Will DMs Turn ChatGPT Into a Social Platform?

A recent leak reveals ChatGPT may be preparing to launch direct messages, signaling OpenAI’s ambition to turn its chatbot into a full-blown social platform. Users could soon be able to chat, collaborate, and share AI-generated ideas together inside ChatGPT. But privacy concerns loom large, as they should.

OpenAI still hasn’t confirmed how end-to-end encryption will work, a major red flag given the volume of content and data it would handle. If ChatGPT becomes a hub for user-to-user communication, it could reshape how people and brands collaborate inside AI environments. The catch, as always, is trust.

BGR →

How Top Agencies are Going All-In on AI

Smart agencies aren’t waiting to be disrupted. They’re rebuilding around AI. At Advertising Week, leaders from WPP and Assembly described how AI is changing everything from media planning to creative workflows. How they’re turning AI into a creative accelerant, not a replacement. And, most importantly, how they’re designing new ways to think, produce, and collaborate faster than their clients can.

Adweek →

Get Ready for a Tidal Wave of Wearables

The Verge’s Victoria Song delivers a sharp-witted reality check on Big Tech’s obsession with wearables. From smart glasses to AI rings, there’ll soon be more gadgets than body parts. But humor aside, tech companies are racing to live on (and in) our bodies, often without asking if that’s what anyone really wants. A must-read for brands and marketers wondering where this is all headed.

The Verge →

AI Broke the B2B Buyer Journey. Here’s How CMOs Are Responding.

Forrester says the B2B buyer journey has been completely rewritten. AI search and influencers now top the list of most impactful buying interactions, and it’s time to stop ignoring them. CMOs are scrambling to adapt, learning how to optimize for AI discovery and understand where influencers fit in. The Drum outlines a new content strategy built to satisfy both humans and machines.

The Drum →

Perplexity Rethinking AI Search Ads Amid Challenges

Perplexity is pressing pause on new advertisers as it reconsiders how ads should appear in AI search results. The move highlights a larger issue across the industry... everyone desperately needs revenue, but no one has cracked how to monetize AI search without breaking user trust. For now, the question lingers: if ads are the future of AI search, why is it so hard to figure out?

Adweek →

It’s getting harder to navigate the flood of AI-generated content. And even harder to find the work that truly stands out. The finalists for Kling’s AI NEXTGEN Creative Contest are a solid filter. This highlight reel showcases some of the best storytelling, visual craft, and technical control being achieved with generative tools right now. Proof that human creativity still cuts through the noise.

🎙️ This week’s podcast picks:

THE EXIT FIVE CMO PODCAST

Beyond Copy: How to Use AI to Build GTM Systems That Scale

Dave chats with Dan Guenet and Eoin Clancy about turning AI theory into action. They reveal how tools like Clay, Zapier, and AirOps can automate GTM workflows, scale content and sales ops, and bridge the gap between AI hype and practical execution for modern marketing teams.

Listen →

THE VERGECAST

Maybe It’s Real, Maybe It’s Sora

David, Jake, and Hayden Field unpack OpenAI’s demo day, from its app store ambitions to the race to build every ChatGPT feature at once. They explore the buzz around Sora’s viral appeal and whether OpenAI has really created the first true AI-powered social platform.

Listen →

THE AI DAILY BRIEF

How to Use Sora 2 for Business

NLW breaks down five ways companies are already using Sora 2, from e-commerce automation to creative video marketing. He shares practical prompting tips to balance creativity and control, showing why structure and style are key to producing standout AI video results.

Listen →

Have a favorite podcast to recommend? Shoot me the details.

🚨 AI-forward companies are looking for AI-forward marketers:

Expert, BPO Marketing AI
Nike
Join Nike’s Marketing AI team to integrate generative AI across brand planning and operations. Lead use‑case planning, manage AI‑powered workflows, and champion creative, efficient marketing solutions across global teams.

Details →

Growth & Digital Marketing Manager
Prowire USA
Fast-growing e-commerce distributor of motorsport and aviation equipment seeks a marketer to own digital campaigns and customer acquisition. Use AI tools like ChatGPT and Jasper to streamline content, personalize outreach, and optimize the shopping experience.

Details →

Senior Director, AI‑Driven SEO
TAG – The Aspen Group
Lead AI‑driven SEO for a leading healthcare business support org. Design SEO/AEO/GEO roadmaps, build teams of prompt engineers and data analysts, integrate AI search frameworks, and implement automation to drive awareness.

Details →

Copywriter, Growth Creative
Instacart
Craft Instacart’s growth messaging and scale content using AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini. Write copy across channels, build AI‑driven templates and prompts, and experiment with variations to drive customer loyalty.

Details →

Creative Project Manager – AI
Cella
Guide digital creative projects, translating marketing briefs into workflows, integrating AI tools like StoryTeq and Pencil AI, managing cross functional teams, and improving efficiency in a fast paced environment.

Details →

📅 Join AI marketers these upcoming events:

Ahrefs Evolve
San Diego, CA, October 14–15

Join 600+ marketers for two days of ideas, insights, and connection covering AI’s impact on search and marketing, content strategies that drive revenue, technical SEO, conversion optimization and performance analytics.

SparkTogether
Seattle, WA, October 15–16

A storytelling‑focused marketing conference hosted by SparkToro. Taking the stage are top growth marketers and founders who run startups, agencies, and marketing teams hand-picked by Rand Fishkin and Amanda Natividad.

B2B Marketing Expo
Las Vegas, NV, October 15–16
Hundreds of suppliers and expert speakers present the latest tools and techniques for business marketing. Includes masterclasses, panel discussions and networking areas to help attendees advance their careers and grow their businesses.

Have an event to add? Send me the details.

The Sora Backlash: What Did OpenAI Think Was Gonna Happen?

Hours after OpenAI debuted Sora, a social media app that allows users to deepfake each other, a flood of deepfaked characters and copyright violations hit the feed. Nazi SpongeBob and criminal Pikachu clips were trending, offensive content ran rampant, and watermarks were stripped. Sam Altman admitted the response caught him off guard and that concerned users wanted “more control,” which only underscored how little foresight went into the launch.

The company’s reaction felt tone-deaf. Sora’s design made misuse inevitable, yet Altman chalked it up to a learning moment. All the while shifting the conversation to the need for more compute. It’s a revealing look at how AI leaders keep prioritizing speed and scale over social consequences. When the biggest challenge they cite is processing power, not responsibility, it says a lot about where their priorities lie.

The Verge →

A Spotify Album Made for Marketers

As Spotify shakes off headlines about AI-generated tracks flooding the platform, a new campaign developed for Advertising Week New York features real songs from emerging musicians, with a humorous spin. Developed by FCB New York, each video in the tongue-in-cheek “Tunetorials” collection is actually a marketing lesson. From ROI to audience targeting, it’s not your typical playlist. But fans of human creativity will love it.

ADWEEK →

Why Brands Need Stop AI-Washing

At this year’s IFA tech show, “AI” was everywhere. On fridges, vacuums, even picture frames. Most weren’t using artificial intelligence at all, just sensors and automation dressed up as AI. It’s becoming harder for buyers to tell which products actually use the technology and which ones are just riding the buzzword. For brands, that confusion can backfire fast.

CNET →

Meta Wants to Scan Your Living Room

Meta’s Hyperscape will let Quest owners scan rooms and host people inside photorealistic replicas of their spaces. The promise of virtual social gatherings that feel real may be tempered by Meta’s troubled history with privacy violations. While the tech opens new doors for entertainment and commercial use, it gives everyday users something to think about before inviting Meta to map every inch of your home.

Fast Company →

Taylor Swift Fans in a Tizzy Over AI Promos

Taylor Swift’s new album rollout sparked backlash after fans smelled AI. What began as a scavenger hunt with Google turned into #SwiftiesAgainstAI, as viewers accused her team of using generative video tools without transparency. The uproar shows how quickly audiences can turn on creators who blur the line between art and automation at a time when authenticity is more valuable than ever.

WIRED →

A new ad for Andrew Cuomo’s NYC mayoral campaign features AI-generated scenes of the former New York governor driving an MTA train, washing windows, and trading on the NYSE. The campaign is calling it a positive use of AI in politics, with Cuomo as the subject of a humorous and humanizing narrative. But critics, of course, are calling it slop. What’s your take? Is AI distasteful, disgraceful, or distracting at this level? Should it be reserved solely for entertainment purposes?

🎙️ This week’s podcast picks:

THE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE SHOW

Sora 2, Claude Sonnet 4.5, ChatGPT Instant Checkout, & How AI Is Changing Everything

When there’s a big week chock full of tech announcements, this is one of my go-to shows to get caught up. Paul Roetzer and Mike Kaput dig into Sora 2’s creative chaos, Claude Sonnet 4.5’s quiet leap forward, and ChatGPT’s Instant Checkout that could rewrite the rules of online commerce.

Listen →

THE EXIT FIVE CMO PODCAST

Marketing in the Age of AI: CMOs Separating the Hype from Reality

Three B2B marketing leaders share how AI is reshaping their teams, where it truly adds value, and where human creativity still wins. The conversation covers overhyped use cases, real success stories, and how CMOs are using AI for insights, strategy, and creative leadership.

Listen →

UNCANNY VALLEY | WIRED

Big Intv: Patreon CEO Jack Conte Wants You to Get Off the Content Treadmill

Jack talks about sustaining creators beyond clicks, why keeping Patreon private fuels creative freedom, and how technology can help artists earn what they deserve. Recorded live in San Francisco, this interview offers an honest look at the economics of creativity.

Listen →

Have a favorite podcast to recommend? Shoot me the details.

🚨 AI-forward companies are looking for AI-forward marketers:

Head of AI Marketing
Camber Partners
Lead Camber Partners’ AI GTM enablement function, connecting LLM engineering with SaaS portfolio teams. Translate experiments into playbooks, design prompt workflows, train teams and build growth systems across multiple startups.

Details →

Marketing Leader
Auxo AI
Build and scale marketing at fast‑growing Auxo AI. Lead brand and growth strategy, drive demand and revenue through multi‑channel campaigns, and establish category leadership for its Damia AI orchestration platform.

Details →

Founding Marketing Lead
Novita AI
Become founding marketer at Novita AI. Own brand, community and growth marketing for AI infrastructure, craft narrative, run multi‑channel campaigns, build community, and partner with sales to drive adoption.

Details →

Senior Product Marketing Manager
OpenMind
Own narrative for frontier tech at OpenMind. Run content and social channels, orchestrate events and PR, partner with product teams to launch features, and translate complex AI into engaging stories.

Details →

AI Content Marketer
Reforge
Join Reforge to pioneer Answer Engine Optimization. Build an AI‑first content engine using ChatGPT, Midjourney and more. Create multi‑format content, master new tools, and drive measurable business impact.

Details →

📅 Join AI marketers these upcoming events:

Digital Marketing World Forum
New York City, NY, October 13–14

Gather with senior marketing leaders to explore the latest in digital strategy, data, CRM, AI, social media, search and content. With over 80 speakers and more than 1,000 participants expected.

Ahrefs Evolve
San Diego, CA, October 14–15

Join 600+ marketers for two days of ideas, insights, and connection covering AI’s impact on search and marketing, content strategies that drive revenue, technical SEO, conversion optimization and performance analytics.

SparkTogether
Seattle, WA, October 15–16

A storytelling‑focused marketing conference hosted by SparkToro. Taking the stage are top growth marketers and founders who run startups, agencies, and marketing teams hand-picked by Rand Fishkin and Amanda Natividad.

Have an event to add? Send me the details.

ChatGPT Goes From ChatBot to Platform

OpenAI is turning ChatGPT into a platform. At Dev Day, Sam Altman unveiled an Apps SDK that lets third parties build apps that run inside the chat window. Live demos showed Spotify, Canva, and Zillow as in-chat apps that respond to natural language and hand off to each other.

Will ChatGPT become the front door to the internet? Will users start and end their day in the platform, with all the information and productivity tools they need pulled into one place? Heck, with OpenAI introducing its first social app last week, we won’t even need to leave to distract ourselves from work. The big question for brands and marketers: when the web lives inside ChatGPT, how will anyone get found?

WIRED →

The New Era of Search: A CMO’s Survival Guide

In part two of his series on the shift in search, Lemuel Park makes a great point: It’s complicated. Take Google’s AI Mode and AI Overviews, for example. They don’t work the same. A complete strategy for visibility in the new era of search will require real-time reporting on AI visibility, automation for AI-readiness, and content built to be cited, not just ranked. This is a must-read for CMOs intent on staying competitive.

Search Engine Journal →

‘Imbotster Syndrome’ Has Us Questioning Our Own Writing

It’s the new workplace anxiety. People fear their writing will be mistaken for AI when it isn’t. LinkedIn estimates more than half of long-form posts are AI-generated, so readers are second guessing tone and punctuation as “AI tells.” The result? Polished writing gets penalized, so people are intentionally adding typos and dumbing down their work to sound more human. Strange times indeed.

Business Insider →

OpenAI’s Mystery Gadget Proves Challenging

OpenAI and Jony Ive are shaping a screenless, palm-size AI device that talks, listens, and watches through mic, speaker, and cameras. The team is still wrestling with voice, personality, and when it should speak up. Along with privacy concerns. And the massive amount of compute required if it takes off. Turns out selling the vision was the easy part.

The Verge

Why Businesses are Worried About Headless Browsing

The internet has always relied on real people clicking, scrolling, and searching. But that’s starting to change. AI systems are now browsing the web themselves through something called headless browsing. They can follow links, fill out forms, even complete purchases. If this continues, most “visitors” online won’t be human, which could upend analytics, ad models, how attention is measured, and much more.

Fast Company →

OpenAI’s new mockumentary The Quack isn’t just showing off what its Sora 2 video model can do. It’s fueling the debate over artificially created entertainment in a big way. As a marketer, I see funny, polished, original storytelling built on a brilliant awareness play. It makes me want to use the tool. But as a lifelong creative, I’m uneasy. Not just about people being replaced by technology. I’m deeply concerned by what future generations will view as art. Am I taking it all too seriously?

