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Microsoft Corp. announced the following results for the quarter ended March 31, 2025, as compared to the corresponding period of last fiscal year:

Revenue was $70.1 billion and increased 13% (up 15% in constant currency)
Operating income was $32.0 billion and increased 16% (up 19% in constant currency)
Net income was $25.8 billion and increased 18% (up 19% in constant currency)
Diluted earnings per share was $3.46 and increased 18% (up 19% in constant currency)

“Cloud and AI are the essential inputs for every business to expand output, reduce costs, and accelerate growth," said Satya Nadella, chairman and chief executive officer of Microsoft. “From AI infra and platforms to apps, we are innovating across the stack to deliver for our customers.”

“We delivered a strong quarter with Microsoft Cloud revenue of $42.4 billion, up 20% (up 22% in constant currency) year-over-year driven by continued demand for our differentiated offerings,” said Amy Hood, executive vice president and chief financial officer of Microsoft.

According to reports, the company’s forward-looking guidance offered a measure of reassurance to investors, many of whom have expressed growing anxiety over the potential impact of newly imposed tariffs on the technology sector. President Donald Trump’s broad trade measures, announced in early April, have cast a shadow over global supply chains, prompting questions about the outlook for US tech firms. In this context, Microsoft’s confident forecast stood out.

Chief Executive Nadella, speaking earlier this year, outlined plans to invest $80 billion in fiscal 2025 to expand the company’s data center infrastructure, a move aimed at meeting the rising demand for artificial intelligence capabilities. Much of the required equipment is sourced internationally, leaving the company vulnerable to increased costs depending on the ultimate scope and location of the tariffs.

Business Highlights

Revenue in Productivity and Business Processes was $29.9 billion and increased 10% (up 13% in constant currency), with the following business highlights:

Microsoft 365 Commercial products and cloud services revenue increased 11% (up 14% in constant currency) driven by Microsoft 365 Commercial cloud revenue growth of 12% (up 15% in constant currency)

Microsoft 365 Consumer products and cloud services revenue increased 10% (up 12% in constant currency) driven by Microsoft 365 Consumer cloud revenue growth of 10% (up 12% in constant currency)

LinkedIn revenue increased 7% (up 8% in constant currency)

Dynamics products and cloud services revenue increased 11% (up 13% in constant currency) driven by Dynamics 365 revenue growth of 16% (up 18% in constant currency)

Revenue in Intelligent Cloud was $26.8 billion and increased 21% (up 22% in constant currency), with the following business highlights:

Server products and cloud services revenue increased 22% (up 24% in constant currency) driven by Azure and other cloud services revenue growth of 33% (up 35% in constant currency)

Revenue in More Personal Computing was $13.4 billion and increased 6% (up 7% in constant currency), with the following business highlights:

Windows OEM and Devices revenue increased 3%

Xbox content and services revenue increased 8% (up 9% in constant currency)

Search and news advertising revenue excluding traffic acquisition costs increased 21% (up 23% in constant currency)

Microsoft returned $9.7 billion to shareholders in the form of dividends and share repurchases in the third quarter of fiscal year 2025.

Microsoft Cloud and AI strength drives third quarter results

Meta Platforms, Inc. reported financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2025. The company reported stronger-than-expected first-quarter revenue on Wednesday, easing concerns over the potential drag from the US administration’s ongoing trade disputes and signaling a continued ramp-up in spending, particularly on artificial intelligence.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/digital/snap-posts-modest-revenue-beat-warns-of-economic-headwinds-as-advertisers-pull-back-63802.htm">Read more: Snap posts modest revenue beat, warns of economic headwinds as advertisers pull back</a>

The tech giant, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, posted revenue of $42.3 billion for the quarter ending March 31. The company also projected that revenue for the current quarter would meet market expectations, despite growing uncertainty tied to global trade tensions.

"We've had a strong start to an important year, our community continues to grow and our business is performing very well," said Mark Zuckerberg, Meta founder and CEO. "We're making good progress on AI glasses and Meta AI, which now has almost 1 billion monthly actives."

Advertising, which accounts for roughly 98 percent of Meta’s revenue, remains the company’s financial engine and critical to funding its costly expansion into AI. Meta is increasingly relying on artificial intelligence to improve ad targeting and customize user content across its platforms, while also investing billions to keep pace with rivals like OpenAI and Alphabet’s Google in developing large language models and conversational bots.

