Axios

The advertising landscape has dramatically shifted in the AI era as brands and marketers adopt new systems and operate at previously unimaginable scale.

Why it matters: The rapid adoption has upended formats, shifted priorities and created new opportunities across the entire ad-driven economy.

Gaming ad infrastructure is starting to level up.

Why it matters: Gaming commands enormous attention, yet has been unable to turn that engagement into a mature ad market.

Brands are experimenting with short, serialized video series to make advertising feel more like entertainment that people choose to watch.

Why it matters: Marketers are aiming to build familiarity and loyalty and not just quick impressions on social media.

Product feeds are the engines behind digital advertising as shopping experiences become more native across search, social and streaming.

Why it matters: It's getting a lot easier to see something you like and buy it without leaving an app.

Ad tech, marketing tech and digital content deals are showing signs of a second-half rebound.

Why it matters: Geopolitical and macro uncertainty slowed dealmaking earlier this year, but recent market activity is bringing buyers back.

Generative AI search ad revenue is expected to reach $100 billion globally by 2030, according to WPP Media, representing the fastest-growing ad medium in history.

Why it matters: Users ask longer and more complex queries using generative AI search compared with traditional search, per Google, often revealing stronger context and purchase intent for advertisers.

Six months ago, the conversation about AI in advertising revolved around generating creative. Now, it's becoming an autonomous campaign operator.

Why it matters: New AI-powered systems have improved productivity and effectiveness, helping brands operate at a scale previously unimaginable.

The data center boom is driving the earnings of staid industrial companies in addition to the makers of chips and servers.

Why it matters: The newfound importance of AI to producers of paint, asphalt and industrial cable, among others, mirrors the buildout's growing role as a driver of the "real economy."

The AI job apocalypse may need a rebrand — a new white paper finds that rather than triggering full-scale job losses, the new technology is slowing wage growth, especially among lower-paying occupations.

Why it matters: In other words, you get to keep your job, but you'll make less money doing it.

Microsoft had a great Thursday — its stock rose 16%, the biggest jump for the tech giant in nearly two decades.

• The resulting surge in market cap — $450 billion — was apparently the biggest one-day gain in stock market history, per Bloomberg's analysis.

Between the lines: Investors were grooving on the company's latest earnings report and the powerful growth of the Azure cloud computing business — a sign that its AI investments are paying off.

The bottom line: The cloud business is making it rain over in Redmond, Washington.