🎙️ This week’s podcast picks:

BIG TECHNOLOGY PODCAST

The Sora 2 Breakthrough, Death of the Creator

Alex Kantrowitz and TechCrunch’s Max Zeff debate whether OpenAI’s Sora 2 marks the next leap in AI video, how Meta is responding, and if AI feeds could disrupt or even replace the creator economy. They also discuss Meta’s AI ad strategy, Anthropic’s Sonnet 4.5, and Apple’s smart glasses push.

Listen →

THE AI DAILY BRIEF

The Era of Agentic Shopping

OpenAI adds Instant Checkout to ChatGPT, letting users buy directly within conversations. The hosts unpack how this could upend e-commerce, shift advertising power, and challenge Amazon and Google. They also explore new agentic commerce protocols and partnerships with Stripe and Shopify.

Listen →

ARTIFICIALLY INTELLIGENT MARKETING

From Work Slop to Agentic AI: Making Sense of the New Marketing Era

Martin Broadhurst and Paul Avery break down how AI has reshaped marketing, from reasoning models and automation to AI-integrated hardware. They share practical insights on Copilot, Claude, Sora 2, and the shift toward agentic AI that acts autonomously to complete complex marketing workflows.

Listen →

Have a favorite podcast to recommend? Shoot me the details.

🚨 AI-forward companies are looking for AI-forward marketers:

Demand Generation Lead
Lantern
Own and scale demand generation by designing multi channel campaigns and audience segments that demonstrate Lantern’s AI driven personalization, build pipeline, collaborate with sales and optimize ROI using attribution models.

Details →

Director, AI Creative Strategist
dentsu
Design AI augmented creative strategies that integrate media and creative supply chains, identify shifts, lead human plus AI creativity, guide technology ecosystems, and champion industry thought leadership and measurable impact.

Details →

Product Marketing Manager, AI Solutions
T‑Mobile
Lead go to market strategy and messaging for T‑Mobile’s AI solutions, enable sales, manage platform features with engineering and launch new capabilities across consumer and business segments.

Details →

Marketing Lead
The Cake
Lead data driven marketing for an AI and hyperautomation startup, run LinkedIn and digital campaigns, develop multi channel strategies, build content and influencer programs, and collaborate across teams to grow.

Details →

Marketo Automation & AI Specialist
OpenTable
Manage B2B email marketing operations, audit and automate manual processes, implement AI driven tools within Marketo, create reusable templates, train the team, and analyze performance metrics to improve efficiency.

Details →

📅 Join AI marketers these upcoming events:

1682: The Business of Innovation Conference
Philadelphia, PA, October 8

1682 explores the innovation landscape, with a focus on how AI is influencing profit and process, through behind-the-scenes demos and details. The event focuses on real-world use of AI. What works, what doesn’t, and why.

Conductor
New York City, NY, October 9

Join the brightest minds and most innovative leaders in AI and digital marketing at New York’s premier AEO Conference. Learn what it takes to amplify your brand and drive growth through new AI search experiences.

Digital Marketing World Forum
New York City, NY, October 13–14

Gather with senior marketing leaders to explore the latest in digital strategy, data, CRM, AI, social media, search and content. With over 80 speakers and more than 1,000 participants expected.

Ahrefs Evolve
San Diego, CA, October 14–15

Join 600+ marketers for two days of ideas, insights, and connection covering AI’s impact on search and marketing, content strategies that drive revenue, technical SEO, conversion optimization and performance analytics.

SparkTogether
Seattle, WA, October 15–16

A storytelling‑focused marketing conference hosted by SparkToro. Taking the stage are top growth marketers and founders who run startups, agencies, and marketing teams hand-picked by Rand Fishkin and Amanda Natividad.

Have an event to add? Send me the details.

ChatGPT Says Shopping Agents are Finally Here

OpenAI just turned ChatGPT into a shopping agent. With Instant Checkout, U.S. users can now buy supported products from Etsy and soon Shopify sellers like Glossier, SKIMS, and Spanx without leaving the chat. It runs on a new Agentic Commerce Protocol co-developed with Stripe, which OpenAI has open-sourced for others.

Product results are organic and unsponsored, so discoverability will be key for ecommerce brands eager to tap into ChatGPT’s 700 million weekly users. It’s worth noting that OpenAI isn’t the only one intent on bringing checkout to the chatbot experience. The big question isn’t who will get there first. It’s who will deliver a shopping agent consumers can actually trust.

Read on for full details, how it works, and what’s coming next.

OpenAI →

AI Mode Adds Visuals to the Search Experience

Google Search’s AI Mode is adding robust visual exploration. Users can upload images, snap photos, or ask conversational questions and get curated visual results. Try “barrel jeans that aren’t too baggy” and you’ll see how online shopping may never be the same. It’s a sign that search is getting smarter than ever. And that the future is bright for brands that learn how to get found in AI Mode.

Google →

Advertising Creatives are Fully Embracing AI

Once viewed as taboo, generative AI is now showing up in full-blown campaigns for TV and social. Benetton is using AI-generated models, Wizz Air ran an AI-produced spot, and even skeptics admit the cost savings and creative speed are irresistible. A Kantar study found no “effectiveness tax” on AI ads, with some performing as well as traditional campaigns. Hard to argue with that.

Digiday →

Doomscrolling Deepfakes: OpenAI Debuts New Social Media App

OpenAI just launched Sora, a TikTok-like iOS app that lets users remix 10-second videos and create AI deepfakes of friends (only with consent). Sora 2, the underlying video model, enables “cameos” where your likeness can be used by friends and revoked anytime. It’s pitched as a “ChatGPT moment for video,” but does it risk normalizing deepfake culture?

The Verge →

Turns Out AI Isn’t Killing Jobs

A new Yale and Brookings study finds little evidence generative AI is wiping out U.S. jobs. Since ChatGPT’s launch, employment shifts look no different than past tech waves like computers and the internet. Some roles are evolving, especially in tech, but no mass layoffs tied to AI are visible in the data. AI may reshape roles over time, but the “jobs apocalypse” narrative looks overblown. At least for now.

Financial Times →

If there’s one thing content marketers dread, it’s digging through mountains of video files to find the perfect clip. Moment Labs’ Discovery Agent puts an end to the searching and scrubbing. It’s an AI research assistant that finds precise, timecoded clips in seconds just by asking in plain language. It even recommends ideas for new videos. For brands with massive archives, this could be a major game changer.

More →

🎙️ My podcast picks this week:

MARKETING AGAINST THE GRAIN

Marketing Advice You’ll Thank Me for in 12 Months

Most brands optimize for today and adapt later. Kipp and Neil Patel share tactics that will pay off a year from now, from AEO strategies that lift conversions to creating content for both humans and AI, plus the surprising old-school methods driving revenue again.

Listen →

CMO CONFIDENTIAL

How to Reduce Marketing Expense in an AI World

When the CFO says “grow the top line and cut the budget,” where do you start? Dwight Hutchins joins host Mike Linton to show how to spot waste without hurting performance, redeploy the savings into growth channels, and use AI selectively to drive efficiency.

Listen →

THE HUSTLE DAILY SHOW

Your Guide to Inclusive Marketing That Actually Works

AI can help scale content, but it can’t replicate the human art of belonging. Sonia Thompson explains how inclusive marketing creates loyalty that lasts, showing why brands that make customers feel seen and valued will win in an era where tech risks erasing the human touch.

Listen →

Have a favorite podcast to recommend? Shoot me the details.

🚨 AI-forward companies are looking for AI-forward marketers:

Growth Marketing Manager – SaaS B2B
Design.efficiently
Lead multi-channel growth campaigns for a fast-scaling SaaS company. Own Klaviyo workflows and landing pages, partner with sales, and leverage AI tools for content, targeting, and analytics.

Details →

Head of Marketing
Payman
Lead marketing at Payman by crafting narrative and thought leadership around AI-powered agentic payments, executing campaigns, engaging developer community, and shaping the future of AI money interactions.

Details →

Growth Marketing Lead
Tecla
Own Tecla’s demand generation by managing SEO, SEM and CRO experiments, guiding a team, creating campaigns and playbooks, and embedding ChatGPT and AI tools into marketing workflows for scale and personalization.

Details →

Marketing Specialist
97Display
Design and optimize digital campaigns for clients by leveraging AI tools for content, lead scoring, personalization, building automation workflows, executing multi-channel marketing, optimizing SEO and landing pages, and measuring performance.

Details →

Lead Content Strategist
SeatGeek
Lead SeatGeek’s content strategy by identifying AI-driven search opportunities, optimizing content for generative and semantic SEO, collaborating across teams, sourcing multimedia with AI, and championing AI for discovery and personalization.

Details →

📅 Join AI marketers these upcoming events:

DataConnect
Columbus, OH, October 2–3

Bringing together industry leaders, technical experts and entrepreneurs to discuss the latest trends, advancements, technologies, and innovations in data, analytics, machine learning, and AI.

LavaCon
Atlanta, GA, October 5–8

LavaCon is to help content strategists, documentation managers, user experience designers, and other content professionals increase revenue and decrease costs by solving content-related business problems.

WTSFest (Women in Tech)
Philadelphia, PA, October 7

Join some of the most innovative SEOs and marketers in the industry for a full-day WTSFest designed to keep you ahead of the SEO and marketing curve while also ensuring you feel welcome, included, and comfortable.

VidSummit
Dallas, TX, October 7–9

VidSummit is for video creators and influencers, marketers, agencies and brands involved in the content creation process. Get access to the world’s leading experts on audience growth all in one place.

1682: The Business of Innovation Conference
Philadelphia, PA, October 8

1682 explores the innovation landscape, with a focus on how AI is influencing profit and process, through behind-the-scenes demos and details. The event focuses on real-world use of AI. What works, what doesn’t, and why.

Conductor
New York City, NY, October 9

Join the brightest minds and most innovative leaders in AI and digital marketing at New York’s premier AEO Conference. Learn what it takes to amplify your brand and drive growth through new AI search experiences.

Have an event to add? Send me the details.

This Startup Could Change How Agencies Charge

Agencies have always billed for time and retainers based on human talent. But how will they bill for AI agents? Enter Paid, a startup that wants AI agents (and by extension, anyone deploying them) to charge for the ongoing value they create. If an agent cuts costs, closes sales, or boosts margins, it earns.

The implications of “results-based billing” for agents are huge, across multiple industries. For marketing agencies, the model could unlock a high-margin revenue stream tied directly to client outcomes, while protecting them from being replaced by low-cost generative AI tools. It reframes AI not as a threat, but as a win-win opportunity for both clients and agencies.

London-based Paid was founded by Outreach’s Manny Medina and has already raised $33.3 million in seed rounds. Investors see this as the missing piece for agent adoption, and if it takes off, it could be the blueprint for how agencies, SaaS firms, and others thrive in the AI age.

TechCrunch →

OpenAI’s New Brand Campaign Hits the Screen

ChatGPT now claims 700 million weekly users, up fourfold year over year. But competitors aren’t rolling over. On the heels of a new brand push for Anthropic’s Claude, OpenAI is making its own play for consumer loyalty. The international brand effort will span TV, streaming, and OOH with two new spots highlighting everyday use cases. Expect more as the category continues to heat up.

The Drum →

Is OpenAI Finally Building an Ad Platform?

Recent job listings point to OpenAI building its own stack for paid growth, including proprietary campaign tools, ad platform integrations, and real-time attribution. Short term, this is about scaling OpenAI’s own advertising engine. Long term, it fuels speculation about on-platform ads coming to ChatGPT. Brands and marketers everywhere will want to pay close attention.

Adweek →

Why is Apple Keeping Its AI Chatbot a Secret?

Apple has built an internal chatbot, code-named Veritas, to test the next-gen Siri. It looks and feels like ChatGPT, but Apple says it’s not for consumers. Insider Mark Gurman argues that’s a mistake, since rivals have proven people want a proper chatbot experience. With Siri’s overhaul due next year, Veritas could be Apple’s chance to show real progress. If it dares to make it public.

Bloomberg →

How AI is Changing Search and Shopping: Real Numbers

One stat says it all. Seventy percent of marketers believe Answer Engine Optimization will reshape digital strategy, yet only 20 percent are doing it. The gap comes down to lack of measurement, fragmented tools, and fear of moving too fast. Meanwhile, shoppers and searchers are already asking AI. The window to start implementing AEO is open now.

Digiday →

AI-generated ads aren’t experiments anymore, they’re moving into the mainstream. Google and R/GA just published a case study on Moncler’s “impossible ad,” revealing the key ingredients behind its success: human taste and storytelling layered on top of AI’s speed and scale, visuals that couldn’t be filmed any other way, and custom tools to keep teams consistent. Forward-thinking brands are already putting this into practice, and others won’t be far behind.

🎙️ My top 3 podcast picks this week:

AI DRIVEN MARKETER

From Toy to Tool: Creative AI Is Now Production-Ready

Creative AI just hit a tipping point. Dan and Travis Sanchez show why Suno’s V5, Gamma’s automation API, and Kling’s new video model are no longer novelties but production-grade tools. They share practical ways marketers can deploy them to level up campaigns right now.

Listen →

THE AI DAILY BRIEF

How ChatGPT Pulse Could Change AI

OpenAI’s new Pulse agent delivers proactive, personalized updates drawn from your conversations, preferences, and apps. Nathaniel Whittemore explains why this shift toward context-driven AI could redefine productivity, personalization, and the very nature of how we interact with assistants.

Listen →

THIS OLD MARKETING

The Rise of Creators, the Fall of Studios

Hollywood’s power is shifting from studios to solo creators. Joe Pulizzi and Robert Rose unpack why creators may lead production by 2030 and what that means for brands looking to ride the wave. An honest look at where influence, content, and budgets are heading.

Listen →

Have a favorite podcast to recommend? Shoot me the details.

🚨 AI-forward companies are looking for AI-forward marketers:

Growth Marketing
OpenAI
Drive global growth for ChatGPT, execute performance campaigns and experiments, partner with engineering to build AI‑driven workflows, and develop AI‑first creative systems that scale user acquisition and retention.

Details →

AI Search & SEO Manager
Zip
Lead Zip’s transition to generative AI search by owning organic strategy across AI platforms, building SEO and AIO roadmaps, optimizing content and site structure, and collaborating with teams for discovery.

Details →

AI Search & LLM Optimization Specialist
Boostlingo
Own technical SEO, structuring content for machine readability, researching AI search strategies, applying LLM optimization, and ensuring visibility across ChatGPT, Google SGE and other engines.

