For the first time since Google became the default search engine in Safari, its share of search activity is declining. This isn’t a glitch. It’s a signal. Continue Reading →
Advertising & Marketing
Posts about Advertising & Marketing.
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Pinterest has added a new AI-powered feature to its visual search engine. Now, when a user taps on an image, Pinterest will suggest words to describe what they’re seeing. Tap a chair and get “mid-century,” “woven,” “Japandi.” The AI guides discovery, teaches vocabulary, and sharpens consumer intent – which all sounds very useful. Continue Reading →
The real world is complicated, chaotic, and decidedly NSFW. Foundational AI models, however, are trained to pretend otherwise. OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and other major players meticulously sanitize their training data, scrubbing out adult content, extremist ideology, politically sensitive topics, and anything that might trigger regulatory scrutiny or brand risk. The result is a cohort of safe, predictable, and polished assistants that play well with risk management frameworks and emerging compliance regimes. Continue Reading →
Mastercard, Visa, and PayPal just rewrote online checkout. Within 24 hours, all three networks launched agent-ready platforms that let autonomous AI systems shop, decide, and pay for us. Mastercard: Agent Pay. Tokenized card credentials slip directly into AI workflows. Verified software agents can authenticate, choose the best payment method, and close a sale, whether it is Continue Reading →
You’re already sick of the words Agent and Agentic, but you know they are the new new thing. You may not have heard the initialism MCP, but you’re going to start hearing about it now. A lot. Continue Reading →
In “If You Can't Tell the Difference, There Is No Difference,” I argued that when AI-generated work is indistinguishable from human-made content, the distinction becomes irrelevant. Microsoft’s latest Surface commercial (created with the help of generative AI) puts that theory into practice. Continue Reading →
The great AI transformation of 2025 isn’t a technology challenge—it’s a leadership challenge. The tools are already here. What’s missing is the executive vision and operational discipline to use them. Shopify CEO Tobi Lütke has taken a firm stance: no new hires unless you can prove AI can’t do the job. Continue Reading →
Amazon is testing a new feature in its mobile shopping app that lets users buy products Amazon doesn’t sell—without leaving the app. Called “Buy for Me,” the tool uses AI agents to complete purchases on third-party brand websites and is now in limited beta for select iOS and Android users in the U.S. Continue Reading →
Google is in the middle of its own Innovator’s Dilemma: disrupting its $260 billion-a-year search business before someone else does. The question isn’t who will build the AI version of Google Search – the answer is obvious: Google – so our friends in Mountain View have a couple of things they're testing. Continue Reading →
In a "better late than never" moment, Amazon has unveiled Alexa+: an advanced version of its voice assistant that integrates generative AI to enhance user interactions. Priced at $19.99 per month (but free for Amazon Prime members), the service is set to launch with early access in the U.S. next month, initially available on Echo Show devices, with plans for broader international and device expansion. Continue Reading →