Meta now expects to spend between $64 billion and $72 billion this year. 

Zuckerberg has previously signaled that Meta would pour “hundreds of billions” into AI in the coming years. That commitment appears intact, even as economic volatility grows and international competitors push forward.

"The pace of progress across the industry and the opportunities ahead for us are staggering. I want to make sure that we're working aggressively and efficiently, and I also want to make sure that we are building out the leading infrastructure and teams," Zuckerberg told investors on a call after publishing results.

Meta executives emphasized that the bulk of the company’s capital expenditures is being directed toward bolstering its core business — primarily the computing infrastructure needed to support advertising, rather than toward the development of generative AI technologies. To expand the reach of its AI offerings, Meta also introduced a standalone chatbot app, Meta AI, aimed at competing with services like OpenAI’s ChatGPT. 

First Quarter 2025 Operational and Other Financial Highlights

-Family daily active people (DAP) – DAP was 3.43 billion on average for March 2025, an increase of 6% year-over-year.

-Ad impressions – Ad impressions delivered across Family of Apps increased by 5% year-over-year.

-Average price per ad – Average price per ad increased by 10% year-over-year.

Revenue – Revenue was $42.31 billion, an increase of 16% year-over-year. Revenue on a constant currency basis would have increased 19% year-over-year.

-Costs and expenses – Total costs and expenses were $24.76 billion, an increase of 9% year-over-year.

-Capital expenditures – Capital expenditures, including principal payments on finance leases, were $13.69 billion.

Capital return program – Share repurchases of our Class A common stock were $13.40 billion and total dividend and dividend equivalent payments were $1.33 billion.

-Cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities – Cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities were $70.23 billion as of March 31, 2025. Cash flow from operating activities was $24.03 billion and free cash flow was $10.33 billion.(1)

-Headcount – Headcount was 76,834 as of March 31, 2025, an increase of 11% year-over-year.

CEO Outlook on regulatory landscape

"...we continue to monitor an active regulatory landscape, including legal and regulatory headwinds in the EU and the U.S. that could significantly impact our business and our financial results. The European Commission (EC) recently announced its decision that our subscription for no ads model is not compliant with the Digital Markets Act (DMA). Based on feedback from the EC in connection with the DMA, we expect we will need to make some modifications to our model, which could result in a materially worse user experience for European users and a significant impact to our European business and revenue as early as the third quarter of 2025. We will appeal the EC's DMA decision but any modifications to our model may be imposed before or during the appeal process."

Meta reports strong revenue, shrugs off trade war jitters as advertising, AI investment surge

As the Supreme Court of India raises serious alarms over obscene content on OTT platforms, a new and unsettling frontier has emerged: the use of generative AI to create soft porn content. This development is sparking outrage among industry leaders and cultural custodians, who are calling for immediate government intervention and even a complete ban.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/ott-news/breaking-sc-raises-concern-over-ott-content-govt-pushes-for-regulation-63471.htm">Read more: SC raises concern over OTT content, Govt pushes for regulation</a>

The Apex Court has issued notices to major players, including Alt Balaji, Ullu Digital, Mubi, Amazon Prime Video, and Netflix, as well as to tech giants like Google, Meta, and Apple. The move comes after a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) sought regulation of explicit material proliferating across streaming and social media platforms.

The PIL and subsequent court actions come amid rising public outrage over the type of content being pushed to digital audiences. Platforms like Alt Balaji and Ullu Digital have come under particular scrutiny for streaming titles such as Dulhaniya Beediwaali, Lust Party, Jungle Mai Dangal (on Alt Balaji), and Sarkaaye Lo Khatiya, Kundi Mat Khadkao Raja, and Painter Babu (on Ullu Digital) - content described as soft pornography under the guise of adult entertainment.

However, what has truly raised eyebrows is the industry's new frontier: AI-generated soft porn.

iTAP Entertainment and Gaming has reportedly taken this to another level. Their latest web series, including Lollita Bhabhi and Soundairya's EXperiments, feature actors who are entirely the product of generative AI - machines crafting explicit fantasies without any human performers.

Ajit Remje, Marketing Head at iTAP Entertainment and Gaming, defended the company's practices, stating, "We are not violating any law. In case there is any change in policy, we will abide by it."

