MadTech Daily: AI Strengthens Big Tech’s Hold on Ad Growth; China Pulls Ahead of US in Consumer AI Adoption

In today’s Digest, we discuss AI strengthening Big Tech’s hold on ad growth, China pulling ahead of the US in consumer AI adoption, and Amazon hitting the USD$1bn (£750m) sales milestone in India. 

In today’s MadTech Daily, we discuss Omnicom turning to outcome-based pricing amid workforce cuts, Anthropic forecasting its second straight quarter of profit, and Alipay unveiling a wallet agent for AI payments.

In today’s MadTech Daily, we look at Amazon Ads bringing advertisers to ChatGPT, new filings revealing Sony’s early sharing of the WPP rebate probe, and Omnicom planning 15,000 job cuts as ad integration stumbles.

In this special episode of The MadTech Podcast, Lisa Morgan, managing director at Generation Media, and Maxine Fox, managing director at Giraffe Insights, join ExchangeWire's head of content, John Still, to discuss the UK's upcoming youth social media ban.The UK plans to block under-16s from social platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram from 2027. Messaging apps such as WhatsApp will be exempt from the ban. Lisa and Maxine outline the differences in parental support for the ban by platform and age of child, and how much rework this creates for youth media plans. Should agencies now be marketing to parents rather than to kids directly?The government has framed the move as putting power "back in parents' hands." This prompts the question of where responsibility for children's online safety lies – with parents, the children themselves, or the tech platforms. The conversation also explores the link between content and commerce in the youth sector, with a growing trend of brands moving into YouTube and publishing.Finally, given the circumvention issues seen with Australia's ban, will the UK's age checks actually work? And can youth media ever be truly brand safe?•••0:00 Get your tickets to ATS London!0:14 Introduction1:43 Differences in parental support across platforms7:04 Impact of social media ban on youth media plans10:58 Where might attention and ad spend shift to?13:53 Legislation, age verification, and brand safety18:08 Content and commerce in the youth sector

In today’s MadTech Daily, we discuss the UK safety body being denied access to Anthropic’s Mythos 5.1, the M+C Saatchi management buyout falling through, and Alibaba sending AI agents into rival apps.

In today’s MadTech Daily, we discuss IPA data showing Brits increasingly consuming commercial media alone, particularly among younger audiences, a new ISBA study putting UK retail media networks under the microscope, and Australia proposing a law that would let users switch off social media algorithms.

In today’s MadTech Daily, we look at John Lewis betting on a YouTube chat show to get noticed by AI, The Trade Desk exiting the S&P 500 on the same day mass layoffs take effect, and Chinese AI developers turning to Tmall to sell subscriptions alongside smartphones and skincare.

In today’s MadTech Daily, we discuss The Trade Desk laying off 15% of its workforce as its CEO frames the cuts as a strategic reset, VodafoneThree launching a TV service and premium mobile tier in a UK market push, and DAZN Media+ unveiling an AI-powered Sales Agent to streamline video ad buying.

In this episode of The MadTech Podcast, Brian Yamada, chief innovation officer at VML, joins ExchangeWire CEO Rachel Smith and Grainne Reid, head of marketing, to discuss Meta's child safety settlement, California vs. Paramount, and OpenAI's ad business.The first story this week is Meta's $18bn settlement over claims that its social media platforms harmed children. The conversation explores if we will finally start to see a change in online safety standards, and how this might affect things from a product and user perspective. The second covers California's lawsuit to block Paramount Skydance's acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery, and how much leverage the state holds in this case.Finally, OpenAI's ad business has hit $1bn in annualised revenue run rate. What does ChatGPT Ads' success mean for advertisers and consumers, and does this justify OpenAI's $852bn valuation?•••0:00 Get your tickets to ATS London!0:25 Introduction1:15 Meta agrees to $18bn child safety settlement12:35 California cancels talks with Paramount over Warner Bros deal19:23 OpenAI’s ad business hits $1bn annualised revenue run rate