Microsoft is the latest to resort to layoffs: The company is reducing its headcount by 5% as it pivots to plug AI into its key products, subscriptions, and cloud services. But AI still has a lot of hurdles to jump.

AI is “for sure the hottest topic in the SEO space,” said Lily Ray, senior director of SEO and head of organic research at Amsive Digital. “But people are still being a little bit careful because we don't know exactly how Google is going to treat this type of content.” Here’s what marketers need to know.

Chatbots are AGI stepping stones: DeepMind might release a ChatGPT competitor called Sparrow sometime in 2023. Chatbots are part of a much bolder vision to alter society with artificial general intelligence.

Startups put OpenAI’s Microsoft advantage to the test: OpenAI is becoming one of the US' most valuable startups over its sensational generative AI. Leadership in the space requires skillful monetization.

On today's episode, host Sara Lebow tees up a conversation between our analyst Andrew Lipsman and Ram Iyer, worldwide director, digital strategy and ecommerce at Microsoft, about omnichannel and mobile commerce, the consumer path to purchase, the metaverse, and more.

Microsoft hitches its AI wagon to OpenAI’s ChatGPT: Investing $10 billion will give Microsoft 75% of OpenAI’s profits and priority access to innovation it can fold into web search and software solutions.

Microsoft’s cavalier generative AI could be Bing’s big chance: Wielding the technology reflects Microsoft’s risk appetite as it eyes a rare shot at search dominance.

European regulators intensified their investigations into Big Tech’s anticompetitive practices: Apple, Google, Meta, and Amazon parried with regulators throughout the year as various countries put tech giants in their crosshairs.

Will tech have learned its lesson during economic recovery? A mild recession in 2023 could give rise to tech’s recovery during the second half of the year. Expect industry caution.

AI, the creator … and destroyer? Potentially one of the most disruptive technologies in history, generative AI has caught the legal system flatfooted. Alongside litigation, expect commercialization to start maturing in 2023.

US government intensifies stance against TikTok: A permanent ban from government devices could push the public sector to further remove TikTok from devices. But some fear the service is too big to fail.

Will Google unveil a ChatGPT rival in 2023? After ChatGPT’s debut, all eyes are on Google. The tech giant’s leaders are aware of AI’s risks, and startups should be too.

What were Big Tech healthcare players up to in 2022? We review the most prominent healthcare developments from Big Tech entities in the past year and preview what’s on deck for 2023.

Microsoft’s attempt to acquire Activision Blizzard in what could essentially create a video game monopoly has many, including the Federal Trade Commission, keeping a close eye on the gaming industry. The $68.7 billion acquisition would give Microsoft a leadership position with franchises like Call of Duty, Candy Crush Saga, World of Warcraft, Diablo, and Overwatch.

Our outlook for social ad spending in 2022 has deteriorated significantly since March. This report breaks down what went wrong in the past nine months, and what’s ahead in the next two years.

FTC’s biggest antitrust test: Successfully blocking Microsoft’s $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard could define Lina Khan’s tenure in the FTC. A legal skirmish with Big Tech will be long and expensive.

Cloud defense contract divided by four: AWS, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, and Oracle are official government cloud contractors under the JWCC, which leans on collective technology to develop strategic defense.

Security incident breaks Rackspace hosted email: Loss of access to emails exposes the fragility of relying on cloud providers to handle and protect businesses data. Backspace’s failure could cost customers millions.

BJ’s Wholesale Club is the latest retailer to launch a media network: At the same time, Instacart is adding more promotional capabilities to help drive sales among cost-conscious shoppers.

LinkedIn isn’t an ad leader, but it’s learning from others’ mistakes: A slew of new ad products highlight user-generated content and privacy initiatives.