Abhay Sinha, President of the Indian Motion Picture Producers Association (IMPPA), voiced grave concerns over the proliferation of such content. “This kind of crude material has a damaging impact on young, impressionable minds. The government is aware and has initiated discussions to frame tighter regulations. We were called for deliberations with a Parliamentary committee. It’s clear that obscene content—whether involving human actors or AI creations—must not be allowed to flourish unchecked,” Sinha asserted.

Sinha warned that if the industry fails to self-regulate, the entire OTT ecosystem could face stringent government oversight, potentially stifling creative freedom for responsible creators.

Echoing similar sentiments, Yusuf Shaikh, Founder and CEO of Janta Cinema and an Executive Committee Member of IMPPA, pointed out that generative AI poses even greater risks than traditional explicit content.

“With AI, it’s now possible to morph faces and mimic famous actors, inserting their likenesses into soft porn or worse without consent. This not only tarnishes reputations but could destabilize the entire entertainment industry,” said Shaikh. “We must draw a hard line. There should be an immediate ban on such vulgar AI-generated material.”

Currently, OTT content in India is regulated under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. These rules require streaming platforms to categorize content according to age appropriateness, implement parental controls, and maintain grievance redressal mechanisms.

However, critics argue that the regulations, while comprehensive in intent, have not kept pace with technological innovation like generative AI, which can blur the boundaries between real and fake, art and obscenity.

Cyber law expert Akshat Khetan, Founder of AU Corporate Advisory and Legal Services (AUCL), emphasized the urgent need for updated frameworks, “"In order to safeguard vulnerable audiences and ensure that the content complies with public morality, it is necessary to regulate over-the-top (OTT) content that contains obscenities." 

Khetan said, "As digital content becomes more widely available, a legal structure that protects moral principles while permitting artistic expression is required. These concerns are intended to be balanced by the government's Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021 which classify content, enforce parental controls and create grievance redressal procedures."

Experts point out that Generative AI, while offering unprecedented creative possibilities, must be used with caution and conscience. If misused, it threatens to erode trust, damage reputations, and invite heavy-handed regulation that could stifle genuine artistic freedom.

Independent legal counsel Gowree Gokhale says, "The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, the Information Technology Act, 2000, and other laws already define illegal content, including obscene material. Part II of the IT Rules, 2021, governs intermediary platforms, while Part III governs curated content platforms — both face distinct issues that are often wrongly conflated."

Gokhale elaborated, "Some parts of the Rules, including the Code of Ethics and the three-tiered enforcement mechanism, are stayed by the Delhi High Court; if found ultra vires or unconstitutional, a new law will be required. Pre-censorship is not advisable. Ambiguities in the Rules must be resolved for effective regulation, and enforcement should be the focus. Curated content platforms pushing boundaries should engage in dialogue with regulators. AI-generated content should not be treated differently from other content."

The Supreme Court’s intervention is not just a warning to content creators and platforms, but a call to action for the entire industry to rethink its boundaries.

As SC flags OTT obscenity, Generative AI sparks new 'soft porn' crisis

Meta is strengthening its commitment to the Indian media agency ecosystem by leveraging emerging technologies and platforms such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Reels, and Business Messaging to help agencies unlock new avenues for growth and future-proof their strategies.

At the recent Meta Marketing Summit – Agency Edition, held in Mumbai and Gurgaon, more than 350 senior agency professionals gathered to explore the evolving digital landscape and its implications for the future of agency-client relationships. The event emphasized Meta’s mission to empower agencies to become next-generation consultancies, capable of navigating and leading the next wave of digital disruption.

The adoption of AI and Generative AI tools is accelerating across agencies in India. These tools are streamlining creative development, enabling smarter audience targeting, and speeding up A/B testing—turning agencies into agile growth engines for the brands they represent.

“The agency ecosystem, which lies at the heart of India’s digital, brand, and advertising growth, is on the verge of a massive transformation. The evolving digital landscape—fueled by the rise of AI, short-form video formats like Reels, and Business Messaging—means that agencies of all sizes must adopt new skills to grow,” said Gaurav Jeet Singh, Director, Agency and VC Partnerships at Meta India.

