What will AI actually change for marketers this year? Paul and Martin share their predictions for 2026 — from agentic Chrome to buying products without ever seeing them.

Welcome to the first episode of 2026. Paul and Martin deliver their annual predictions, covering everything from Google's inevitable agentic browser launch to the rise of in-chat purchasing, advertising inside AI conversations, and whether agency headcount will survive the year. This episode cuts through the hype to focus on what marketers should genuinely prepare for — and what they can safely ignore.

Key Takeaways

• Agentic browsers are coming: Google will likely launch a Gemini-powered agentic Chrome experience in 2026, following Perplexity's Comet and Claude for Chrome. Marketers who learn to brief browser agents now will unlock significant productivity gains.
• GEO interest will surge: Generative engine optimisation will become a mainstream concern as AI chatbot referral traffic grows. Expect platforms to develop better measurement tools, though the fundamentals of quality content remain unchanged.
• No major model number jumps: Neither OpenAI, Google, nor Anthropic will release GPT-6, Gemini 4, or Opus 5 this year. Instead, expect incremental improvements focused on computer use and agentic capabilities.
• In-chat purchasing arrives: Google's Agent Payments Protocol and Microsoft's Copilot Checkout signal that buying products directly within AI conversations will become standard by year-end.
• Ads enter AI chatbots: OpenAI is already testing ad formats internally. Expect sponsored content within conversational AI, though platforms must tread carefully to preserve user trust.
• Anthropic launches agent pricing: A dedicated agent subscription plan for teams — potentially $2,000+ per month — will emerge as the major AI labs seek higher-value enterprise revenue.
• Meta productises Manus: Following Meta's acquisition, expect agentic customer service bots via WhatsApp and Messenger, capable of handling orders, returns, and bookings.
• UK agency headcount may fall: The IPA's agency census showed 26,787 employees in 2024. Increased efficiency through AI could reduce that figure, though demand for AI-literate talent will grow.

What to Do Now

• Practice with browser agents: Try Claude for Chrome or Perplexity Comet now. Document your repetitive tasks step-by-step to prepare for more capable agentic tools.
• Track AI referral traffic: Monitor traffic from ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity in your analytics. Even 1% today will grow significantly.
• Prepare for in-chat commerce: Ensure your product information is machine-readable with clear names and structured data that AI can parse and recommend.
• Budget for AI advertising: Reserve experimental spend for AI chatbot ad formats as they launch — early movers may find arbitrage opportunities.
• Focus on first-party data: As AI assistants build deeper user profiles, your own customer data becomes more valuable for personalised campaigns.

Mentioned in This Episode

• Platforms/Features: Claude for Chrome, Perplexity Comet, Claude Cowork, Google Agent Payments Protocol, Microsoft Copilot Checkout, Manus, Do Anything
• Companies: Google, Anthropic, OpenAI, Meta, Microsoft, PayPal, Shopify, Stripe, DeepSeek
• References: IPA Agency Census 2024

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The AI model race intensifies as OpenAI rushes GPT 5.2 to market, whilst marketers discover a surprisingly effective shortcut to AI search visibility.

This week, we analyse OpenAI's scramble to compete after Google's Gemini 3 Pro and Anthropic's Claude Opus 4.5 threatened their dominance. We examine GPT 5.2's contested benchmark scores and whether the rushed release has created more problems than it solved. We also explore the resurgence of 2009-era SEO tactics for AI visibility, revealing how "best of" listicles are gaming generative search results—and how long that window might stay open. Plus: OpenAI's enterprise adoption report, Gemini's new native audio translation, and Martin's bricked Limitless pendant.

Key Takeaways

• OpenAI's defensive launch: GPT 5.2 achieved impressive benchmark scores (53% on ARC-AGI vs 37.6% for Claude Opus), but user reports suggest degraded performance on real-world tasks, with concerns about benchmark optimisation over practical utility.
• AI search visibility follows old playbooks: Publishing "best of" listicles with your company ranked first is proving remarkably effective, with results appearing within 1–2 weeks rather than the 3–12 months typical for SEO.
• Enterprise adoption accelerates: OpenAI reports 8× growth in ChatGPT Enterprise usage, with workers reporting 40–60 minutes of daily time savings. 87% of IT workers report faster issue resolution, 85% of marketers report faster campaign execution.
• Model providers face different futures: OpenAI pursues consumer markets through a Disney partnership for Sora-generated content, whilst Anthropic and Mistral focus explicitly on enterprise solutions, such as on-prem deployments.
• Translation goes universal: Gemini's native audio model now supports real-time translation through any Bluetooth earphones, removing hardware restrictions that previously limited adoption.
• Projects over prompts: OpenAI reports 19× increase in custom GPT and project usage, indicating a shift from casual querying to repeatable workflow automation.

