57% of US B2B decision-makers use search engines during early research, more than any other channel, according to a January 2026 survey from Reddit and SurveyMonkey.

AI is rewriting the digital shelf. As discovery shrinks to a handful of recommendations, brands are forced to optimize for both humans and machines or risk disappearing early in the purchase journey.

Can advertising cover tech’s ballooning AI costs? That question defined big Q1 earnings day for Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, and Google.

Alibaba and other tech giants in China are accelerating AI adoption with aggressive subsidies and ecosystem advantages. OpenClaw is fueling agentic AI beyond chat into execution, giving users tools that act on their behalf. Consumer enthusiasm and trust are speeding the move toward agent-led commerce.

ChatGPT ads could open up in a second window via a partnership with Smartly

As Black and Hispanic consumers seek mental and broader care guidance via AI, culturally sound content becomes key for brands.

With core card functions and customer experience broken, Bilt users feel outrage.

Intelligent Authorization streamlines acquirers’ processing for a new era of commerce.

64% use them, normalizing instant, personalized answers that brands must soon match to stay relevant.

AI is reshaping customer experience, but trust, accuracy, and channel preferences are challenges brands need to overcome. This infopack explores how consumers want to interact with brands, and where AI adds value.

AI tools are becoming some travelers’ first stop, reshaping discovery and pressuring search-driven players.

On today’s podcast episode, we discuss whether “ChatGPT with Ads” will scare users away, the effectiveness of chatbot ads versus traditional search ads, and whether there’s an ethical component to advertising during a search conversation compared with the blue-link format. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, along with Principal Analyst Nate Elliot and Analyst Marisa Jones. Listen everywhere, and watch on YouTube and Spotify.

Retail returns have quietly become one of the most expensive, complex, and customer-sensitive parts of commerce.

AI companions present ad potential through high trust and engagement, but safety and regulation pose real risks to advertisers.

AI platforms must tread carefully to avoid crossing into diagnosis and treatment advice

The ad industry kept busy during the holiday season, so we rounded up the biggest stories from the last two weeks you need to know about.

As patients arrive at their appointments with AI-sourced self-diagnoses, healthcare marketers must reassert providers’ authority.

Retailers faced a challenging year as economic factors, new technologies, and changing consumer behaviors reshaped the landscape. Here are our top five stories from this past year and what they meant to a tumultuous industry.

YouTube is experimenting with AI avatars based on a small group of popular creators via Google’s “Portraits” feature, which allows fans to have conversations with AI versions of real-life creators. Advertisers should approach AI creators with cautious interest, closely monitoring how the format evolves as an ad opportunity while balancing emerging AI capabilities with consumers’ sensitivity to authenticity.