He added, “Automation empowers agencies to scale more rapidly; the surge in short-form, engaging formats is reshaping the creative landscape; and messaging has revolutionized how people and brands interact. We’re working with agencies of all sizes to help them transform meaningfully and become future-ready to capture new business opportunities.”

According to Meta, one such success story is Sokrati India, which leveraged Meta’s Advantage+ Shopping Campaigns (A+SC) to drive performance across multiple accounts. Thanks to AI-powered automation and optimization, agencies are now better equipped to deliver measurable results in an increasingly competitive market.

India has emerged as the global leader in Reels creation, producing the highest volume of short-form video content each week. With the world’s largest community of Instagram creators, the market presents a unique opportunity for agencies to merge creativity with commerce.

“Reels is now a widely adopted product and a key component of the marketing strategies for nearly every brand we work with. We partnered with India Gate Basmati Rice to execute a mixed-creators strategy, working with 20+ regional creators and major celebrities to highlight its new packaging and reach a broader audience through Partnership Ads. The brand saw a 4.5-point increase in top-of-mind awareness versus the 0.9 APAC benchmark,” said Aakriti Sharma, Client Lead at Wavemaker.

This creator-driven ecosystem is prompting agencies to evolve from siloed media or creative roles into holistic brand consultants—capable of ideating, executing, and optimizing full-funnel strategies.

Messaging is quickly becoming a cornerstone of digital transformation in India. From generating leads with “Click to Message” ads to using the Conversions API for performance tracking, agencies are embracing business messaging to boost customer engagement and ROI.

“Performance media is now central to how businesses operate, with outputs increasingly tied to business outcomes. In today’s competitive environment, it’s essential for lower-funnel KPI campaigns to test, adopt, and scale emerging technologies and formats to maximize ROI,” said Iti Kaul, Head of Digital at OMD India.

Kaul continued, “Business Messaging on Meta has proven effective in delivering KPIs, such as high-quality leads at efficient costs, and has become a reliable part of our strategy for driving business results. Given WhatsApp’s widespread use across India, including in Tier-2 and Tier-3 markets, it offers a seamless platform to explore. Click-to-WhatsApp and Messenger Ads help bring engaged users from Facebook and Instagram onto WhatsApp, driving sales and other key business outcomes.”

Meta’s WhatsApp Cloud API now powers over 70,000 Indian businesses monthly—a number that continues to rise as more brands adopt conversational commerce. In response to this trend, Meta is co-developing custom solutions for agencies. A notable example is its collaboration with AdYogi to build a product performance management platform aimed at accelerating e-commerce growth through profitable catalog ads.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-marketing/meta-introduces-ai-powered-marketing-tools-to-help-brands-partner-with-creators-60395.htm">Read More: Meta introduces AI-powered marketing tools to help brands partner with creators</a>

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-marketing/meta-tests-ai-generated-comment-suggestions-on-instagram-60258.htm">Read More: Meta tests AI-generated comment suggestions on Instagram</a>

Meta’s big India play: Boosting media agencies with AI, Reels, and Messaging

OpenAI would consider acquiring Google’s Chrome browser if antitrust regulators compel Alphabet to divest the product, a senior executive at the artificial intelligence company said Tuesday, offering a rare glimpse into how competitors are positioning themselves amid the landmark antitrust case against Google.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/digital/a-watershed-judgment-google-illegally-monopolised-adtech-says-us-judge-62617.htm">Read more: A watershed judgment: Google illegally monopolised adtech, says US judge</a>

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/digital/google-settles-android-tv-antitrust-probe-with-%E2%82%B920-24-crore-payout-to-cci-62753.htm">Read more: Google settles Android TV antitrust probe with ₹20.24 crore payout to CCI</a>

Nick Turley, head of product for ChatGPT at OpenAI, disclosed the potential interest during testimony in the Justice Department’s ongoing trial against Google. The federal government is seeking to dismantle what it argues is an unlawful monopoly in online search and related advertising. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta ruled last year that Google had indeed monopolized the sector. Google has said it intends to appeal the ruling.

Google has not indicated that Chrome, which dominates the browser market, is for sale. However, Turley’s testimony highlights how a forced divestiture could reshape the broader technology landscape.

