OpenAI makes yet another deal, this time with Walmart & Salesforce, and ASML gets a boost on AI Wave

15th October 2025

OpenAI will allow verified adults to access mature content on ChatGPT starting December, part of its new “treat adults like adults” policy. UK fintech Lendable launched a £20 mobile plan, becoming the first of its kind to blend finance and telecoms. Chipmaker ASML continues to benefit from the AI boom but expects demand in China to cool next year. Walmart teamed up with OpenAI to let users shop directly through ChatGPT, signaling the next phase of conversational commerce. Meanwhile, Salesforce is integrating its Agentforce 360 platform with ChatGPT and Claude to bring AI-driven interactions to business software.

Major News

• ChatGPT Grows Up: OpenAI to Let Verified Adults Access Mature Content

OpenAI is loosening the rules responsibly. Starting in December, ChatGPT will allow mature content for users who verify their age, CEO Sam Altman announced on X this week. The move comes as part of the company’s new “treat adult users like adults” principle, reflecting a shift toward giving people more control over how they use the platform.

Altman explained that OpenAI had previously made ChatGPT “pretty restrictive,” especially to safeguard users dealing with mental health challenges. While that caution was intentional, he acknowledged it made the chatbot less engaging for others who didn’t need the same limits. According to Altman, OpenAI has since developed better safeguards and tools to handle those concerns, allowing it to safely relax restrictions in most cases.

The company is also planning new personalization features. In the coming weeks, ChatGPT users will be able to fine-tune how the AI interacts with them whether that means sounding more human, adding a playful tone with emojis, or even responding like a friend. “ChatGPT should do it but only if you want it, not because we’re usage-maxxing,” Altman said.

The update comes as tech companies continue to navigate how to manage content for different age groups. Earlier the same day, Meta announced new measures to limit what users under 18 can access on Instagram and its AI tools, using filters inspired by the PG-13 movie rating system. Bloomberg 

• ASML Rides the AI Wave, but China Demand Set to Cool

ASML, the world’s biggest supplier of chipmaking equipment, is riding high on the global AI boom but it’s bracing for a slowdown in China. The Dutch tech giant said demand for its machines remains strong as chipmakers pour billions into powering AI systems, even as Chinese sales are expected to “significantly” drop next year. CEO Christophe Fouquet said ASML is seeing “continued positive momentum around investments in AI,” with both logic and memory chips benefiting from the surge. Shares have jumped 37% since September and were up another 3% on Wednesday.

That optimism comes amid a broader wave of AI-related spending. Just last month, OpenAI revealed plans to build over $1 trillion worth of data center capacity a move that could drive even more demand for chips, which account for about half the cost of such infrastructure. ASML reported €5.4 billion in net bookings for the quarter, slightly topping expectations, while net income came in at €2.12 billion, right in line with forecasts.

Still, the company’s once-blazing growth in China appears to be cooling. After contributing nearly half of ASML’s revenue in 2024, Chinese sales are now expected to “normalize,” according to CFO Roger Dassen, who noted the drop wasn’t tied to stockpiling but simply a post-boom adjustment. U.S. export restrictions continue to limit ASML’s ability to sell its most advanced lithography machines to China, though the company said it won’t be immediately affected by Beijing’s recent controls on rare earth exports.

Looking ahead, ASML expects sales in 2026 to be roughly flat compared with the €32.5 billion projected for 2025, before growth picks up again in 2027. Analysts say those numbers should calm investor fears of a deeper downturn. With major clients like TSMC, Intel, Samsung, and Micron all ramping up production for AI applications, ASML remains firmly at the center of the global chipmaking race even as its biggest growth market cools off. Reuters 

• ChatGPT am I out of Milk? Walmart Partners with OpenAI to have AI do your groceries

Walmart is teaming up with OpenAI to make shopping as easy as starting a conversation. The retail giant announced a new partnership that will let customers browse and buy items directly through ChatGPT, marking a major shift in how people discover and purchase products online.

For years, online shopping has revolved around search bars and endless product lists, but that’s about to change. “The new experience will be multi-media, personalized, and contextual,” said Walmart CEO Doug McMillon, adding that the company is “running toward a more enjoyable and convenient future.” The move reflects how shoppers are increasingly turning to AI tools like ChatGPT for gift ideas, price comparisons, and deal hunting.

While Walmart hasn’t shared an official launch date, excitement is already high the company’s shares jumped nearly 5% after the announcement, hitting a 52-week high. The feature will build on OpenAI’s new Instant Checkout system, which allows users to complete purchases directly in ChatGPT and already includes sellers from Etsy, with Shopify brands like Skims and Glossier joining soon.

This isn’t Walmart’s first step into AI. The retailer already offers Sparky, its in-app AI shopping assistant. But by integrating directly with ChatGPT, Walmart is positioning itself at the intersection of retail and artificial intelligence making shopping faster, smarter, and a lot more conversational. CNBC 

• Yet another OpenAI deal

Salesforce is taking another big step into the AI world, announcing that its Agentforce 360 software will soon integrate with OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Anthropic’s Claude. The move comes just ahead of the company’s annual Dreamforce conference, as Salesforce doubles down on partnerships with leading AI developers to stay ahead in a rapidly changing software landscape. The update follows the company’s recent expansion of Agentforce beyond text chats to include voice calls, signaling its ambition to make AI more accessible across different communication tools.

“The way people are going to interact with software is going to fundamentally shift,” said Brian Landsman, Salesforce’s EVP of Partnerships. He added that users could soon engage with Salesforce systems directly through platforms like ChatGPT or Slack a reflection of how conversational AI is reshaping business workflows. Salesforce says more details on the rollout will come in the months ahead, with plans to collaborate with Anthropic on bringing Agentforce 360 into Claude as well.

The integration will let users tap into corporate data through Agentforce 360 and even create Tableau charts right inside ChatGPT, which now boasts more than 800 million weekly users. Salesforce and OpenAI customers will also be able to sell products through ChatGPT’s Instant Checkout feature, blurring the lines between productivity tools and commerce platforms. The company is also working with Anthropic to tailor AI solutions for regulated sectors, starting with financial services.

For Salesforce, the partnership could help counter investor concerns about growth amid an AI-driven market shake-up. Its shares have dropped about 26% this year even as the S&P 500 climbs, but CEO Marc Benioff remains confident that Salesforce’s deep ties with OpenAI and Anthropic will pay off. “All these next-generation AI companies from OpenAI to Anthropic are on Slack,” he said recently. “They’ve made it their operating system.” Yahoo.Finance 

Minor News 

• UK’s Nscale partners with Microsoft to deliver 200,000 Nvidia AI chips. Reuters 

• Verizon rolls out support program for federal workers hit by the shutdown. Yahoo.Finance 

• BlackRock’s assets under management climb to $13.5 trillion, up from $1 trillion in a single quarter. StockMKTNewz

• Most investors say AI stocks are in a bubble. Bloomberg

• Oracle Cloud to roll out 50,000 of AMD’s next-gen MI450 AI chips starting in late 2026. StockMKTNewz

• France pushes back against Shein’s plan to open physical stores. Morning Brew 

• Major U.S. news outlets reject new Pentagon media access rules. Bloomberg 

• Spotify teams up with Netflix to bring video podcasts to more viewers. Yahoo.Finance