YouGov stories
Australia topped the ranking with 70.1 AI girlfriend searches per 100,000 internet users, despite a reported loneliness rate of just 10%.
The findings suggest many smaller firms are already using AI to lift productivity, but training costs and know-how remain major barriers.
Nearly two in five Australians now use generative AI to help pick brands, and most still want to make the final purchase decision themselves.
Poor product pages are costing online retailers sales in Britain, with 43% of shoppers abandoning purchases when details are missing.
Travellers can now buy mobile data and scan local payment codes in Wise's app, as the firm expands its push into trip spending.
Most buyers want AI to compare prices and flag discounts, but only 7% would let it spend on fashion unapproved.
Pay is the main draw for most young Australian workers, with 72% saying wages that keep up with living costs top their job list.
Rising worry over tap-water chemicals is driving demand for whole-home filters, with 70% of Australians now concerned about PFAS in their water.
Historical breaches are resurfacing in AI search when buyers check trust, prompting firms to keep post-incident messaging visible for years.
Consumers want AI to hunt bargains, but most still reject software buying clothes for them, according to a survey of 3,300 adults.
Traditional banks still underpin Singapore's smaller firms even as 80% now use fintech, with only 30% fully switched, a survey found.
Trust could suffer for small firms as 78% of Britons say they would trust a brand less if it used AI-generated actors in adverts.
The fresh capital will help the London-based AI data company hire, deepen its digital twin network and push further into the US market.
More than half of Hong Kong children surveyed keep their money outside bank accounts, raising questions for lenders courting young savers.
The study suggests banks are missing out on USD $30 billion held by US children, most of whom save and spend outside the traditional system.
Most of it sits outside mainstream banks, with 6 million children aged eight to 15 holding cash, accounts, apps or piggy banks.
Privacy worries are undermining retailers' AI push, with only one in 10 UK shoppers saying they trust product recommendations, a survey found.
The subscription aims to woo Singapore's affluent customers with travel perks, investment discounts and bundled services worth more than S$10,000 a year.
Singapore customers shut out of premium banking may now buy access, as a S$899 annual membership bundles travel, investment and lifestyle perks.
Dealers could cut pricing errors and save staff time as live vehicle data replaces paper cards across showrooms and forecourts.
