Here’s a new episode of The Reddy Rundown, crafted so you don’t have to frantically follow every AI headline wondering what you’re missing as an exec in 2025 trying to keep up.

I’m Shawn Reddy, CEO of AI Advantage Agency. At my core, I’m a marketing systems architect — which means I spend my time building, testing, and scaling AI-driven infrastructures that give brands a competitive edge. In today’s AI economy, the systems you deploy are no longer backstage tools. They are your marketing engine.

This week’s AI updates hit hard because they highlight where consumer attention is shifting, where the new distribution moats are forming, and which tools actually matter if you want to scale your brand in 2025.

1. A16z’s GenAI App Power Rankings — A Marketing Signal, Not Just Hype

Andreessen Horowitz dropped their 5th edition of the Top 100 GenAI Consumer Apps, and beyond the rankings, the report is a reality check on where consumer attention is consolidating.

• ChatGPT still holds the crown, but Google Gemini is right on its heels — grabbing 12% of ChatGPT’s web traffic and expanding aggressively with NotebookLM, AI Studio, and Labs.

• Grok (Elon’s conversational AI) climbed to #4, driven by its positioning as a companion AI instead of just a chatbot.

• “Vibe coding” tools like Cursor, Lovable, Bolt, and Replit are skyrocketing in usage, reshaping how developers and small teams create software at speed.

• Chinese AI apps dominate 22 of the top 50 mobile slots — a reminder that global adoption patterns don’t always match the Western narrative.

  
  

Why this matters for marketing: When AI usage shifts, consumer discovery shifts. Google is no longer just a search engine; its AI products are becoming new traffic funnels. If Gemini gets embedded into Chrome and YouTube over the next 12 months, ranking in Gemini’s recommendations may matter more than traditional SEO. It’s time to rethink where your prospects actually start their buying journey.

2. OpenAI x Anthropic — The Quiet Battle Over Trust

In a rare move, OpenAI and Anthropic released joint safety evaluations of each other’s flagship models — GPT‑4o, o3, Claude Opus 4, and Sonnet 4.

The findings were fascinating:

• OpenAI’s o3 showed the strongest alignment but also hallucinated more than Claude.

• Claude prioritized certainty, often refusing to answer rather than risking being wrong.

• Both models attempted simulated “whistleblowing” and even used blackmail tactics when tested under pressure scenarios.

• GPT‑5 wasn’t part of this round — which tells us its launch timing is likely imminent.

  
  

Why this matters for marketing: Consumers are going to care about AI trust. As these models start running brand-facing workflows — ad generation, outbound campaigns, personalization engines — reputational risk isn’t theoretical anymore. If your brand builds on these tools, you need a framework for transparency around AI usage before your customers demand it.

3. Canva AI — Fast, Polished, and Actually Usable

Canva quietly rolled out AI-powered presentation generation, and this is one of those rare tools that isn’t just hype — it’s practical.

I tested it by asking Canva AI to create a 2026 marketing strategy deck template, and in less than 30 seconds, I had a polished, editable framework.

Why it works:

• You choose the tone: playful, formal, or hybrid.

• The generated decks look clean but stay customizable — swap in your branding, product shots, and campaign data.

• Export to PPT, record video walk-throughs, or collaborate directly with your team.

  
  

Marketing use case: If you’re running weekly stakeholder updates, pitching investors, or preparing client proposals, Canva AI can cut prep time by 70% without making you look like you outsourced your deck to a robot. It’s fast, but it still leaves room for human nuance — which is critical for brand perception.

4. Microsoft Copilot Comes to Samsung TVs — And Why That Matters

Microsoft just announced that Copilot AI will ship pre-installed on Samsung’s 2025 smart TVs and monitors, complete with an on-screen animated companion that answers questions, recommends shows, and summarizes episodes.

On the surface, this seems like a small consumer play. But it’s part of a bigger shift: ambient AI.

Think about it: AI assistants living on devices in every room of the house, connected to your personal data, watching habits, and search patterns. If Copilot becomes a household layer, that’s a massive new surface for targeted advertising and personalized recommendations.

Marketing takeaway: The living room is becoming a data goldmine. If Microsoft turns Copilot into a recommendation engine for products, content, and experiences, expect a new wave of “AI SEO” — where optimizing for AI companions replaces optimizing for browsers.

Tools to Test Right Now (And How I’d Use Them for Marketing)

Canva AI Auto-generates custom decks - Build rapid-fire campaign proposals & client-ready pitch decks

Warp AI Top coding agent for automation - Deploy lightweight data dashboards or build custom outreach tools

Gemini Studio Google’s AI-powered creation suite - Test Gemini ranking strategies before AI-native SEO fully kicks in

Claude Opus 4 High-trust, low-hallucination model - Use for brand-sensitive messaging and client-facing outputs

My Take

We’re at a tipping point. AI isn’t just a set of tools anymore — it’s the new layer of distribution. Where people spend time, where they discover products, where they consume stories — it’s all shifting.

For execs, the play isn’t chasing shiny tools. It’s architecting AI-native marketing systems that can pivot as these platforms evolve. The companies that operationalize adaptability — from outreach to creative testing — will own attention flows.

Looking for a community of like-minded individuals who are interested in AI and Entrepreneurship? Join our free community here to get started: The AI Advantage Community Thank you for reading! -Shawn