More than half of US employees are using unapproved AI tools, with managers knowing but not caring—showing both security risks and organizational dysfunction. Of the 59% of employees who are using unapproved AI tools, 57% state that their direct manager is aware and OK with it, per Cybernews. Shadow AI use is a brand risk, not just an IT problem, and is often a workaround for poor internal communication or underinvestment in training. CMOs should lead efforts to define brand-safe tools, identify tools ideal for marketing tasks, and collaborate with IT to train employees on AI use.
Perplexity dropped the $200 monthly fee for its AI-native Comet browser, making it free worldwide but with rate limits. The change follows Google Chrome hitting a record 73.7% share of desktop browsing in September, per StatCounter. Comet can summarize webpages, pull key details, and wade through links on a user’s behalf. Chrome remains the must-buy channel, but ChatGPT’s mobile stickiness and Comet’s positioning prove that audiences may increasingly flow through alternative gateways. The brands that experiment early across these varied environments will be better prepared when consumer behavior tilts away from legacy browsers.
Video production company Lemonlight’s new generative AI advertising tools reflect the technology’s growing popularity with marketers. Brands should embrace the tool for its unique blend of AI and human insight, but approach some features cautiously and maintain a test-and-learn approach.
Cleaning brand Bissell revealed at Contentsquare’s CX Circle this week how a mobile-first testing culture, powered by personalization and rapid A/B testing, drove double- and triple-digit gains in engagement and conversions. Bissell’s case shows that conversion breakthroughs rarely come from big redesigns—they come from a culture of disciplined, mobile-focused testing. Small screens magnify every friction point, and users often defy expectations. Assumptions need to be tested, adjusted, and retested. The lesson: Make experimentation part of everyday workflows, follow the data, and double down on what works.
LinkedIn debuted several new features for ad automation targeting small- and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) as it looks to expand its advertiser base beyond large brands. The update reduces barriers to professional-grade ad campaigns by offering automation and AI-driven support that previously demanded larger budgets or in-house expertise.
The Trade Desk unveiled Audience Unlimited, a new tool designed to simplify and lower the cost of third-party data. The product bundles hundreds of data sources at a consistent price and uses AI to rank relevance, letting advertisers access as much as needed without unpredictable fees. The launch aims to make programmatic buying faster, cheaper, and more effective.
The news: Private equity firm Novacap will buy digital advertising measurement and analytics firm Integral Ad Science (IAS) for $1.9 billion, the companies announced Wednesday. The deal will take IAS private after four years of public trading and is expected to close this year. Our take: Measurement fragmentation and transparency concerns with leading ad firms like Google means third-party measurement and attribution companies have a lucrative opportunity to provide much-needed standards.
Google’s ad tech remedies trial kicked off Monday as the search giant looks to prevent an ad tech breakup that would fundamentally alter the future of the open internet. If successful, the DOJ’s case against Google would reshape how open-web ads are bought and sold. Multi-billion dollar opportunities will open for competitors, potentially creating a more competitive—but less predictable—ad tech landscape for advertisers.
Brands and agencies are embracing generative AI (genAI) to create highly localized and personalized campaigns at scale. At a recent Automattic event, marketing leaders highlighted how new technology makes previously cost-prohibitive efforts feasible. The advertising industry has shifted from fear to fluency—recognizing that AI fills gaps and scales output but that people decide what resonates. While agencies two years ago feared AI would displace creative jobs, today, they see human craft as the element that gives AI-generated work meaning. For marketers, the strategy is to invest in AI tools but prioritize upskilling teams to direct them.
MrBeast’s Feastables brand is under fire after the Children’s Advertising Review Unit (CARU) flagged multiple practices that may have misled children or mishandled their data. Concerns included undisclosed promotions in videos, a misleading “blind taste test” against European chocolates, sweepstakes that encouraged bulk purchases, and collection of under-13 data via pop-ups. The case signals a broader shift: influencer-led brands are now being held to the same advertising and disclosure standards as traditional advertisers, with potential regulatory and reputational risks for creators and partners alike.
Google introduced new features for Demand Gen campaigns and said it will publish monthly, newsletter-style updates to keep marketers on track with the latest Demand Gen updates. Google is moving to chip away at advertisers’ black-box concerns by adding more visibility, measurement, and testing options into Demand Gen, signaling its push toward greater transparency and control for campaign performance.
