In AI We Trust … ?
Early AI image generators drew consumer backlash for obvious mistakes, such as spitting out garbled text or people with three nostrils. Turns out today’s AI creative products are not all passing the sniff test, either.
Meta is drawing the ire of advertisers for pushing AI tools despite their clear blunders. Meta recently ran an ad for outdoor brand REI featuring a bike with two handlebars and a creative centering a man in a campaign for a women’s networking group. Other mistakes may be less obvious to consumers but are egregious to advertisers, such as altering a brand’s actual products. Either way, the brands are left to do the damage control with peeved and confused customers.
When Business Insider asked about the AI fumbles, a Meta spokesperson pointed to the company’s terms of service, which states that “AI can make mistakes and it is the advertiser’s responsibility to review the AI outputs.” Translation to brands: Sounds like a you problem.
Despite all the grumbling, performance marketers are hesitant to ditch Meta entirely.
“Meta’s still the best platform,” said Jessica Gleim, an ads consultant who has encountered these AI glitches. “It has the best data.”
If You’re Buying Media … And Agents Are Buying Media … Then Who’s Flying The Plane?
Soon, agents will be able to execute the full media investment process, from buys to measurement – but, ironically, the role of the human is more important than ever.
At least, in a managerial sense.
As media buying becomes more automated, human buyers will need to become “decision makers and managers” by checking the agent’s work and thinking critically about whether a platform recommendation really adds value, Jeff Eisenfeld, director of activation at Media by Mother, tells Ad Age. For instance, a sudden spike in performance could mean a buy was incredibly effective, or it could mean a glitch in the measurement system.
“An agent won’t be able to recognize these things without the context we have,” says Eisenfeld.
Building and evaluating new agentic systems “to ensure there is appropriate governance and optimization” are also “key roles” for current media buyers, says Ruben Schreurs, CEO of media investment consultancy Ebiquity.
One question that still remains is where junior buyers fit in; after all, most senior buyers learned by starting off in junior roles that taught them skills that are now being handed off to agents.
The best way for junior employees to learn, says Eisenfeld, is by being proactive by coming up with use cases and building “test-and-learn frameworks,” per Ad Age, like audience tests and landing page variations.
But where are they learning those skills?
Whatcha Watching?
When Walmart acquired Vizio in 2024, it was an obvious play to boost Walmart’s ad platform. Vizio’s TV OS now routes viewer data into Walmart’s system.
However, with the launch of a new Mini LED TV, Vizio “accidentally made the best dumb TV on the market,” according to a product review by The Verge. But there was no accident, Vizio says – even if turning off the TV’s data-sharing features won’t be intuitive for most users.
In its default setup, the Vizio TV requires users to log in with a Walmart account and consent to data collection to access streaming apps. Even if the user connects a third-party streaming device, the TV OS still scans the HDMI port to grab viewing data.
However, most smart TVs allow users to bypass the TV OS and open the last-used input on startup. Activating that feature on the Vizio TV and using a third-party device avoids data sharing with Walmart.
Vizio says it included this option deliberately. But, of course, disabling data sharing comes with several warnings that the TV’s smart features will break – even if these features can still be accessed via third-party devices.
It just goes to show you how many hoops today’s TV viewers have to jump through to avoid data collection.
But Wait! There’s More!
Former Google “click fraud czar” Shuman Ghosemajumder is back with a new startup to detect AI phishing and deepfake scams. [Fortune]
How NASCAR is pivoting its brand marketing strategy to compete with Formula 1. [Digiday]
Social media age restrictions are coming for teens across Europe. [The Verge]
Remember when OpenAI said it would hit $100 billion in ad revenue by 2030? Emarketer begs to differ. [Adweek]
Multiple state and regional attorneys general filed a lawsuit to block Paramount Skydance’s merger with Warner Bros. Discovery. [CNBC]
Meanwhile, Paramount Skydance is considering moving its headquarters out of California to counter the state’s impending antitrust lawsuit. [THR]
Hot take: Apple TV can beat Netflix in a competition going head-to-head on content quality. [Macworld]
MLB megastar Bryce Harper says FanDuel used Cameo to commission the controversial video of him addressing a FanDuel VIP with a gambling problem. He claims he was unaware the video would be used for commercial purposes. [The Philadelphia Inquirer]
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