Advertisers often worry that automated systems like Google Performance Max (PMax) are placing ads in undesirable locations.  After months of claiming that exclusions can only be specified manually, Google has acknowledged that PMax actually allows advertisers to specify them using an API.  There’s a good chance that this will result in more exclusions and, thus, less inventory for Google to sell.

In-store audio platform Qsic has raised $25 million in Series B funding. Qsic offers localized in-store audio ads reaching some 100 million shoppers at point of purchase, with 70,000 speakers set to deploy over the next year. Qsic uses generative AI to create localized audio ads in real time, based on retailer data with details like local pricing, inventory and weather conditions.

ChatGPT is hoping to grab another slice of your attention with Pulse, a now-in-limited-preview feature that will proactively deliver daily updates on information it thinks you’ll find useful. The new service is positioned as a personal assistant that will select contents “based on your chats, feedback, and connected apps like your calendar.” Forget about privacy; the real question is whether this becomes a news source that gives ChatGPT the ability to shape your opinions.