AI is reshaping search faster than AI platforms can build their ad offerings, which is why most spending still sits beside AI-generated results. Conversational search ads will grow quickly and chatbot ads will struggle to prove their effectiveness.

AI usage is becoming habitual as a broader range of people adopt AI for a broader set of use cases. Google’s lead in traditional search has given it the platform to take leadership in AI users next year, even as OpenAI still commands deeper engagement.

Search ad spending keeps rising as AI fuels online discovery and people search across more platforms than ever. Despite this, search’s share of digital ad spending is edging downward due to faster growth in other channels.

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.

Creator content is shaping how AI answers questions. But content that’s good at engaging audiences isn’t always what AI surfaces. That’s forcing brands to rethink their creator strategies and content formats so they can show up in AI tools.

Social platforms want a bigger role in search ad budgets, but user habits lag behind. As search expands beyond traditional engines, these platforms must turn occasional behavior into intent-driven activity to grab ad dollars.

GenAI health users will jump 37% YoY in 2026, but most queries will still begin on search—forcing marketers to balance SEO with AI discovery.

AI is reshaping how consumers discover and choose products, creating a fast-growing new commerce channel with its own set of unique challenges.

Content marketing is at an inflection point. AI tools have made it faster and cheaper to produce content at scale, but the resulting flood of material creates challenges on marketers' highest-earning channels.

This FAQ covers what agentic commerce is, who the key players are, and what brands and advertisers should do about it.

AI is collapsing discovery and checkout into one flow, shifting control of payments upstream. New protocols, agent logic, and data control will decide which payment providers capture value.

Social teams are rethinking YouTube as Shorts surges, both long-form and episodic content gain traction, and generative search reshapes discovery. But legacy silos and cost concerns still hold many back, even as audiences and creators are leaning in.

Consumers are shopping with AI assistants on retailer sites and through third-party chatbots like ChatGPT and Perplexity, and retailers are paying attention.

Perplexity is challenging an Amazon ban in a court fight over Comet AI that could curb retail media power.

Consumer interest in chatbot-based checkout isn’t quite there, but AI-based discovery is on the rise.

To capture a share of limited holiday gains, retailers and brands must zero in on pockets of opportunity across mobile commerce, social platforms, and consumer adoption of AI for shopping.

Sky-high operational costs are pushing ChatGPT and its rivals toward ads, while Koah is betting survival hinges on monetizing scale.

Data interoperability is becoming leverage; brands may need neutral infrastructure to activate signals consistently across emerging AI endpoints.

Asia-Pacific leads AI adoption worldwide, but penetration varies widely by market. From rapid uptake to cautious testing, markets are taking very different paths.