In a video- and image-centric world, SEO is still the key to allocating marketing budgets, and Google has already done much of the research for you. “Every time Google shows a search result, they are displaying billions of dollars in R&D to understand the customer,” said Wil Reynolds, VP of Innovation at Seer Interactive, speaking at the Paid Search Association annual conference. “Billions that I don't have.”

Of Microsoft’s $198 billion in revenues last year, only about 6% came from advertising. Could a revamped Bing help build out this revenue stream? It’s hard to imagine, but not impossible. Here are five charts that look at Microsoft’s latest ad moves.

FTC sharpens tech oversight amid AI revolution: Big tech’s opaque algorithms pushed the FTC to create an Office of Technology to rein in the industry. Search wars pose a regulatory wildcard.

Last week, Google and Microsoft each unveiled new AI-powered search tools, each of which made factual errors during demos. Both companies have hit stumbling blocks in the race for AI dominance they weren’t fully prepared to run. That said, Microsoft has created more buzz by integrating OpenAI’s popular ChatGPT into its Bing platform.

Is AI-powered search profitable and sustainable? Scaling up commercial generative AI comes with high energy and environmental costs, adding to social concerns. Half-measures on the issue could damage market reception.

On today's episode, we discuss how concerning Google's drop in search ad revenues is, the likelihood of Google getting broken up by the US Department of Justice, and the main reason YouTube is struggling. "In Other News," we talk about which cookie alternatives are emerging as favorites and the significance of Microsoft adding ChatGPT's AI technology to its search engine, Bing. Tune in to the discussion with our analyst Evelyn Mitchell.

The Information Age 2.0 is upon us: Google’s latest product updates illustrate the movement to embed AI into our information sources. The changes will strain computation and energy resources.

As of last month, 54% of US adults were not familiar with ChatGPT at all, according to YouGov. Familiarity increased with education level, with 67% of those with a postgraduate degree having some knowledge about the conversational AI product.

Year of the chatbot: Google’s Apprentice Bard is among many chatbots we’ll see released by the tech industry this year. Investors are excited, but performance and monetization are market hurdles.

Google’s ChatGPT conundrum: Generative AI is becoming a headache for the tech giant that wants to take the ethical high road while also staying competitive in a fast-moving market.

Latin America’s digital economy is proving resilient despite macroeconomic headwinds. In 2023, marketers and advertisers will focus on reaching consumers across retail media, livestreaming ecommerce, and ad-supported video streaming.

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.

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.

Every national market in the world will finish this year with more ad spending than in 2020. In most categories, worldwide growth records will be shattered. But 2021 was a very unusual year, following a very unusual 2020.

Our updated US ad spending forecast shows digital ad spending outpacing expectations. Digital media will capture $111.14 billion in ad dollars in 2018 and surpass traditional media ad spending by 2019, according to our latest estimates.

Visual search is evolving rapidly from a niche tool to a more broadly offered and used tool for finding information. This report looks at how consumers use visual search and how marketers should utilize it.

Advertisers’ dollars continue to shift from traditional to digital channels at a fast pace, with mobile leading the charge. In 2018, mobile advertising alone is expected to surpass TV ad spending.