Community | University 

Dec 12, 2025

Hello, GrowthHackers! 

Welcome to your daily unfair advantage.

Every morning, we cut through the noise to bring you sharp insights, fast news, and fresh sparks to light up your brain and fuel your hustle. From scrappy hacks to big tech moves, AI shifts to culture flips this is your intel to stay ahead, move fast, and break boring.

Think of it as your growth-fueled espresso shot.
Short. Smart. Addictive.

Let’s dive in.👇

Quick Hits

1. Google’s AI try-on feature for clothes now works with just a selfie
   (One selfie away from financial ruin.)

2. Competitive Intelligence: A Practical Guide for Marketers
   (Less vibes, more signals.)

3. Microsoft’s Copilot usage analysis exposes the 2am philosophy question trend
   (The real KPI here is emotional instability.)

The Growth joke of the day

Why did the sales rep start using AI?
So they could finally hear “yes” even if it was just from the chatbot.

What's New in Growth Hacking/Growth Marketing?

Strategies

• Think Like a Growth Hacker: How to Turn AI Experiments Into Strategy
  Most teams are stuck in AI limbo: endlessly trialing shiny tools, collecting anecdotes, and struggling to show impact. Growth teams know this movie. Every new channel looks promising until you put it through the grinder: define success, test small, measure hard, keep what compounds. That same mindset is exactly how to turn AI experiments into strategy.

• Meta Outlines Latest Data on Content Removals and Fake Accounts

  Meta’s new Community Notes approach to content moderation is resulting in fewer incorrect takedowns, but prevalence of some harmful content has increased due to reviewer training changes. Around 4% of users are fake, and political content is not dominant on Facebook feeds.

• Google Releases December 2025 Core Update

  Google rolls out its December 2025 core search update, continuing to refine search rankings and emphasizing that improvements can impact rankings even between major updates a caution for growth marketers to monitor search volatility.

• Runway releases its first world model, adds native audio to latest video model

  The race to release world models is on as AI image and video generation company Runway joins an increasing number of startups and Big Tech companies by launching its first one. Dubbed GWM-1, the model works through frame-by-frame prediction, creating a simulation with an understanding of physics and how the world actually behaves over time, the company said.

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People

• TIME names ‘Architects of AI’ its Person of the Year
  TIME Magazines awards ‘Architects of AI’ leading CEOs like Sam Altman, Elon Musk, and Demis Hassabis its Person of the Year title for driving AI’s global impact in 2025, highlighting AI’s influence on society, politics, and culture.

Upcoming webinar

You are not ready for this one.

The future doesn’t wait. Neither should you.

High-tech entrepreneurship is not about having the best idea, it’s about finding demand, validating fast, and scaling smart in one of the most competitive landscapes on earth.

In this high-impact session, Theo (CEO of GrowthRocks and CSO of GrowthHackers) will give you the frameworks, tools, and growth mindset to turn uncertainty into opportunity.

📣 LIVE WEBINAR
📅 DECEMBER 18, 2025
🕛 9AM PT - 12PM ET - 5PM GMT

What's New in Artificial Intelligence (AI) 

• WhatsApp Adds Messaging and AI Creation Improvements

  WhatsApp introduces missed call messages, group voice chat emoji reactions, enhanced AI image creation using partnerships with Midjourney and Flux, and new media sharing features, enhancing engagement opportunities and AI-powered creative marketing.

• Disney hits Google with cease-and-desist claiming ‘massive’ copyright infringement
  Disney is accusing the tech giant of copyright infringement on a “massive scale,” claiming it has used AI models and services to commercially distribute unauthorized images and videos, according to the letter seen by Variety.

The Future of Shopping? AI + Actual Humans.

AI has changed how consumers shop by speeding up research. But one thing hasn’t changed: shoppers still trust people more than AI.

Levanta’s new Affiliate 3.0 Consumer Report reveals a major shift in how shoppers blend AI tools with human influence. Consumers use AI to explore options, but when it comes time to buy, they still turn to creators, communities, and real experiences to validate their decisions.

The data shows:

• Only 10% of shoppers buy through AI-recommended links

• 87% discover products through creators, blogs, or communities they trust

• Human sources like reviews and creators rank higher in trust than AI recommendations

The most effective brands are combining AI discovery with authentic human influence to drive measurable conversions.

Affiliate marketing isn’t being replaced by AI, it’s being amplified by it.

Download the full report to see what this means for your brand.