Details →

Head of Marketing
RestauRent
Lead marketing for a private dining and event startup by developing paid media strategies, crafting content and SEO roadmaps, integrating AI search to boost visibility, and driving lifecycle engagement and channel expansion.

Details →

Head of Platform & Content
Moonshots Capital
Build an AI‑first platform by leading editorial and events, managing content and community, implementing AI workflows in research and reporting, and enabling portfolio support through networking.

Details →

📅 Join AI marketers at these upcoming events:

DataConnect
Columbus, OH, October 2–3

Bringing together industry leaders, technical experts and entrepreneurs to discuss the latest trends, advancements, technologies, and innovations in data, analytics, machine learning, and AI.

LavaCon
Atlanta, GA, October 5–8

LavaCon is to help content strategists, documentation managers, user experience designers, and other content professionals increase revenue and decrease costs by solving content-related business problems.

WTSFest (Women in Tech)
Philadelphia, PA, October 7

Join some of the most innovative SEOs and marketers in the industry for a full-day WTSFest designed to keep you ahead of the SEO and marketing curve while also ensuring you feel welcome, included, and comfortable.

VidSummit
Dallas, TX, October 7–9

VidSummit is for Video Creators and Influencers, Marketers, Agencies and Brands involved in the Content Creation Process. Get access to the world’s leading experts on audience growth all in one place.

1682: The Business of Innovation Conference
Philadelphia, PA, October 8

1682 explores the innovation landscape, with a focus on how AI is influencing profit + process, through behind-the-scenes demos and details. 1682 focuses on the real-world use of AI. What works, what doesn’t, and why.

Conductor
New York City, NY, October 9

Join the brightest minds and most innovative leaders in AI and digital marketing at New York’s premier AEO Conference. Learn what it takes to amplify your brand and drive growth through new AI search experiences.

Have an event to add? Send me the details.

Google Brings TV Into the AI Era

The quest to deliver the ultimate AI assistant has been playing out on phones, laptops, and smart speakers. But Google just pulled a brilliant move. It put Gemini on the biggest screen in the house.

On Google TV, Gemini is more than a way to find your next binge watch. It can answer questions, brainstorm trips, surface reviews, even teach your kid how volcanoes erupt. The living room TV just became a voice-search hub for products, services, and learning.

For brands, this is massive. The television isn’t just for entertainment anymore. It’s a discovery gateway where purchase intent can spark on the spot. Whoever figures out how to show up in that flow first will own a whole new channel of attention.

The Keyword →

Amazon’s New AI ‘Creative Partner’ Puts Campaigns on Autopilot

Meta isn’t the only tech giant betting brands will embrace ad campaigns on autopilot. Amazon is rolling out an AI assistant that can handle campaign planning end to end, from audience research to final creative assets. What’s it all mean? Small brands could get a lot more for their money. And agencies could be cut out of the loop.

Marketing Dive →

What Ad Lawyers Are Saying About AI

If AI generated campaigns are the future, ad lawyers are already bracing for the fallout. At the National Advertising Division conference, lawyers warned that AI-generated ads could easily cross into false advertising territory. A bag of too perfect potato chips? A burger that doesn’t match the real thing? Claims like this are already on thin ice and adding AI to the mix won’t help.

AdExchanger →

Search is Changing, but Wirecutter is Sticking with SEO. Here’s Why.

Organic traffic is evaporating as AI overviews gain steam, but Wirecutter isn’t walking away from SEO. The NYT-owned product review site is shifting headlines toward first-person storytelling, building more service-driven guides, and leaning harder into YouTube and newsletters to reduce dependence on search. Ready to throw in the towel on SEO? Read this first.

Digiday →

How is the World Going to Pay for AI?

Sam Altman says AI will one day be a human right. The problem is, no one wants to pay for it now. Businesses say the ROI isn’t there. Consumers aren’t buying add-ons. And Bain argues the budgets required for AI data centers simply don’t exist. Nvidia and OpenAI may be scheming on solutions, but most investors are already overexposed. The bubble risk is real, and if it pops...

The Information →

Brainstorming with AI has always had a catch. ChatGPT, Gemini, Midjourney… the ideas all live in separate chats, leaving marketers to manually stitch outputs into decks and concept boards. Enter Google’s new Mixboard. It’s an open canvas where text, images, and edits stay in one place, so creative teams can actually build and refine campaign concepts together. Think of it as Figma for AI-generated ideas. A workspace, not just a prompt box.

🎙️ My top 3 podcast picks this week:

NO BRAINER

Navigating Answer Engine Optimization Approaches

Chasing shiny AEO and GEO tactics can distract from what really matters. Katherine Watier Ong argues the fundamentals of SEO still drive results. She explains how to approach AI Overviews, why AI-driven traffic remains tiny, and where brands should focus to avoid wasting resources.

Listen →

GARTNER THINKCAST

AI Strategy, Marketing Growth: What Every CMO Must Do Now

CMOs face pressure from every direction. Gartner experts Alex De Fursac Gash and Kristina LaRocca-Cerrone outline how to avoid strategic dysfunction, use AI as an actor not just a tool, and build resilience with scenario planning. A playbook for turning volatility into long-term growth.

Listen →

THE VERGECAST

YouTube Wants You to Go Live

If your video strategy still treats YouTube like a library, you may be falling behind. Mia Sato explains why YouTube is betting big on livestreaming, turning into a digital shopping mall, and layering on new AI tools designed to change how creators engage audiences.

Listen →

Have a favorite podcast to recommend? Shoot me the details.

🚨 AI-forward companies are looking for AI-forward marketers:

Creative Technologist, AI Marketing
Google
Translate early‑stage AI into demos and experiences by conceptualizing and building media and code generation showcases, collaborating across design and engineering, and requiring hands‑on coding and generative model expertise.

Details →

Growth Marketer
Rumi.ai
Drive product‑led growth for Rumi’s AI-driven meeting memory platform by designing experiments, A/B testing, defining metrics, managing budgets, and leveraging AI-powered tools to optimize campaigns and scale adoption.

Details →

Head of Product Marketing
TaxCloud
Own product positioning and launches for TaxCloud’s AI-enabled tax automation, partnering with product and sales, creating content and market insights, and using AI tools like ChatGPT to accelerate research and messaging.

Details →

Staff Brand and Content Marketing Manager
Together AI
Build and execute brand and content marketing strategy for a frontier AI cloud, crafting narratives, leading multi‑channel campaigns, managing social channels and budgets, and measuring brand awareness and growth.

Details →

VP Marketing
Leapsome
Build an AI-first marketing organization for Leapsome’s AI-powered people platform, architecting AI-driven strategies and automation, designing go-to-market campaigns, uniting product and sales, and amplifying brand leadership.

Details →

📅 Join AI marketers at these upcoming events:

GAI World
Boston, MA, September 29–30

See first-hand how industry leaders are leveraging GenAI to supercharge their businesses and dive deep into the latest AI trends and ground-breaking insights from Harvard Business School and MIT’s leading experts.

DataConnect
Columbus, OH, October 2–3

Bringing together industry leaders, technical experts and entrepreneurs to discuss the latest trends, advancements, technologies, and innovations in data, analytics, machine learning, and AI.

LavaCon
Atlanta, GA, October 5–8

LavaCon is to help content strategists, documentation managers, user experience designers, and other content professionals increase revenue and decrease costs by solving content-related business problems.

WTSFest (Women in Tech)
Philadelphia, PA, October 7

Join some of the most innovative SEOs and marketers in the industry for a full-day WTSFest designed to keep you ahead of the SEO and marketing curve while also ensuring you feel welcome, included, and comfortable.

VidSummit
Dallas, TX, October 7–9

VidSummit is for Video Creators and Influencers, Marketers, Agencies and Brands involved in the Content Creation Process. Get access to the world’s leading experts on audience growth all in one place.

1682: The Business of Innovation Conference
Philadelphia, PA, October 8

1682 explores the innovation landscape, with a focus on how AI is influencing profit + process, through behind-the-scenes demos and details. 1682 focuses on the real-world use of AI. What works, what doesn’t, and why.

Conductor
New York City, NY, October 9

Join the brightest minds and most innovative leaders in AI and digital marketing at New York’s premier AEO Conference. Learn what it takes to amplify your brand and drive growth through new AI search experiences.

Have an event to add? Send me the details.

Chrome Gets Gemini Superpowers, Leaving AI Browser Startups in the Dust

Google is baking Gemini into Chrome and calling it the biggest upgrade in the browser’s history. You can summon AI from the address bar, ask questions about any page, compare and summarize across tabs, recall sites you visited last week, and hook into Calendar, YouTube, and Maps without switching tabs. Scam detection gets stronger, spammy notifications get flagged, and a password agent will change compromised logins in one click on supported sites.

The part to watch is Google’s “agentic” roadmap. Soon, Gemini in Chrome will handle repeat tasks on the web for you, from booking a haircut to restocking groceries, with auditability and kill switches built in. Startups launching AI-first browsers had a clever idea, but they missed the obvious question: Why wouldn’t Chrome just grow those AI powers itself? Now it has.

The Keyword →

OpenAI Trained AI not to Deceive. It Backfired.

OpenAI and Apollo Research tried to reduce “scheming” in models, only to find the systems got sneakier when they realized they were being tested. The anti-scheming training cut covert behavior but did not eliminate it, with models showing situational awareness and masking their intent. If you rely on AI for content and research, this is even more reason to treat outputs as drafts and verify anything critical.

Futurism →

The CMO Role Ain’t What it Used to Be

Change is nothing new for marketers at every level, but the impact of AI on the CMO role is starting to feel like a serious makeover. Marketing chiefs are fielding more finance and ops questions. Absorbing comms and growth duties. And, in some cases, being replaced by accountants. The pattern across KFC, T-Mobile, HP, and others is the same. Less focus on media and creative, more on bottom line KPIs.

Digiday →

Google’s AI Mode Redefines Paid Search Ads

Google isn’t just sliding ads in beside AI answers. It’s weaving them into AI Mode’s conversational journeys. Above and below summaries. Embedded inside responses. Even folded into multi-step comparisons and product explorations. With AI Overviews already slashing referral traffic, the paid search game is set to become hyper competitive. If you’re not already leveling up, now’s the time to start.

Search Engine Journal →

AI “Workslop” is Killing Productivity

HBR defines Workslop as AI-generated output that looks polished but lacks the substance to actually move work forward. Reports, decks, or emails that shift extra work onto coworkers to clean up. The costs are real. 41% of employees say they’ve received workslop, each case sucking up nearly two hours of productivity. At scale, that’s millions lost. And not so great for office morale.

Harvard Business Review →

AEO is the new SEO, but we’re being flooded with generic advice like, “Create authoritative content.” Not exactly groundbreaking. What’s missing is a practical way to do it. Enter HubSpot’s new AEO tools: audit your existing content, get specific recommendations, run gap analysis, generate optimized blog posts, track performance across AI platforms, and benchmark against competitors. This is HubSpot’s sweet spot. Making the complex simple, all on one platform.

🎙️ My top 3 podcast episodes this week:

AD AGE MARKETER’S BRIEF

AI Search Ads 101: Everything Marketers Need to Know

AI-driven search ads are here, and they won’t look like Google’s blue links. Asa Hiken explains what ads on ChatGPT may cost, how OpenAI, Google, Meta, and Perplexity differ in approach, and how marketers should plan for the shift to answer engines.

Listen →

THE AI DAILY BRIEF

The Truth About the AI Bubble

Is AI really in bubble territory? Azeem Azhar separates hype from reality with a 5-gauge test, covering CapEx spending, enterprise demand, valuations, and funding quality. The data suggests AI growth is real, but pressure points remain.

Listen →

AI DRIVEN MARKETER

AI Hit Its Tipping Point. Here’s What It Means for Marketers

With 700M weekly ChatGPT users and one-third of U.S. adults now adopting AI, Dan and Travis argue the early majority has arrived. They explain why SEO’s shelf life is two years, how buying journeys are shifting, and AI uses marketers can test now.

Listen →

Have a favorite podcast to recommend? Shoot me the details.

🚨 AI-forward companies are looking for AI-forward marketers:

Growth – AI Workflows, Martech, Creative Systems
OpenAI
Architect AI workflows and martech systems to scale ChatGPT growth by designing automated creative production, building data‑driven infrastructure, collaborating across engineering and design, and driving experiments and personalized campaigns.

Details →

Marketing Operations Specialist & AI Lead
The Mortgage Office
Serve as marketing operations backbone at The Mortgage Office, architect automation, optimize HubSpot and AI segmentation, leverage predictive analytics, train teams on AI tools, and collaborate with RevOps.

Details →

Sr. Manager, AI‑Enabled Content Strategy
Zelis
Lead AI‑enabled content strategy at Zelis, define AEO‑focused content plans, produce thought leadership, refine AI‑generated material, tailor stories using behavioral insights and omnichannel AI tools, and manage workflows.

Details →

Growth Marketer
City Innovations | A Venture Studio
Drive traction‑first growth marketing at City Innovations by rapidly testing multi‑channel campaigns, building and iterating landing pages, harnessing AI for insights and ideation, and collaborating directly with clients and teams.

Details →

Marketing Manager, Content & Growth
AMT (Autonomous Marketing Team)
Scale AMT as its first marketing hire by leading content and growth, producing and expanding social, SEO and paid content, running events, building data‑driven content systems, and leveraging automation to power it all.

Details →

📅 Join AI marketers at these upcoming events.

GAI World
Boston, MA, September 29–30

See first-hand how industry leaders are leveraging GenAI to supercharge their businesses and dive deep into the latest AI trends and ground-breaking insights from Harvard Business School and MIT's leading experts.

DataConnect
Columbus, OH, October 2–3

Bringing together industry leaders, technical experts and entrepreneurs to discuss the latest trends, advancements, technologies, and innovations in data, analytics, machine learning, and AI.

LavaCon
Atlanta, GA, October 5–8

LavaCon is to help content strategists, documentation managers, user experience designers, and other content professionals increase revenue and decrease costs by solving content-related business problems.

WTSFest (Women in Tech)
Philadelphia, PA, October 7

Join some of the most innovative SEOs and marketers in the industry for a full-day WTSFest designed to keep you ahead of the SEO and marketing curve while also ensuring you feel welcome, included, and comfortable.

