Growth Ritual #67
📋 IN THIS ISSUE: Meta’s Ad Tools Redefine the Industry ~ ChatGPT vs Wikipedia ~ Machines Evolving Themselves
AI’s Creative Coup: Meta’s Ad Tools Redefine the Industry
Last week, Meta unveiled a game-changer: AI-powered advertising tools capable of generating hyper-personalized campaigns without human input.
These tools, set to fully automate ad creation by 2026, analyze user behavior, context, and even emotional cues to craft tailored ads in real time.
For brands like Nike and Coca-Cola, the appeal is undeniable—why pay premium agency fees when AI can deliver targeted, visually compelling campaigns at a fraction of the cost?
Meta’s system allows brands to upload a product image and budget, with AI handling everything from copywriting to audience targeting and visual tweaks based on location or user activity.
This marks a seismic shift, shattering the advertising industry’s long-held belief that human creativity was irreplaceable.
The “big six” advertising agencies—WPP, Omnicom, Publicis, Dentsu, Interpublic, and Havas—are now staring down an existential threat. Already battered by stock declines (WPP’s shares dropped 17% in 2024 alone), these agencies face a new reality where their core creative output is at risk.
WPP’s recent CEO departure signals the turmoil, as leadership grapples with an AI-driven future. While project management and media planning were early casualties of automation, the industry clung to the notion that ideation—the spark of human ingenuity—was untouchable.
Meta’s tools, alongside WPP’s own AI platform, WPP Open, prove otherwise, generating limitless creative assets and threatening to upend the entire advertising stack.
As one industry insider noted, “If AI can write the ad, pick the audience, and optimize in real time, what’s left for agencies to do?”
The numbers paint a stark picture:
Market Impact: The global advertising market, valued at $700 billion in 2024, could see 30% of creative tasks automated by 2027, per industry forecasts.
Job Losses: WPP’s CEO Mark Read admitted AI will reduce ad industry jobs, with estimates suggesting 20-25% of creative roles could vanish by 2030.
Cost Savings: Brands using AI-driven tools report up to 40% reductions in campaign production costs, making platforms like Meta’s irresistible.
Speed: Meta’s AI can generate and deploy a campaign in hours, compared to weeks for traditional agency workflows.
Yet, not all is lost for agencies.
Some argue AI will augment, not replace, human creativity.
Meta’s Chief Marketing Officer, Alex Schultz, insists AI frees agencies to focus on strategy and high-level ideation, while WPP’s 2024 annual report emphasizes AI as a tool to enhance creativity, not supplant it.
Coca-Cola, for instance, has used AI to personalize ads while maintaining human oversight to ensure brand alignment. But the reality is tougher: as AI tools become more sophisticated, the line between “augmentation” and “replacement” blurs.
Smaller agencies, unable to invest in proprietary AI, face the steepest risk, while the big six scramble to integrate platforms like WPP Open to stay competitive.
The question isn’t if AI will dominate advertising—it’s how fast.
By 2026, Meta’s tools could handle entire campaigns, from concept to execution, leaving agencies to fight for relevance.
For brands, the cost savings and speed are transformative, but the human element—storytelling, cultural nuance, emotional resonance—may still demand a role.
The industry’s future hinges on whether agencies can carve out a niche in strategy and oversight or if AI’s relentless efficiency will render them obsolete.
As one creative director put it;
“We thought creativity was our last defense. Turns out, it’s just another algorithm”
The ad world is no longer just adapting—it’s racing to survive.
The Shifting Sands of Information: ChatGPT vs Wikipedia
The numbers truly tell a compelling story about how information consumption is evolving.
While Wikipedia has been the steadfast pillar of online knowledge for decades, ChatGPT's explosive growth in the US, as evidenced by recent traffic figures, signals a significant shift in user behavior.
It's not just about getting information; it's about how we prefer to get it.
Let's break down some of the fascinating statistics that illustrate this dynamic:
ChatGPT's Unprecedented Ascent:
In April, ChatGPT recorded an astounding 780 million US site visits, demonstrably outstripping Wikipedia. This isn't a small margin; it's a clear indication of a rapidly adopted new paradigm for information access.
The average user engagement is particularly striking: users visit ChatGPT approximately 14 times, indicating a strong, recurring interaction. This isn't a fleeting curiosity; it's a tool people are integrating into their daily routines.
ChatGPT's speed to adoption is unparalleled: it reached 1 million users in just 5 days and 100 million monthly active users within two months of its launch in late 2022. This demonstrates an almost viral spread of its utility.
As of February 2025, ChatGPT boasts 400 million weekly active users worldwide, a significant jump from 300 million in December 2024. Its global presence continues to expand at a rapid clip.
Wikipedia's Steady but Shifting Landscape:
While ChatGPT has surged in the US, Wikipedia's global traffic remains largely steady. This suggests that while a segment of US users might be gravitating towards AI for certain information needs, Wikipedia's international reach and foundational role endure.
Despite the rise of AI, Wikipedia still holds a critical position: in March 2025, Wikipedia.org still attracted roughly 2.5 times as many unique visitors as ChatGPT.com, even if its overall site visits were lower in specific metrics. This indicates a broader, if less frequent, user base.
