CHONGQING, CHINA – OCTOBER 22: In this photo illustration, a person holds a smartphone on October 22, 2025 in Chongqing, China, displaying the official website of ChatGPT Atlas, a newly launched AI-powered web browser developed by OpenAI, with a “Download for macOS” option and the message “Currently available for macOS only,” with the ChatGPT Atlas logo displayed on a large screen in the background. (Photo illustration: Cheng Xin/Getty Images)
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Here are five things that happened in the tech industry this week and how they impact your business. Were you lonely?
This week in small business technology news
Small Business Technology News #1 – How Google’s AI brief is accelerating change in paid search.
Google’s thorough research into AI Overview and its impact on SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages) in the retail, travel, finance, healthcare, and automotive industries found that paid search click-through rates are 8-12% lower where AI Overview appears. Finance had the highest increase in AI overviews across information and top-funnel queries, followed by healthcare. This data also shows how AI overview visibility changes based on query length (1 to 10 words). (Source: Search Engine Land)
Why this is important for small businesses:
AI is starting to transform the world of paid search. And while AI search is reducing traffic to many websites, some marketing executives say the quality of clicks that reach their sites is high. That makes sense. Search Engine Land suggests that as the AI landscape continues to evolve, advertisers can stay competitive by increasing visibility and bidding more aggressively on paid placements. It will be interesting to see what new search and advertising models emerge. But make no mistake. Change is coming.
Small Business Technology News #2 – Is ChatGPT Atlas better than Google Chrome?
ChatGPT’s new browser Atlas is designed to work seamlessly with chatbots, providing real-time assistance and summaries, and remembering the context of previously visited sites. Gemini in Google Chrome allows users to ask for clarification on complex content and assign time-consuming tasks to AI. You can also summarize information across multiple sources and extract important details. Our comparison showed that Gemini’s integration with Google apps enhances tools like Google Calendar, Google Meet, and more. We also found that while Atlas is ideal and most accessible for users looking for a more AI-centric experience, Gemini and Google Chrome are useful for research and organization with the bonus of compatibility with Google’s services. (Source: News 24)
Why this is important for small businesses:
Over the next year or so, we expect many users to switch their browser settings to ones that are more integrated with their favorite AI chatbots. I’ve been a Google Chrome user for years, but I’m finding myself going to ChatGPT more and more for answers, so I’m sure it makes sense to switch to Atlas at some point. I’m currently switching between the two. I don’t know what the tipping point is.
Small Business Technology News #3 – Instacart rolls out AI tools for grocery stores, and Sprouts is the first to use its Cart Assistant.
Instacart has launched a suite of AI tools for grocery stores called “AI Solutions.” Sprouts Farmers Market and Kroger are among the first companies to adopt the new cart assistant for personalized shopping. The solution includes Cart Assistant. It is an AI-powered shopping assistant that helps customers with meal planning, budgeting, and product recommendations. It can be integrated into a grocery store website or app, or used in-store via a smart shopping cart. Store View provides real-time shelf monitoring using images and video to detect out-of-stock or out-of-stock items. AI catalog systems analyze retail data to provide business insights. Sprouts Farmers Market and Kroger will be the first to roll out Cart Assistant on their digital platforms. Instacart CEO Chris Rogers said the move brings “enterprise-grade AI technology” to grocery stores of all sizes. (Source: CNBC)
Why this is important for small businesses:
Despite being large companies, Sprouts and Kroger have stopped developing their own AI applications for their customers, choosing instead to license them from companies like Instacart. If you are a small grocer, this is probably the best route for you.
Small Business Technology News #4 – Research: 71% of data breaches affect small businesses.
Swiss company Proton has published the findings of its Data Breach Observatory, showing that 71 percent of data breaches in 2025 targeted small and medium-sized businesses, with over 300 million user records exposed. A report from Proton, which provides services to help protect online privacy, highlights the vulnerability of small and medium-sized businesses due to limited cybersecurity resources. Of the 800 attacks that occurred in 2025, 23 percent were at companies with fewer than 10 employees, and 48 percent were at companies with 10 to 250 employees. One of the main reasons small businesses are targeted is because hackers see them as low-hanging fruit due to limited cybersecurity budgets. Fewer employees means fewer safeguards and greater vulnerability to human error. Investing in extensive employee training and cybersecurity tools can prevent costly breaches, even on a limited budget. (Source:Tech.co)
Why this is important for small businesses:
I try to publish articles like this regularly to remind readers who own small businesses of the importance of investing in security. Failure to do so may result in business interruption and significant costs. Regardless of the security platform you use, it’s equally important to regularly train your employees (and yourself) on the latest threats, as the number one cause of security breaches is employee error. With just one click, you can download malware bots that wreak havoc.
Small Business Technology News #5 – 10 Best AI Chatbots for Small Business Websites in 2026.
Open PR ranked the top 10 AI chatbots for small business websites in 2026, focusing on features such as automation, customer engagement, affordability, and ease of integration. Leadie.ai is on the list for small service businesses looking to convert website visitors into qualified leads. Chatbots engage with visitors in real-time and capture contact details only from serious prospects. Tidio’s chatbot Lyro can answer up to 70% of common questions and was rated 4.7 out of 5 for ease of use. ManyChat automates conversations across social media platforms and turns conversations into actionable leads/bookings. ManyChat is used by 1.5 million businesses in over 170 countries. Chatbase allows businesses to build their own chatbots trained on internal data and website content to create query assistants almost instantly. See the link for the complete list. (Source: openPR)
Why this is important for small businesses:
If you’re looking to implement an AI chatbot on your website to answer your visitors’ questions, now is the perfect time. The tool is very affordable and works well. It’s also worth considering the tools provided by customer relationship management platforms. Mainstream CRM applications such as Salesforce, Zoho, Hubspot, and Dynamics offer their own chatbots that are already integrated with CRM data.
Each week, we highlight five small business technology news stories and explain why they’re important to your business. If you have any interesting stories, please post them to my X account @genemarks.
