Meta subscriptions, Metallica blood drive & more
This week's highlights across Search, Social, PR and AI.
Search
1. Research reveals users behave differently in AI Overviews vs. AI Mode
New clickstream research reveals users interact with Google’s AI products in two very different ways. According to analysis of more than 846,000 Google search sessions, AI Mode behaves more like a closed-loop recommendation engine, with users often accepting AI-generated shortlists without exploring further. In one study, 74% of users selected the top-ranked AI recommendation, while 64% clicked nothing at all.
AI Overviews, however, appear to encourage far more comparison behaviour. Users spent more time scrolling back up pages, revisiting content, and evaluating multiple options before clicking.
The findings suggest that optimising for AI Mode visibility and AI Overview visibility may require completely different strategies going forward.
2. Google’s May 2026 Core Update is underway
Google’s latest core update officially began rolling out last Thursday, with many SEOs already reporting significant ranking volatility over the weekend. While the update is expected to take up to two weeks to fully complete, early signs suggest it’s already having a noticeable impact across a range of industries and websites.
As always with core updates, there’s no single fix or specific penalty involved. But with Google simultaneously pushing further into AI-powered search experiences, many marketers will be watching closely to see whether this rollout further reshapes visibility across traditional search results.
3. OpenAI confirms new ad developments for ChatGPT
OpenAI has officially confirmed that conversion-focused advertising is coming to ChatGPT, with early access launching for advertisers in June. The move signals OpenAI’s clearest attempt yet to build a performance advertising ecosystem that mirrors platforms like Google and Meta. As AI assistants increasingly become destinations for discovery and decision-making, the race to monetise AI conversations is very much underway.
4. Sundar Pichai hints at a more agentic future for Search
In a post-I/O interview, Google CEO Sundar Pichai suggested the future of Search will increasingly revolve around AI agents that complete tasks, not just surface information. The conversation focused heavily on Google’s broader AI transformation, including Gemini Spark and the company’s evolving vision for Search, YouTube and the open web.
Social
5. Meta launches subscriptions across Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp
Meta is expanding its subscription offerings globally, introducing paid plans across Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp while also testing new AI-focused and creator-focused tiers under the new “Meta One” branding.
Consumer subscriptions will unlock features like profile customisation, enhanced reactions and analytics, while higher-tier plans for creators and businesses promise boosted discoverability, deeper insights and expanded monetisation tools.
The rollout shows Meta continuing to diversify beyond advertising revenue while positioning AI features as premium upsells.
6. YouTube expands automatic AI content labeling
YouTube is making its AI-generated content labels far more visible, with disclosures now appearing directly beneath long-form videos and overlaid on Shorts when content has been meaningfully generated or altered using AI.
The platform is also expanding its automatic AI detection systems, aiming to improve transparency for viewers. As generative AI content becomes increasingly common across platforms, clearer labelling is quickly becoming a major focus for social platforms trying to balance creativity with trust.
7. Instagram tests interest tags on profiles
Instagram is experimenting with a new feature that allows users to display up to five interests directly on their profiles. The tags are designed to help users connect with like-minded communities while also influencing the types of content recommended in-feed.
The move feels like part of Instagram’s wider attempt to reinforce its social identity, rather than becoming entirely dominated by passive Reels consumption. By highlighting shared interests, Instagram seems to be encouraging more active community interaction and personal expression within the app again.
PR
8. Branded music videos are making a comeback
More brands are turning to music videos as a way to cut through increasingly crowded social feeds. Companies including Gap, Cheetos, KFC and Hawaiian Tropic have all recently launched music-led campaigns designed to encourage sharing, UGC and cultural conversation rather than functioning like traditional ads.
The shift reflects a broader move toward entertainment-first marketing, particularly on platforms like TikTok where brands are competing directly with creators for attention.
9. Metallica partners with UK blood services
Metallica has teamed up with blood donation services across England, Scotland and Wales as part of the band’s upcoming UK tour dates. The collaboration aims to encourage more people to donate blood and plasma while raising awareness around ongoing shortages.
By tying the campaign to live music culture and fan communities, the initiative demonstrates how entertainment partnerships can help public health campaigns reach wider audiences in more emotionally engaging ways. It’s also another example of brands and organisations increasingly using fandom-driven activations to spark real-world action.
AI
10. Anthropic may introduce AI fluency scorecards in Claude
Anthropic appears to be developing a new “AI Fluency” scoring system inside Claude, designed to evaluate how effectively users interact with AI across chats, coding sessions and workflows.
The feature reportedly analyses behaviours like prompting quality, iteration habits and critical evaluation skills, before generating a personalised fluency score and feedback report. The system builds on Anthropic’s earlier research suggesting that strong AI collaboration depends less on polished outputs and more on how users refine, question and guide conversations over time.
If launched publicly, it could mark one of the first major attempts to assess and improve the human side of AI usage rather than just the model itself.
That’s all for this week! See you next Friday for another round-up of the best and biggest stories from across the Search-Verse™.