The Microsoft Copilot app is being displayed on a smartphone, with the Microsoft logo visible in the background, in this photo illustration taken in Brussels, Belgium, on December 30, 2023. (Photo by Jonathan Raa/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
NurPhoto via Getty Images
Here are five things in tech that happened this week and how they affect your small business. Did you miss them?
This Week in Small Business Tech News
Small Business Technology News #1 – Microsoft will force install the Copilot AI app for some users.
Starting October 2025, Microsoft will automatically install the Copilot AI app on Windows devices that have desktop versions of Microsoft 365 apps like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. This rollout will affect personal users globally, except those in the European Economic Area (EEA). Personal users cannot opt out of the installation – only system administrators in organizations can disable the automatic install via the Microsoft 365 Apps admin center. (Source: Tom’s Hardware)
Why this is important for your small business:
Don’t be surprised when this forced install happens. And if any of your users are running personal versions of Windows they’re not going to have any choice. According to the article Microsoft is heavily investing in AI and looking to increase adoption rates, but critics argue this move may feel like forced bloatware for users who don’t want or use AI tools.
Small Business Technology News #2 – Google’s new Agents Payments Protocol (AP2) allows AI agents to complete purchases.
Google – alongside 60+ major partners (like PayPal, Mastercard, Coinbase, and Salesforce) – has launched AP2, an open-source protocol that allows AI agents to complete purchases on behalf of users without requiring real-time human approval. The system is structured to support various payment methods and mandates cryptographically signed digital contracts that prove a user authorized a purchase – a revolutionary advancement for ecommerce. (Source: VentureBeat)
Why this is important for your small business:
What’s changed? According to the article current AI agents can browse and compare products but can’t finalize transactions without manual user input. AP2 introduces a secure, standardized way for agents to authenticate user intent, validate transactions, and ensure accountability if something goes wrong. This won’t be happen overnight, but already big tech is setting the stage for agents to take over your company’s payment processing which – once we become comfortable with that process – can free up the time (and lower overhead cost) related to the people who are currently performing this function.
Small Business Technology News #3 – YouTube announces a range of updates at MadeOn 2025.
YouTube just dropped a massive update at its MadeOn YouTube 2025 event – and it’s all about supercharging creativity with AI. New AI-powered editing tools and dynamic advertising were among the features debuted. “Edit with AI” allows users to create polished videos by intelligently arranging the best visual content into videos that can be enhanced with music and voiceovers. A Speech-to-Song remixing tool can take a brief audio clip of someone speaking and transform it into a “catchy soundtrack,” per YouTube. Dynamic Sponsorship Slots allows creators can insert, swap, or resell branded segments in videos. For creators with sponsorships, sponsor tags can be used in designated videos. When the product is mentioned, the sponsor tag will light up the product in the video. Creators can then resell the slot to multiple brands in different markets “transforming videos into living assets,” YouTube said about the dynamic ads feature. (Source: Social Media Today)
Why this is important for your small business:
My company does a lot of YouTube promotion for our videos and I’ve already forwarded this new to the person running my campaigns.
Small Business Technology News #4 – How people are using ChatGPT.
OpenAI has shared the results from the latest study on how people are using ChatGPT, based on a massive analysis of 1.5 million conversations. Key data points include the gender gaps are shrinking: By mid-2025, users with feminine names rose from 37 percent to 52 percent, reflecting broader demographic reach. Global growth: Usage in low-income countries is growing 4x faster than in high-income ones, showing ChatGPT’s expanding accessibility. This is the largest consumer AI usage study ever released, and it paints a picture of ChatGPT as a tool that’s not just useful but increasingly central to how people work, learn, and live. (Source: OpenAI)
Why this is important for your small business:
OpenAI categorized usage into three main types: Asking (49 percent): Seeking advice, information, or guidance – ChatGPT as a smart advisor. Doing (40 percent): Task completion like writing, planning, or coding – especially for work. Expressing (11 percent): Personal reflection, creativity, and play. If you’re adopting chatbots like ChatGPT into your business you should be leaning into this functionality for the best results.
Small Business Technology News #5 – Intuit and Clair partner to deliver on-demand pay
Intuit has partnered with Clair – a fintech company – to offer On-Demand Pay for employees using QuickBooks Payroll. This feature allows workers to access a portion of their earned wages before payday, helping reduce financial stress and improve retention. It’s free for employers and has seamless integration with QuickBooks Payroll at no cost to businesses. There are no credit checks required – it’s available to eligible employees without affecting their credit scores. There are flexible access options like free transfers in one to three business days and instant transfers for a flat $4.99 fee. There’s automated repayments for advances from the next paycheck with no interest charged and there’s mobile access where employees use the QuickBooks Workforce app to manage pay and time tracking. (Source: Stock Titan)
Why this is important for your small business:
Earned waged access – some call them same day pay – have been exploding in popularity over the past few years and I can understand why. Some surveys say that anywhere from 40-60 percent of hourly workers are living paycheck to paycheck. This option gives them the ability to smooth out their finances. Because these applications are installed at no cost to the employer and no change in their payroll financing (the makers usually earn their money from a percentage of the debit card merchant fee) it’s a no-brainer employer incentive to add that can not only attract but retain good workers.
Each week I round up five small business technology news stories and explain why they’re important for your business. If you have any interesting stories, please post to my X account @genemarks