These both happened this week:
- Apple’s investors are unhappy with CEO Tim Cook for not spending enough on AI
- In SEC filings, major U.S. corporations admit there’s no ROI for their AI spending
To me, that means Cook is upholding his fiduciary responsibilities by not throwing away money on AI. He’s better off waiting for the AI bubble to pop and then getting what he wants at bargain prices.
Apple is making plenty of money as things are. Despite that, some stockholders have come down with a bad case of AI FOMO. Cook and co. have a long history of sitting, Smaug-like, on the bushels of earnings for quite some time. That’s a much better approach than, say, Mark Zuckerberg spending hundreds of millions on AI scientists in the hope of turning lead to gold.
Or, as Futurism put it: Genius Zuckerberg Poaches Guy Responsible for [Checks Notes] the Disastrous Apple Intelligence.
Here are this week’s AI-powered news and releases.
July 17, 2025
ActiveCampaign launched WhatsApp Messaging, a tool for automating marketing and customer communication on WhatsApp. Businesses can use it to send messages, manage conversations, and run campaigns directly in the messaging platform.
AdGood partnered with Viant Technology to combine donated connected TV (CTV) ad inventory with Viant’s audience targeting tools. Nonprofits can use the combined platform to run targeted CTV campaigns at lower cost.
Attain released updates to its OutcomeHQ platform. The new version includes built-in purchase data from multiple retailers, the ability to create marketing audiences from those insights and send them to ad platforms, and an AI planning tool that suggests audience strategies based on natural language prompts or uploaded documents.
Auxia updated its Analyst Agent with real-time analytics and a natural language interface. Marketing teams can use it to ask questions about campaign performance and get immediate answers without needing a data science team.
Bloomerang added Journey Automation to its fundraising platform. Nonprofits can build communication flows based on donor actions using a visual builder, real-time performance tracking, and unified data from the platform.
Brand Networks launched Aimy, an AI advertising assistant for small and mid-sized businesses. Aimy supports campaign planning, ad buying across multiple platforms, performance alerts, and reporting. It also provides creative suggestions and uses past performance benchmarks.
CallRail introduced Conversion Signals, an AI feature that automatically tags calls that result in appointments. These tags can be used to improve ad targeting in Google Ads.
Chatmeter launched Pulse Ai: Competitive Intelligence. It provides multi-location businesses with real-time views of competitor activity by geography. Users can compare competitors at national, regional, or local levels and see where they have advantages or gaps.
CoSchedule released Insights Assistant, which gives real-time summaries of social media metrics. It helps users see which content is performing well and why, using AI-based analysis.
Cortex Synapse launched an Influence Intelligence platform. It shows which online content influences how AI systems respond to questions about brands and products.
Cyara released a new platform for customer experience testing. It combines AI validation, live monitoring, and no-code automation tools into one product for testing digital customer interactions.
HG Insights launched Market Analyzer and Copilot, which combine AI with user queries to perform market sizing, competitor tracking, and target account definition using data on technology use, buyer behavior, and company profiles.
Hootology launched HOOQZ, a generative AI market research tool. It is designed to scale qualitative research using automated analysis.
ImageKit expanded its image editing tools. The updates let developers automate edits using URL-based parameters and deliver brand-consistent visuals through its image and video API platform.
Natterbox introduced AI Assistants and AI Agents that integrate with Salesforce. AI Assistants handle routine customer questions. AI Agents complete full tasks like processing returns or scheduling appointments without needing a human.
Prescient AI released a model that identifies how top-of-funnel marketing affects revenue. It provides daily campaign-level forecasts, identifies multiple points of efficiency, and tracks cause-and-effect relationships between media and sales.
PromoRepublic launched PromoRepublic AI, which includes AI tools to manage marketing for franchises and chains. It helps coordinate marketing across locations, manage consistency, and adjust for local needs.
SearchStax launched Smart Answers for site search. It adds AI-generated summaries at the top of search results using the company’s own content index.
Smartcat released AI Agents that automate content creation and translation. Users can customize agent functions using a no-code tool, and a built-in assistant gives real-time support to staff. The system learns from human input to improve performance over time.
Streamforge launched a freemium influencer marketing platform with a new Audience Analysis tool. Brands can use it to find suitable creators using audience data.
