experience, providing a cost‑effective way to reach new customers.
- Amazon’s Seller Assistant gets ‘agentic’ upgrades. At the Amazon Accelerate conference (Oct. 8 2025), Amazon unveiled a unified AI ecosystem for sellers. The enhanced Seller Assistant now uses agentic AI to reason, plan and take action with permission—flagging slow‑moving products, suggesting pricing adjustments and running “what‑if” scenarios. Amazon also upgraded its Opportunity Explorer and added an “Enhance My Listing” feature that recommends better titles, descriptions and images. Together, these tools help small sellers optimize listings, manage inventory and generate marketing assets without cobbling together separate apps.
- Accessible customer service from Be My Eyes. Accessibility platform Be My Eyes announced on October 6 that its Service AI virtual agent is now available as a standalone product for small and medium‑sized businesses. Built on the Be My Eyes platform, Service AI provides 24/7 customer support to blind and low‑vision consumers via chat and image recognition. The AI agent can be trained on a company’s products and escalates complex issues to human agents when needed. Licensing includes a listing in the Be My Eyes Service Directory, exposing businesses to more than 900,000 blind and low‑vision users worldwide.
- OpenAI introduces agentic commerce in ChatGPT. On September 29 2025, OpenAI launched Instant Checkout—a feature that lets U.S. users purchase products directly within ChatGPT. This first step toward agentic commerce lets shoppers buy from Etsy sellers and, soon, over a million Shopify merchants. The system uses the new open‑sourced Agentic Commerce Protocol, developed with Stripe, to securely pass order information between customers and merchants. For solopreneurs, this creates a new sales channel: once integrated (just a few lines of code if you already use Stripe), your products can appear in ChatGPT’s shopping results, allowing customers to checkout without leaving the conversation.
Tools You Can Start Using Today
News is great, but results come from implementation. Here are practical tools—some highlighted above and others time‑tested—that you can adopt immediately.
1. GoDaddy Airo® Digital Ads
- What it does: Airo® creates complete Google Ad campaigns in minutes, drafting persuasive ad copy, selecting relevant keywords and structuring campaigns according to best practices. You can edit headlines, descriptions, target audience and budget before launch.
- Who it’s for: Solo e‑commerce owners and service providers who lack marketing expertise but need to drive traffic.
- How to get started: Sign up for GoDaddy’s Airo® suite (there is a freemium tier). Go to the Digital Ads section, input your website URL and describe your product or service. The AI will draft an ad; review and adjust the copy, choose a budget and publish. Monitor clicks and cost‑per‑click from the dashboard.
2. Service AI by Be My Eyes
- What it does: Provides accessible, 24/7 AI‑powered customer service for blind and low‑vision customers. It can interpret images, chat with users and route complex issues to human agents.
- Who it’s for: Businesses that sell physical products or services and want to make customer support inclusive without hiring a full team.
- How to get started: Request a demo via Be My Eyes’ website, then train the AI on your products and policies. Once live, your company is listed in the Service Directory, giving immediate exposure to more than 900,000 users.
3. Amazon Seller Assistant & Enhance My Listing
- What it does: Acts as a proactive business partner. The agentic AI can forecast slow‑moving inventory, recommend pricing or advertising changes and simulate “what‑if” scenarios. The new Enhance My Listing tool suggests improved titles, descriptions and images.
- Who it’s for: Existing Amazon sellers or entrepreneurs considering Amazon as a sales channel.
- How to get started: From your Amazon Seller Central dashboard, enable the Seller Assistant. Grant permission for the tool to analyze your product catalog. Use the suggestions to refine listings, adjust prices and build AI‑generated ads. Experiment with the Opportunity Explorer to discover new product niches.
4. ChatGPT Instant Checkout (Agentic Commerce)
- What it does: Allows customers to purchase items directly within ChatGPT. Merchants keep control of order fulfillment and payments; ChatGPT simply passes information using the Agentic Commerce Protocol.
