This week’s news sponsored by Freshdesk
Freshdesk is an AI-powered customer service platform that streamlines support through automation, ticketing, and self-service options. It uses AI to categorize and prioritize tickets, suggest solutions, and enable chatbots for instant responses. Businesses can enhance efficiency, reduce response times, and improve customer satisfaction with its omnichannel support and analytics tools.
AI is finally adding real marketing value but only when humans stay in charge – Kantar*
Kantar
AI is increasingly integrated into marketing workflows, with its … Tools like Kantar’s LINK AI, validated at scale across thousands of ads …
7 AI Competencies Marketers Must Master for 2026
CMSWire
The question shifted from “How do we teach marketers to build models?” to “How do we embed AI so deeply into marketing tools and workflows so that …
CES 2026: What’s Real – And What’s BS – When It Comes To AI
AdExchanger
Jamie Seltzer, global chief data and technology officer, Havas Media Network, speaks to … marketing, from data, privacy, identity and AI to …
AI Update, January 16, 2026: AI News and Views From the Past Week
MarketingProfs
Artificial Intelligence – Catch up on select AI news … AI adoption globally and intensify competition among platforms powering marketing tools.
Will AI Amplify Your Organizational Silos or Remove Them Entirely?
Oracle Blogs
… Technology, Customer Service, Data Utilization & Analytics, Marketing, Sales … Marketing AI promotes offers or capabilities that operations …
Mythbuster: What AI is not about to do in advertising*
Digiday
… technology, MediaLink “AI is solving for some of that. … Get access to tools and analysis to stay ahead of the trends transforming media and marketing.
Higgsfield Raises $130 Million As Generative AI Video Becomes Marketing Infrastructure
Forbes
Technology · TikTok BrandVoice | Paid Program · Metronome … Higgsfield Raises $130 Million As Generative AI Video Becomes Marketing Infrastructure.
Why the Rise of AI Makes Branches More Important than Ever. (At Least for Now)
The Financial Brand
A funny thing happened on the way to banks’ collective AI future. Instead of eclipsing bank branches, the explosion of AI tools and tech has …
Gartner Says Worldwide AI Spending Will Total $2.5 Trillion in 2026
Gartner
AI Infrastructure Drives AI Spending; Adds $401 Billion in Spending as Technology Providers Continue to Build Out AI Foundations. Worldwide spending …
Marketing to Machines: The New Funnel for an AI-Driven Buyer
MarketingProfs
Marketing to Machines: The New Funnel for an AI-Driven Buyer. by Boobesh … Tools to Improve ROI on Your B2B Marketing Funnel · Avoid These Six …
FAQ on AI chatbots: How they work and their impact on marketing
eMarketer
TechnologyConnected Devices5GArtificial Intelligence (AI)Browse All → … Artificial Intelligence (AI)SearchContent MarketingWorldwide. FAQ on AI …
How AI Shopping Could Turn Fashion Advertising on its Head
Vogue
As consumers increasingly turn to AI search for shopping, tech and marketing … technology behind AI agents works means pay-to-play advertising …
Marketing In The Age Of AI: Why Earning Trust Still Beats Chasing Technology*
MediaPost
Marketing In The Age Of AI: Why Earning Trust Still Beats Chasing Technology. by Christine Perkett , 9 hours ago. Artificial intelligence has been a …
1 big thing: The job replacement AI machine*
Axios
There’s little evidence AI is destroying large numbers of white-collar jobs today. But five developments show the potential for massive future job and workplace disruption.
How a New AI Interface Is Powering the Marketing Revolution
ADWEEK
How a New AI Interface Is Powering the Marketing Revolution. Curious technology can help marketers move quickly from hypothesis to action. Few …
How digital business models are evolving in the age of agentic AI
MIT Sloan
The marketing team would set goals and guardrails for the AI agents and monitor their performance. Companies seeking to adapt the way that One NZ has …
9 marketing predictions for 2026 as AI fuels polarity
Marketing Dive
… AI in marketing. “It’s about pulling against the median because all of … AI slop while still leveraging generative AI tools. However, many …
Agentic AI – Accelerating Business Performance in Marketing, Technology, and Analytics
Tech Mahindra
… Artificial Intelligence Banner. AI Delivered Right … Agentic AI – Accelerating Business Performance in Marketing, Technology, and Analytics.
