Ad regulations, AI advancements, and experimental features take centre stage this week. Meta takes a stand against financial scams, Open AI hints at exploring ads, Bing reinvents itself with AI, and Google introduces a new search feature. Here’s what you need to know.
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1. Introducing Microsoft’s AI-Powered Bing
Microsoft is the newest player to adapt AI in search, reinventing its search engine, Bing, using its own language model called “Prometheus.” Developed using elements of OpenAI’s most advanced GPT models, its standout feature is the Copilot chatbot (formerly called Bing Chat).
With this feature, the new Bing can now do much more than traditional search. In addition to simple tasks like generating recipes, it can also handle more complex ones, such as making restaurant reservations.
You can access the new Bing with Copilot without having to switch to Microsoft Edge, although the browser offers better integration with the AI assistant.
What this means for you:
Bing still trails far behind Google in terms of market share, and whether this AI upgrade will change that remains to be seen.
That said, as search engines are beginning to use AI more heavily, your digital strategies also need to adapt. To reach audiences that use these tools, focus on creating high-quality, clear content that AI can easily understand and process.
2. What’s New in Google Ads and Tools
Google is implementing two notable changes this week. First, Ads Creative Studio will be discontinued by March 2025, which means advertisers will soon need to find third-party platforms for YouTube and Display ad customisations.
Meanwhile, the platform is also experimenting with a “More sponsored results” button in search, which allows users to load additional ads.
What this means for you:
With Ads Creative Studio being retired, it’s time to start transitioning to an alternative tool to keep your campaigns running smoothly. As for the “More sponsored results” button, we recommend monitoring your ads more closely, as this update could affect both their visibility and user engagement.
3. OpenAI Eyes Advertising for Extra Revenue
In other news, OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, is exploring the possibility of introducing ads to its AI products, apparently to help cover high business costs. Despite making $4 billion annually from ChatGPT, the company spends over $5 billion yearly on developing its technology.
While there are no active plans yet, the company has hired advertising specialists, including former Meta and Google executives, to guide its strategy. However, executives remain cautious about incorporating ads, as they will seriously impact user experience.
What this means for you:
As we always say here, new ad platforms are usually a good thing and present great opportunities to reach an untouched audience. In this case, you’ll potentially gain access to a platform with 300 million weekly active—and tech-savvy—users.
4. Meta Tightens Ad Rules to Protect Australians From Scams
Australia is in the spotlight yet again, as Meta introduces a set of stricter social media ad rules for financial products and services targeting Australians.
Advertisers will now need to verify their information, including providing their Australian Financial Services License number and disclosing beneficiary information, before running ads. For more transparency, these ads will also need to have a “Paid for By” disclaimer.
This move comes after the removal of 8000 “celeb bait” ads that used famous faces to trick consumers into fake investment schemes.
As Australia pushes for tougher regulations on tech platforms, such as last week’s social media ban for minors, we could expect other countries to soon follow suit.
What this means for you:
Stricter rules are coming, whether you like it or not, so better be prepared even if you’re not promoting financial services. The trend towards more accountability in digital advertising is only bound to grow, so stay ahead of the curve by having your business information ready and ensuring your ad content is completely accurate.
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