This is the Q1 2025 installment of our quarterly “Ad Spending Benchmarks” series, which helps ad buyers and sellers calibrate their spending and revenue mix against the market.​

Gates thinks we have a decade before AI dominates; Schmidt says we have a year. Either way, AI will still need human intervention to keep it on track.

Google, Anthropic, and Microsoft unleash tools that automate, integrate, and generate—yet steep prices and security concerns could limit how fast businesses dive in.

It cancels a $1 billion US data center plan and pauses other developments as it braces for rising material costs and geopolitical pressures.

The tool turns prompts into deployable software, opening doors for marketers and small teams, but human oversight is still necessary to avoid risky code.

Microsoft’s AI assistant now handles bookings, shopping, and podcast creation, aiming to close the gap with ChatGPT by delivering real utility, not just enterprise hype.

AI agents are revolutionizing marketing with autonomous capabilities that go far beyond traditional automation. Organizations are implementing AI agents to boost workflow efficiency and prepare for a consumer marketplace increasingly mediated by AI.

China’s retaliation rattles markets, but Big Tech could offset losses by leaning into AI, services, and subscriptions—if consumers still bite.

With AI revenues soaring and Azure scaling, Microsoft is doubling down on infrastructure to lead tech’s next wave, even as regulators circle.

Meta’s CTO claims nimbleness trumps incumbency in AI. However, Meta’s AI future still depends on the health of its core ad business.

With physical sales fading and subscription interest rising, smart in-game ads offer consistent revenues without alienating players.

With Researcher and Analyst, Copilot gets smarter at handling strategy and data—key upgrades as businesses demand more value.

Anthropic’s newest upgrade pits it against Google, Perplexity, and OpenAI—escalating the fight for information dominance.

New pre-home- screen video ads are sparking backlash as Roku’s monetization push clashes with users’ expectations for a paid device experience.

Perplexity’s new ad makes Google a target: The company’s biggest ad yet, led by “Squid Game” star Lee Jung-jae, could continue the push toward a more divided AI market.

With profits down and factories years away, Foxconn says tariffs are a major obstacle for companies navigating rising costs and supply chain instability.

Despite climate pledges, Amazon, Google, and Meta could face opposition to their nuclear plans—raising questions about readiness to support AI with sustainable infrastructure.

Google offers carbon footprint reports for its ad services: The move emphasizes the need for advertisers to value the environmental impact of campaigns.

Google, OpenAI explore ads: The moves indicate that ads will be a crucial part of how AI search engines generate future revenues.

DuckDuckGo keeps AI search optional, giving privacy-conscious consumers rare control over how, when, or if they see AI-generated answers.