TOKYO, JAPAN – FEBRUARY 3: Open AI CEO Sam Altman speaks during a talk session with SoftBank Group CEO Masayoshi Son at an event titled “Transforming Business through AI” in Tokyo, Japan, on February 03, 2025. SoftBank and OpenAI announced that they have agreed a partnership to set up a joint venture for artificial intelligence services in Japan today. (Photo by Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images)
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Here are five things in tech that happened this week and how they affect your business. Did you miss them?
This Week in Business Tech News
Business Technology News #1– ChatGPT-5 is here.
GPT-5, launched this week, is OpenAI’s flagship model now powering ChatGPT, the API, and Microsoft Copilot. It represents a unified system that dynamically adapts its reasoning power to tasks like coding (“vibe coding”), math, and software development, eliminating the need for users to manually switch between model variants. GPT-5 delivers faster, more accurate, and more reliable responses with fewer hallucinations and elevated factuality. It supports multimodal interaction—text, image, and voice—and brings personalization enhancements like customizable “personalities,” color themes, and integrations with Gmail and Google Calendar. While it is not AGI, GPT-5 offers notable steps toward artificial general assistance by providing more natural, context-aware, and personalized interactions. (Source: OpenAI)
Why this is important for your business:
It’s been a two year wait, but early reviews say it’s worth it. No business owner should be without a good chatbot companion, be it ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot, Grok, Gemini or others. GPT-5’s biggest benefits – at least for me – is its accuracy. I already use a few chatbots to review contracts, summarize long documents, parse through interview transcripts and help me create policies and other business documents. I’ll be leaning more on GPT-5 over the coming months and expect its performance to be that much better.
Business Technology News #2 – Epicor expands cognitive ERP capabilities to optimizes supply chain and tax management.
Epicor has announced strategic partnerships with SourceDay and Sovos to enhance its Epicor Kinetic ERP platform for manufacturers, which, according to the company will contribute towards advancing its vision of Cognitive ERP – an AI-driven approach that transforms ERP systems from passive record-keeping tools into proactive, intelligent systems of action that enable real-time data analysis. SourceDay integration automates and digitizes the entire purchase order lifecycle and improves supplier collaboration and data accuracy. Sovos enhances tax compliance capabilities while supporting automated tax reporting and regulatory adherence. (Source: Epicor)
Why this is important for your business:
Epicor, like many great ERP system providers are not only enhancing their AI offerings but partnering companies to fully leverage AI’s benefits. Too many small and mid-sized businesses ignore these benefits are claim that they don’t have enough time to implement them and I couldn’t disagree more. Learning how to use these features and then investing the time and resources into getting them operational will have significant long term effects on both productivity and profitability. Regardless of whether you use Epicor, it’s critical to dig into the features and functionality your business system provider is rolling out (or planning) and leaning into them.
Business Technology News #3 – Zuckerberg: superintelligence is now in sight.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg published a post that shared Meta’s vision to “bring personal superintelligence to everyone.” Personal superintelligence – a deeply personalized AI assistant designed to help individuals achieve their goals, foster creativity, and enhance social connection – is a shift away from productivity-focused AI such as ChatGPT. Meta aims to deliver superintelligence through smart glasses and AR/VR headsets, which will become the “primary computing devices” of the future. (Source: Meta)
Why this is important for your business:
“Superintelligence has the potential to begin a new era of personal empowerment where people will have greater agency to improve the world in the directions they choose,” Zuckerberg said. Here’s my concern: no one really knows what this means. I’m not sure Mark Zuckerberg even knows the full implications of superintelligence. I’m not going to predict what superintelligence means for business yet. Because, like everyone else, I don’t fully know the implications either!
Business Technology News #4 – FBI warns of a particular scam involving QR codes.
The FBI has issued a public alert about a new scam where criminals send unexpected packages containing malicious QR codes designed to steal personal data or install malware. Packages are sent to recipients who didn’t place the order. Inside or on the package is a QR code that appears to offer tracking info or delivery verification. Scanning the code may either redirect the recipient to phishing websites or prompt them to enter personal/financial information. Malware can also be immediately downloaded to the device used to scan the QR code. (Source: Digital Trends)
Why this is important for your business:
According to Trevor Mogg of Digital Trends this is a dangerous twist on the older “brushing scam”, where vendors sent unsolicited items to boost fake reviews. Now, the goal is data theft and fraud. The FBI is advising people not to scan QR codes from unknown packages or sources; inspect packages carefully; preview QR links with suspicious URLs; and secure devices with antivirus software.
Business Technology News #5 – Walmart doubles down on GenAI as retail giant builds breakthrough tech to shape future of retail.
Walmart is accelerating its investment in Generative AI (GenAI) and agentic AI technologies to revolutionize how retail software is built and deployed – aiming for greater autonomy, speed, and innovation across its operations. The company is transitioning from basic automation to fully autonomous workflows. GenAI is being used to reimagine the software development lifecycle, boosting developer productivity and innovation. Walmart sees GenAI as foundational to next-gen retail tech and is actively scouting visionary startups that can contribute to this transformation. (Source: Retail Technology Innovation Hub)
Why this is important for your business:
If you’re in retail, it’s important to keep up to date on what the big box retailers are doing with AI. Ultimately their actions will filter down to smaller chains and stores. As important as GenAI is right now I’m expecting that retailers will be leaning heavily into robotics, point-of-sale and payment technologies leveraging AI in the years to come.
Each week I round up five business technology news stories and explain why they’re important for your business. If you have any interesting stories, please post to my X account @genemarks