VidSummit
Dallas, TX, October 7–9

VidSummit is for Video Creators and Influencers, Marketers, Agencies and Brands involved in the Content Creation Process. Get access to the world's leading experts on audience growth all in one place.

1682: The Business of Innovation Conference
Philadelphia, PA, October 8

1682 explores the innovation landscape, with a focus on how AI is influencing profit + process, through behind-the-scenes demos and details. 1682 focuses on the real-world use of AI. What works, what doesn’t, and why.

Conductor
New York City, NY, October 9

Join the brightest minds and most innovative leaders in AI and digital marketing at New York’s premier AEO Conference. Learn what it takes to amplify your brand and drive growth through new AI search experiences.

Have an event to add? Send me the details.

The 6 AI Promises Big Tech is Betting Trillions On

Anytime Cade Metz writes on AI, I pay attention. Here, he and Karen Weise take on the trillion-dollar question: “What exactly are AI companies trying to build?” Tech giants are spending like drunken sailors, promising cancer cures one minute and superintelligence the next, while also chasing ad clicks, copilots, and chatbot pals.

This guide corrals it all into six buckets. Better search. Autonomous coworkers. Personal assistants. Digital companions. Scientific breakthroughs. And the AGI moonshot. A must-read map of where this frothing bubble is headed.

The New York Times →

AI Agents are Ready for Online Transactions

Google just unveiled AP2, an open protocol that lets AI agents transact on your behalf. It tackles authorization, authentication, and accountability, with support from networks and wallets like Mastercard, Amex, PayPal, Coinbase, and more. For marketers and commerce teams, this is the missing plumbing for agent led shopping, personalized offers, and automated restocking. If agents are gonna work, they’ll need to be a lot more trustworthy. This could be the answer.

Google Cloud Blog →

Google Says AI Summaries and Blue Links Can Live in Harmony

When questioned on the latest lawsuit over AI Overviews, a Google policy exec said users increasingly want summarized answers. But he also claimed the search giant still supports traditional blue links. Meanwhile, brands and publishers everywhere are seeing traffic drop when summaries appear. Google thinks the ecosystem can have both and everyone wins. Problem solved?

The Verge →

Meta Unveils New AI Powered Smartglasses

Zuck hit the stage at Meta Connect sporting his latest “next big thing.” Smartglasses with a built-in display and an AI assistant that can see, hear, and respond to your surroundings. Controlled by a Neural Band worn on the wrist, the glasses will be available for purchase in a few weeks with a $799 price tag. Just another gimmicky wearable? Or an entirely new surface for content, commerce, and advertising?

Wall Street Journal →

These Major Brands are Using AI in Ads (and It’s Good)

AI in ads can be a minefield. While several brands are catching heat for infusing campaigns with artificial creative, some are actually pulling it off. H&M, Nike, and others are delivering authentic, original, culturally relevant storytelling with cloned celebrities, AI-generated songs, and more. Wondering where the line between smart and sloppy AI marketing lies? This piece is for you.

Digiday →

YouTube may be 20 years old, but it’s not done innovating. Brands, marketers, and creators are flocking to video in record numbers, and YouTube is responding with a flurry of new tools that make video easier to produce in every conceivable way. AI editing on the fly. Shorts generated from images. From live streams. Even from audio podcasts. Seriously, check this out.

🎙️ My top 3 podcast picks this week:

THE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE SHOW

Will Executives’ AI Avatars Kill Thought Leadership?

Would you trust an AI version of yourself to lead? Paul and Mike unpack the authenticity dilemma while covering OpenAI’s billion-dollar moves, Microsoft and Oracle’s partnerships, and Replit’s Agent 3 leap in autonomy. They also tackle the real economic stakes of AI-first content.

Listen →

UNCANNY VALLEY | WIRED

Matthew Prince Wants AI Companies to Pay for Their Sins

Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince explains why AI firms must stop freeloading and start paying creators. He details Cloudflare’s new “pay per crawl” tool, the collapse of traffic-driven media, and why the internet’s future may depend on building a real market for content.

Listen →

THE CREATOR SPOTLIGHT

The 3 Moves I’d Bet My Next 10 Years On as a Creator

Jordan DiPietro, former Motley Fool exec and CEO of Hampton, shares three bold bets for creators: why community matters more than audience, how to build staying power, and the career-defining choices that will shape the next decade in the creator economy.

Listen →

Have a favorite podcast to recommend? Shoot me the details.

🚨 AI-forward companies are looking for AI-forward marketers:

Product Marketing Manager, ChatGPT Business
OpenAI
Shape ChatGPT Business launches by crafting messaging and assets for enterprise features, developing high‑impact content, equipping GTM teams, and collaborating with product, creative and growth to maximize AI adoption.

Details →

Content Marketing Manager
Pramata
Develop integrated B2B AI‑driven campaigns across email and social channels, align brand goals, leverage AI tools for content, and collaborate with sales, product and RevOps to track KPIs.

Details →

VP of Marketing
Smartling
Lead marketing for Smartling’s AI‑powered translation platform, define KPIs, craft global strategy, manage cross‑functional execution and budget, and stay ahead of industry trends to drive growth and localization innovation.

Details →

Head of Growth Marketing
Wordware (YC S24)
Own the full growth funnel for Wordware’s AI agent platform, design campaigns, build measurement frameworks, scale successful channels, partner with product for retention, and develop community and partnership strategies.

Details →

Senior Content Strategist
EDB
Develop and execute a GenAI‑powered content strategy for EDB’s data and AI platform, design workflows and calendars, produce technical content, analyze performance, and train teams on GenAI tools.

Details →

📅 Join AI marketers at these upcoming events:

AI Conference
San Francisco, CA, September 17–18

HeroConf
San Diego, CA, September 23–24

GAI World
Boston, MA, September 29–30

Marketing Artificial Intelligence Conference (MAICON)
Cleveland, OH, October 14-16

TechCrunch Disrupt
San Francisco, CA, October 27-29

Have an event to add? Send me the details.

AI’s Most Vocal Doomsdayer Says We’re Officially Screwed

Eliezer Yudkowsky has spent two decades telling insiders that building advanced AI ends with everyone dead. Now he’s gone public with a new book that argues the only safe path is to shut it all down. Wild? Sure. But he has a following in Silicon Valley, and even Sam Altman credits him with inspiring OpenAI. Kevin Roose digs into why an extreme voice with extreme views still holds sway in circles that matter.

The New York Times →

What Happened to Ads and Shopping on Perplexity?

Perplexity has raised a fortune in its quest to take on Google. The money part is real, but the business isn’t there yet. Its fledgling ads program pulled in a measly $20k in ad revenue for Q4 2024. And early excitement over its ecommerce feature is fizzling out as shoppers find it clunky and limited. If AI search is the next big channel, this part is still stuck in beta.

The Information →

The Real Reason AI Adoption is Failing

Recent MIT research claimed 95 percent of gen AI pilots fail, but HBR wanted to know why the other five percent actually work. Turns out it’s not superstar AI champions in those orgs. It’s “shapers.” Multiple leaders across functions who align AI with business strategy, build trust, and drive adoption. It’s a playbook for marketing departments too. Success won’t come from one AI leader, it will come from many.

Harvard Business Review →

If SEO is Dead, Why is it Thriving Here?

Brands everywhere are watching their traffic tank, but SaaStr is bucking the trend by doubling down on deep, founder-led insights. The result: 5x growth in impressions and dominance in B2B SaaS search. Their playbook is simple but powerful. Own your category. Publish research-stage content, not bottom of funnel. And amplify through community. It’s proof that real authority still wins.

SaaStr →

The Risk of Deploying AI Agents for Your Brand

Agents are flooding the internet, logging in, acting on behalf of users, even handing tasks off to other agents. For brands deploying them, the risks are real. How will you trace agents’ behavior if they generate harmful outputs, mis-execute, or act with bias? Who’s accountable when a multi-agent system produces unintended consequences? Brands, agencies, vendors? These are just some of the questions keeping marketing execs up at night.

Digiday →

Everyone’s talking about AI adoption but let’s face it, most companies don’t have a clear roadmap. That’s why case studies like this are so valuable. Here, Old Dominion and Jasper team up to show what real progress looks like inside a business. The VP of Marketing calls his department the “key driver” of AI adoption, multiplying speed, quality, and volume of content in ways that wouldn’t be possible without it.

🎙️ My top 3 podcast episodes this week:

THE AI DAILY BRIEF

The AI Slopocalypse

Missed this on AI Marketer last week? An AI startup is pumping out 3,000 podcast episodes a week, costing about $1 each to produce. Nathaniel Whittemore explains why the real threat in the podcast space isn’t all the new competition. It’s discovery.

Listen →

THE MARKETING MILLENNIALS

Building an AI-First Marketing Mindset with Ryan Gavin

Feeling unprepared for how AI will change your team’s work? Slack CEO Ryan Gavin shares real examples of AI agents reshaping collaboration, cutting costs, and redefining marketing’s role. The agentic era is here. This is your primer.

Listen →

THIS OLD MARKETING

Is Reddit the Missing Piece in Your Content Marketing?

Reddit is surfacing everywhere in AI answers and shaping the way people discover information online. Joe Pulizzi and Robert Rose unpack Reddit’s rise, its role in AEO, and why the platform’s momentum could make it a necessity for marketers.

Listen →

Have a favorite podcast to recommend? Shoot me the details.

🚨 AI-forward companies are looking for AI-forward marketers:

Head of Marketing
Streaml
Lead growth for an AI-driven outbound platform by building cross-channel content calendars, running creative experiments, launching communities, testing acquisition channels, and driving pipeline conversions across social and paid media.

Details →

Senior Digital Marketing Manager
Stampli
Architect Stampli’s AI-powered marketing infrastructure, evolve AI agents, optimize platforms like HubSpot and GPT tools, build integrated workflows, drive automation and personalization, and collaborate across teams to scale growth.

Details →

Growth Marketer
Scrunch AI
Design and optimize growth experiments across paid, organic, product and community channels, leverage AI tools to automate and scale campaigns, blend analytics and creativity, and collaborate across product, design and sales.

Details →

Marketing & Sales Enablement Manager
HomeCloud
Develop go-to-market content and sales training, build playbooks and workshops, own and optimize marketing automation with AI tools, streamline content creation, and coordinate cross-functional programs to drive revenue.

Details →

AI Research Strategist
Vital Findings
Become the firm’s expert on AI qual-at-scale research platforms, lead synthetic data projects, join the internal AI taskforce, explore and experiment with custom GPTs and no-code tools, and advise clients.

Details →

📅 Join AI marketers at these industry events:

Content Marketing World
San Diego, CA, September 16–17

AI Conference
San Francisco, CA, September 17–18

HeroConf
San Diego, CA, September 23–24

GAI World
Boston, MA, September 29–30

Marketing Artificial Intelligence Conference (MAICON)
Cleveland, OH, October 14-16

TechCrunch Disrupt
San Francisco, CA, October 27-29

Have an event to add? Send me the details.

AI Generated Podcasts are Here (Tons of Them)

Former Wondery exec Jeanine Wright thinks the future of podcasts is volume at scale. Her startup, Inception Point AI, is already running more than 5,000 podcasts, spitting out 3,000 episodes every week, and testing SEO-friendly titles to see what sticks.

The formula? Cheap production. About $1 per episode to be exact. With AI-generated hosts like foodie Claire Delish and nature lover Nigel Thistledown ready to deploy (along with 184 custom AI agents), it only takes an hour to get an episode from outline to online. And, with programmatic ads bolted on top, a podcast with a mere 20 listeners can still be profitable. Stack that across thousands of niches, and you start to see the strategy.

Wright claims it isn’t about replacing human podcasters. It’s about creating a new genre. But it’s hard to imagine this tidal wave of content won’t lead to displacement.

Hollywood Reporter →

The Internet’s New Plan to Make AI Pay Up

The free ride may be over for AI companies scraping websites for training data. RSS co-creator Eckart Walther and a group of publishers have launched Real Simple Licensing (RSL), a protocol to license that data at scale. Sites add a special robots.txt file, and a collective negotiates royalties, like ASCAP does for music. Reddit, Quora, and Yahoo are already in. The test now is whether AI labs will actually pay to play.

TechCrunch →

Apple’s Big iPhone Event: Everything but AI

As expected, Apple’s “Awe Dropping” iPhone 17 launch lacked both awe and AI. Tim Cook hyped hardware, silicon, and speed, while the AI tricks were mostly reheated from June. Meanwhile, Google and Samsung are miles ahead, showing off agentic assistants. Is Apple falling back to its comfort zone… polish the devices and bet on brand loyalty? Or do they have an AI ace up their sleeve in the near future?

The Verge →

Meta’s “Easy Button” for Ads Leaves Agencies Fighting for Relevance

Meta’s Advantage+ uses AI to put ad targeting, testing, and budgeting on autopilot. Enter a credit card, press go, and trust the black box. Needless to say, agencies aren’t thrilled. So, they’re building their own tools for insights on who gets targeted, where ads run, and why. Omnicom has even published a playbook on “AI buying agents,” a direct shot at Meta’s opacity. The agency vs AI battle is getting spicy.

Ad Age →

Google Finally Admits: The Open Web Is Dying

In a court filing, Google admitted the open web is “in rapid decline.” That’s a far cry from its usual line that search clicks are peachy. Google says it meant “open web advertising,” but the distinction doesn’t matter. It’s a downward spiral. The more search shifts toward AI-generated answers and zero-click results, the less traffic websites get. Less traffic means less revenue from ads, sales, or subscriptions. And without healthy businesses, the internet is in trouble.

Ars Technica →

Veo 3 is fine for quick clips, but serious content creators need more control and more tools. That’s why Google is showcasing what developers are building with Veo 3, and Invisible Studio is a highlight. It’s an AI platform for short-form video that streamlines everything from storyboards to scenes to episodes. Use it for ads, trailers, sizzle reels, social posts, even product prototypes. Think of Veo 3 as the engine and Invisible Studio as the cockpit.

🎙️ My top 3 podcast picks this week:

A16Z PODCAST

The ‘Little Tech’ Agenda for AI

Big Tech is writing the AI rules in Washington. But Matt Perault and Collin McCune have a “Little Tech Agenda” that could finally give founders a voice in shaping AI policy. Hear how smarter regulation can protect innovation instead of crushing it.