Turley told the court that OpenAI had approached Google last year seeking to integrate Google’s search API into ChatGPT, following difficulties with its existing search provider, which he did not name, Reuters reported. The report stated, according to internal emails presented during the trial, OpenAI reached out to Google in July 2023, expressing that access to Google’s search technology could help improve ChatGPT’s performance. Google declined the request a month later, citing concerns about enabling a competitor.

Turley testified that OpenAI currently has no partnership with Google. ChatGPT instead uses Microsoft’s Bing technology to supplement its responses with real-time data.

The Justice Department has proposed that Google be required to share its search data with competitors as a remedy for restoring market competition. Turley said such a measure could significantly enhance ChatGPT’s capabilities, particularly in delivering up-to-date, accurate information, the report added. 

In its defense, Google has emphasized that the case is not about artificial intelligence, pointing to the increasing presence of competitors such as Microsoft and Meta. Prosecutors, however, have argued that Google’s dominance in search could give it an unfair advantage in emerging AI markets, where search capabilities are deeply intertwined with product performance.

The trial has also illuminated internal Google documents that suggest the company had considered expanding exclusive agreements with smartphone manufacturers like Samsung. These deals would have included not only its search application but also its Gemini AI assistant and Chrome browser. While such agreements were not ultimately pursued, Google did enter more flexible arrangements with device makers including Samsung and Motorola. 

Google has pointed to these more recent, non-exclusive deals as evidence of its willingness to foster competition. But the Justice Department contends that more sweeping remedies are necessary. Among them: a ban on Google making substantial payments to secure default search status on devices.

The trial, which continues in Washington, is one of the most consequential antitrust challenges brought against a technology company in decades, with potential implications that stretch far beyond search.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/advertising/u-s-court-finds-google-guilty-of-monopolizing-digital-adtech-market-62611.htm">Read more: U.S. Court finds Google guilty of monopolizing digital AdTech market</a>

Google antitrust trials: OpenAI expresses interest in acquiring Chrome, should Google be forced to sell

OpenAI escalated its legal battle with Elon Musk on Wednesday, filing a countersuit that accuses the billionaire entrepreneur of a calculated campaign to undermine the company he once helped found. In a filing submitted to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, OpenAI alleged that Musk had engaged in a “malicious campaign” to obstruct its efforts to evolve into a for-profit business — a transformation the company says is vital to its survival, Reuters reported. 

The filing, submitted as part of an ongoing lawsuit Musk initiated earlier this year, seeks to bar him from what OpenAI describes as “further unlawful and unfair action” and urges the court to hold him accountable for what it characterizes as a pattern of disruption and interference.

Musk, who co-founded OpenAI in 2015 alongside current CEO Sam Altman and other tech leaders, parted ways with the nonprofit in 2018. In 2023, he launched xAI, a rival artificial intelligence company, and has since vocally criticized OpenAI’s pivot to a “capped-profit” model - a hybrid structure designed to attract commercial investment while preserving its nonprofit mission.

In order to close a $40 billion fundraising round, OpenAI must complete its corporate transition by the end of this year.

“Through press attacks, malicious campaigns broadcast to Musk’s more than 200 million followers on the social media platform he controls, a pretextual demand for corporate records, harassing legal claims, and a sham bid for OpenAI’s assets, Musk has tried every tool available to harm OpenAI,” the company wrote in its court filing as per reports.

In a separate post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, OpenAI accused Musk of acting in bad faith: “Elon’s nonstop actions against us are just bad-faith tactics to slow down OpenAI and seize control of the leading AI innovations for his personal benefit.”

Last month, xAI acquired a stake in X, in a deal that valued the social media company at $33 billion. 

Musk, who also serves as chief executive of Tesla and SpaceX, sued OpenAI and Altman last year, claiming the company had abandoned its founding mission to develop artificial intelligence for the benefit of humanity rather than profit. OpenAI and Altman have denied the allegations and accused Musk of attempting to derail a key competitor.


OpenAI countersues Elon Musk, accusing the world's richest person of harassment and sabotage

At the Storyboard18, Global Pioneers Summit, Kunal Shah, founder and CEO of CRED, offered a candid reflection on artificial intelligence, positioning curiosity—not expertise—as the key to navigating the accelerating technological landscape.

“The advantage of being ‘dumb’ is that you ask unlimited questions,” Shah said. “AI is magical for people like me who are perpetually curious.” Far from self-deprecating, his remarks underscored a broader point: those who embrace not knowing are often better equipped to harness the power of emerging tools.