TikTok’s US operations may soon be spun off into a new entity majority-owned by American investors, with Oracle, Andreessen Horowitz, and Silver Lake leading the deal. The framework, aimed at complying with the 2024 divest-or-ban law, would give US investors roughly 80% control while ByteDance retains under 20%. The sticking point remains TikTok’s algorithm—whether ByteDance licenses its technology or a US-controlled version is rebuilt. For marketers, continuity is key: any disruption in recommendation performance, targeting, or data oversight could alter ad outcomes on one of their most important platforms.
Amazon sellers using sponsored product ads now have access to Amazon’s Marketing Cloud clean room. Amazon’s expanded access to its clean room solution will enable SMBs to measure and optimize campaigns with the same sophistication as enterprise advertisers while allowing the ad giant to accelerate its push against larger rivals.
What CMOs say they expect to gain from AI: Efficiency and cost savings top the list of perks the industry hopes to gain from the disruptive tech.
Zendesk’s integration of OpenAI’s GPT-5 into its customer service stack has resulted in 30% faster response times, 95% reliability, and resolution of up to 90% of tickets in some cases, per VentureBeat. Fewer handoffs, quicker response time, and higher reliability are wins for both brands and customers. But there’s a catch—over-reliance on automation risks alienating users who still want a human touch when problems get tricky. For CMOs, lean into AI for speed and scale, but keep people in the loop to protect trust and brand experience.
Warner Bros. Discovery has sued AI image generator Midjourney, alleging “mass theft” of copyrighted TV and film IP. The complaint highlights prompts producing near-identical images of characters like Bugs Bunny, Batman, Superman, and Scooby-Doo. Disney and NBCUniversal filed similar claims, arguing Midjourney diverts consumers from licensed products while profiting from subscriptions. Studios seek damages up to $150,000 per infringed work. The case raises critical questions over whether training AI on copyrighted content qualifies as “fair use.” With marketers already using AI image tools at scale, the lawsuit underscores mounting legal, financial, and reputational risks tied to unlicensed generative content.
The news: Mistral, a French AI company founded by former Meta and Google DeepMind employees, unlocked premium features including persistent memory, deep business app integrations, and user-controlled privacy on its Le Chat platform at no cost, per VentureBeat. This undercuts rivals like OpenAI and Anthropic that wall off such tools behind paywalls and paid premium. Our take: Free enterprise-grade AI features and cross-platform integrations accelerate adoption, experimentation, and innovation. By enabling data export between AI providers, brands cut switching costs and gain leverage in an interoperable AI market.
The news: Google has cut 35% of managers overseeing small teams, part of a sweeping drive to streamline operations. The focus: fewer layers, less bureaucracy, and a leaner leadership footprint. Many managers now serve as individual contributors, per CNBC. Our take: Google’s rapid thinning of management aims to make the tech giant more nimble and cost-efficient. The realignment signals a company eager to do more with less—possibly speeding decision cycles and innovation, but also tightening access to internal advocates and resources. Leaner teams could mean faster product rollouts and ad platform tweaks—but also less support and fewer points of contact for advertisers inside Google’s vast marketing machine.
Google staff are quietly preparing Ad Manager for life as a potential stand-alone company, per The Information. Employees recently met with ad agencies—an unusual move for a publisher-facing business—as a federal court considers whether Google must divest its ad tech unit. Ad Manager generates an estimated $5 billion in annual revenues but faces declining demand and complaints from streaming players and publishers about slow innovation. With DOJ regulators pressing for a spinoff and rivals like Magnite and PubMatic gaining ground, Google’s outreach underscores how seriously it views the threat of breakup and the need for buyer-side relationships.
Google’s AI-powered video creation platform, Vids, has surpassed 1 million monthly active users, fueled by a new free tier and updates that simplify production. Features include motion effects for product photos, AI transcript editing, Google Meet integrations, and expanded social formats. Paid users retain advanced options like multi-style AI avatars. The adoption highlights rising demand for scalable video workflows—46% of professionals already use AI for images or videos, per EMARKETER. With ideation and personalization ranking as top genAI use cases, Vids is positioning itself as a daily creative tool, potentially joining Docs and Slides in Google’s productivity suite.