AI tools and innovations that reshaped marketing in 2025

Artificial intelligence is no longer a distant possibility. In 2025, it is reshaping marketing, media, and creative industries with applications that go beyond automation, from autonomous decision-making and generative tools to personalised experiences and AI-powered discovery.

The impact is particularly pronounced in Southeast Asia, where interest in AI is reportedly three times the global average. Singapore, Brunei, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia rank among the world’s top 20 for multimodal AI adoption, according to a report from Google, Temasek, and Bain & Company in November.

Backed by a digital economy projected to surpass US$300 billion in gross merchandise value by 2025, the region is seeing AI transform eCommerce, digital media, advertising, and entertainment, offering marketers new opportunities to innovate while also challenging them to maintain meaningful engagement as audiences increasingly interact through AI-mediated experiences.

Below are some of the AI developments that have shaped the marketing, media, and creative landscape in 2025.

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Agentic AI expands autonomous capabilities 

The rise of agentic AI marks a new phase in artificial intelligence, where systems can act autonomously, make decisions, and execute multi-step campaigns on behalf of marketers. Unlike traditional AI, which responds passively to prompts, agentic AI can proactively initiate tasks, break down complex objectives, and adapt its behaviour based on feedback or changing conditions.

The technology promises greater efficiency, creative flexibility, and strategic precision. For marketers, it represents both new opportunities for engagement and increased pressure to adapt workflows around AI-driven processes.

Read more here.

ChatGPT Atlas redefines discovery

In October this year, OpenAI launched ChatGPT Atlas, a web browser built around ChatGPT that integrates AI directly into users’ workflows. The tool can summarise research, suggest next steps, automate tasks, or act on behalf of users, while keeping privacy and data controls intact.

The launch comes amid a shift in how younger audiences find information. Gen Z and Gen Alpha are increasingly bypassing traditional search, turning instead to social feeds, eCommerce platforms, and generative AI tools.

For brands, Atlas presents a new challenge: with AI curating what audiences see, marketers may need to rethink visibility, content strategy, and how to maintain emotional connections when AI mediates interactions with customers.

Read more here. 

Goku AI advances video creation 

ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, in February introduced Goku AI, an AI-driven video creation framework designed to generate high-quality videos in real time. Using deep learning techniques, the model can transform images, text, and motion signals into video content, including lifelike human animations with advanced facial and motion modelling.

Goku AI allows users to produce videos without traditional filming or editing processes. Its multimodal architecture integrates multiple inputs, such as static images, pre-recorded videos, and audio cues, to generate fully synthesised outputs. The model also enables adaptive video generation, giving users precision control over video elements for applications in entertainment, marketing, or virtual avatars.

Read more here. 

Google AI Max targets paid search

In July, Google rolled out AI Max, an update for Search campaigns that uses machine learning to match ads to a broader range of relevant queries, including those not explicitly targeted. The system also automatically generates and optimises headlines and descriptions based on user intent and landing page content and directs users to the most appropriate landing pages to improve conversion.

The update follows earlier improvements to Google’s ad quality prediction model and signals a shift in the digital advertising ecosystem. Industry observers note that AI Max could disrupt traditional roles for media and creative agencies while offering new performance opportunities for brands. 

Read more here. 

Meta AI enhances personalised experiences 

Meta has announced plans to expand Meta AI personalisation features across Facebook and Instagram. Starting 16 December 2025, interactions with the platform’s generative AI - via text or voice - will influence the content and advertisements users see.

The company says this approach aims to improve recommendations by better understanding individual interests and behaviours. “Soon, interactions with AIs will be another signal we use to improve people’s experience,” Meta noted in a blog post. The move reflects a broader trend toward hyper-personalised digital experiences aligned with modern consumer expectations.

Read more here. 

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