Gemini Just Fixed the Biggest Problem With AI Images
Plus: Is AI killing the client-agency relationship? Google Vids grows up. And digital twins aren't creepy anymore.
👋 Happy Thursday AI Marketers. The #1 AI image generator on Earth isn’t ChatGPT. Clients are having a hard time breaking up with agencies. And HeyGen’s digital twins are no longer just a novelty. Lots of AI developments for brands and marketers this week. Let’s get you caught up…
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
📅 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.
