Shopping News: 4 November 2025

November 19, 2025, 4:36 AM EST. Cambridge Dictionary has named parasocial as its 2025 word of the year, describing the one-sided bonds people form with celebrities, influencers, or even AI chatbots. The term, coined in 1956 by Horton and Wohl, now reflects a modern fandom phenomenon amplified by social media. Examples include fans reacting to Taylor Swift and Lily Allen, and growing concerns about connections with AI. Lexicographer Colin McIntosh says the word captures the 2025 zeitgeist and the shift of language as technology, society and culture mutate. The dictionary also highlights other impactful words this year.

November 19, 2025, 4:34 AM EST. Cambridge Dictionary has crowned parasocial as its 2025 word of the year, a term for the one-way bonds people form with famous figures they don't know. The rise coincides with the AI era, where chatbots and influencers shape online fandom and everyday life. The concept dates to 1956, when researchers described viewers' attachments to on-screen personalities, but the internet era has amplified these ties, turning celebrities like Taylor Swift into quasi-friends for some fans. Experts warn that such parasocial relationships can skew trust and fuel intense, sometimes unhealthy, dynamics. The dictionary also notes other AI-related terms like slop (nonsensical AI images) and memeify (turning images into memes).

November 19, 2025, 4:32 AM EST. Tesla's upcoming Holiday Update is generating buzz as owners push for a broader feature set. The wishlist packs practical and playful items-from adding more streaming platforms (HBOMax, Paramount+, YouTube TV) to a Summon for Cybertruck and easier Navigation adjustments. In recent years, updates delivered Custom Lock Sound, Light Shows, and High Fidelity Park Assist, but 2025 expectations run higher. A major hurdle remains Full Self-Driving (FSD) in Europe, where regulators' approvals lag behind Tesla's testing. On the software side, fans want deeper Grok integration (in-car requests like climate control and routing) and a true Learn Mode for FSD arrival options. The piece notes that European deployment may still be stalled despite capability.

November 19, 2025, 4:30 AM EST. Cambridge Dictionary has crowned parasocial as its 2025 Word of the Year, spotlighting rising one-way bonds between fans, celebrities, and AI. The term's definition now includes interactions with artificial intelligence, reflecting how AI chatbots shape contemporary connections. Searches spiked as Taylor Swift's engagement to Travis Kelce and viral moments around streamer iShowSpeed drew wide attention, while debates over chatbot parasociality entered policy discourse. Attorneys general warned about the dangers of AI companions engaging romantically with users, and internal reports from platforms underscored potential harms for young users. The choice signals how tech culture is turning academic language into popular vocabulary amid social media and AI controversies.

November 19, 2025, 4:28 AM EST. Tech giants Microsoft and Nvidia back Anthropic with a multibillion-dollar push to scale the Claude LLM. Microsoft commits about $5 billion while Nvidia deploys roughly $10 billion to power Anthropic's models using Azure compute and Nvidia's Blackwell and Rubin GPUs. The deal secures Claude access on the three leading clouds and cements Anthropic's path toward massive compute contracts, including a commitment to purchase up to $30 billion in Azure capacity. For investors, the moves could lift demand for MSFT and NVDA as cloud and data-center GPU needs rise-though caution remains as OpenAI-related relationships evolve. Anthropic's emphasis on safety and research contrasts with OpenAI's broader strategy, adding nuance to AI industry competition.