Grace Harmon

Los Angeles

Connectivity and Tech Analyst and Writer at EMARKETER

Tech & AI analyst/writer @eMarketer. Previously @LABJnews @knkxfm @AnnenbergMedia @thedaily. Grad @USCAnnenberg ‘22, @UW ‘20

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Articles

TikTok bets on AI to improve ad performance and aid campaign creation

4 days ago | emarketer.com | Grace Harmon

The news: TikTok launched a suite of AI-powered ad tools to improve personalization, search optimization, and ad placements. TikTok rolled out Search Center, an AI platform housed in TikTok Ads Manager that simplifies buying search ads with keyword suggestions and measuring tools. It also added a series of analytics offerings designed to expand TikTok’s creator ecosystem.
Meta to automate risk assessments and project launch decisions, reducing human oversight

5 days ago | emarketer.com | Grace Harmon

The news: Meta will automate up to 90% of all internal risk assessment procedures. Algorithm updates, new safety features, and changes to user guidelines will be almost entirely approved by an AI-powered system, per NPR, rather than by employees. Meta may also automate assessments for areas like AI safety, child safety, and management of posts with violent content or misinformation. Risk assessment in the EU would not be subject to these changes due to requirements for company oversight.
X launches encrypted messaging to challenge WhatsApp, Signal

5 days ago | emarketer.com | Grace Harmon

The news: X is rolling out an encrypted messaging service to users. The chat service, called XChat, will include features like disappearing messages, the ability to send any type of file, and support for audio and video calls. X owner Elon Musk said XChat will have “Bitcoin style” encryption and will be available to all users this week, barring any scaling issues.
Meta’s content moderation pullback cuts takedown errors, removals

1 week ago | emarketer.com | Grace Harmon

The news: Meta’s content moderation policy changes, including the end of its fact-checking program in January, have decreased content removal mistakes. Erroneous content takedowns dropped by half between Q4 2024 and the end of Q2 2025, per its Q1 Integrity Report. The overall amount of content that breaks Meta platform guidelines “largely remained unchanged for most problem areas.”What changed? Total removals, including for hateful content and bullying, fell as much as 50%.
Streaming dominates, but mobile owns short-form video

1 week ago | emarketer.com | Grace Harmon

The news: Most consumers split their media consumption across podcasts, gaming, music listening, connected TVs (CTVs), and social media. However, streaming services still reign supreme, per Deloitte’s 2025 Digital Media Trends report.
Opera Neon bets on built-in AI to compete in browser market

1 week ago | emarketer.com | Grace Harmon

The news: Opera is launching an AI browser with agentic abilities to rival Google’s AI Mode and Perplexity’s upcoming Comet. The Opera Neon browser has three main functions:Chat. The chatbot interface allows users to search the web, ask questions, and get contextual information about websites. Make. It can analyze data, generate code, and develop games, apps, or websites.
Fast AI customer service wins trust, but confidence hinges on transparency

2 weeks ago | emarketer.com | Grace Harmon

The news: Gen Zers are OK with companies using AI for customer service but still want transparency. Nearly half (49%) of UK consumers between the ages of 18 and 35 are comfortable with AI-generated communication with companies, per Quadient. Over third-quarters (81%) of UK consumers think AI use in customer service should be disclosed. Generational divide: Comfort with AI doesn’t equal confidence or respect across age groups.
DOJ’s probe into Google-Character AI deal could influence future AI partnership scrutiny

2 weeks ago | emarketer.com | Grace Harmon

The news: The Department of Justice (DOJ) is examining whether Google’s licensing deal with Character AI was designed to avoid regulatory scrutiny in violation of antitrust laws, per Bloomberg. The probe’s outcome could affect similar inquiries by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) into the Microsoft-OpenAI and Amazon-Anthropic licensing partnerships. What’s the deal? In August 2024, Google and Character AI, a chatbot startup, signed a “reverse acquisition” agreement worth about $2.7 billion.
Quick hits: Instagram’s creator payment push, Spotify cracks Apple’s defenses, Zoox comes to Atlanta

2 weeks ago | emarketer.com | Grace Harmon

Meta doubles down on creator monetization for user acquisition The news: Instagram is testing another pay-to-post program, offering creators money to help increase web traffic and account sign-ups. Influencers and creators can make $100 for every new Instagram user or 1,000 web visits to the app, up to $20,000. The test is open to US creators on an invite-only basis, per Business Insider. This sharpens Meta’s efforts to acquire users and boost content through monetization programs.
Microsoft builds out its AI pipeline from code to cloud

2 weeks ago | emarketer.com | Grace Harmon

The news: Microsoft rolled out a flurry of AI-focused updates at Monday’s Build 2025 conference, including infrastructure and developer tools across GitHub, Azure, Windows and Microsoft 365. Updates: Microsoft is expanding its AI system in several ways. Azure will host xAI’s Grok 3 and Grok 3 mini chatbots, part of a push to support a wider range of foundational models. The Edge browser is adding on-device AI APIs so developers can embed Microsoft AI models like Phi-4-mini into their apps.