- Who it’s for: U.S. solopreneurs and small sellers using Etsy or Shopify who want to tap ChatGPT’s 700 million weekly users.
- How to get started: If you use Stripe, enabling Instant Checkout requires adding the agentic payments capability (one line of code). Apply through ChatGPT’s merchant portal and follow the integration guide. Once approved, your products can appear in relevant chat results, and customers can complete purchases without leaving the conversation.
How This Week’s News Translates into Opportunity
For solopreneurs and micro‑business owners, these announcements aren’t just headlines: they’re stepping stones toward a more efficient, inclusive and scalable operation.
Skill up without breaking the bank. Many entrepreneurs hesitate to adopt AI because they don’t know where to start. The Small Business B(AI)sics program and the free “Make AI Work for You” course provide structured learning opportunities backed by Google. You can learn to build sales pitch decks, create advertising materials or analyze business results with AI, all at no cost. This reduces the barrier to entry and helps you make informed choices about which tools are worth your time.
Automate customer acquisition. Tools like GoDaddy’s Airo® and Amazon’s upgraded Seller Assistant mean you can generate ad campaigns, optimize listings and analyze inventory without hiring marketing or data specialists. Airo® removes technical complexity by drafting copy and selecting keywords, while the Seller Assistant proactively flags issues and suggests data‑driven next steps. Together they free up hours that you can spend on product development or customer relationships.
Make inclusion a differentiator. Inclusive design isn’t just ethical; it’s good business. Be My Eyes’ Service AI allows even the smallest companies to offer 24/7, fully accessible support. With licensing comes instant visibility in a directory frequented by blind and low‑vision consumers. Providing equitable customer service can expand your audience and strengthen your brand.
Tap into new sales channels. ChatGPT’s Instant Checkout signals the emergence of conversational commerce: customers ask ChatGPT for product recommendations and complete purchases in one flow. By integrating early, you gain visibility inside a platform used by hundreds of millions of people each week. For small Etsy or Shopify sellers, this could be a low‑friction way to reach new buyers without spending on advertising.
Prepare for the future of agentic AI. Amazon and OpenAI are both leaning into agentic AI—systems that can plan, reason and act autonomously. As these tools evolve, they will handle more complex workflows, from inventory management to personalized shopping experiences. Becoming comfortable with today’s agentic tools positions your business to leverage more sophisticated capabilities down the line.
Quick Wins for This Week
- Register for Small Business B(AI)sics: Visit the U.S. Chamber’s CO— platform and sign up for the upcoming training sessions (the program is rolling out nationwide throughout the quarter). Block two hours this week to take the “Make AI Work for You” course.
- Test GoDaddy Airo®: Create a free account and launch a pilot ad campaign for a product or service. Allocate a modest budget (e.g., $20) and monitor results for seven days.
- Enable Seller Assistant (if you sell on Amazon): Navigate to your Seller Central dashboard, turn on the assistant and review its recommendations. Implement at least one pricing or listing improvement before the end of the week.
- Schedule a demo of Service AI: If you offer customer support, request a demo from Be My Eyes and evaluate how their virtual agent could reduce response times and expand accessibility.
- Join the Instant Checkout waitlist: If you’re an Etsy or Shopify seller, apply through ChatGPT’s merchant portal to enable Instant Checkout. Begin exploring the Agentic Commerce Protocol documentation so you’re ready when the feature expands.
Ready to Experiment?
AI isn’t reserved for big tech firms. The latest releases prove that solopreneurs and micro‑enterprises can access powerful tools and training—often for free or at affordable rates. This week’s news offers pathways to upskill, automate marketing, broaden accessibility and open new sales channels. Don’t wait for the next trend to pass you by. Instead, pick one of the quick wins above and see what AI can do for your business. What AI tool are you most excited to try? Share your thoughts in the comments or tag us on social—SoloAITool is here to support your journey.