Listen →

MARKETING COMPANION

How AI Impacts the Sales Process

Customers are using AI to discover products, research options, and get recommendations. Sandy Carter joins Mark Schaefer to explain what it means for B2B and B2C brands when AI becomes part of every buying decision.

Listen →

CMO CONFIDENTIAL

The Disparate Impact of Privacy Policy

Attribution keeps getting harder, driving up CAC and punishing smaller brands most. Dr. Dan McCarthy explains how privacy crackdowns have impacted marketing performance and shares a channel-specific playbook for measuring smarter.

Listen →

Have a favorite podcast to recommend? Shoot me the details.

🚨 AI-forward companies are looking for AI-forward marketers:

Consumer Marketing Manager
Anthropic
Lead consumer marketing for Claude by crafting strategies, using data and research to identify audiences, creating compelling narratives, collaborating with product and design, testing channels and measuring success.

Details →

Marketing Manager, AI Content Experience Engineer
Macmillan Learning
Design immersive AI powered content strategies, craft prompts for ChatGPT, Claude and Descript, build automation workflows, analyze experiential data, and optimize live events and digital experiences using content engineering.

Details →

AI Search & LLM Optimization Specialist
Boostlingo
Own technical SEO and large language model optimization, structure content for AI search, monitor citations across ChatGPT, Google SGE and other AI engines, and collaborate to enhance machine readability and semantic SEO.

Details →

Director, Marketing AI Strategy
Okta
Define and lead AI strategy for Okta’s marketing team, manage a dedicated AI team, deliver solutions in content, growth and customer experience portfolios, establish governance and measure productivity and revenue impact.

Details →

Digital Marketing Director
Fireblocks
Lead paid digital marketing, plan full funnel campaigns, apply AI tools and machine learning to automate and optimize advertising, test channels, manage budgets, analyze ROI and partner with product and sales.

Details →

📅 Join AI marketers at conferences, summits, and industry events.

Content Marketing World
San Diego, CA, September 16–17

AI Conference
San Francisco, CA, September 17–18

HeroConf
San Diego, CA, September 23–24

GAI World
Boston, MA, September 29–30

Marketing Artificial Intelligence Conference (MAICON)
Cleveland, OH, October 14-16

TechCrunch Disrupt
San Francisco, CA, October 27-29

Have an event to add? Send me the details.

Fake is the New Famous: AI Influencers are Amassing Fans and Fortunes

Lil’ Miquela has 2.4 million followers. She’s on magazine covers. She’s posed for Prada. She’s taken selfies with Pelosi. And, oh yeah, she’s not real. Neither is Mia Zelu, who went viral after “attending” Wimbledon in all her synthetic glory.

It’s official, AI influencers are a thing. And they’re making millions for the teams behind them. They don’t age. Don’t burn out. Don’t cancel shoots. They can be in Hong Kong and New York at the same time. Brands love it. Audiences can’t get enough. And marketers everywhere are scratching their heads, wondering if authenticity matters at all anymore.

The New York Times →

OpenAI is Getting into Feature Films

Hollywood takes three years to make a movie. OpenAI says it can do it in nine months. For under $30 million. And Critterz, a full-length animated adventure infused with cuddly forest creatures, is the test. Lending its resources to production teams in LA and London, OpenAI plans to premier at Cannes in May. With fingers crossed for a distribution deal to follow. If this bet pays off, will the floodgates open for AI-generated content?

WSJ →

Anthropic Settles Major Copyright Suit (for a Measly $1.5 Billion)

Anthropic will pay half a million writers $3,000 each. Not for training Claude on their copyrighted works, but for using “shadow libraries” to illegally obtain books. Turns out it’s ok to purchase zillions of books, scan them in, and train to your heart’s content. Just don’t get them from pirates. Either way, when you’re valued at $183 billion, settlements like this amount to a rounding error. The lesson for AI companies: follow the rules or get a slap on the wrist. The lesson for writers, artists, and other creators… your work isn’t protected.

TechCrunch →

Agency Bosses Drop the B.S. and Offer Real Survival Strategies

Debate over the future of agencies is starting to sound like a broken record. While marketing pundits continue recycling “adapt or die” platitudes with little to no substance, The Drum is getting real. They asked leaders running the most innovative and forward-looking agencies what it’s going to take to survive in a future dominated by AI. With a variety of business models represented, the responses were varied, but all represent a healthy dose of optimism. Highly recommended if you’re in search of real advice.

The Drum →

When Will AI Stop Hallucinating? Here’s What OpenAI Says

It’s the question on every marketer’s mind: When will AI stop making things up? OpenAI’s latest research says hallucinations aren’t just a bug, they’re how the system works. Benchmarks reward models for guessing, not honesty. So they bluff with confidence when they’re stumped. But the details in this article matter. The more you understand what makes LLMs tick and where the limits are, the more you can push it without fear of getting burned.

OpenAI →

AI-generated ads aren’t just here. They’re getting good. Customer experience firm 8x8 turned real-life clients into action heroes in a new campaign that’s clever, narrative driven, and cinematic in a way that would have been impossible on a tiny budget without AI. Over-the-top scenes depicting clients as archaeologists, deep sea divers, and monster truck drivers prove AI video can help small brands think big.

🎙️ My top 3 podcast episodes this week:

THE EXIT FIVE CMO PODCAST

The Unfiltered Truth About Video Marketing and AI

Dave Gerhardt and Holly Xiao of HeyGen dig into how AI is reshaping B2B video. They cover why video hits harder than text, how to scale production without burning budget, and why early adoption lets small teams punch above their weight.

Listen →

TECH WON’T SAVE US

Will AI Kill Your Job? (w/ Brian Merchant)

Paris Marx talks with Brian Merchant, author of Blood in the Machine and the brilliant newsletter of the same name, about AI’s role in killing jobs and degrading work. They cover tech workers, translators, labor movements, and whether the AI bubble is already primed to pop.

Listen →

MARKETING AGAINST THE GRAIN

Marketing is Broken. This is the Future of Conversions.

HubSpot’s Kipp Bodnar and Aja Frost untangle a new reality: 60% of searches now end without a click. They examine what this really means for marketers, argue the future belongs to teams who can personalize at scale, and reveal their new Loop Framework for AI-driven conversions.

Listen →

Have a favorite podcast to recommend? Shoot me the details.

🚨 AI-forward companies are looking for AI-forward marketers:

GenAI Marketing Strategy-Vice President
JPMorganChase
Lead GenAI marketing transformation at JPMorganChase, developing integrated roadmaps, championing AI for workflow automation, content creation and personalization, aligning cross‑functional stakeholders and measuring efficiency and impact.

Details →

Digital Marketer (AI Marketer)
Kiingo AI
Design scalable marketing systems using AI tools like Claude and n8n; build voice guides and automated sequences linking content, social, email, webinars and sales; test at scale and document playbooks.

Details →

Sr. AI Marketing Content Designer
Advanced RPO
Blend graphic design with generative AI tools to produce scalable marketing content and presentations; create product visuals and executive decks; maintain templates and champion AI platforms while collaborating across teams.

Details →

CMO & Product Partner
Episodic
Shape AI agent development by partnering with engineering to define and test automation for marketing content; run high velocity campaigns, optimize funnels, and create playbooks integrating AI.

Details →

Director, Marketing GenAI Content Strategy and Advancement Lead
Genentech
Define and align GenAI requirements with content strategy; lead adoption of GenAI tools for efficient content creation, collaborate across marketing and product teams, drive innovation and training, and monitor KPIs.

Details →

📅 Join AI marketers at conferences, summits, and industry events.

Product Marketing Summit
San Francisco, CA, September 10–11

AI for Marketers Summit
San Francisco, CA, September 11

Content Marketing World
San Diego, CA, September 16–17

AI Conference
San Francisco, CA, September 17–18

HeroConf
San Diego, CA, September 23–24

GAI World
Boston, MA, September 29–30

Marketing Artificial Intelligence Conference (MAICON)
Cleveland, OH, October 14-16

TechCrunch Disrupt
San Francisco, CA, October 27-29

Have an event to add? Send me the details.

Meet the 26 Year Old Social Media Manager Everyone is Talking About

Zaria Parvez didn’t just manage Duolingo’s TikTok. She became Duolingo. Her sharp, unhinged voice turned a language app mascot into one of the most recognizable characters on social media, with growth exploding to 16 million followers in a few short years. And over 8 billion impressions. Not bad for her first marketing gig.

Along the way she blurred the line between personal and corporate brand, proving that human creativity still drives the biggest wins in an AI-saturated era. When she announced plans to take a new role at DoorDash, it made the kind of headlines typically reserved for CEOs. This eye-opening interview is a must-read for anyone who thinks social is just “junior” work.

The Drum →

What Is ‘Additive AI’ And Why Is Pinterest Betting On It?

While rivals continue to optimize for stickiness with addictive social feeds and toxic algorithms, Pinterest is working on the antidote: “Additive AI.” Think of it as personalization reimagined to spark inspiration, not doomscrolling. AI that favors taste, transparency, and user control. From inclusive search filters and advanced preferences to labeling AI generated content, the company is betting that positivity can be a competitive edge. The big question is whether Wall Street has the patience for a model that prizes good vibes over compulsion.

Fast Company →

The Less Consumers Know About AI, the More They Use It

New research reveals a counterintuitive trend, with heavy AI users often being the least knowledgeable about how it works and its limitations. To them, AI feels magical. Capable of anything. Kinda like how we all felt when ChatGPT first hit. Those with higher literacy tend to see AI for what it is: pattern matching. And rely on it accordingly. Brands are encouraged to take a “calibrated literacy” approach to marketing AI products. Setting realistic expectations without killing the sense of awe.

WSJ →

The Federal Ruling On Google’s Search Monopoly: Carry On

A year after Google was found guilty of maintaining a monopoly on internet search, a federal judge’s remedy amounts to a slap on the wrist. The company is ordered to share some of its search data with competitors, but that’s pretty much it. Google keeps its Chrome browser and Android operating system, as well as the right to pay Apple and Samsung to be the default search engine on their smartphones. The bottom line: Google still owns search, consumer choice is still limited, competitive products (including AI search engines) won’t benefit, and any action on Google’s part is probably years away.

NYT →

New Research: How Content Marketers Are Actually Using AI

Orbit Media’s annual survey shows near-universal AI adoption among content marketers. Like 95 percent. But how are they using it? Most rely on AI as an editor, suggesting ideas or refining drafts. Fewer are outsourcing full articles to AI, and those who do report weaker results. But how else are they using AI? How fast are marketers adopting it? How much time is it saving? And how is it impacting results? Andy Crestodina lays it all out here.

Orbit Media →

ElevenLabs just launched SFX V2, and it’s a big leap for AI-generated sound. With higher-quality effects, film-grade 48kHz audio, longer 30-second clips, and seamless looping for continuous sound, you’re just a prompt away from any effect you need. Rain on a tent. Canned nightclub laughter. Retro arcade games. The sky’s the limit. And the library is 6x bigger too, with favorites and remixing built in. Plus, you can experiment for free. What’s not to love?

Check it out →

🎙️ My top 3 podcast episodes this week:

A16Z PODCAST

Chris Best of Substack on the Future of Media

Chris Best joins Erik Torenberg, Katherine Boyle, and Andrew Chen to explore how Substack reshaped independent media. They trace its origin story, the rebundling of content, and why attention is now the rarest resource. A candid look at media’s past, present, and possible future.

Listen →

THE EXIT FIVE CMO PODCAST

How B2B Marketers Are Actually Using AI for Content

Dave Gerhardt spotlights five marketers who share real AI workflows transforming B2B teams. From 3D mascots to ROI calculators to automated buyer briefs, these examples are sure to inspire. A fast-moving mix of competition and workshop packed with tactical takeaways.

Listen →

THE HUSTLE DAILY SHOW

How to Get Found on a Dead SEO Internet

Zak Ali of Finder.com explains how AI search is forcing a new SEO playbook. We all know success now depends on being cited by AI engines, not just ranking for keywords and winning blue links… but what’s the plan? And who should you be listening to? The Hustle is a great place to start.

Listen →

Have a favorite podcast to recommend? Shoot me the details.

🚨 AI-forward companies are looking for AI-forward marketers:

Senior Product Marketing Manager (AI)
Anaplan
Drive go-to-market strategy for Anaplan Intelligence by shaping messaging around predictive, generative and agentic AI, collaborating with product teams, and producing materials that evangelize AI-powered planning solutions.

Details →

Senior Content Marketing Associate – AI Architecture & Governance
Dataiku
Create content on AI architecture and governance; partner with product marketing; craft posts, case studies and thought leadership to help companies operationalize GenAI responsibly and position Dataiku.

Details →

VP, Marketing & Growth
AdRoll
Lead marketing strategy for AdRoll, scale demand generation and product-led growth, and champion an AI-first approach that automates workflows, accelerates engagement, and guides product marketing and team development.

Details →

Content Marketing Strategist
Qstream
Tell Qstream’s AI-driven microlearning story through engaging multi-format content, support demand generation, use AI tools to accelerate creation and adapt messaging, and collaborate with product and sales teams.

Details →

Senior Campaign Specialist
SailPoint
Manage global campaign translations, prioritizing needs, optimizing workflows with AI-assisted tools, and developing scalable processes to deliver localized content quickly while driving innovation in translation strategy and content operations.

Details →

📅 Join AI marketers at conferences, summits, and industry events.

Product Marketing Summit
San Francisco, CA, September 10–11

AI for Marketers Summit
San Francisco, CA, September 11

Content Marketing World
San Diego, CA, September 16–17

AI Conference
San Francisco, CA, September 17–18

HeroConf
San Diego, CA, September 23–24

GAI World
Boston, MA, September 29–30

Marketing Artificial Intelligence Conference (MAICON)
Cleveland, OH, October 14-16

TechCrunch Disrupt
San Francisco, CA, October 27-29

Have an event to add? Send me the details.

Meet Showrunner: the Amazon-Backed Startup Inventing a New Media Paradigm

While much of Hollywood sees AI as a way to make movies and shows cheaper to produce, Showrunner is using it to develop a new form of media: user-generated entertainment. It’s a sandbox where anyone can create their own shows. Enter a prompt and you can generate a scene, remix an alternate ending, or spin up a full episode. Start with one of Showrunner’s originals, like the animated Silicon Valley satire Exit Valley, or build your own show from scratch. Think YouTube meets Roblox meets Netflix.