Takeads launched Takedeals, an AI coupon feed platform. Publishers and developers can integrate the feed into their sites to offer deals and earn affiliate revenue.
Twilio added three features: Event Triggered Journeys in its customer engagement tool, EU email data residency for compliance, and WhatsApp Business Calling, which lets users switch from messaging to voice in customer conversations.
Unbounce added new AI tools to its platform. These include email summarization and reply features, inbox syncing, CRM integration, and over 100 landing page templates.
Viant Technology integrated with LG Ad Solutions to provide targeted CTV advertising. The update combines audience targeting, identity resolution, and contextual ad placement using Viant’s DSP and IRIS.TV’s classification system.
Vidnoz AI released Product Avatar and Interactive Avatar. Product Avatar creates a lifelike avatar holding a product using an image and avatar template. Interactive Avatar acts as a virtual assistant that can hold conversations, respond to questions, and use facial expressions in real time.
Vonage partnered with AWS to connect its Voice API to Amazon Nova Sonic. This integration adds speech-to-speech translation to make automated voice interactions sound more natural.
Wix.com released AI Visibility Overview. It tracks how often a website is cited in AI answers, monitors brand sentiment in AI-generated content, compares visibility with competitors, and shows AI-driven web traffic.
Zendesk acquired HyperArc, which makes a platform for real-time analytics. Its HyperGraph engine processes customer service data and generates insights using generative AI.
July 10, 2025
Airship launched Airship AI Agents. These are specialized agents that automate the creation, testing and optimization of the customer experience.
Amplitude acquired Kraftful, a startup that focuses on Voice of Customer. This acquisition combines customer feedback to provide a complete view of customer needs. This helps teams create better products and digital experiences.
Auxia introduced changes to its Analyst Agent, a part of its Customer Journey Orchestration Platform. The Analyst Agent connects to Auxia’s AI Decisioning engine and optimization systems. It finds reasons for performance outcomes, even for specific audiences or creative options. It also learns from how users interact with it over time. This builds a collection of team insights, leading to more informed decisions.
Bevy launched its Engagement Hub, a collection of tools for its enterprise community platform. This hub includes new tools like a community knowledge agent, a gamification agent, a content creation agent, and a moderation agent. It also includes Intros AI’s engine. Enterprises can use these tools to get answers on demand, manage content, and set up one-on-one introductions between members who have similar goals or interests.
CallRail released conversion signals, a new feature that uses AI. This feature automatically marks calls that result in appointments. This lets marketers see which leads are successful and then find similar leads. These signals can connect with Google Ads to find more leads.
ContentWise added AI agents to its UX Engine platform, calling this the ContentWise Agent Engine. These AI agents are software units that perform tasks and make decisions based on user goals. They connect to various other tools and services.
Collectively and Jellyfish launched Chorus, a creator marketing strategy solution. Chorus measures how well creator content matches the brand qualities that large language models (LLMs) use when suggesting products. It shows brands how LLMs like Llama and Gemini see them compared to other companies. It also provides strategies to improve these views using specific creator content.
Natterbox launched AI Assistants and AI Agents. AI Assistants handle routine customer questions, such as frequently asked questions or order status checks. AI Agents can complete entire tasks, like processing refunds, scheduling appointments, or cancelling orders, without human involvement.
Rep Data launched Second Shield, a new feature that works with its Research Defender fraud prevention software. This feature uses machine learning to identify fraud. It uses a continuously updated reconciliation warehouse, decision-tree models, and anomaly detection. It finds subtle patterns that indicate fraud and blocks them.
Smartcat launched its expert-enabled AI Agents for its enterprise AI platform. These agents automate the entire global content process. They create and translate content quickly using pre-built agents. Users can customize agent abilities with a no-code Agent Builder. The Skills Graph learns and grows with the business through human and agent teamwork, making all AI Agents perform like the most skilled employees. It also provides real-time, AI-driven guidance to support human-agent work.
July 3, 2025
AiOpti Media launched a system that brings together data, media, marketing attribution, and measurement in one place. It includes tools for identifying audience segments, resolving anonymous web traffic into verified IDs without cookies, and tracking offline results like store visits and card transactions. The platform also runs ads across multiple channels including connected TV, audio, display, and more, and analyzes which combinations of audiences and channels drive business outcomes.
