As AI fundamentally changes how consumers find products and services, experts continue to explore what marketers must do to adapt. "The most surprising thing, the most pressing thing about AI adoption isn't just that people are starting to use it. It's that they're trusting it, it's that they're using it within their shopping journeys," said EMARKETER analyst Nate Elliott during last week's Future of Digital Summit.
The vast majority (89%) of US adults use generative AI (genAI), per a Centerfield GenAI Consumer Survey commissioned by Search Engine Land. But not everyone uses it the same way. Eighty-seven percent read AI summaries in search results, and the same percentage have used AI for shopping, but only 41% click on a source link after reading a summary. Training and education are top next steps. Keyword research will become less important as competitor analysis ramps up. SEO/GEO specialists need to understand specific user needs and the companies surfacing in AI results to adopt their methods.
Amazon Ads has unveiled an agentic AI tool inside Creative Studio, designed to serve as a real-time creative partner for advertisers. Through a conversational interface, brands can brainstorm, storyboard, and generate professional-quality video and display ads in hours instead of weeks—at no extra cost. Powered by AWS models like Amazon Nova and Anthropic Claude, the system combines retail insights with automation to democratize high-quality ad creation once limited to big-budget brands. Early testers, including Nestlé Health Science, praised its ability to surface new insights and scale campaigns, underscoring how platforms like Amazon, Meta, and Google are redefining advertising.
YouTube is piloting Edit with AI, a remixing tool that turns raw smartphone footage into draft Shorts. The system automatically selects highlights, adds transitions, suggests music, and even generates voiceovers in English or Hindi. The goal is to give creators a starting point for Shorts rather than making them edit from scratch, per TechCrunch. For advertisers, this creates a twofold opportunity: more ad inventory and a larger, more engaged audience than on TikTok. Marketers should prioritize Shorts in their media mix now. Test campaigns to remain competitive and build creative strategies that balance AI efficiency with human authenticity.
Almost all US adults (95%) have heard of AI, and 88% are at least somewhat concerned about it, per a Pew Research Center survey. Most (73%) are willing to let AI help them in daily tasks at least a little, per the survey. Three-quarters (77%) of adults ages 19 to 29 would agree to AI assistance. Although US consumers are concerned about AI, they’re willing to use it in some scenarios. AI that simplifies their lives without taking away their creativity will fare the best. Personalization, product recommendations, and search assistants will help consumers speed up their shopping journeys.
One in three Gen Zers and one in four millennials prefer to go to generative AI (genAI) platforms—not search, social media, or influencers—when deciding what to buy, per a new Future Commerce survey of consumers from Australia, New Zealand, the UK, and the US. Trust in AI is a key driver, with these users viewing platforms as trusted companions, not just tools. Brands that design campaigns to build discovery and trust within AI-driven journeys will amplify their reach and relevance as AI-assisted shopping scales.
In this podcast episode, we discuss the backlash to Delta’s decision to use personalized AI pricing, how consumers feel about dynamic pricing, and if there is a way for retailers to implement it without losing shopper trust. Listen to the discussion with Analyst and guest host, Rachel Wolff, Vice President of Content, Suzy Davidkhanian, and Senior Analyst, Zak Stambor.
AI and agents will drive 21% of holiday orders globally, an estimated $263 billion in sales, per Salesforce’s holiday forecast. GenAI is both a disrupter and a gamechanger for retailers. To avoid being left behind, retailers need their own AI tools—either built in-house or with partners like Microsoft, Google, and OpenAI—to ensure they can deliver personalized, relevant recommendations and shopping experiences. At the same time, companies need to optimize every piece of content on their sites—from product listings to reviews to FAQs—for discoverability on AI search engines to avoid falling into oblivion.
Google, the latest Big Tech company to reach a $3 trillion market cap, is committing £5 billion ($6.39 billion) to expand its UK footprint and anchor AI and cloud growth in one of its most important ad markets. Google expects the expansion to help drive as much as £400 billion (about $511 billion) in AI-related economic activity for the UK by 2030 while supporting about 8,000 local jobs annually. By building infrastructure, tech giants are laying the groundwork for ad expansion across Europe. Each multibillion-dollar bet buys influence, regulatory goodwill, and a stronger grip on the region’s digital backbone.