What to Do Now

• Test GPT 5.2 cautiously: If you have access, compare outputs against 5.1 for your specific use cases before switching workflows. Early reports suggest mixed results.
• Deploy listicle strategy immediately: Create "best of" articles in your category with your company ranked first. Include detailed comparison tables. Speed matters—this window may close as AI providers refine their models.
• Monitor your AI visibility: Check how ChatGPT Search, Gemini, and Claude answer queries about your product category. Track changes weekly to understand which content formats they prioritise.
• Audit your project setup: If you're using ChatGPT Enterprise, review whether your projects contain too much general context. More focused, use-case-specific projects typically perform better.
• Invest in genuine reviews: As AI providers wise up to self-published listicles, review platforms like Clutch, G2, or Google Reviews will likely become more important for AI search visibility.

Mentioned in This Episode

• Platforms/Features: GPT 5.2, GPT 5.1 Pro, Gemini 3 Pro, Claude Opus 4.5, Nano Banana, ChatGPT Search, Notebook LM, Sora, Microsoft Copilot Pro, Manus
• Companies: OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, Disney, Mistral AI, Limitless, Meta, HSBC, Boston Dynamics, Blend B2B
• Tools: Ahrefs, Clutch, G2
• References: ARC-AGI benchmark, OpenAI Academy, Ethan Mollick's prompt research, Moonshots podcast

Three major model releases in a single week, ads arriving in AI search results, and a landmark acquisition that signals where SEO is heading. Paul and Martin cut through the noise.

This week saw an unprecedented flurry of model releases: Google's Gemini 3 Pro stormed the benchmarks, only for Anthropic's Opus 4.5 to arrive days later with superior coding performance. We unpack what these advances mean for marketers, from Nano Banana Pro's near-production-ready image generation to Opus's orchestration capabilities for multi-agent workflows. Beyond the model wars, we examine Gartner's 2026 predictions—including a warning about critical thinking atrophy—and debate the implications of ads appearing in AI overviews. Adobe's $1.9 billion acquisition of SEMrush closes the episode, raising questions about the future of generative engine optimisation.

Key Takeaways

• Gemini 3 Pro benchmarks: Scored 45.8% on Humanity's Last Exam versus the previous high of 26.5%, and doubled ScreenSpot Pro accuracy to 72%—critical for agent-based computer use.
• Opus 4.5 efficiency: Achieved 81% accuracy on software engineering tasks using 12,000 tokens, while Sonnet 4.5 needed 22,000 tokens for 77% accuracy.
• Nano Banana Pro: Now handles up to 5 consistent characters and 14 objects in a scene, making product imagery workflows increasingly viable.
• Gartner's lazy thinking warning: Predicts 50% of organisations will require AI-free skills assessments by 2026 as critical thinking atrophies.
• B2B procurement shift: Gartner forecasts 90% of B2B buying will be AI-agent intermediated by 2028, pushing $15 trillion through agent exchanges.
• Ads in AI search: Google has begun placing sponsored links in AI overviews; reports suggest ChatGPT may follow.
• Adobe acquires SEMrush: The $1.9 billion deal validates generative engine optimisation as a strategic priority.

What to Do Now

• Test your own use cases: Benchmarks are directional; run Gemini 3 Pro and Opus 4.5 against your specific workflows before switching daily drivers.
• Experiment with Nano Banana Pro: If you need consistent product imagery, trial multi-character and multi-object prompts to assess production readiness.
• Protect critical thinking: Build review processes where humans form independent judgments before consulting AI—especially for strategic decisions.
• Prepare for agent-readable content: Convert key product documentation from PDFs to markdown to ensure AI procurement agents can parse your information.
• Monitor AI ad placements: Track emerging ad formats in Google AI overviews and prepare to test early for potential first-mover advantages.

Mentioned in This Episode

• Models: Gemini 3 Pro, Nano Banana Pro, Opus 4.5, Sonnet 4.5, Haiku 4.5, GPT 5.1, DeepSeek 3.2
• Platforms/Features: AI Overviews, AI Mode, Veo 3.1, Claude Code
• Companies: Google, Anthropic, OpenAI, Adobe, SEMrush, Microsoft, HSBC, McKinsey, Gartner
• Benchmarks: Humanity's Last Exam, ScreenSpot Pro, VendingBench, SWE-bench, GPQA Diamond

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