User engagement metrics for Wikipedia, while strong in their own right, differ from ChatGPT. Wikipedia's average visit duration is around 8 minutes and 44 seconds, and it has a higher bounce rate of 60.81% compared to ChatGPT's around 38.7%. This suggests users often find what they need and leave, whereas ChatGPT encourages more interactive sessions.
This evolving dynamic is a testament to the diverse ways we seek knowledge.
Wikipedia continues to be the bedrock of verified, comprehensive, and human-curated information, essential for in-depth research and learning.
ChatGPT, with its conversational interface and ability to synthesize information, offers a more immediate and personalized experience.
The future isn't about one replacing the other entirely, but rather about a landscape where both contribute to a richer and more varied ecosystem of knowledge.
The Autonomous AI Revolution: Machines Evolving Themselves
For years, the narrative around AI progress has been one of human ingenuity driving machine advancement.
We built the algorithms, we trained the models, and we refined the code.
But what if the machines could take over that evolutionary process themselves?
Sakana AI's groundbreaking Darwin Girdle Machine isn't just a step in that direction; it's a giant leap, fundamentally challenging our preconceptions about AI development.
This isn't another incremental improvement on existing models. The Darwin Girdle Machine introduces a paradigm shift by allowing AI to iteratively modify its own code.
Think about that for a moment: an AI system that doesn't just learn from data, but actively rewrites its own core programming to become more efficient, more powerful, and ultimately, more intelligent.
This self-improvement loop, validated empirically against benchmarks like Swebench, is a stark departure from the human-led development cycles we've grown accustomed to.
What makes this truly revolutionary is its embrace of a biological evolution model.
Just as nature experiments with variations without needing prior theoretical proof, the Darwin Girdle Machine tests code modifications in a similar, often "trial and error" fashion.
This "empirical validation" process means that instead of relying on human programmers to meticulously craft and optimize every line of code, the machine itself is constantly exploring a vast landscape of possibilities, identifying and integrating changes that lead to significant performance gains.
This innovation paints a vivid picture of a future where AI development is no longer bottlenecked by human limitations.
Autonomous Code Modification: The Darwin Girdle Machine fundamentally changes AI development by allowing systems to rewrite and improve their own underlying code.
Empirical Validation: Unlike traditional methods, this system validates changes through rigorous empirical testing against benchmarks, ensuring true performance gains.
Biological Evolution Inspiration: By mirroring natural selection and testing variations without prior theoretical proof, the AI can discover novel and efficient solutions.
Accelerated Advancement: This self-improvement loop promises to drastically accelerate the pace of AI innovation, moving beyond human-driven bottlenecks.
The implications are profound, hinting at a future where AI can evolve at a speed and scale previously unimaginable, ushering in an era of truly autonomous self-improving AI.
📌 Noteworthy Apps of the Week
Beno.one: Automates lead generation by monitoring Reddit for potential customers, crafting personalized AI responses to engage them. This streamlines customer acquisition, saving time and boosting conversions for businesses and marketers.
NotexApp: Transforms your notes into actionable tasks and shareable insights with AI-powered organization. Users can effortlessly capture ideas, manage projects, and collaborate in real-time, boosting productivity and clarity.
Postiz: Your ultimate AI social media scheduling tool, empowering creators, businesses, and agencies to manage posts, build audiences, and capture leads effortlessly. It streamlines social media growth with AI-powered content and image creation, comprehensive analytics, and cross-posting capabilities, boosting engagement and saving valuable time.
Concierge AI: Transforms how you interact with your applications by enabling natural language commands. It simplifies complex tasks, allowing users to effortlessly manage their digital workflow and boost productivity.
Gomega.ai: Delivers AI-powered SEO and ad solutions specifically for startups and SMBs, streamlining digital marketing efforts. It provides autonomous AI agents with human oversight to research, execute, and optimize campaigns, boosting online visibility and growth.
✨ From Our Community 🔦
Every week, we shine a light on the incredible businesses within our 156,000+ subscriber community to unlock new connections and opportunities.
SMAKK Studios: Strategic creative agency that helps purpose-driven brands stand out and drive growth. They offer comprehensive branding, packaging, and e-commerce solutions to connect with modern consumers and make a positive impact.
Opus Coffee: Offers a unique craft coffee experience, providing diverse blends, single-origins, and catering services. They foster a vibrant community hub in Gainesville, delivering exceptional coffee and a welcoming environment.
Renaissance Capital: Empowers investors with comprehensive IPO intelligence, offering pre-IPO research, market analytics, and investment products. It provides crucial insights to navigate the global IPO landscape, helping clients identify opportunities and make informed investment decisions.
Custodian: Custodian is a content-focused e-commerce agency, empowering global brands by seamlessly integrating with their teams to manage day-to-day operations. It helps small teams overcome overwhelming workloads, ensuring consistent content flow and long-term e-commerce success.
High Alpha: High Alpha is a venture firm that co-creates and invests in B2B SaaS companies. It empowers founders to overcome growth challenges by providing strategic guidance and capital, helping them build and scale their businesses to reach full potential.