📈 Agencies go all-in on agentic AI, open web rebounds as AI breaks Google’s grip & CES 2026 goes full sci-fi

Stagwell’s agency network is unveiling “The Machine”, an agentic AI operating system that layers intelligence and automation across existing martech stacks. Marketing leaders say it can scale content, media planning and insight generation across campaigns.

Why it matters: Agentic platforms could reshape how strategy and execution work together, not just automate isolated tasks. 📰 Adweek

Walmart Connect is rolling out an agentic advertising assistant to help brands plan, optimise and manage search campaigns, also powering sponsored interactions within its in-app assistant. The tool will offer conversational recommendations on keywords and bids.

Why it matters: Demand for easier activation and optimisation tools from small and mid-size brands is rising, and retailer media platforms are major battlegrounds. 📰 eMarketer

CES 2026 highlighted AI in hardware from robots to vehicles, showing the technology is expanding beyond software screens into physical experiences. Exhibits shocked and delighted marketers and tech buyers alike.

Why it matters: Brand experiences and campaigns will increasingly need to consider AI-enabled touchpoints in real-world contexts. 📰 Reuters

Jeff Green from The Trade Desk said AI is changing how people find information online, especially as search and chat tools start replacing traditional Google results. That shift could send more traffic to a wider range of high quality websites instead of just a few big platforms. He believes that will make premium publisher sites more attractive to advertisers in 2026, as brands look for trusted places to reach real audiences.

Why it matters: Marketers may find new premium environments to target beyond walled gardens as AI surfaces different discovery patterns. 📰 Adweek

NBCUniversal has confirmed it has already sold out all advertising slots for the 2026 Winter Olympics. Demand from brands has been strong across both traditional TV and digital, including Peacock streaming placements. The early sell-out signals that big live events are still one of the few places advertisers can guarantee mass attention at scale.

Why it matters: Live event attention remains a powerful premium environment even as AI and on-demand channels grow. 📰 Deadline

This week, regulators and governments escalated scrutiny of X after Grok was linked to a spike in sexualised deepfake imagery. It’s not just a platform drama, it’s a brand risk story with real media implications

Regulators are moving from “concerned” to “enforcement”
Multiple governments are pressuring X to address the spread of non-consensual deepfake imagery linked to Grok features. The European Commission said it is examining Grok’s “spicy mode,” and Britain’s technology minister urged urgent action on the surge of intimate deepfakes. France has also opened an investigation into X over sexually explicit deepfakes, calling the content illegal.

This hits advertisers where it hurts: adjacency and reputation
When a platform is in the headlines for explicit deepfakes, brand safety becomes a board-level conversation overnight. Even if your ads are “fine,” you can still get dragged by association if the feed is a mess. Media teams may have to tighten exclusions, shift budgets, or pause while policies and enforcement catch up.

AI feature launches now come with PR and compliance risk
The big change is speed: AI tools can amplify harmful content faster than moderation teams can react. That means marketers need escalation paths for platform incidents, not just creative approvals and monthly brand safety reports. If your channel mix includes volatile platforms, build a “rapid reallocation” plan before the next crisis hits.

Our takeaway: AI doesn’t just create ads. It can create platform-wide brand safety incidents. Treat “where we show up” as a core AI marketing risk, not a line item.

📖 Read more on this topic at The Guardian

“AI will make affiliate marketing irrelevant.”

Our new research shows the opposite.

Levanta surveyed 1,000 US consumers to understand how AI is influencing the buying journey. The findings reveal a clear pattern: shoppers use AI tools to explore options, but they continue to rely on human-driven content before making a purchase.

Here is what the data shows:

Download the full report to see what this shift means for brands navigating the AI era.

This is a great breakdown of where Google’s AI Max actually helps, and where it quietly burns budget if you’re already scaling search. It’s useful because it gives you decision rules (when to test, when to avoid, what to watch in performance signals) rather than another “AI will optimise everything” pep talk - watch it here.

The overview: Use ElevenLabs to generate professional voiceovers for short ads, hooks, and social audio placements.

Step-by-step:

Pro tip: Swap in a real customer quote for your hook to make the audio ad feel like authentic social proof.

Here are 4 trending tools to explore this week. Quick, practical upgrades to your AI marketing arsenal: