San Francisco, CA – August 7: Governor Gavin Newsom talks about “creating an AI Ready Workforce” at the Google San Francisco Office. New collaborative efforts with leading global technology companies prepare for the next generation of technology in San Francisco, California, USA on August 7th, 2025.
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Below are five things about SME Technology News that happened this week and how they affect your SME. Have you missed them?
This week we're at Small Business Technology News
Small Business Technology News #1 – Gavin Newsom signs the first Nation AI safety law.
Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a groundbreaking bill aimed at regulating California's artificial intelligence – SB 53 (transparency of the Frontier Artificial Intelligence Act). The law requires companies developing AI systems to publish safety and security protocols and report potential risks to the state. Businesses must also report incidents of cyberattacks without human supervision, with protection of AI workers whistleblowers. Sen. Scott Weiner of California, who wrote the bill, proposed an earlier version (SB 1047) that was rejected by Newsom last year. His resolve was rewarded with this updated version of the bill. “Using transformative technologies like AI is responsible for supporting that innovation while implementing Commonsense Guardrails to understand and mitigate risk,” says Weiner. (Source: Politico)
Why this is important for your small business:
In theory, all of these sound great. But who do you report it to in the state exactly? If even AI companies' leaders don't fully understand it, they don't know if they're too confident in state regulators who understand the latest developments in AI technology. Is this better for business? Does this protect human civilization? Or the bill simply adds more bureaucracy and regulatory oversight to the industries that are driving the country's growth.
Small Business Technology News #2 – Openai will deploy purchases directly from CHATGPT, with a fundamental shift to e-commerce and a direct challenge to Google.
Openai has introduced a major e-commerce feature that allows you to purchase directly via ChatGPT via instant checkout. Users can view and purchase products within ChatGpt and skip traditional search engines. Questions about a particular product can be sent to a chatbot (for example, the best hiking boots under $150) and the chatbot will respond with suggestions. If a particular product is liked, instant checkout is enabled on the “Buy” button, this will post ChatGPT as a bold shift to online shopping and a direct competitor to Google for product search and discovery. This move challenges Google's advantage in product search and advertising. It also demonstrates Openai's ambitions to monetize ChatGpt beyond subscriptions and enterprise tools. (Source: Fortune)
Why this is important for your small business:
On the other hand, this is great news for e-commerce companies looking for Google alternatives to promote and sell their products. On the other hand, these companies need to understand how to attract the attention of chatbots in order to understand ChatGpt's algorithms, in addition to Google.
Small Business Technology News #3 – Slack will release AI “teammates” instantly.
Slack has launched Channel Expert, a constantly on AI teammate designed to streamline team communication and increase productivity, especially for small and medium-sized businesses. Agent Force-equipped channel experts surface FAQs, related information, and escalate complex queries to humans. Emit context-conscious answers from conversations, PDFs, and integrated apps. The Salesforce team using channel experts reports that they have fewer bottlenecks and reduced help desk ticket volume. (Source: Trends for small and medium-sized businesses)
Why this is important for your small business:
For SME owners, the company says it reduces the time channel experts spend responding to repeated inquiries and provides accurate support from context-aware data. Sales teams accelerate response times with quick access to important information such as price sheets and product descriptions. Slack places channel experts as channel experts as transformational tools for small teams looking for smarter workflows without tech investments.
Small Business Technology News #4 – Google launches a new SME resource hub.
Google has announced a centralized hub that allows small businesses to easily access a suite of tools for setup, advertising, analytics and support. Includes direct links to Business Profile, Merchant Center, Google Ads, YouTube ads, and Google Analytics. A feature equipped with Google Workspace's AI. We provide support for beginner training and resources in one place. This hub simplifies navigation within the Google ecosystem. Agents and consultants can onboard clients faster with a single URL. The long-term value of the hub relies on continuing to update Google with new features, partner offers and guides. It can be a go-to resource for small teams and marketers. (Source: Search Engine Journal)
Why this is important for your small business:
You've already signed up. I've learned that even small businesses can notice on Google if the focus is local. That's why business profiles, YouTube and localized ads are extremely important. I also learned that this is not rocket science. But that's expensive. As these tools change, mostly full-time people need to learn and adapt. I have successfully hired someone inside to learn these things, rather than relying on a marketing company.
Small Business Technology News #5 – Squarespace deploys new AI tools for SEO and design.
Squarespace has launched AI-powered features aimed at helping users optimize their websites and increase visibility on the web. Highlights include Beacon AI features that allow users to create product listings, set up marketing, and provide recommendations to improve their business models. Other AI tools include SEO scanners that automatically generate keyword-rich titles and descriptions to improve your search rankings. AI Site Scanner searches for broken links and provides recommendations to improve site performance and visitor experience. Finishing Layers are “design-focused” toolsets that allow users to add cutting-edge functionality. (Source: PYMTS)
Why this is important for your small business:
Squarespace is a powerful website building tool that small business owners can use with little background or education. Some people find it to work in competitive spaces and become more affordable. But a client I know says that everything using this platform is worth it to be good and good looking.
Each week we bring together five small business technology news stories to explain why they are important to your business. If you have any interesting stories, please post them on your X account @genemarks
