Big Brother may or may not be watching, but Total Expert, a customer engagement platform in the financial services space, is for sure.  They’re now using AI to automatically find life milestones like getting married and starting a family and add them to customer profiles. Come to think of it, “Total Expert” has a bit of an Orwellian ring to it, so maybe they’re just being on-brand.

Aiming to stave off legislation that would mandate payment to use news content, Google is on the verge of striking a deal with the State of California to voluntarily contribute $172.5 million to supporting local news outlets over the next five years. The state would match that with $70 million. If the deal is finalized, the assumption is that the California Journalism Preservation Act would be shelved.

It’s all surveys today, Dear Reader.  Marigold reports that consumers are eager for personalized content, with 79% saying they’re likely to engage with a personalized email tailored to their interests.  Sadly, 33% feel their needs are unmet by current brand messages.  Discounts and coupons (95%) top the list of what they want in exchange for personal data, followed closely by loyalty rewards at 94%.  Content is last at 61%.