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Welcome back to The Brief by Kuro House, your daily pulse on the ever-evolving world of marketing, media, and tech. Today, we’re diving into a whirlwind of stories that reveal how AI is shaking up the industry, a surprising outlier in the AI revolution, and some major moves from top players in advertising and media. Let’s get into the details.

First up, an intriguing leadership shakeup at Momentum Worldwide. According to Adweek, Jason Snyder, who recently held the role of Global Chief AI Officer at the Interpublic Group-owned agency, has exited after nearly 13 years to go all-in on his data startup, Supertruth. Snyder’s journey at Momentum began back in 2013 as Global Chief Technology Officer, and this year he took on the AI mantle. He emphasizes this is less a departure from the ad world and more an evolution—he’s not leaving advertising and media behind, but rather shifting his focus from how brands engage with people to how data engages with society. Snyder’s move underlines a growing trend: seasoned agency leaders are betting big on data-driven innovation, aiming to shape not just brand-consumer relationships but the broader societal impact of data itself.

Speaking of AI-driven futures, Meta just made a bold announcement that could redefine how brands and shoppers interact on its platforms. As reported by Adweek, Meta has unveiled a suite of AI agents—think digital assistants designed to automate everything from product discovery to sales conversations. The flagship tool, called Business AI, acts as a sales agent for eligible U.S. brands, taking CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s vision one step closer to reality. The ultimate goal? Advertisers could eventually hand over their budgets and objectives, letting Meta’s AI handle the rest. This move is a clear signal that Meta is doubling down on automation, betting that the future of advertising will be less about manual campaign management and more about intelligent systems optimizing for results in real time.

Now, let’s turn to the world of podcasting, where a surprising disconnect is playing out. At the IAB Podcast Upfront in Manhattan, industry leaders talked up the intimacy and authenticity of podcasts, but conspicuously skipped over the topic of AI. That’s odd, given the rest of media is obsessed with AI’s impact. The omission stands out even more against the backdrop of a startup called Inception Point AI, which has stirred controversy by using AI-generated personalities to churn out thousands of podcast episodes a week—at just $1 per episode. Industry insiders have dismissed this as “slop,” arguing that podcasting is protected by its authentic, human connection. Greg Glenday, CEO of Acast, says their pitch to advertisers is authenticity, and that’s their moat. Others agree, suggesting that while AI might take over commodity content like news or weather recaps, the core of podcasting—personality and connection—remains safe. But Inception Point’s cofounder, Jeanine Wright, argues the technology is advancing fast, and the industry may be underestimating what AI can do. With over 4,000 AI-generated shows already live, the debate is heating up: will authenticity hold the line, or will AI find a way in?

Meanwhile, over at Publicis Groupe, AI isn’t just a talking point—it’s becoming the backbone of their production business. Adweek reports that Deepti Velury has been appointed as Publicis’s first-ever Global CEO of Production. Her mission? To unify the company’s global studios, hubs, and AI platforms under a single, cohesive strategy. Velury, who previously drove technology transformation at Epsilon, will now lead the charge to integrate data, technology, and measurement across Publicis’s production capabilities. This strategic shift is supported by the launch of Leona, an “end-to-end agentic AI content engine” that leverages Publicis’s connected identity data to generate and adapt creative assets. It’s a clear sign that the future of production is not just about creative talent, but also about harnessing AI to deliver at scale and with precision.

Finally, let’s check in on the latest cable news ratings, courtesy of Adweek’s TVNewser. The week of September 22 saw MSNBC as the only major cable news network to avoid declines in both total viewers and the coveted Adults 25-54 demo during primetime and total day. As MSNBC approaches a major transition away from NBCUniversal News Group, it’s holding steady: primetime viewership averaged 853,000, with a slight uptick in the key demo. Fox News, still the most-watched network overall, experienced notable declines—down 8% in total viewers and 14% in the demo compared to the previous week. CNN also saw drops, though less severe. Year-over-year, Fox News is up in total viewers but down in the demo, while MSNBC and CNN are down across the board. Notably, Fox News still dominates the top 15 most-watched cable news shows, with The Five and Gutfeld! leading the pack, but The Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC remains a standout, breaking into the top 10. The numbers show a shifting but still fiercely competitive landscape, with legacy brands adapting to new audience habits and market pressures.

That’s it for today’s edition of The Brief by Kuro House. Whether it’s the relentless march of AI, strategic leadership moves, or the ebb and flow of audience attention, one thing is clear: staying sharp means staying curious. Thanks for tuning in—keep questioning, keep learning, and we’ll see you tomorrow.