Author: arthursheikin@gmail.com

[ad_1] Retail media networks — advertising platforms owned and operated by retailers — continue their rapid rise as a major market force. An eMarketer report forecasts that RMN spend will exceed $62 billion in 2025, representing 17.9% of all digital media spend. That share of digital media is expected to exceed 20% in 2026 and near $100 billion in 2027.RMNs are a natural result of e-commerce’s explosive growth, leveraging the reach of retailers’ websites, apps, email channels, social media, and even physical stores. Equally important, they tap into the wealth of first-party data generated through high-volume transactions.While early RMNs like…

[ad_1] Global artificial intelligence deals under the Trump administration this year have thrust “sovereign AI” into the limelight, bringing to life a new engine to power the AI investment cycle. While the first major wave of AI was tied to innovation spurred by private sector tech companies, Wall Street is now looking for opportunities that are tied to the growth from the public sector. These so-called sovereign AI deals involve a nation’s capabilities to produce and control its own AI infrastructure, data, regulations and networks. The term isn’t new, but analysts and investors are taking notice of the trend given…

[ad_1] Google Search is experimenting with Audio Overviews for certain Search queries, the company announced on Friday. The feature was first introduced to NotebookLM, Google’s AI-based note-taking and research assistant. The tech giant says Audio Overviews will use its latest Gemini models to give users another way to absorb and understand information. “An audio overview can help you get a lay of the land, offering a convenient, hands-free way to absorb information whether you’re multitasking or simply prefer an audio experience,” Google explained in a blog post. The feature is available starting today in Labs, Google’s experimental program. The company…

[ad_1] A farmer floating in a pool of eggs. An alien chugging beer. An older man, draped in an American flag, screaming, “Indiana gonna win baby.” The chaotic scenes are all part of a new AI-generated ad from sports betting marketplace Kalshi, which aired Wednesday during Game 3 of the NBA Finals.”The world’s gone mad, trade it,” the commercial’s tagline read, following the 30-second collection of surreal scenes.In a recent thread on X, the ad’s director explained how he made the clip for just $2,000.”Kalshi hired me to make the most unhinged NBA Finals commercial possible,” PJ Accetturo, a self-described…

[ad_1] This is the space where I usually try an AI tool. This week, though, I’m featuring an experience shared by a Tech Memo reader who got in touch after last week’s installment about AI coding services such as Replit, Cursor, and Bolt.new.This person worked at Google for more than two decades, so they know their software! They recently tried out Replit, following Google CEO Sundar Pichai saying he’s been messing around with this tool.”Like Sundar, I’ve also tried Replit to test out a cat purring app I had (lol). I poked around on some other options, but I liked…

[ad_1] Generative AI is reshaping the way people work, from full-time employees to freelancers. As coding copilots, design assistants, and AI-powered writing tools become more capable and accessible, creative and technical roles are starting to shift — if not become eliminated entirely. The pressure to adapt is growing across the board. Fiverr CEO Micha Kaufman isn’t sugarcoating it. In a recent open letter to staff, he warned that AI is coming for everyone’s jobs, and the only way to stay relevant is to embrace AI tools and automation. Get better, get faster, or get left behind.  Kaufman joined Rebecca Bellan…

[ad_1] The news-related spike in oil leaves WTI crude at a difficult level where overhead supply comes into play. As seen in the chart below, oil has advanced from $55 a barrel to $77 a barrel (plus $22 a barrel… +40%), and is now back up “to the penny” to the well-defined downtrend line of the past 12 months. If one is long, we would harvest/take profits/sell calls/take measures of some kind. And for those who engage in shorting, we would sell here. (Check out Carter’s worthcharting.com for actionable recommendations and live nightly videos.) DISCLOSURES: (None) All opinions expressed by the…

[ad_1] Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.The world’s largest publicly listed oil tanker company is refusing new contracts to sail into the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz following Israel’s attack on Iran, its chief executive has said.The decision by Lars Barstad of Frontline is an early sign of the widespread disruption to global shipping patterns expected as a result of the outbreak of conflict early on Friday.The concerns are focused on movements through the Hormuz Strait, the narrow stretch of water between Iran and Oman that…

[ad_1] The S & P 500 appears pricey, but Bank of America isn’t sweating it. “The index looks statistically expensive relative to its own history on all 20 of the valuation metrics we track,” Savita Subramanian, equity and quant strategist for the firm, said in a Thursday note to clients. Subramanian said valuation multiples have grown during the relief rally seen after stocks initially plunged in the wake of President Donald Trump’s tariff policy unveiling in early April. With the S & P 500’s recovery, she said the index now trades at 21-times forward earnings, which is around 35% above…

[ad_1] Meta just made a $14.3 billion bet on data-labeling company Scale AI, but it’s not a traditional takeover: Meta’s taking a 49% stake in the company and adding Scale’s co-founder Alexandr Wang to its team. The move signals Meta’s growing urgency to keep up in the AI race, even if its strategy for competing with heavyweights like OpenAI and Google is still a little confusing. Today, on TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, hosts Kirsten Korosec, Max Zeff, and Anthony Ha break down the deal, dig up an interview from Kirsten’s archives featuring Wang’s early predictions for AI, and ask whether Meta’s…