CommBox introduced CommSite, a system that turns websites into AI-driven conversations. It responds to customer questions in real time using its own AI technology and large language models. Unlike basic site search tools, it can access gated information and respond with more accurate answers.
Creatopy launched Live Data, a feature that connects ads to real-time data feeds. After setting up a design template, users can run ads that update automatically based on variables like pricing, availability, or sports odds. This is useful for industries such as iGaming or retail, where ad content needs to reflect current information without manual changes.
Grammarly announced plans to acquire Superhuman, an email application that uses AI to shorten response times and reduce the amount of time spent managing email.
Hightouch released Adaptive Identity Resolution, a new feature in its data platform. It matches fragmented customer data into profiles using a mix of strict and flexible matching methods. This setup helps businesses use customer profiles across different scenarios from one central project.
Idomoo launched AI Video Ads through its Lucas video creation system. Users can make video ads using prompts or source material like documents and product catalogs. The system supports features such as customizable voiceovers, avatars, and interactive elements, and it can create multiple versions of a video for different formats or languages.
Imperium AI released the Copilot Suite, a group of tools designed to automate PR, content marketing, and social media tasks. The tools are designed to generate and manage content across different channels without requiring manual effort or added staff.
Integral Ad Science partnered with Snap and Lumen Research to measure how users pay attention to Snapchat ads. The new system combines eye-tracking data with ad quality scores to give advertisers a specific attention score within IAS’s analytics platform.
Metricool launched MetriLAB AI, a feature that uses Model Context Protocol (MCP) to connect its platform with Claude AI. The integration is designed to support tasks related to social media management. Users can input a prompt to compare competitors, review campaign performance, plan and translate posts across languages and accounts, check scheduled content, and review growth reports.
Monetate acquired SiteSpect to expand its capabilities in personalization and testing. The combined platform supports website and mobile personalization, real-time testing without delays, and consistent user experiences across different channels including stores and customer service. It is also designed for use in industries that require transparency and data control.
Tila, developed by Tovie Mobile, is a workspace tool that uses multiple AI agents to work with users on an infinite digital canvas. Users can manage tasks across text, images, code, audio, and video, not through chat prompts but through shared interaction with the AI agents.
June 25, 2025
AI CERTs introduced a certification program called AI+ Marketing. This program provides marketing professionals with knowledge about AI technologies and tools, without focusing on specific products.
Athena launched a generative engine optimization platform. This platform has a large catalog of AI responses and connects them to many cited websites. It suggests specific website changes or content updates to improve rankings in AI search results.
Birdeye unveiled its Social AI Publishing Agent. It creates and schedules content for social media across many locations for brands. Users can set the frequency, theme, channel, and time for posts. The agent can save posts as drafts, send them for approval, or publish them independently.
Botify announced expanded platform capabilities and service offerings for search optimization. These updates include new AI agents that help brands understand and improve their search performance. Botify also added MCP server integration, allowing teams to combine Botify data with other tools. Additionally, Botify joined the AWS ISV Accelerate Program and introduced Botify Growth offerings, which combine AI technology with expert services for companies without a dedicated search team.
Cognizant announced Cognizant Autonomous Customer Engagement, a contact center solution developed with Google Cloud. This AI solution offers customer experiences across different stages of an order. It provides support across multiple channels like voice chat and messaging. The AI models learn from each interaction to improve accuracy and understanding. The system scales to support organizations of different sizes.
Cordial released Price Sensitivity, a new feature for its AI marketing platform. This feature adds to Cordial Edge AI dynamic attributes, which include Lifetime Value, Average Order Value, RFM (Recency Frequency Monetary), Engagement Momentum, and Frequency Optimization. These features predict customer value and adjust message frequency.
DAIVID unveiled a new tool that measures the effectiveness of AI-powered creative content. This tool helps marketers maintain the quality of their ads. DAIVID’s Creative Data Feed API assesses which AI-generated ads will drive emotional engagement, attention, and business results. Its AI models use facial coding, eye tracking and survey data combined with computer vision and computer listening APIs to provide insights on video social or display ads. The tool gives metrics such as emotions, attention, brand recall and purchase intent.