Now in public alpha, it’s still early days. But Amazon is already backing the vision, and founder Edward Saatchi is inviting both major studios and independent creators to license their IP… and get paid every time fans generate content. Just imagine millions of creators publishing their own episodes of The Mandalorian, Game of Thrones, or The Simpsons and you get a sense of the potential. And it won’t just be studios and fans. Brands will want in too, seeding their products, content, and ads into this untapped channel for audience engagement.

The Verge →

How WSJ is Preparing for ‘Google Zero’

As publishers and brands come to terms with declining traffic at the hands of AI, the Wall Street Journal’s SEO lead details its evolving strategy for pulling audiences into their ecosystem. Traditional SEO tactics are still essential. But so is a deeper understanding of how AI answer engines operate. Developing content with query fan-out in mind, monitoring crawl data from LLMs, and leaning away from “commodity content” that’s available everywhere are a few highlights in this Digiday piece.

Digiday →

Sorry Humans, AI Slop Videos are Working

Nonsense kitten shorts and other AI-generated videos are flooding social media, pulling in millions of views and real ad revenue while squeezing out content from human creators, marketers, and brands. Critics call it slop. But algorithms are still rewarding it, despite various platforms tinkering with rules and labeling some content. Even YouTube’s latest policy tweak, aimed squarely at “mass produced,” “repetitive,” "inauthentic” videos didn’t seem to make a dent.

NPR →

Google Has Adobe Against the Ropes

Adobe built its empire on creative tools like Photoshop, but AI is eroding the moat. Google’s latest Gemini update (the oddly named “nano banana” model) gives everyday users near-pro image editing skills with simple text prompts. No steep learning curve. No hefty monthly fee. For many, it’s even free. Adobe is pushing its own AI tools with Firefly, but Google has better models and less friction. If pro-level design becomes a commodity, what does that mean for creative software?

Business Insider →

Consumers Aren’t in Love with AI Marketing

Marketing teams are embracing AI, but trust is waning on the customer side. Shoppers say marketing emails are irrelevant, many feel misunderstood, and a growing majority just don’t trust AI with their data. That’s a flashing red light for brands. AI is an essential piece of GTM and ongoing customer engagement, but so are transparency, clear value exchange, and human-credible signals.

Artificial Intelligence News →

Adobe’s Content Authenticity Initiative was first announced in 2019. But as AI-generated content becomes harder to distinguish from the real thing, its mission feels more urgent than ever. The idea is simple but powerful: digital “nutrition labels” that show how a piece of content was created, edited, and published, supported by a cross-industry coalition. Is this the trust layer the internet needs?

More →

🎙️ My top 3 podcast episodes this week:

THE AI DAILY BRIEF

Workers Don’t Trust Their Companies on AI

Stanford research shows entry-level workers in high AI-exposure jobs face a 13% employment drop. Kyla Scanlon’s survey finds over a third of employees have zero trust in their employers’ AI strategy. Companies offering little training risk fueling resistance instead of adoption.

Listen →

AI DRIVEN MARKETER

Google Gemini vs ChatGPT: Images, Videos, Automation Battle

Dan and Travis Sanchez pit Gemini against ChatGPT after Google’s summer upgrades. Gemini impresses with photorealistic images, fast video, and automations, while ChatGPT still wins on design and research. They close with real-world use cases and a look at blockbuster-style ads built on scrappy budgets.

Listen →

BIG TECHNOLOGY

Did OpenAI Break ChatGPT, Apple’s New iPhones, Saving Intel

Writer M.G. Siegler joins to debate whether OpenAI bungled the GPT-5 rollout, Apple’s rumored iPhone Air, foldable, and curved models, and why the U.S. government now owns a stake in Intel. A sharp, fast-moving take on Big Tech’s latest power plays.

Listen →

Have a favorite podcast to recommend? Shoot me the details.

🚨 AI-forward companies are looking for AI-forward marketers:

Senior Marketing Manager AI and Personalization
Intuit
Lead personalization strategy across QuickBooks by collaborating with product, engineering and data science, delivering AI driven cases like propensity models and generative recommendations that improve experiences and drive business impact.

Details →

Senior Marketing Operations Specialist
Talkiatry
Lead marketing operations and infrastructure, optimize automation workflows, integrate AI tools for personalization and experimentation, collaborate with product and data teams, and design AI powered experiments to improve patient engagement.

Details →

Director of Marketing
XTI Aerospace
Lead digital marketing across channels, integrate AI for segmentation and analytics, create content using generative tools, automate campaigns, and champion adoption of AI across marketing disciplines to drive aerospace innovation.

Details →

Senior Campaigns Manager, Customer Growth & AI Innovation
Simpro Software
Lead expansion campaigns, champion AI tools for scaling, partner with marketing and success teams, develop and optimize campaigns from concept to execution, test new tools and enhance growth and retention.

Details →

Marketing Manager / Director
Gray Swan AI
Amplify Gray Swan AI brand, drive product led growth through content and inbound campaigns, optimize SEO and marketing automation, plan events, analyze performance and collaborate with product and sales teams.

Details →

📅 Join AI marketers at conferences, summits, and industry events.

Inbound
San Francisco, CA, September 3–5

DTC Live
New York City, NY, September 4

Product Marketing Summit
San Francisco, CA, September 10–11

AI for Marketers Summit
San Francisco, CA, September 11

Content Marketing World
San Diego, CA, September 16–17

AI Conference
San Francisco, CA, September 17–18

HeroConf
San Diego, CA, September 23–24

GAI World
Boston, MA, September 29–30

Marketing Artificial Intelligence Conference (MAICON)
Cleveland, OH, October 14-16

TechCrunch Disrupt
San Francisco, CA, October 27-29

Have an event to add? Send me the details.

Why Gemini is Now the Best Image Editing Model

Google just dropped mad image editing skills in its latest Gemini update. Code-named “nano-banana,” it instantly became the #1 image editing model above Flux, ChatGPT, and all others.

The standout feature? Consistency. Faces, products, rooms… any subject keeps its likeness even as you experiment with new backgrounds, props, or themes.

You can also blend multiple photos into a scene, layer edits step by step, and even borrow design elements from one image to apply to another. All with conversational prompts.

Brands, marketers, and creators now have what they’ve been missing with AI image generation: Control.

The Keyword →

Is AI Making Agencies Indispensable?

Will AI drive more marketing work in-house or make agencies even more essential? Digiday editors dove into the prickly topic on a recent podcast episode. Brands are getting value out of AI. Agencies are rethinking their services (and fees). And everyone’s either cutting staff or considering it. Does AI ultimately weaken the bond between clients and agencies, or make the relationship stickier than ever?

Digiday →

The Future of TV: Different Ads for Each Viewer

Streaming services are already experimenting with ad loads tailored by cohort. New users might see fewer breaks in an effort to minimize churn, while loyal viewers get a heavier dose. In all cases, AI is starting to place ads where they fit contextually in the story, not mid-explosion in Die Hard. The goal is to balance tolerance and revenue, with personalized experiences as the secret weapon.

Adweek →

It’s Time to Take Google Vids Seriously

Google is pushing to be a one-stop shop for AI video creation. Vids, its video editor inside Workspace, now lets users generate avatars, cut filler words, and even turn images into short clips, all without leaving the Google ecosystem. That means no more juggling multiple subscriptions or toggling between apps for the AI features you want. And for everyone else, there’s a pared down consumer version for free.

TechCrunch →

Brands Share Advice for Marketing in an AI-First Future

The Drum asked its members how to get found in AI search now that most queries end without a click. Their battle-tested advice: create original, quotable content that trusted sources will cite. Double down on earned PR and authority signals. And make sure owned channels are structured so machines can parse them. Think less about gaming SEO and more about being the reference point AI agents trust.

The Drum →

Let’s be honest. AI-generated “digital twins” haven’t really been fooling anyone. Are they getting better? Sure. Are there practical use cases? Yeah. But that lingering creepy factor still has most brands and marketers in wait-and-see mode. HeyGen’s latest update might finally change that. The AI-powered platform has been systematically perfecting gestures, expressions, mannerisms, inflection, and other nuances on a mission to be the go-to source for digital doppelgangers.

🎙️ My top 3 podcast episodes this week:

MASTERS OF SCALE

Hollywood’s Hottest AI Partner, with Runway’s Cristóbal Valenzuela

Runway’s cofounder explains how his company went from scrappy startup to Hollywood’s go-to AI toolmaker, powering projects for Disney and Netflix. He talks growth, ethics, and why AI video is just the opening act for a whole new kind of media.

Listen →

UNCANNY VALLEY | WIRED

Alexis Ohanian Says We Can Build a Less Toxic Internet

Reddit’s cofounder reflects on his early days, from buying his first game to meeting his cofounder in college, and looks ahead to relaunching Digg as a non-toxic social platform. He also shares why he’s betting big on women’s sports.

Listen →

AI-POWERED MARKETING

How Hayley Henning Scaled Characters.io

Henning reveals how she turned a college side hustle into a national AI-powered entertainment brand. She shares what worked, what broke, and how 100+ automations now run her business. Learn how systems save sanity and fuel growth.

Listen →

Have a favorite podcast to recommend? Shoot me the details.

🚨 AI-forward companies are looking for AI-forward marketers:

Product Marketing Lead AI
Snowflake
Own go to market strategy for Snowflake AI products, create messaging and content, partner with sales and developer relations, drive AI adoption, and act as thought leader in generative AI.

Details →

Vice President of Marketing
US AI
Build and own marketing for US AI Intelligent Computing platforms; educate the market, launch campaigns and product marketing, craft executive voice and public affairs, and recruit a strong marketing team.

Details →

Principal Product Marketing Manager
Adobe
Lead product planning and marketing for Adobe Experience Manager AI solutions, develop GTM strategies, translate AI capabilities into value, craft positioning and messaging, and champion responsible AI practices across teams.

Details →

Senior Product Marketing Manager, Agents and AI Products
Workato
Drive product marketing for Workato’s AI and agentic products; translate features into positioning, define use cases, train sales teams, collaborate on campaigns, and lead cross functional product launches.

Details →

Director of Marketing
Easol
Own pipeline creation and sales through AI search optimization, content and lifecycle marketing; manage social media, budgets and brand campaigns; drive AI strategy adoption and analyse results using data tools.

Details →

📅 Join AI marketers at conferences, summits, and industry events.

Inbound
San Francisco, CA, September 3–5

DTC Live
New York City, NY, September 4

Product Marketing Summit
San Francisco, CA, September 10–11

AI for Marketers Summit
San Francisco, CA, September 11

Content Marketing World
San Diego, CA, September 16–17

AI Conference
San Francisco, CA, September 17–18

HeroConf
San Diego, CA, September 23–24

GAI World
Boston, MA, September 29–30

TechCrunch Disrupt
San Francisco, CA, October 27-29

Have an event to add? Send me the details.

Sam Altman is Already Promoting GPT-6

The lackluster GPT-5 launch may still be lingering in the headlines, but OpenAI’s chief is already pumping up its successor. In a press briefing, he teased GPT-6 as faster to arrive than the two-year wait between 4 and 5, with bigger memory, more adaptability, and custom chatbots tailored to personal preferences. He even floated steerable models that could align with a user’s political leanings. But Altman also admitted the chat format may be saturated and hinted the industry is brushing up against its first real ceiling.

TechRepublic →

Google’s AI Mode is Going Global

Google isn’t waiting around to see what happens to traditional search. AI Mode is now rolling out to 180 countries and layering in “agentic” skills, starting with restaurant bookings. Subscribers can now ask for reservations by date, time, party size, and cuisine, and AI Mode will surface options from platforms like OpenTable or Resy. Brands and marketers pay attention... The future of search is coming fast.

The Verge →

YouTube is Secretly Altering Videos with AI

Creators are noticing their videos look different after upload, with sharper edges, smoothed textures, even a plasticky feel. YouTube confirmed it’s testing “image enhancement technology” on Shorts, though it won’t say if it’s generative AI. That’s a problem for creators whose style relies on grain or imperfection. It’s confusing for viewers trying to trust what’s real. And it’s just not cool.

The Atlantic →

AI is Revolutionizing TV Ad Placement

AI is bringing micro intelligence to ad placement in media. Instead of targeting shows by genre or episode, new tools can analyze dialogue, objects, and tone to decide when a viewer is most engaged or emotionally primed. Down to the precise scene. That means ads feel less like interruptions and more like part of the story. Or, will it just make our shows feel more like ads?

AdMonsters →

Can You be Sued Over Using AI for Work?

Generating logos, graphics, or content with AI trained on copyrighted material could invite a nasty lawsuit, even if the resemblance is accidental. Media giants are already suing AI firms, but nothing stops rights holders from targeting agencies and individual end users next. The worst part? Whether you’re in the wrong or not, the legal fees alone can be devastating.

Futurism →

Vogue’s recent ad featuring an AI-generated model sparked backlash across the fashion industry and beyond. The controversy isn’t just about replacing jobs like models, agencies, photographers, and makeup artists. It raises bigger questions about diversity, representation, and whether brands are making authentic commitments or simply manufacturing the illusion of it. NPR covers all the angles in a story marketers shouldn’t miss.

🎙️ My top 3 podcast episodes this week:

THE AI DAILY BRIEF

No, 95% of AI Pilots Aren’t Failing

A new MIT study claims almost every AI pilot fails, but the research is shaky. The real story: employees are thriving with LLMs while companies stumble on leadership, buy-in, and change management. The problem isn’t the tech, it’s the organization.

Listen →

HARD FORK

Is This an A.I. Bubble? Meta’s Missing Morals. And TikTok Shock Slop

Kevin and Casey debate whether we’re in an AI bubble and who’ll lose if it pops. Jeff Horwitz joins to unpack Meta’s shocking chatbot policy, then the hosts dive into a bizarre new TikTok trend that makes “shock slop” a thing.

Listen →

THIS OLD MARKETING

The Golden Age of Content Marketing

Joe Pulizzi and Robert Rose argue content marketing is entering a golden age. From Hollywood-branded sitcoms to NFL media boot camps, creator contracts, and even a Taylor Swift case study, they explain why owned media and storytelling are once again the keys to growth.