Shah criticized what he called “expert denialism” of AI, contrasting it with his own relentless inquiry—“I ask around 100 questions a day,” he noted — fueled by AI’s capacity to deliver instant insight. He predicted that the technology will redefine creativity by enabling “hybrids,” individuals who use AI to think deeper and faster.

“True creatives will thrive,” he said. “AI offers prompts, feedback, and new perspectives. But those who rely on rote processes will be exposed.”


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Asked whether AI has lowered the creative bar, Shah offered a more nuanced view: “Originality is just connecting more dots across broader contexts. AI helps gather those dots faster. The challenge is making meaning from them.”

The advertising world, he argued, has already been reshaped. “You once needed a top agency to produce a good ad. Now, an intern with AI can replicate 80 percent of that.” As tools improve, so too will our ability to filter mediocrity and sharpen creative taste.

Shah also touched on shifting cultural dynamics, noting that digital saturation has dulled attention spans. “Younger people are perpetually bored. They’ve consumed everything - Korean dramas, global memes, TikToks. It takes more to move them.”

At CRED, that insight led to a deliberate break from convention. “No one knew what we did at first. That confusion got people talking. That was the win.”

He observed a generational power shift in households, with teens often driving digital adoption. “Every home has a de facto CTO aged 10 to 18. They’re also becoming the procurement officers. Businesses will cater to them.”

This generational shift, coupled with AI’s rise, may upend how we spend time and money. Shah divides transactions into two categories: boring (bill payments, errands) and interesting (experiences, entertainment). AI, he believes, will increasingly automate the former, freeing people to invest in the latter.

He warned, however, that AI may deepen existing divides. “In India, 20 to 30 million people drive the bulk of consumption. These consumers are already global in their tastes—and increasingly difficult to engage.”

Shah imagines a near future with radically diminished advertising. “Soon, TVs will skip ads by default. AI agents will shop for us without seeing a single brand message. That changes everything.”

Looking ahead, Shah’s concern is not technological progress but human adaptability. “The tech is outpacing our ability to keep up. Most people aren’t wired for constant reinvention. But some are. The question is: which kind are you?”

WATCH: Kunal Shah on AI, creativity, and the future of human adaptation

Meta has officially announced the launch of Llama 4, its latest suite of artificial intelligence models designed to power the company’s Meta AI assistant across web platforms and its social media apps, including WhatsApp, Messenger, and Instagram.

The Llama 4 family includes two downloadable models — Llama 4 Scout and Llama 4 Maverick — with a third, Llama 4 Behemoth, still in development. The company claims the new models set a new standard for performance and efficiency in AI, especially when compared to competitors such as OpenAI’s GPT-4o, Google’s Gemini 2.0 Flash, and Mistral 3.1.

As per Meta, the Llama 4 Scout is Meta’s compact model, designed to run efficiently on a single Nvidia H100 GPU. Despite its size, it boasts a massive 10-million-token context window — giving it significantly greater working memory than many competing models. Meta says Scout outperforms smaller models like Google’s Gemma 3 and Gemini 2.0 Flash-Lite across various widely used benchmarks.

Meanwhile, Llama 4 Maverick offers more robust capabilities, rivaling flagship models like GPT-4o and DeepSeek-V3. According to Meta, Maverick matches or surpasses these larger models in areas such as reasoning and code generation — all while using less than half the number of active parameters.

Still under training, Llama 4 Behemoth is poised to be Meta’s crown jewel. With a staggering 2 trillion total parameters and 288 billion active parameters, Behemoth is described by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg as “the highest performing base model in the world.” Meta claims it outperforms top-tier models like GPT-4.5 and Anthropic’s Claude Sonnet 3.7 on multiple STEM-focused benchmarks.

All three Llama 4 models utilize a “mixture of experts” (MoE) architecture, which dynamically activates only the necessary portions of the model for a given task, improving both efficiency and scalability.

Although Meta markets Llama 4 as “open-source,” the license restrictions raise questions. Specifically, companies with over 700 million monthly active users must obtain explicit permission from Meta to use the models. This stipulation has drawn criticism from groups like the Open Source Initiative, which argue that such restrictions prevent Llama from being classified as truly open-source.

