In today’s Digest, we cover UK ad exports reaching £19.4bn, Tencent readying an AI agent for China’s most-used app, and Anthropic making its public market debut amid the AI surge. 

UK ad exports hit £19.4bn

The UK advertising industry recorded a new export milestone in 2025, with overseas sales of advertising services reaching £19.4bn, according to a report from the Advertising Association and Credos, making advertising one of the fastest-growing UK service exports and reinforcing the country’s position as the world’s second-largest advertising exporter. The sector also generated a £4.2bn trade surplus, with the US remaining its largest international market, accounting for £5.5bn in exports.

The report argues that UK advertising plays a broader economic role by helping businesses compete internationally through creative, strategic, technological and data-driven services.

Tencent nears launch of AI agent for WeChat

Tencent is reportedly preparing to launch an AI agent within WeChat, a move that could significantly expand the capabilities of China’s most widely used app. The company is currently testing a prototype that allows users to complete tasks through conversational prompts and is expected to begin the regulatory compliance process required for public release in the coming weeks. Following approval, Tencent plans to conduct limited external testing before rolling out the feature more broadly.

The AI agent is designed to integrate with WeChat’s vast ecosystem of mini-apps, enabling users to perform actions such as discovering services, making purchases and completing transactions directly from a chat interface. 

Anthropic goes public

Anthropic, the company behind the Claude AI chatbot, has begun the process of becoming a publicly traded company, signalling one of the most closely watched public listings in the artificial intelligence sector. An initial public offering (IPO) would allow the company’s shares to be traded on a stock exchange and would require greater financial transparency, offering investors their first detailed look at the company’s revenues, profitability and overall business performance.

The planned listing comes as investor interest in AI companies continues to surge, with leading developers seeking new sources of capital to fund rapid growth and expanding infrastructure needs.