Another Crazy Day in AI: Reaching More With Less Guesswork

Hello, AI Enthusiasts.

Hope the inbox isn’t too full—here’s what you actually missed today.

Google’s new AI Max could quietly reshape digital ads by letting campaigns stretch beyond exact keywords. Great for reach—less great for relevance?

But while AI tools promise ease, new research shows that disclosing their use might hurt your credibility at work. So now even transparency has a trust problem?

And in case you thought it was just you—two AI experts wrote a whole book arguing the hype has gone too far.

We’ll be here, watching the waves.

Here's another crazy day in AI:

• Google Ads rolls out smarter search campaigns

• Disclosing AI use at work may erode trust, study says

• New AI book aims to pop the tech hype bubble

• Some AI tools to try out

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TODAY'S FEATURED ITEM: Get Found in More Searches

Image Credit: Wowza (created with Ideogram)

How do you make sure your ads are showing up when people are searching for what you offer — even if they’re not using your exact keywords?

In a world where searches are more nuanced and visual than ever, Google is giving advertisers a powerful upgrade to stay ahead.

Google Ads introduces AI Max for Search campaigns, a new suite of AI-powered features designed to help advertisers adapt to how search behavior is evolving. Brian Burdick, Senior Director of Product Management at Google Ads, outlines this update in a recent post on the Google Ads & Commerce Blog. He explains how AI Max aims to help advertisers reach broader, more relevant queries, and improve ad performance with minimal manual effort.

AI Max for Search campaigns helps you capture new search opportunities and show users relevant content based on their interests | Source: Google

Here’s a look at what it brings:

• AI-generated headlines and descriptions pull from your website and current assets

• Broad match becomes more flexible, capturing a wider range of search intent

• Controls for location, audience, and brand help refine what gets shown and to whom

• Ads can now be generated and adapted dynamically based on what people are searching for

• Early testers like L’Oréal and MyConnect report higher conversions with fewer tweaks

• Global beta rollout starts this month for advertisers who want to test it out

Use locations of interest to reach specific customers based on their geographical interest | Source: Google

What’s interesting here isn’t just that AI is being layered onto ad creation—it's how this update reflects a growing need to keep pace with how people actually search today. We’re seeing less literal keyword matching and more interest in how context, behavior, and even visuals shape a query. This creates new challenges for marketers who’ve historically relied on tightly structured keyword strategies.

At the same time, adopting these kinds of tools raises questions around creative control, measurement, and trust. Advertisers might benefit from broader exposure, but there’s always a trade-off when automation takes on more of the decision-making. For teams willing to experiment, AI Max could offer a practical way to extend reach and cut down on manual work—but only if it’s approached with clarity on goals, guardrails, and where human judgment still matters.

Read the announcement here.

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OTHER INTERESTING AI HIGHLIGHTS:

Disclosing AI Use at Work May Erode Trust, Study Says

/Oliver Schilke, Director of the Center for Trust Studies & Professor; Martin Reimann, Associate Professor of Marketing, on The Conversation

New research from the University of Arizona reveals a surprising paradox: disclosing that you've used AI at work can reduce how trustworthy others perceive you to be. Across 13 studies with over 5,000 participants, the researchers found that transparency about AI use—especially in tasks requiring effort and creativity—undermines credibility. Interestingly, even tech-savvy individuals were less trusting of disclosed AI use. However, the researchers warn that secretly using AI and being exposed later can be even more damaging to trust.

Read more here.

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New AI Book Aims to Pop the Tech Hype Bubble

/Troy Wolverton, Examiner Staff Writer, on San Francisco Examiner

In their upcoming book, “The AI Con: How to Fight Big Tech’s Hype and Create the Future We Want,” researchers Emily Bender and Alex Hanna argue the industry is surrounded by a parallel bubble of hype. | Jacket design by Kris Potter/Courtesy of

AI researchers Emily Bender and Alex Hanna aim to cut through the industry hype with their new book The AI Con, calling attention to how AI is misrepresented and often built on exploitative practices. Drawing on years of research and insider experience, the authors argue that generative AI is more marketing term than transformative technology. They encourage readers to question inevitability narratives and demand more ethical, transparent, and human-centered approaches to technology. Their mission: empower everyday users to challenge AI myths and reclaim agency in shaping its future.

Read more here.

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SOME AI TOOLS TO TRY OUT:

• Dubb – Grow sales with AI, automation, and video.

• Dash – Connect apps and take action using plain English.

• Promptize – Instantly improve prompts across AI tools for better results.

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That’s a wrap on today’s Almost Daily craziness.

Catch us almost every day—almost! 😉

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EXCITING NEWS:

The Another Crazy Day in AI newsletter is on LinkedIn!!!

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