The news: A CBS investigation discovered hundreds of deepfake ads on Meta platforms promoting “nudify” apps that create sexually explicit content based on images of real people. The analysis of Meta’s ad library found at minimum hundreds of deepfake ads across Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Facebook Messenger, and Meta Audience Network. Our take: The rise of deepfakes on major platforms like Meta emphasizes AI’s potential to erode consumer trust and raise brand safety risks—forcing advertisers to navigate a growing gap between innovation and lagging safeguards.

On today’s podcast episode, we discuss how Americans’ feelings towards AI have changed this year, the gaps in concern between AI experts and the general public, and the best ways to get started with AI. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, Analyst Grace Harmon, and Senior Vice President of Media Content and Strategy Henry Powderly. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.

The trend: From insight generation and content creation to media placement and regulatory reviews, generative AI (genAI) is becoming more connected to every part of pharma marketing. Our take: The tech is helping pharma marketers and ad agencies create more personalized ads and better predict ad performance—but overall, genAI usage is still pretty nascent in the industry.

Reddit’s Dynamic Product Ads expands to all advertisers: The move highlights Reddit’s shift from a supplemental channel to a primary platform for advertisers.

Dozens of ads with AI voices found marketing illegal drugs on Spotify: The incident highlights the struggle to keep up with AI’s rapid development.

YouTube introduces new offerings for ads, podcasts: The platform aims to highlight its ability to reach audiences with unmatched versatile content options.

Netflix's ad tier reaches 94 million as it looks to genAI to continue its trajectory: The data suggests Netflix is positioned for sustained streaming market leadership.

AR/VR continues to evolve as a tool for marketers and retailers to develop deeper consumer engagement. Long-term growth will be helped by AI integrations and demographic shifts. And while gaming is still the top use case, smart glasses are on the rise.

TikTok debuts AI Alive, an image-to-video generation tool: The feature is part of TikTok’s push to maintain dominance in a competitive short-form market.

On today’s podcast episode, we discuss Meta’s capacity to weather the tariff climate, how Meta plans to redefine advertising, and what happens if it is forced to sell Instagram and WhatsApp. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, Vice President and Principal Analyst Jasmine Enberg, and Senior Analyst Minda Smiley. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.

Insights from IAB NewFronts: Streaming and AI innovation are transforming marketing—but in a period of rapid change and economic unrest, adaptation is key.

WPP could rebrand GroupM as WPP Media: The change may benefit WPP, but rebranding alone won’t solve all of its problems.

Google presents ads with AI chatbot startups Liner, iAsk: The move is part of Google’s strategic effort to lead the AI revolution.

YouTube tests new AI features: The updates, including video carousels in search results and AI video summaries, promise innovation but require adaptation.

Several weeks ago, Amazon announced Nova Act, an AI model that can search for products, add to cart, and make purchases on someone’s behalf without intervention. As AI agents like Nova Act become more popular, marketers will need to target not only people, but the machines operating on their behalf, using a strategy called machine-to-machine—or M2M—marketing.

YouTube shows virtual influencers are gaining traction: While the technology promises innovation, not all consumers are buying in.

HubSpot’s push for AI data privacy: HubSpot customers handled 90% of inquiries without human intervention while meeting strict privacy regulations.

OpenAI is floating a social app: The move would place the company in direct competition with X and Meta, but will require a unique value proposition to pay off.

Snap doubles down on immersive brand tools: AI Lenses, creator events, and AR vending machines highlight its experiential marketing push.

HubSpot’s 2025 Spotlight proves that the pressure for AI adoption is on: The event highlighted over 200 features to show how HubSpot’s AI is setting the pace.