YouTube to let creators generate AI twins in Shorts
YouTube plans to let creators create short videos using AI-generated versions of their own likeness, expanding the platform’s use of AI while introducing new controls to limit potential misuse.
YouTube CEO Neal Mohan announced the update on Wednesday in his annual letter, stating that creators will soon be able to produce Shorts featuring digital avatars of themselves. “This year you’ll be able to create a Short using your own likeness, produce games with a simple text prompt, and experiment with music,” Mohan wrote. “Throughout this evolution, AI will remain a tool for expression, not a replacement.”
X introduces Starter Packs for new users
It’s taken it a while to catch up, but X is now latching onto the “Starter Packs” trend that was first popularized by Bluesky back in 2024.
Starter Packs make it easier for new users to find relevant people to follow in a specific niche, which is helpful for new users when they first open an account. Discovery was a particular focus on Bluesky, given the variances in usernames from other platforms, so it launched Starter Packs in various niches and interests to help people make the switch to the app.
And now, X has its own variation, called, creatively, “Starterpacks” (the lack of a space between the words is the differentiator).
Google research points to a post-query future for search intent
Google signals search’s next phase: small multimodal models on devices infer intent from behavior before a query is ever typed.
Google is working toward a future where it understands what you want before you ever type a search.
Now Google is pushing that thinking onto the device itself, using small AI models that perform nearly as well as much larger ones.
What’s happening. In a research paper presented at EMNLP 2025, Google researchers show that a simple shift makes this possible: break “intent understanding” into smaller steps. When they do, small multimodal LLMs (MLLMs) become powerful enough to match systems like Gemini 1.5 Pro — while running faster, costing less, and keeping data on the device.
Google Ads Launches New Experiment Center
Google has launched a new help page introducing the Experiment Center, a centralized dashboard that brings together Experiments and Lift Studies in Google Ads. This unified hub allows advertisers to test campaign strategies and measure their impact more efficiently.
From A/B tests of campaign settings and assets to studies evaluating brand lift or conversion lift, the new layout simplifies the workflow and highlights key insights. Experiment types include:
- Experiments (e.g., bidding strategies, targeting, creatives)
- Lift Studies (e.g., brand awareness, search lift, conversion lift)
Meta to test premium subscriptions on Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp
Meta plans to test new subscriptions that give people access to exclusive features on it apps, the company told TechCrunch on Monday. The tech giant said the new subscriptions will unlock more productivity and creativity, along with expanded AI capabilities.
In the coming months, Meta said it will offer a premium experience on Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp that gives users access to special features and more control over how they share and connect, while keeping the core experiences free. Meta doesn’t appear to be locked into one strategy, noting that it will test a variety of subscription features and bundles, and that each app subscription will have a distinct set of exclusive features.
46% of AI assistant queries reveal marketers’ growing dependence on real-time performance insights
AppsFlyer, the Modern Marketing Cloud, has released its State of Gaming for Marketers 2026 report, revealing how the rapid adoption of AI, escalating creative output, and rising global user acquisition (UA) spend reshaped mobile gaming marketing dynamics through 2025. The report highlights how marketing activity is expanding faster than player attention, significantly raising the cost and complexity of standing out across iOS and Android platforms.
According to the report, AI-enabled production tools have driven a sharp increase in advertising volume, with creative output scaling rapidly across all spending tiers. In 2025, top gaming advertisers produced between 2,400 and 2,600 creative variations per quarter, marking a 25–30% year-on-year increase. This surge intensified pressure on paid acquisition channels, as paid install share rose 10% YoY across platforms, while ad impressions climbed 20%, increasing competition for the same pool of players.
As marketing ecosystems became more fragmented, AI-powered tools emerged as an operational necessity rather than an experiment. The report notes that 46% of AI assistant queries focused on reporting and performance breakdowns, underlining marketers’ growing need for faster insights and decision-making amid rising data volumes.
And for news from BC Web Wise do check out how we handled the unboxing videos for the very intimate range of sexual wellness products from TTK Healthcare’s MsChief.
