OpenAI is laying the groundwork for an advertising business, signaling a potential shift in how ChatGPT and other products could be monetized beyond subscriptions and enterprise deals.

What’s happening. According to reporting from The Information, OpenAI has begun exploring ad formats and partnerships, with early discussions pointing toward ads that could appear within or alongside AI-generated responses. The effort is still in its early stages, but internal conversations suggest ads are becoming a more serious part of OpenAI’s long-term revenue strategy.

Why we care. OpenAI is exploring ads inside AI-generated responses, creating a new, highly contextual channel for reaching users at the moment they seek information. This could put OpenAI in direct competition with Google and Meta, but also raises questions about trust and user engagement. Early adoption could offer a first-mover advantage, while formats and metrics may differ from traditional digital ads. Overall, it’s a potentially transformative new frontier for advertising.

Between the lines. OpenAI appears cautious, aiming to avoid disrupting user experience or undermining confidence in its models. Any ad product is likely to be tightly controlled, at least initially, and positioned as helpful or contextually relevant rather than overtly promotional.

The bigger picture. With soaring infrastructure costs and growing pressure to scale revenue, ads could become a key lever for OpenAI — especially as generative AI reshapes how people search for information and discover products.

What to watch. When ads move from internal planning to public testing, how clearly they’re labeled, and whether users accept advertising embedded in AI responses.

Bottom line. OpenAI isn’t rushing ads to market, but the foundations are being laid — and their eventual arrival could reshape both AI products and the digital advertising landscape.

Google reduced the minimum audience size requirement to just 100 active users across all networks and audience types, making remarketing and customer list targeting far more accessible—especially for smaller advertisers.

What’s new. Audience segments with as few as 100 users can now be used across Search, Display, and YouTube, including both remarketing lists and customer lists. The same 100-user threshold now applies for segments to appear in Audience Insights, down from 1,000.

Catch up. The shift toward smaller audience thresholds began in May, when Google lowered the minimum user requirement for Customer Lists in Search campaigns from 1,000 to 100.

Why we care. Smaller accounts and niche advertisers can now activate audience strategies that were previously out of reach due to size constraints. This change removes a long-standing barrier to personalization, remarketing, and first-party data activation within Google Ads.

What to watch. How advertisers use smaller, more precise segments—and whether performance or privacy safeguards evolve alongside the expanded access.

First seen. This update was first spotted by Web Marketing Consultant, Dario Zannoni, who shared it on LinkedIn.

Bottom line. By lowering audience size limits to 100 users everywhere, Google is opening advanced audience targeting to a much broader range of advertisers.

Google expanded Demand Gen channel controls to include Google Maps, giving advertisers a new way to reach users with intent-driven placements and far more control over where Demand Gen ads appear.

What’s new. Advertisers can now select Google Maps as a channel within Demand Gen campaigns. The option can be used alongside other channels in a mixed setup or on its own to create Maps-only campaigns.

Why we care. This update unlocks a powerful, location-focused surface inside Demand Gen, allowing advertisers to tailor campaigns to high-intent moments such as local discovery and navigation. It also marks a meaningful step toward finer channel control in what has traditionally been a more automated campaign type.

Response. Advertisers are very excited by this update. CEO of AdSquire Anthony Higman has been waiting for this for decades:

Google Ads Specialist Thomas Eccel, who shared the update on LinkedIn said: “This is very big news and shake up things quite a lot!”

Between the lines. Google continues to respond to advertiser pressure for greater transparency and control, gradually breaking Demand Gen into more modular, selectable distribution channels.

What to watch. How Maps placements perform compared to YouTube, Discover, and Gmail—and whether Google expands reporting or optimization tools specifically for Maps inventory.

First seen. This update was first spotted by Search Marketing Specialist Francesca Poles, when she shared the update on LinkedIn

Bottom line. Adding Google Maps to Demand Gen channel controls is a significant shift that gives advertisers new strategic flexibility and the option to build fully location-centric campaigns.

Google appears to be rolling out the Performance Max Channel Performance report at the MCC level, giving agencies and large advertisers a long-awaited view of channel-level performance across multiple accounts.

What’s new: The Channel Performance report, previously limited to individual accounts, is now surfacing in some manager (MCC) accounts. Google had previously confirmed the feature was coming, but this marks one of the first confirmed sightings in live environments.

Why we care. MCC-level visibility allows agencies to analyze how Performance Max allocates spend and drives results across channels—Search, Display, YouTube, Discover, Gmail, and Shopping—without logging into each account individually. That’s a major efficiency gain for teams managing large portfolios.

What to watch. When and how quickly the feature becomes available across all MCCs, and whether Google expands the report with deeper metrics or export options.

First seen. This update was first picked up by head of Ecommerce Insights at Smarter Ecommerce, Mike Ryan, who very recently published a guide on How to use Google’s Channel Performance reports.

Bottom line. MCC-level Channel Performance reporting signals another step toward making Performance Max less of a black box—especially for agencies that need cross-account insight at scale.