Meta is set to share more about its AI ambitions at the upcoming LlamaCon conference, scheduled for April 29. The event is expected to provide deeper insights into Meta’s future roadmap for AI development and product integration. With Llama 4, Meta is doubling down on its goal to become a leader in the next generation of AI — offering cutting-edge performance while continuing to push the boundaries of what’s possible in open-access artificial intelligence.

Meta unveils Llama 4 AI Models, including the high-performance ‘Behemoth’

As the advertising world grapples with shifting consumer behaviors and economic uncertainty, WPP’s Chief Executive, Mark Read, is doubling down on artificial intelligence and a streamlined agency structure to chart the company’s future. In his latest annual statement, Read outlines an ambitious vision in which AI-fueled marketing and creative excellence redefine industry standards, even as macroeconomic headwinds and a turbulent Chinese market challenge growth. India is not mentioned in Read's statements. 

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/special-coverage/cci-raids-on-media-cartel-a-week-later-ad-agencies-still-in-the-dark-60176.htm">Read more: CCI raids on media cartel: A week later, Ad agencies still in the dark</a>

Industry transformed by AI

At the heart of Read’s strategy is WPP Open, the company’s proprietary AI-powered marketing platform. The system has become an increasingly indispensable tool, helping WPP craft campaigns with unprecedented efficiency and precision. With major clients like Google, IBM, L’Oréal, and The Coca-Cola Company adopting the platform, WPP Open has emerged as a key differentiator in an industry surpassing $1 trillion in annual revenue for the first time.

“AI is touching every single aspect of how we work,” Read asserts. “It’s augmenting creativity, increasing productivity, and unlocking new levels of media sophistication.”

To cement its technological leadership, WPP is increasing its investment in AI and data-driven marketing tools, raising its commitment from £250 million in 2024 to £300 million in 2025. The expansion of WPP Open’s capabilities—spanning audience testing, commerce activation, and media planning—has contributed to major client wins, including Amazon, Unilever, and Johnson & Johnson.

The financial reality: strong margins, slow growth

Despite the promising technological advances, WPP faces real financial challenges. The company’s top-line revenue fell by 1.0% in 2024, impacted by client losses, weaker discretionary spending, and difficulties in China. Read acknowledges that recovery will take time, expecting improvement in the second half of 2025 as the company’s strategic changes take effect.

“While we are cautious about the macroeconomic environment, our structural actions are setting the foundation for stronger growth,” Read explains. The company’s tighter operational focus has yielded efficiency gains, bolstering operating margins and improving cash flow, the statement notes.

A significant component of WPP’s restructuring has been the simplification of its agency ecosystem. The consolidation of its business into six primary networks - AKQA, Burson, GroupM, Hogarth, Ogilvy, and VML - has helped streamline offerings, improve collaboration, and drive new business performance. Meanwhile, the company’s divestment from FGS Global has sharpened its focus on core operations.

A changing media and brand landscape

The evolving role of brands in today’s media landscape presents both opportunities and challenges for WPP. The company’s work has been widely recognized, with Unilever named Creative Marketer of the Year at Cannes Lions and Coca-Cola winning Creative Brand of the Year for the first time in its history. GroupM, WPP’s media arm, also emerged as the leading media group at the festival.

Yet, Read acknowledges the growing complexity of brand positioning amid shifting social and political dynamics. In today’s contested public arena, brands must navigate competing audience expectations with care, he notes. WPP, he insists, remains committed to fostering a culture of inclusivity and ensuring that its workforce reflects the diversity of the global consumers its clients seek to engage.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/wpp-drops-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-language-amid-political-headwinds-60873.htm">Read more: WPP drops Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion language amid political headwinds</a>

He adds, "Like all companies with operations in the United States, we are monitoring developments and keeping any implications for our business under ongoing review. We will continue to meet legal requirements in all our markets."

Talent and technology

As AI reshapes the marketing landscape, WPP is investing heavily in upskilling its workforce. The company expanded its Future Readiness Academies in 2024, offering AI-focused training programs that have already seen 30,000 employees complete more than 108,000 lessons. Additionally, WPP’s partnership-driven credentialing initiative—with industry giants like Adobe, Google, and Microsoft—has resulted in 21,000 certifications for its employees.

