Advertising Revenue

AI search adoption is surging, with Google integrating AI Overviews, yet Google’s ad revenue surprisingly increased by 14%. This is because Google embeds ads within AI responses, potentially undermining the purpose of AI search – avoiding ads. While websites in AI results gain traffic, overall click-through rates to content websites decrease. Google defends against claims of declining traffic. The long-term impact includes a potential decline in high-quality content and increasing margin of error as AI uses AI-generated content for learning, and possible antitrust conflicts.

Bilibili’s 2025 “618” shopping festival saw significant growth, with advertising revenue from product sales up 41% year-over-year. The platform leveraged content creators (UP hosts), “Open Loop” strategy, and AI-powered tools to drive sales, particularly in digital and home appliance categories, boosted by government subsidies. Increased creator engagement, strategic partnerships, and AI-driven advertising optimization contributed to the festival’s success, attracting more advertisers and driving impressive results for brands like Lenovo and Autofull.