Digital Wave Technology launched agentic AI within its ONE Platform. These intelligent agents perform actions beyond generating responses. They adjust pricing, automate product content updates, identify compliance risks, and trigger workflows across systems such as PIM, ERP and digital shelves.
Floyi announced AIRS Analyzer for AI search analysis. This dashboard shows how various AI search engines and traditional search results display a brand, its competitors, and key topics. AIRS provides a combined view of results and sources from Google AI Overviews, Bing Copilot, Claude Web Search, Gemini, OpenAI Web Search, Perplexity, and traditional organic search.
Genesys announced Genesys Cloud AI Studio. This is a centralized hub for building, managing and scaling AI. It provides tools with safeguards for personalized customer experiences. Genesys Cloud AI Guides, the first part of AI Studio, helps design, deploy and manage virtual agents that operate with more independence across customer journeys.
Globant launched Globant FUSION, a suite of AI Agents for its creative network, Globant GUT. Globant FUSION centralizes marketing, communications, and advertising functions within one system. The suite includes AI Agents for Scale Ads, which automates ad creative production; Content, which generates high-quality content; Images, which produces on-brand visual assets; Video, which creates high-impact video content; and Landing Pages, which builds dynamic landing pages.
Make announced Make Grid, a solution that provides an auto-generated visual map of an entire automation system in real-time. This solution offers visibility into every connection, scenario, and dependency.
Mixpanel announced an expansion of its digital analytics platform. It now includes session replay, experimentation tools, metric trees, AI automation, and warehouse integrations. These capabilities aim to optimize digital experiences. Key features include Metric Trees for mapping metrics to business goals, built-in Experimentation tools, Session Replay and Heatmaps for understanding user behavior, AI-powered insights for detecting anomalies and patterns, and Trusted Metrics and Governance for consistent metric definitions. It also offers Warehouse and Ecosystem Integrations for syncing data with data warehouses.
NLX announced a freemium pricing model for its AI platform. Users can build AI-powered conversational experiences without configuring additional services like a voice channel or a large language model. Users can connect to an LLM provider of their choice or use their keys through the NLX platform.
Omnisend introduced new AI tools for its email and SMS marketing platform. These tools are designed to make it easier for marketers to write subject lines, preheaders and email content. The features include generators that suggest subject lines and preheaders based on past performance, as well as tools that create email copy in different languages using past campaign data and brand voice.
PanTerra Networks announced Streams.AI, a new AI platform. This platform brings customer engagement, automation intelligence and control to business communications in one environment. It offers call routing based on sentiment, caller history or real-time presence. It also has custom AI personalities that match a brand’s tone and dynamic fallback to human operators with conversation continuity. Speech-to-intent response matching provides faster resolutions.
Savant Labs launched its Summer 2025 Release. This update includes Savant’s Agentic Analytics Suite and Intelligence Graph. It also offers integration with Anthropic Claude and tools to move from older analytics platforms. The Agentic Analytics Suite has bot-driven agents: Fuse Agent for merging data, Infer Agent for adding external information, Shine Agent for cleaning data, Glean Agent for extracting patterns, Vision Agent for OCR and PDF extraction, and Stylus Agent for auto-documenting workflows.
Sitecore announced Sitecore.ai, a digital experience platform for marketers. It explores how content data and intelligence combine to power digital engagement. This platform makes it easier for brands to reach, engage and serve customers.
Wildfire Systems Inc. announced a solution that allows consumers to earn cash back and rewards from AI-assisted shopping. Shoppers can receive cashback through Wildfire’s browser extensions by interacting with product suggestions from AI tools like Google’s Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Anthropic’s Claude and Perplexity.
Wrike announced the launch of Wrike MCP Server. This server allows third-party enterprise AI agents, including Anthropic’s Claude, Microsoft Copilot and Perplexity, to securely access, analyze and act on work management data in Wrike. This links Wrike with CRM and marketing automation tools.
Wunderkind announced the release of Build with Wunderkind, an API-first integration suite. This suite gives brands and developers direct access to Wunderkind’s core functions, including identity resolution, behavioral triggers across channels and personalization intelligence. Build offers integration options like SDKs for capturing behavioral data and APIs for real-time data ingestion, identity resolution and message personalization. It also has Signals for integrating with messaging platforms.
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