Signed columns from the editorial team. Argument, not reporting.
On 18 June 2026, Google published a public policy post announcing it would pay websites whose content contributes to the "freshness and factuality" of its generative AI responses.
Two things happened within 24 hours of each other, and the coincidence is uncomfortable for anyone who buys AI services on the strength of a safety score. On 9 September 2026, Jacob Coxon posted a resignation thread that named both Anthropic and OpenAI directly.
Put two numbers next to each other and see what happens. CMOs are allocating an average of 15.3 per cent of their marketing budgets to AI in 2026, but only 30 per cent of their organisations have the readiness to scale it.