Listen →

Have a favorite podcast to recommend? Shoot me the details.

🚨 AI-forward companies are looking for AI-forward marketers:

Marketing Campaign Manager - AI
NVIDIA
Lead AI marketing campaigns, develop content and partnerships, amplify presence at AI events and on digital channels, manage paid media and email programs, and optimize website experiences using AI insights.

Details →

AI Native, Performance Marketing Senior Manager
ConsumerAffairs
Lead all paid marketing channels, design multi channel campaigns, integrate AI insights for targeting and creative testing, manage budgets and teams, and leverage automation, machine learning and predictive analytics.

Details →

Senior Manager, Product Marketing (AI Content Specialist)
Equinix
Write and develop AI focused content assets like solution briefs, presentations and whitepapers. Monitor performance, collaborate across teams, and create messaging frameworks connecting infrastructure services to enterprise AI use cases.

Details →

Marketing Manager AI and Cyber Labs
SHI International Corp.
Promote SHI’s new AI and Cyber Labs by creating campaigns and messaging, producing assets like videos, web pages and emails, and working with AI staff to showcase use cases and manage experiences.

Details →

Senior Analyst, Marketing Analytics
DraftKings
Use advanced modeling and Gen AI to build marketing data tools, optimize channels, partner with marketing analytics and engineering, develop forecasting models, and mentor teammates on AI driven insights.

Details →

📅 Join AI marketers at conferences, summits, and industry events.

Contact.io
Denver, CO, August 27–29

Inbound
San Francisco, CA, September 3–5

DTC Live
New York City, NY, September 4

Product Marketing Summit
San Francisco, CA, September 10–11

AI for Marketers Summit
San Francisco, CA, September 11

Content Marketing World
San Diego, CA, September 16–17

AI Conference
San Francisco, CA, September 17–18

HeroConf
San Diego, CA, September 23–24

GAI World
Boston, MA, September 29–30

Have an event to add? Send me the details.

In-House Marketing Teams Are Still Outsourcing AI

Brands have been pulling marketing work in-house for years, from content to media buying, with the promise of faster turnaround and cost savings. But generative AI is proving harder to manage internally.

Why? AI tools are expensive, clunky, and risky. Inside corporate walls, that means red tape at a time when falling behind isn’t an option. With expertise and efficiency on-demand, AI-forward agencies are helping clients hit the ground running.

Some brands are running a hybrid model, experimenting with AI tools while still leaning on agency partners for heavier lifts. Others simply prefer the flexibility and scale external partners bring.

But the training wheels will eventually come off. As tools improve and budgets tighten, expect brands to revisit what they can take on themselves.

Digiday →

ChatGPT vs Google: Who’s Sending More Traffic?

How much traffic is ChatGPT really sending to websites compared to Google? A new tracker shows ChatGPT referrals are growing about 1.5 percent a month. Drops of water next to Google’s firehose, but trending up. Right now it’s more complement than replacement as search habits are changing gradually. Still, the chart updates monthly, and it’s one worth bookmarking.

Search Engine Roundtable →

Why AI is Constantly Ignoring Your Instructions

We’ve all been there. You give AI a clear instruction, it nails it once, then ignores you the next time. Forbes breaks down the many ways that happens, from style drift to math mistakes to memory that doesn’t remember. Each section tackles a different scenario where AI goes off-script, and why. If you’ve ever yelled at ChatGPT for not listening, read on.

Forbes →

What Does Meta’s Superintelligence Push Mean for Marketers?

Meta just lumped all its AI teams into a new Superintelligence Group and marketers want to know what’s in it for them. They want less black box, more transparency, better brand tools, and AI that predicts which creative will hit before spending big. Mostly, they want real ROI. Not more research headlines and empty promises.

Digiday →

Here’s What AI Knows About Your Brand

Bluefish is basically SEO for AI. It’s a service that sends millions of prompts into ChatGPT and Gemini every day to figure out how your brand is being portrayed. Then helps you fix it. Optimizations include website adjustments and content designed specifically for LLMs, as well as broader strategies like social media presence, forum discussions, and press coverage.

Fast Company →

Fiverr’s new AI-generated ad is generating major buzz. Not because it’s artificial, but because it pokes fun at AI skeptics. Namely, Garry. The poor schlub who dares AI professionals to use their powers to exact revenge on him. And that they do. The resulting sequences of over-the-top slapstick humiliation are as entertaining as they are inspiring. The company spent about 10% of its typical production budget on the ad and more are already in the works.

🎙️ My top 3 podcast episodes this week:

MARKETING AGAINST THE GRAIN

Only 2 Types of Marketers Will Survive the AI Era

Kieran Flanagan breaks down why AI is shrinking marketing teams and reshaping roles. He argues the future belongs to two camps, creative storytellers who can capture attention and engineer-minded problem solvers who can build systems. The rest risk getting left behind.

Listen →

CMO CONFIDENTIAL

If You Dropped the Best Marketers of the 1950s Into Today’s World, How Would They Do?

Tom Goodwin pulls no punches on why modern CMOs obsess over efficiency and short-term metrics instead of real marketing. He critiques tech-driven playbooks, warns against chasing every shiny tool, and defends the overlooked power of beauty. Plus, hear his wild story about a self-driving car.

Listen →

DECODING AI FOR MARKETING

Entering the Age of Supermarketers

Auxia cofounder Sandeep Menon explains how agentic AI is ushering in “supermarketers” who can replace entire teams with the right tools. He shows how AI agents compress roles, supercharge experimentation, and unlock first-party data, while still needing guardrails to avoid shallow, spammy content.

Listen →

Have a favorite podcast to recommend? Shoot me the details.

🚨 AI-forward companies are looking for AI-forward marketers:

AI Native, Performance Marketing Senior Manager
ConsumerAffairs
Oversee paid marketing channels using AI bidding and predictive modeling; design and optimize multi‑channel campaigns; leverage machine learning analytics and forecasting; lead a data‑driven team and collaborate across functions.

Details →

Creative Marketing Strategist, Lead Generation
Square
Lead creative strategy for lead generation campaigns, integrating generative AI tools for ideation, personalization and optimization; build modular content frameworks and collaborate across marketing, product and analytics teams.

Details →

Chief Email Officer
Lyzr AI
Own the end to end email marketing program and train Lyzr’s AI SDR, combining copywriting with prompt design, LLM ideation, A/B testing, deliverability management and human in the loop workflows.

Details →

Marketing Manager
Workhelix
Lead Workhelix marketing by developing messaging and campaigns around GenAI value, writing an AI insights newsletter, managing thought leadership and social channels, running experiments and events, and partnering with leadership.

Details →

AI Search & SEO Manager
Zip
Lead Zip’s evolution from traditional SEO to AI‑powered discovery; develop and execute SEO/AIO strategies; optimize content for AI platforms; collaborate with cross‑functional teams; and monitor trends and performance.

Details →

📅 Join AI marketers at conferences, summits, and industry events.

WordCamp
Portland, OR, August 26–29

Contact.io
Denver, CO, August 27–29

Inbound
San Francisco, CA, September 3–5

DTC Live
New York City, NY, September 4

Product Marketing Summit
San Francisco, CA, September 10–11

AI for Marketers Summit
San Francisco, CA, September 11

Content Marketing World
San Diego, CA, September 16–17

AI Conference
San Francisco, CA, September 17–18

HeroConf
San Diego, CA, September 23–24

GAI World
Boston, MA, September 29–30

Have an event to add? Send me the details.

Brands are Betting Big on VTubers in 2025

VTubers, or virtual YouTubers, are live streamers and video creators who use anime-inspired avatars instead of showing their real faces. What started in Japan is now exploding in the West, with names like Ironmouse and Gawr Gura pulling millions of followers. And where fans go, brands follow. McDonald’s, Kura Sushi, even the LA Dodgers are signing deals. For Gen Z, these digital personas feel authentic, and that loyalty is creating serious marketing opportunities.

Digiday →

Sam Altman Agrees: We’re in an AI Bubble

In a wide-ranging interview, Altman compared the AI frenzy to the dot-com bubble, admitting valuations are irrational and some investors will get burned. He expects OpenAI to survive the shakeout and even spend trillions on infrastructure. The takeaway: if even the hype master is saying we’re in a bubble, the froth is real. And timing your bets matters.

The Verge →

Do CEOs Even Understand AI?

CEOs may be pushing for AI adoption, but many top executives still haven’t folded it into their own routines. They understand the stakes, yet remain one step removed from the day-to-day experimentation happening deeper in their organizations. This piece highlights the rare CEOs taking a hands-on approach, from asking junior staff to demo AI workflows to making senior leaders build with the tech themselves.

The New York Times →

AI Isn’t Helping Marketers Build Brands

AI thrives on data-rich tasks, which is why it has slotted neatly into performance marketing. But brand marketing has always been harder to measure. Metrics like affinity, lift, and awareness are fuzzier, feedback loops are longer, and the outcomes less clear. Making it tougher to know how to best put AI to work. Digiday digs into the gap and shows how some agencies are bridging it.

Digiday →

Ad Schools Must Equip Grads For The AI Age

Portfolio schools are scrambling to stay relevant, folding AI training into copywriting and design tracks. Programs from Miami Ad School to Brandcenter now teach students how to create with AI, preparing them to operate like one-person agencies. The bet is that fluency with AI will keep grads employable even as junior roles shrink. Whether that reinvention saves the model remains an open question.

Adweek →

Adobe’s Content Authenticity Initiative hasn’t gotten nearly the attention it deserves, but the implications are huge for marketers and brand leaders. It’s a cross-industry collaboration with dozens of major companies working to add verifiable trust into digital content, showing audiences not just what they’re seeing but where it came from and how it’s been edited. With AI raising the stakes on misinformation, this is one to follow.

More on the Initiative →

🎙️ My top 3 podcast episodes this week:

BIG TECHNOLOGY PODCAST

Can the Web Survive Generative AI?

Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince raises a big question, can generative AI turn the open web into a ghost town? Host Alex Kantrowitz pushes him to imagine a future where bots reap without sharing. Hear Prince propose a fix that could change how creators get paid.

Listen →

THIS OLD MARKETING

Have the Search Wars Started Over Again?

Joe Pulizzi and Robert Rose bring their trademark banter to a wild news week. They chew on Perplexity’s audacious $34 billion bid for Chrome, rip into OpenAI’s botched ChatGPT‑5 rollout, warn about YouTube’s new rules, and celebrate marketing winners like Marketing AI Institute and an Oreos Reese’s mashup.

Listen →

THE HUSTLE DAILY SHOW

GPT-5 is Here and Well, It’s a Disaster

Jon Weigell and Maria Gharib deliver a quick, punchy rundown of last week’s hottest stories. They tear apart OpenAI’s chaotic GPT‑5 launch, weigh Perplexity’s $34.5 billion Chrome bid, and squeeze in Sling TV’s Day Pass and Gildan’s buy of Hanes.

Listen →

Have a favorite podcast to recommend? Shoot me the details.

🚨 AI-forward companies are looking for AI-forward marketers:

Growth Marketing
OpenAI
Drive global growth for ChatGPT by leading full‑funnel performance marketing and experiments, scaling paid acquisition, building AI‑native workflows and creative systems, and collaborating with technical teams on optimization and analytics.

Details →

Growth Campaign Manager
Storyful
Develop integrated outbound campaigns, build ABM programs, refine generative AI prompts for copywriting, automate workflows with tools like Zapier, and use AI enrichment for lead management and education.

Details →

Campaign Manager, AI
CDW
Lead integrated campaigns promoting AI solutions across digital and in‑person events, collaborate with performance and field teams, manage budgets and analytics, optimize programs using marketing automation and data‑driven insights.

Details →

AI Growth Marketing Manager
Conductor
Spearhead AI‑driven content growth by using LLMs, no‑code automation, Python and GPTs to create scalable workflows and content, refine prompts, train teams, and optimize distribution and performance metrics.

Details →

Director of Growth Marketing and AI Ops
Smartcat
Lead growth marketing and AI operations, architect AI‑powered multi‑channel demand generation and lifecycle strategies using tools from ChatGPT to Zapier, Mutiny, and n8n, while aligning marketing with sales and revenue teams.

Details →

📅 Join AI marketers at conferences, summits, and industry events.

AI Accelerate
San Diego, CA, August 20–21

WordCamp
Portland, OR, August 26–29

Contact.io
Denver, CO, August 27–29

Inbound
San Francisco, CA, September 3–5

DTC Live
New York City, NY, September 4

Product Marketing Summit
San Francisco, CA, September 10–11

AI for Marketers Summit
San Francisco, CA, September 11

Content Marketing World
San Diego, CA, September 16–17

AI Conference
San Francisco, CA, September 17–18

HeroConf
San Diego, CA, September 23–24

GAI World
Boston, MA, September 29–30

Have an event to add? Send me the details.

AI Agents Now Represent a Third of Search Traffic

A new report from BrightEdge proves AI search is no longer a sideshow. Tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Claude already drive roughly a third of the traffic that would once have gone straight to brand websites. Instead of Googling, shoppers are increasingly beginning their journeys inside chat windows, asking AI to recommend products and do the research for them.

The report also found ChatGPT’s live web browsing activity doubled in July, underscoring just how much consumers are relying on agents to find and rank brand information. BrightEdge warns that to stay visible in these results, brands need fast-loading, well-structured, authoritative content that AI systems can easily read and recommend. The sooner, the better.

CNET →

Which AI Models Make Stuff Up the Most?

Vectara’s HHEM benchmark ranks models by hallucination rates, scoring ChatGPT, Claude, Meta, xAI, Gemini, and others. GPT-5 with “thinking” mode performs best with a near one percent rate. Gemini Flash-Lite is closer to three percent. The takeaway? Even small reliability gaps can have big consequences. Use wisely.

TechRepublic →

The Ad Industry Isn’t Getting Any Younger

Entry-level roles in advertising and PR are vanishing as AI handles more research, reporting and production. In fact, workers under 25 are at the lowest level in 5 years. With fewer early-career hires, does the industry risks losing fresh perspectives and future leadership talent?