Why Intelligence Beats Volume in AI-Powered Marketing
CMS Wire
While generative AI tools … generative aimarketing campaignsemail marketingmarketing strategymarketing technologyaiartificial intelligencedigital …
EA Tools Vendors: You’re Sitting on the AI Design-Time Platform and Don’t Know It
Forrester
Technology architecture to assess infrastructure requirements and constraints … It’s a category repositioning: from “EA tools” to “AI governance …
Serial entrepreneur builds AI platform for marketing decisions
Tampa Bay Business and Wealth Magazine
MADTECH.AI built more than 300 data connectors to pull information from common marketing tools. … Tags: advertising, AI, artificial intelligence …
AI workforce Strategy: From Planning to Real Value
CompTIA
Technology leaders often sponsor AI … AI tools to get reliable, repeatable results. AI for Marketing Essentials and AI for Sales Essentials connect AI …
AI is killing grad jobs and making MBAs matter more?
AFR
The challenge is not to add fashionable modules on AI tools, but for … Jefferies technology analyst poised to hit the road. Jan 14, 2026 …
Alibaba-backed PixVerse launches real-time AI video tool
CNBC
… AI marketing tools.” PixVerse estimated annual recurring revenue of $40 … technology matures. “At the beginning, there will be good and bad …
Sure, AI is speeding up work — it’s also creating more*
Axios
AI might one day replace us all — for now though, humans still spend a lot of time cleaning up its mess, according to a Workday survey. For employees, AI is both speeding up work and creating more of it.
Why enterprise AI is becoming a governance issue*
TechTarget
As teams plan for the year ahead, AI decisions are shifting away from capability questions and toward ownership, control and accountability.
Marketing Is Ready To Redefine How It Uses AI
Forbes
Jenny Herbison is SVP Global Marketing at Exclaimer, an email signature management platform. AI or Artificial intelligence concept.
Google Bets on AI-Based Shopping With New AI Agents for Retailers
The Wall Street Journal
Google’s new artificial-intelligence tools mark the company’s first foray into AI … But the technology behind AI agents is moving so quickly …
How visible and invisible AI shape the customer experience
MarTech
From chatbots to behind-the-scenes automation, combining visible and invisible AI effectively is key to delivering seamless, satisfying customer experiences.
Amazon’s AI Ad Strategy Emerges in a Market Where 74% of SMBs Use AI Tools
DesignRush
Amazon’s AI Ad Strategy Emerges in a Market Where 74% of SMBs Use AI Tools … In a recent Amazon Ads study,87% of SMB marketing leaders said AI will …
Google launches Universal Commerce Protocol for agent-led shopping
Search Engine Land
Additionally, Google is introducing new AI tools for retailers … marketing departments through inspiring leadership both on agency, client and …
How a major beverage distributor is infusing AI into its HR and IT processes
Modern Retail
… AI tools into the key layers of the marketing process. A major player … Artificial intelligence has helped companies throughout the supply …
Conversational Search and AI Overview are Reshaping Digital Marketing in 2026
MarTech Series
Marketing Technology News: Disrupt or Be Disrupted: The AI Wake-Up Call for B2B Marketers. If you are a digital marketing company, and wish to get …
Satya Nadella wants the internet to keep an open mind about AI. The internet isn’t having it*
Fast Company
A new insult for artificial intelligence just dropped thanks to Microsoft’s CEO. ‘I will hereby be referring to Microsoft as MicroSlop for the rest of 2026.’
Bento Launches Tanuki AI: The First AI Marketing Agent That Builds Email Automations From Simple Conversations
Fortune
… marketing tools accessible to small businesses. The platform consolidates email marketing, automation, transactional email, and AI-powered …
AI Video Takes Over Marketing’s Middle Class: Cheap AI, Premium Human, Nothing in Between*
Intelligent Living
Practical guides to AI video workflows that simplify creating videos with AI tools are lowering the … Essential FAQ for AI Video Marketing and the …
Journey Orchestration vs Marketing Automation: A Guide
CX Today
Marketing & Sales TechnologyGuide. Published: January 11, 2026 … Optimove Launches AI Marketing Tools Hub to Support Positionless Marketing.
AI images boost real estate marketing but raise buyer concerns: Report*
MSN
AI tools are reshaping real estate listings but raising concerns over … AI images boost real estate marketing but raise buyer concerns: Report.
E-commerce AI the focus of Salesforce Agentforce updates
TechTarget
Salesforce updates Agentforce Commerce with AI tools for personalization. … AI technology continues to shape the content management market. It …