On today’s podcast episode, we discuss the top takeaways from the Google monopoly verdict, how the rise of AI search influenced the decision, and how much this ruling has any bearing on the Google ad tech case. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host, Marcus Johnson, and Senior Director of Briefings, Jeremy Goldman, and Principal Analyst, Yory Wurmser. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.
Google’s Gemini surpassed longtime leaders like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Meta’s Threads to become the No. 1 free iPhone app in the US App Store. Downloads surged due to the viral success of its Nano Banana AI image-editing feature, which sparked intense social media engagement, per ZDNet. Gemini’s breakthrough demonstrates the power of social media to amplify AI tools overnight, yet its long-term position will hinge on whether it can evolve from a trend into a staple. For now, Nano Banana’s popularity is a huge win for Google, but the next test is whether Gemini can convert that buzz into habit.
China’s antitrust regulator accused Nvidia of violating commitments from its 2020 Mellanox acquisition, intensifying US-China tech tensions. The probe sent Nvidia’s stock down more than 2% in trading before it recouped most of the losses Monday, per The New York Times. If Nvidia’s access to China narrows, ad tech platforms—built on AI engines for media buying, personalization, and measurement—would see higher costs, delayed feature rollouts, and bottlenecks in innovation. Advertisers and CMOs should diversify providers, press vendors on supply chain resilience, and stay nimble in deploying AI tools.
Social media managers (SMMs) report blind spots in AI’s ability to assist with trendspotting and market analysis, leading to wasted time, loss of employee trust, and delayed campaigns. With all of these pain points, marketing teams are finding that investment doesn’t always equal impact. CMOs should Involve their teams in AI tool selection to ensure real-world fit;Regularly evaluate whether applications are actually saving time; and provide training on prompt writing and the strengths of various models to cut down on wasted time.
New studies from leading AI labs OpenAI and Anthropic reveal how generative AI (genAI) is being used, painting a picture of rapid adoption. OpenAI’s analysis found that 73% of ChatGPT interactions were personal rather than professional. In stark contrast, Anthropic’s report on its Claude AI software found an overwhelming business focus on automation. For CMOs, the opportunity is to design campaigns and brand experiences that are approachable enough for personal use and scalable enough for enterprise integration. Marketers who frame AI as both empowering and efficient will be best positioned to earn trust across the adoption divide.
Google is rolling out new ad tools for AI Overviews targeting retailers in a bid to curb concerns about AI responses’ impact on referral traffic and clickthrough rates (CTRs), per a blog post. Giving retailers more opportunities to show up prominently in AI results could curb worries about AI Overviews cannibalizing CTRs and traffic, but brands still need to adapt to the rise of AI responses to remain competitive.
AI is fundamentally changing how pharma and healthcare marketers can reach consumers. As top companies like Novo Nordisk and Genentech highlighted at CMI Media Groups “Hype to Hope to Health” conference, the focus is shifting from simply getting clicks to driving actual conversions. To succeed, marketers must embrace AI tools for smarter customer targeting and ensure content is original and well-structured. With organic search traffic declining, it's crucial to also invest in new channels like connected TV (CTV), which allows for personalized, data-driven messaging to an aging audience that is rapidly adopting streaming services.
Roku wants to transform TV advertising with generative AI (genAI). Instead of cycling the same few commercials, the company is opening its platform to hundreds of thousands of advertisers—mirroring the endless churn of ads on social feeds. It's betting that genAI can keep its ad ecosystem fresh and accessible. Marketers should experiment with fast, inexpensive video iterations. Focus on quick turnarounds, tight targeting, and scroll-stopping creativity. The objective is to separate winners from background noise.
Hispanic audiences are leading shifts in digital behaviors, streaming at high levels, adopting AI tools, and using creator apps that position them as both content producers and consumers. That demographic is embracing streaming more than the general population, per Nielsen’s Curating the Narrative report, with a cord-cutting rate about 35% higher. Hispanic audiences aren’t just passive consumers—they’re actively crafting and customizing their media experiences and leading early tech adoption. Brands should diversify media outreach—instead of leaning solely on traditional TV or linear content—to avoid missing engagement opportunities.