AI adoption is broadening as familiar tools bring new users into the market. Search is becoming a hybrid of AI and traditional behavior, while cheaper subscriptions boost paid adoption but put pressure on revenues per subscriber.

Payments to publishers for AI Overview content won’t stop the open web’s decline.

Retailers risk losing product discovery control, making better search a priority.

CRM integrations could make targeting and measurement easier, but side-by-side tests will reveal where AI ads add value.

A ski trip planning session turned into a case study in how fast AI-driven discovery has taken hold, our chief content officer Vladimir Hanzlik told the audience at EMARKETER’s Future of Digital summit. Sitting around the table with friends and family, phones out on Gemini, his group booked resorts, hotels, and ski schools in a matter of hours. "What really struck me is that if you didn't turn up in those LLM recommendations, if you didn't show up in Claude or Gemini, there'll be literally zero chance that we will pick you," Hanzlik said, opening a conversation with VML's chief discoverability officer Heather Physioc on whether brands understand just how close that future already is.

B2B digital ad spending growth is accelerating in 2026. Although mobile growth is slowing from its 2025 pace, mobile and video will still outpace overall B2B digital spending. Display’s share is expanding, while search remains important as AI changes how buyers research and validate vendors.

41% of US B2B professionals who use AI tools for work start their research with AI and then validate the answers via traditional search, the most common workflow of any, according to April data from Semrush.

In today’s podcast episode, we discuss why travel brands are missing from trip-planning responses, what AI answers are most likely to include, and what brands can do about it. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, along with Senior Analyst Gadjo Sevilla and Vice President of Global Brand Partnerships at Verve Anna Slater. Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or watch on YouTube or Spotify.

Travelers are increasingly using AI to plan trips, but brands aren’t always part of those early conversations. New data from Verve Intelligence shows where influence is happening and when brands have the best opportunity to enter the consideration process.

AI recommendations are reshaping how consumers discover products. In our inaugural report on the food and beverage industry, we track ChatGPT brand visibility in Q3 2026, the sources informing recommendations, and what it takes to stay competitive.

EU oversight validates AI’s role in discovery, but marketers shouldn’t divert traditional search budgets yet.

Gen Z’s varied AI use expands brand visibility: Marketers can reach users with content built for AI answers, ideas, and decisions.

AI referrals convert at higher rates, despite limited scale: Marketers should measure value per visit and build AI visibility alongside SEO.

This benchmark covers how ad buyers can calibrate their search ad spending and budget allocations against the market, and how publishers and solution providers can assess whether their ad revenues align with industry trends.​

ChatGPT and Gemini have emerged as the clear leaders in the genAI platform race. Their advantage in awareness, usage, and paid adoption is widening the gap with rivals and shaping where marketers should focus their attention.

AI recommendations are reshaping how consumers discover household and cleaning products. In this industry’s inaugural report, we track ChatGPT brand visibility in Q3 2026, the sources informing recommendations, and what it takes to stay competitive.

A TD survey reveals that students act on AI financial advice, making trusted resources key to acquisition.

AI ad tracking gets more transparent: A new Similarweb tool reveals ad context and competitors, which could help marketers make smarter budget decisions.