Why WPP’s AI boss believes agents are still in the ‘teenage sex’ stage of development

WPP’s chief AI officer has a theory about agentic AI. It is, Dr Daniel Hulm told attendees at the IAB U.K. ‘s AI growth summit in the “teenage sex phase” — everyone thinks everyone else is doing it but when they actually look, they’re not. 

It’s a crude metaphor. It’s also probably accurate.

The past 12 months have produced a remarkable volume of agentic AI announcements from across the industry. Holdcos have unveiled AI operating systems, ad tech vendors have launched agentic campaign creation tools. Consultancies have published frameworks, CMOs have given keynote speeches about the autonomous future of marketing. And yet, when the people who are supposed to be deploying the tech — the agency traders, the media planners ad the campaign managers — are pressed, the honest answer is usually a version of: “we’re exploring it, we’re in pilot or we’re building the business case.”

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Walmart warns it may have to raise prices due to fuel costs

This story was first published by Digiday sibling Modern Retail.

Higher fuel prices due to the war with Iran are putting pressure on Walmart’s customers and supply chain, and could lead to higher price tags on the shelf.

Consumers may face higher retail prices in the coming months due to higher-than-planned fuel costs in global distribution and fulfillment operations and the rising cost of food manufacturing, CFO John David Rainey warned on a call with investors Thursday morning.

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