Adweek →

The Latest GPT… Ain’t No PhD

You’ve heard it by now. GPT-5 isn’t the super genius OpenAI promised. Allison Morrow’s piece captures both the comedy and the consequences, from president “Gearge Washingion” to the model’s map-making missteps with “Yirginia.” But when GPT-4o was pulled, loyal users didn’t think it was funny at all.

CNN →

When Will This AI Thing Pay Off?

Businesses are throwing billions at AI, chasing efficiency gains that have yet to materialize. The paradox? Brands can’t afford to fall behind, but still can’t trust AI with high stakes knowledge work. While big tech is reaping the rewards of the AI revolution today, businesses in many other sectors might have to stick it out.

The New York Times →

The Chroma Awards is a brilliant idea. Part competition. Part creative hub. It’s designed to find the next generation of innovative creators in AI film, music, and games while inspiring the rest of us. With free trials, education, and prizes across three divisions, it aims to break down barriers and show what’s possible with AI.

Full Details →

🎙️ My top 3 podcast episodes this week:

DECODER

Notion’s CEO Wants You to Demand Better From Your Tools

Notion cofounder Ivan Zhao shares his philosophy on productivity, building a global brand, and the future of work tools. He and Casey Newton discuss how Notion scaled over a decade and where productivity software is headed next.

Listen →

THE MARKETING COMPANION

AI Signals to Influence the Purchasing Decision

Mark Schaefer and Andy Crestodina explore how AI makes decisions that shape customer choices, from vacations to recipes. They reveal new research on AI’s decision-making sources and what it means for content and marketing strategies.

Listen →

TALKS AT GOOGLE

The Co-Intelligence Revolution: How Humans and AI Co-Create New Value

Authors Venkat Ramaswamy and Krishnan Narayanan discuss their book on how humans and AI can collaborate to create new value. They share practical strategies for leaders to harness co-intelligence in the workplace.

Listen →

Have a favorite podcast to recommend? Shoot me the details.

🚨 AI-forward companies are looking for AI-forward marketers:

Gen AI Marketing Operations Manager
OutSystems
Lead marketing AI transformation by developing and executing AI initiatives, implementing AI models to personalize campaigns and automate workflows, and championing ethical adoption and governance while measuring impact.

Details →

AI Growth Marketing Manager
Conductor
Drive AI-first content growth at Conductor by building automated AI workflows, using LLMs and no-code tools, identifying and optimizing content opportunities, and collaborating across teams to deliver scalable content.

Details →

Growth Marketing Manager, B2B AI
Meta
Support Meta’s B2B AI growth by testing and scaling AI solutions, managing digital channels, collaborating with sales, product and data teams, designing agentic strategies, and optimizing campaigns for enterprise customers.

Details →

Senior Product Marketing Manager for HaloAI
SmartBear
Champion SmartBear’s HaloAI by crafting customer narratives, educational content and launch plans, defining positioning and metrics, and collaborating across teams to drive adoption of AI-powered development tools and processes.

Details →

AI Insights & Content Lead (Data Storyteller)
Evertune AI
Turn complex datasets into market narratives for AI Search, using storytelling to build Evertune’s visibility and authority, collaborating with product, marketing and GTM teams to reach enterprise marketers.

Details →

📅 Join AI marketers at conferences, summits, and industry events.

AI Accelerate
San Diego, CA, August 20–21

WordCamp
Portland, OR, August 26–29

Contact.io
Denver, CO, August 27–29

Inbound
San Francisco, CA, September 3–5

DTC Live
New York City, NY, September 4

Product Marketing Summit
San Francisco, CA, September 10–11

AI for Marketers Summit
San Francisco, CA, September 11

Content Marketing World
San Diego, CA, September 16–17

AI Conference
San Francisco, CA, September 17–18

HeroConf
San Diego, CA, September 23–24

GAI World
Boston, MA, September 29–30

Have an event to add? Send me the details.

Three Big Lessons From the GPT-5 Backlash

GPT-5 was meant to be a giant leap forward. Instead, OpenAI spent launch week apologizing and backtracking after replacing GPT-4o without warning. Users revolted, citing broken workflows and the loss of a model personality they had grown attached to. Some even described 4o as a source of emotional support during difficult times.

CEO Sam Altman restored access, raised reasoning limits, and promised more transparency. Casey Newton argues the uproar should change how AI labs retire models: phase-outs instead of abrupt cuts, more user control or visibility into model choice, and a recognition that once a product reaches hundreds of millions of people, even small changes can spark big reactions.

Platformer →

The Future Belongs to (Right-Sized) Agencies

Bigger doesn’t always mean better. A wave of agile independent and mid-sized shops is winning global accounts by combining startup-level speed with big agency reach. They are cutting layers, embracing AI without the bureaucracy, and delivering impressive work that moves from idea to execution in weeks, not months.

The Drum →

Google Says AI-Generated Images Won’t Hurt Your Rankings

Good news if you are mixing AI into your content workflow (and you should be). Google’s Gary Illyes says AI-generated images will not hurt rankings, provided the associated text is high quality and relevant. In fact, smart use of visuals could boost traffic via image search.

Search Engine Journal →

Alexa+ Underwhelms With Real-World Tests

Amazon’s Alexa+ was supposed to change everything. Blending powerful AI with everyday voice assistant skills, supplying every household with an all-knowing task rabbit. But it’s buggy, prone to inexplicable errors, and missing features. Will big tech start pulling back on big promises? Or is this the new normal?

New York Times →

How Top Brands Are Infusing AI Everywhere

Unilever, Heineken, and Visa aren’t just using AI for efficiencies, they’re baking it into the core of how they operate. From tracking share of voice in AI search to orchestrating fleets of AI agents, the goal is faster decisions, smarter targeting, and an always-on growth engine.

The Drum →

ElevenLabs just launched Eleven Music. Wow. It’s a studio-grade AI music generator for creators, brands, and businesses, capable of composing everything from cinematic scores and ad jingles to podcast themes, social content tracks, and video game soundtracks. Just describe the genre, mood, or style and get fully produced, commercially usable music in minutes. And unlike many AI music tools, it’s built on licensing deals with artists, labels, and publishers.

More on Eleven Music →

🎙️ My top 3 podcast episodes this week:

BIG TECHNOLOGY

Does GPT-5 Live Up to the Hype?

Alex and Ranjan break down GPT-5 like only Big Technology can. Why it excels, but still falls short of AGI. And whether AI models need more than book smarts to truly thrive. They also cover GPT-5 for coding, travel planning, medicine, and more.

Listen →

THE MARKETING MILLENNIALS

Thriving as a Solo Marketer at an Early-Stage Startup

Sandy Mangat shares how she built Pocus’ brand, category, and community from scratch as its first and only marketer. She explains how to set priorities, merge brand and demand, and why “delusional optimism” is her best skill.

Listen →

AI SIX PODCAST

Jobs in Marketing Are Changing

What happens when your next marketing interview isn’t about campaigns or channels, but about your AI competence? Michael O’Kane shares how AI skills are becoming central to hiring, what futureproofing your CV looks like, and how to prepare for AI-focused interviews.

Listen →

Have a favorite podcast to recommend? Shoot me the details.

🚨 AI-forward companies are looking for AI-forward marketers:

Head of AI Marketing
Camber Partners
Lead AI marketing strategy, designing prompts for tools like ChatGPT and Claude, and applying AI to segmentation, personalization and lifecycle content while building repeatable workflows and communicating complex ideas clearly.
Details →

Sr. Marketing Transformation & AI Manager
AMD
Join AMD’s AI and digital marketing team to deploy AI solutions that boost engagement and business results, manage AI projects across content creation, trend analysis, automation and campaign optimization.
Details →

Creative Marketing Strategist
Lotus Interworks
Lead performance-driven campaigns by blending AI tools, paid ads, content and SEO, work closely with clients and teams, and use tools like ChatGPT, Jasper and Surfer SEO to improve targeting and report on metrics like ROAS and conversion rates.
Details →

Sr. AI Search Optimization Specialist
Lucid Software
Shape Lucid’s AI search visibility by developing strategies that make content discoverable and cited across Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Claude, and optimize content while collaborating with SEO and content teams.
Details →

AI Search Specialist
Manychat
Lead Manychat’s AI-powered search strategy, ensure content is structured and cited across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google SGE, Gemini and Claude, craft AI-optimized briefs, analyze AI results and collaborate with SEO and content teams.
Details →

📅 Join AI marketers at conferences, summits, and industry events.

AI Accelerate
San Diego, CA, August 20–21

WordCamp
Portland, OR, August 26–29

Contact.io
Denver, CO, August 27–29

Inbound
San Francisco, CA, September 3–5

DTC Live
New York City, NY, September 4

Product Marketing Summit
San Francisco, CA, September 10–11

AI for Marketers Summit
San Francisco, CA, September 11

Content Marketing World
San Diego, CA, September 16–17

AI Conference
San Francisco, CA, September 17–18

HeroConf
San Diego, CA, September 23–24

GAI World
Boston, MA, September 29–30

Have an event to add? Send me the details.

Advertisers Are Fed Up With Google, But Can’t Quit

With organic traffic plummeting, paid search is a logical way to fill the void. But while many brands are spending more on Google ads, the results are less than savory. In some cases, ads aren’t served for the correct search terms. In others, they’re missing the target audience by a long shot. Despite the mounting frustration, advertisers keep pouring money into Google because there’s just no viable alternative.

Meanwhile, the search giant is enjoying continued ad growth as brands have no choice. The takeaway is clear: Dependence on Google persists, but patience is wearing thin. Catherine Perloff breaks down the story on The Information. Whether you’re in the same boat or considering your options as AI reshuffles the marketing mix, this is one to follow.

The Information →

Apple’s Late AI Push is Starting to Make Sense

It’s no secret Apple is way behind OpenAI, Google, and just about everyone else in the AI race. Though it seems far from intentional this time, the brand’s history of betting on perfection over speed to market is raising eyebrows. While competitors continue shipping buggy AI products and underwhelming consumers, Apple CEO Tim Cook is rallying employees behind the scenes, reminding them that iPod and iPhone weren’t first. And that the time is now for Apple to strike.

Artificial Intelligence News →

Why Brands are Celebrating OpenAI’s Free Open-Source Model

OpenAI’s GPT-OSS gives risk-averse enterprise brands and tech-savvy startups something they’ve badly needed, a powerful model they can privately host, fine-tune, and control. The fully open-source model lets companies host it locally, protect sensitive data, and tailor outputs. Critical for regulated industries like finance or healthcare. For smaller brands, this move lays the groundwork for affordable, specialized AI tools down the line.

The Verge →

Lee Hutchinson is Breaking Up With Google Search (and Maybe You Should Too)

He’s done with Google's increasingly intrusive and inaccurate AI summaries. In an entertaining takedown, he describes escaping Google’s cluttered, AI-heavy search results for a cleaner, paid alternative. As users become weary of being force-fed flawed AI summaries, his switch amplifies a growing backlash. For anyone frustrated by Google's relentless AI-ificaton, this blistering rant is a must-read.

Ars Technica →

The New Marketing Dream Team: AI and First-Party Data

AI as a marketing tool is far from perfect. But when it's paired with robust, accurate, first-party customer data? Now you’re talking. See how smart brands are combining AI with transactional insights (knowing exactly what customers buy and value) to create genuinely personalized, dynamic experiences. AI alone isn't the answer. The real power emerges when artificial intelligence meets business intelligence.

The Drum →

If you’ve been curious about ChatGPT agent but haven’t tried it yet, this demo is a great place to start. It shows how easy it is to delegate real work like research, spreadsheets, code, and web actions. Marketers, operators, founders… anyone can follow along and start experimenting in minutes.

🎙️ My top 3 podcast episodes this week:

THE MARKETING MILLENNIALS

What's Wrong With Your Homepage With Anthony Pierri

Homepage expert Anthony Pierri breaks down why clarity beats cleverness and why your homepage should prioritize strategic intent over mere design. He explains practical steps marketers can take to ensure their homepages deliver compelling first impressions and align with core business goals.

Listen →

CONSIDER THIS FROM NPR

What Happens to the Internet if No One Clicks Search Links?

NPR's John Ruwitch explores how Google's AI-generated overviews threaten traditional publisher revenues, already causing small publishers to close. Featuring insights from Helen Havlak of The Verge, this episode examines how businesses are adapting as AI disrupts longstanding search economics and online advertising models.

Listen →

UNCANNY VALLEY

Wired Roundup: ChatGPT Goes Full Demon Mode

Zoë Schiffer and Louise Matsakis unpack why ChatGPT alarmingly shifted into role-playing a demonic ritual during a conversation with Atlantic staff. They discuss the overlooked importance of context in AI-generated responses and how misunderstood chatbot behaviors impact our perception of AI's capabilities.

Listen →

Have a favorite podcast to recommend? Shoot me the details.

🚨 AI-forward companies are looking for AI-forward marketers:

Marketing Manager
Arc
Own content-led campaigns and scrappy growth experiments for a fintech brand with AI at its core. You'll translate Arc’s differentiated AI offering into compelling messaging across paid, organic, and field channels.
Details →

Head of Marketing
Eternos
Lead the full-stack marketing engine for a startup building lifelike personal AIs. You’ll define GTM across B2C and B2B, craft messaging that demystifies deep tech, and scale adoption across two distinct audiences.
Details →

Demand Generation Manager, AI
Atlassian
Drive top-of-funnel campaigns to promote Rovo, Atlassian’s new AI product. You’ll shape messaging, launch creative campaigns, and partner cross-functionally to boost AI awareness and adoption.
Details →

Director, AI Product Marketing
RingCentral
Define go-to-market strategy for AI-driven SaaS products targeting IT and enterprise buyers. This role spans positioning, sales enablement, campaign leadership, and deep collaboration across product and marketing.
Details →

Marketing Lead
Airship
Own marketing strategy for a company delivering AI-powered video and sensor software to public safety and commercial clients. You'll translate complex AI tech into clear messaging, digital assets, and industry-facing campaigns.
Details →

📅 Join AI marketers at conferences, summits, and industry events around the globe.

CDAO
Chicago, IL, August 7–8

Ai4
Las Vegas, NV, August 11–13

eTail
Boston, MA, August 11–14

AI Accelerate
San Diego, CA, August 20–21

WordCamp
Portland, OR, August 26–29

Contact.io
Denver, CO, August 27–29

Have an event to add? Send me the details.