01 · SHOPPING
TikTok puts an AI sales assistant on the product page
Promotional photo from the announcement. Image: TikTok. Image source
TikTok’s Shopping Assistant is a chat window on a merchant’s product page inside TikTok’s in-app browser. You can ask about materials, sizing or delivery, with answers based on information the merchant supplies.
After the conversation, shoppers can continue to the seller’s checkout within that browser. A separate tool, Buy Direct, offers in-app checkout using saved payment and address details.
The commercial purpose is clear: answer the questions that might otherwise stop a sale. That can be convenient, but the assistant is working from the shop’s information. Independent reviews and comparisons still have a role.
Available now? These tools are being tested with eligible advertisers. TikTok directs interested brands to their sales partner and does not give a general rollout date.
02 · AT WORK
Cohere’s AI can remember work between chats
North 2. Official launch artwork: Cohere. Image source
Explaining the same project every Monday is a familiar frustration with AI. Cohere’s North 2, announced on October 5, adds memory across sessions and shared libraries to its AI platform for companies.
Teams can build reusable assistants and workflows, create documents or simple apps in chat, and connect tools such as Slack, SharePoint and Outlook. The practical idea is to give colleagues a common set of materials and routines, instead of having everyone start again.
There are new controls for the people paying the bill, too: administrators can set usage limits, spending caps and permissions. Companies can choose where the system runs, including on their own infrastructure, and use models from different providers.
Before buying: ask for a demonstration using one real workflow—such as preparing a weekly project update. Check the sources, corrections needed and total cost. Cohere is directing organisations to sales for demos; its launch post does not list a price.
03 · A NEW AI MODEL
Beam is coming as a downloadable AI model
Beam. Official launch artwork: Reflection. Image source
Reflection introduced Beam on October 5, a model built for coding, reasoning and tasks that use software tools. For now, access is limited: selected users can try an early version, while others can join a waitlist.
The bigger promise is a release of its model weights later this month. These are the learned numerical settings that make a trained AI model work. Sharing them would let organisations run and adapt Beam themselves.
Reflection plans to release those weights under the Apache 2.0 licence, alongside documentation and tools. Running the model would still require computing hardware and expertise.
The company’s own tests suggest competitive performance on some tasks with less computation. It also acknowledges that stronger open models remain ahead on raw capability. Lower estimated computation is not the same as a verified lower bill.
What to watch next: the actual download, full safety results and tests by people outside Reflection.
TRY THIS · 2 MINUTES
Make AI check the sales pitch
Comparing a product? Give your AI tool the seller’s page and one independent review, then ask:
Compare these two sources. List the facts they agree on, any conflicting claims, and questions neither answers. Cite the source for every point. Do not fill gaps with guesses.
Open the cited pages to check its work. A useful comparison may end with an unanswered question—such as whether a return fee applies—instead of a confident recommendation.
Would you trust a shop’s AI to help you choose?
Hit reply with the one question you would want it to answer.
See you next time,
Artificialintelligence.ai
AI for everyone. Original announcements and image sources are linked in each story. Product claims are attributed to their makers. Checked 6 October 2026.
