Google put ads in its Search Generative Experience. YouTube has a new unskippable 30-second ad spot. HBO Max relaunched as Max. And The Kroger Co. is paving the way with in-store retail media. Here are what updates from these companies and more mean for advertisers.

ChatGPT may have all of the buzz when it comes to AI platforms, but marketing technology and platforms are quickly catching up by adding a host of AI features to their systems. For starters, Adobe unveiled “Generative Fill” in Photoshop last week, a feature that uses AI to extend the canvas of your design, fill in backgrounds, and more. Meanwhile, Acquia unveiled a chatbot within its digital asset management platform.

Lack of people and process training is the biggest obstacle to leveraging AI, cited by 42% of B2C professionals worldwide in a Twilio survey. Other barriers to AI adoption include security or compliance (36%), poor organizational processes (34%), and poor-quality data (31%).

AI is already changing ad creation. While the tech can create email and social campaigns, there are a number of risks associated with misinformation and brand safety. With generative AI, we can expect to see strong brands grow even stronger—if they can navigate copycats, quality assurance, and apprehensive consumers. Here are six predictions from experts at the “BrXnd: Marketing X AI” conference in New York City.

The AI-assisted search revolution will take place primarily on the nonretail battleground, which is still dominated by Google. But Google lost share of the market last year, and Microsoft and Apple are starting to appear a little closer in Google’s rearview mirror.

While Meta struggles with innovation and attracting younger users, at Snapchat, innovation and Gen Z users are in high supply. So why is the company struggling? “Snap doesn’t lack when it comes to innovation,” our analyst Jasmine Enberg said on a recent episode of our “Behind the Numbers” podcast. “But there are serious questions about the health of its core business, and it really needs to focus on turning those things around.”

AI-focused fintechs offer small FIs less-powerful solutions than their larger counterparts—if they work with them at all.

Tapestry brings its D2C and wholesale teams together to create a consistent brand experience across channels, while Hollister enables teens to fill their carts and send to a parent for purchase. Instacart and eBay find ways to offer customers more value.

Generative AI is poised to reshape the search advertising market. With a significant first-mover advantage, will Microsoft grow its share of search ad budgets? How can advertisers stay ahead of the curve?

Google turns to generative AI to give shoppers a helping hand: The search engine aims to simplify consumers’ purchase decisions by arming consumers with more information.

Surging Cash App user growth helped drive a buoyant Q1 for Block despite recent short seller allegations.

Last month, Meta said it would use generative AI in ad creation by the end of the year. Not long after, Google announced generative AI ad plans of its own in the form of tools that will “remix” ads based on client goals. Neither company has released details of what these AI updates will look like, but the changes are big news for advertisers, agencies, and everyone in between.

Next year, Snapchat’s ad revenues will increase by 10.4% worldwide after a year of almost no growth. Its ad revenues will rise from $3.80 billion this year to $4.20 billion next year, but they’ll still make up just 0.6% of total digital ad revenues worldwide.

Concerns surrounding privacy are high, which could weigh on marketers’ efforts to target consumers. US adults under 30 are slightly less concerned (66%) than older consumers about the use of personal information for targeted digital ads, according to the Out of Home Advertising Association of America and Morning Consult.

US marketers will spend over $1 billion more on influencer marketing in 2023 than they did last year, per our forecast. We lay out six tactics to maximize the impact of those dollars.

Snap is having trouble monetizing because Snapchat is primarily a chat platform, and “messaging apps are notoriously difficult to monetize,” according to our analyst Jasmine Enberg. The company could lean into its software as a service retail offerings, but consumers also aren’t sold on AR for shopping. Just 12.4% of US adults use AR for shopping, according to our forecast.

The EU chimes in to the AI copyright debate: A rule proposed by European regulators would remove legal gray areas around how AI is trained.

Microsoft and Google report solid quarterly results amid slow economy: With AI transforming the future of search, is Microsoft gaining a perceived edge in innovation?

In most regions around the world, high interest in generative AI is being matched by innovations related to the technology, deployment of the tool, and adoption by consumers. But the level of maturity across these three areas is not equal everywhere. Here’s our breakdown of the technology’s state of play in key regions.

Google’s generative AI is a landmark moment for advertising: Legal issues have slowed generative AI’s use, but the ad duopoly’s support will start a flood.