Good Morning, Builders.

Today we look at AI’s limits, e-commerce’s growing strength, platforms protecting their turf, and markets shrugging off legal risk. Let’s get to work.

OpenAI is conceding a hard limit of AI-powered browsers: prompt injection attacks are likely here to stay. These attacks hide malicious instructions inside emails or web pages, tricking AI agents into taking unintended actions. OpenAI says giving browsers more autonomy also expands their attack surface, making full prevention unrealistic. Instead, the company is fighting back by training AI “attackers” to stress-test its own systems faster than real hackers can. (TechCrunch)

U.S. holiday retail spending rose 4.2% this season, according to Visa, even as consumers said they planned to cut back. The real growth engine was online shopping, with e-commerce up 7.8%, while physical stores still handled most purchases. Electronics led all categories, jumping 5.8%, driven by demand for high-performance devices in what Visa calls the “AI era.” The shift this year was how people shopped: roughly half of consumers used AI tools to compare prices or find gifts, turning caution into smarter spending rather than less spending. (CNBC)

A federal judge blocked Texas from enforcing a new law that would have forced app stores and developers to verify users’ ages and require parental consent for minors. The court said the measure likely violates First Amendment protections, handing a win to tech groups backing Apple and Google. While lawmakers argue age checks are necessary to protect kids online, the ruling signals that sweeping app store mandates face serious constitutional hurdles. For now, states eager to rein in teen screen time may need narrower rules to make their case stick. (Reuters)

LinkedIn is rolling out personalized “Year in Review” summaries that recap how you used the platform in 2025. Think connections made, posts and comments shared, skills added, engagement patterns, and even who you interacted with most, all packaged into a slick, shareable recap. It is more vibe check than deep analytics, but it reinforces a bigger trend: social platforms turning reflection into retention. By gamifying professional activity, LinkedIn nudges users to post more, connect more, and stay logged in next year. (Social Media Today)

A Baltimore jury ordered J&J to pay more than $1.5B to a woman who said the company’s talc baby powder caused her mesothelioma, the largest single-plaintiff verdict yet in its talc saga. J&J plans to appeal and continues to deny the claims. Meanwhile, Bank of America recently raised its price target to $220, calling J&J’s premium valuation justified. The stock is up 45% this year, even with 67,000-plus talc lawsuits still pending. (Yahoo Finance)

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