Balancing the demands of hybrid work, WPP has also made a decisive shift back to in-office collaboration. Starting in April, most employees are expected to spend four days a week in the office—a move Read believes is essential for fostering creativity, mentorship, and cultural cohesion.

Looking ahead

With new leadership at GroupM and AI at the core of its strategy, WPP is positioning itself for a more competitive future. Read sees the convergence of AI, data, and creativity as the formula for success, enabling the company to deliver integrated marketing solutions at scale.

“Technology and AI are breaking down barriers between marketing disciplines,” Read says. “But at the core of it all, creativity remains our biggest advantage.”

As 2025 unfolds, WPP will seek to turn its AI investments and agency restructuring into tangible growth, proving whether its big bet on technology and integration can pay off in an increasingly fragmented advertising world.

WPP's Mark Read stresses on 'more efficient operations and strict capital allocation' amid market pressures

As artificial intelligence continues to revolutionize industries worldwide, Ipsos’ Shaun Dix delivered a compelling message at the Global Pioneers Summit 2025 on 'Misfits and the Machine: The role of AI in creative advertising'. Dix highlighted the crucial role of human intelligence in shaping compelling, high-impact campaigns.

AI is reshaping advertising, with major corporations like Procter & Gamble estimating savings of up to $700 million by leveraging AI for media and advertising. A recent McKinsey report projects $500 billion in industry-wide efficiencies through AI implementation. Despite these impressive numbers, Dix warns that AI-generated ads, when left solely to machine learning, often lack the emotional depth and cultural relevance that make campaigns successful.

Ipsos research confirms that while AI can enhance efficiency, it struggles to generate meaningful, effective ads without human direction. Dix presented case studies, including Coca-Cola’s AI-generated polar bear campaign, which succeeded due to its established brand assets. However, other fully AI-created ads, such as an Oreo campaign made by an independent YouTuber, failed due to a lack of emotional resonance and coherence.

“AI can generate content, but without human insight, it often misses the mark. It lacks the ability to truly understand human emotions, storytelling, and cultural context,” said Dix.

Dix emphasized that advertising effectiveness is amplified when brands take a misfit approach, one that breaks stereotypes and defies norms. Based on findings from Ipsos’ book Misfits, research shows that non-conforming ads perform 21% better than traditional, formulaic campaigns. “Predictable ads—like a car driving down a winding road—don’t engage audiences because our brains are wired to ignore what’s familiar. The most successful campaigns are those that surprise, engage, and connect emotionally,” Dix explained.

One of the most critical factors for success is empathy ads that resonate emotionally with viewers tend to have a 20% higher impact than standard campaigns. Ipsos research found that this effect is even stronger on social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook, where empathy-driven ads are significantly more memorable than traditional TV or online video ads.

While AI struggles with originality and emotional depth, when paired with human intelligence, it can be a powerful tool. Dix pointed to Heinz’s AI-driven campaign, which successfully used AI to generate ketchup images while maintaining a humorous and human-centric approach. Additionally, AI-generated Porsche ad achieved a strong creative effectiveness score of 134, proving that AI can be a valuable asset when guided by human creativity.

“The best results come from blending AI capabilities with human ingenuity. The future of advertising lies in leveraging AI to enhance, not replace, creativity—ensuring campaigns remain relevant, original, and emotionally resonant,” he said. 

More about the Storyboard18 Global Pioneers Summit

The Global Pioneers Summit is a celebration and exploration of the transformative potential of creativity, empowering individuals and businesses to think differently, act boldly, and craft a future that resonates with purpose and vision. Creativity is not just about artistic expression — it is a force for solving real-world problems, innovating products, and creating connections in ways that traditional methods cannot. And there are pioneers behind this shift, who have dared to think different.

The Global Pioneers Summit stands as a premier celebration of the visionary forces propelling businesses forward, spotlighting the global brands emerging from India — an ever-growing hub of creativity and innovation on the world stage.

From groundbreaking innovations to impactful storytelling, key decision-makers and innovators from business, marketing, advertising, tech, and academia exchange insights, build connections, and draw inspiration from some of the most compelling work driving industries forward globally.

In today's rapidly evolving world, creativity can be a powerful force to drive business growth, shape industries, and influence societal behavior, culture, and values. Storyboard18 Global Pioneers Summit puts the spotlight on the true purpose and power of creativity and the pioneers leading the way.

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