Each day, New Digital Age gathers the most interesting digital marketing industry news from around the web…
AI
WSJ – Amirth Ramkumar & Magdalena Petrova, 16th August 2026
How AI Models From OpenAI and Anthropic Went Rogue
Artificial-intelligence models from companies including OpenAI, Anthropic and Meta Platforms used the internet to hack other organizations in recent weeks, fueling concerns that businesses and individuals aren’t prepared for the cyber risks posed by the latest AI tools.
WSJ – Peter Rudegeair & Peter Santilli, 16th August 2026
Why Big Tech’s AI Spending Is $3 Trillion Higher Than It Seems
Massive spending commitments for data-center leases and chips aren’t shown on companies’ balance sheets.
SUSTAINABILITY
FT – FT Reporters, 16th August 2026
Big Tech’s data centre boom poised to drive up carbon emissions
FT analysis finds 60 largest planned facilities could emit the equivalent of 27 coal plants or 24mn cars per year.
SEARCH
Performance Marketing World – Robin Langofrd, 17th August 2026
Google axes manual language targeting in search and PMax (as AI takes control)
The switch means marketers will need to rely more on their creative, landing pages and search context to ensure the right language is served to the right user.
ANTITRUST
PYMNTS – PYMNTS Reporters, 16th August 2026
Mexico Clears Paramount-Warner Bros. Deal as US Antitrust Fight Persists
Mexico’s competition authority has approved Paramount Skydance’s planned combination with Warner Bros. Discovery, removing another regulatory obstacle to the blockbuster media transaction even as an antitrust challenge by a coalition of U.S. states continues to delay its completion.
COMMERCE MEDIA
PPC Land – Luia Rigo, 17th August 2026
NIQ AI-native revenue gains 34% as agentic commerce product nears launch
Consumer intelligence group NIQ reported second-quarter results on August 10, 2026 showing revenue of 1,124.2 million dollars and a 34% rise in revenue from what it calls AI-native solutions, while executives told analysts that a product measuring share of prompt and share of discovery in agent-mediated shopping is scheduled for launch before the end of the year.
SOCIAL MEDIA
The Guardian – Josh Taylor & Nick Evershed, 17th August 2026
Exclusive: Guardian analysis finds one section of report includes links to academic articles that do not exist, but authors deny the references were made up by AI.
Silicon Republic – Laura Varley, 17th August 2026
French court blocks bill banning social media for under-15s
The court ruled that the new bill is too broad and infringes upon the right to freedom of expression.
Digiday – Sam Bradley, 17th August 2026
Brand marketers are adopting fan-first social media strategies
For soft-drink brand Poppi, fans come before consumers. The Pepsico-owned brand has bottled up an innovative approach to social media that’s beginning to be picked up by the marketers behind the industry’s largest brands, but it carries risks, too.
