This week, AI innovation, streaming expansion, and advertising transformation dominated headlines as ad tech and media giants pushed deeper into the future of digital consumption. In today’s MadTech Daily, we look at The Telegraph and AMI launching a £1m media fund, and Murdoch acquiring Vox Media, New York Magazine, and a podcast network. 

Google led the week’s AI headlines with the unveiling of Gemini 3.5 Flash at its annual I/O conference in Mountain View. The company says the new model delivers stronger coding performance and improved autonomous task execution at a lower operating cost.

Meanwhile, the UK advertising industry is preparing for a major global showcase as the Advertising Association confirmed it will once again lead a government-backed trade mission to Cannes Lions this June. The initiative aims to strengthen Britain’s standing as a global exporter of advertising and marketing services by helping companies forge international partnerships and unlock growth opportunities abroad.

The AI rivalry between Musk and OpenAI also took another turn after a California court dismissed Musk’s lawsuit against Sam Altman and OpenAI, ruling that the claims fell outside the legal time limit. 

Streaming platforms continued expanding beyond traditional video content. HBO Max announced the rollout of podcasts across its European platform, adding companion audio programming, creator discussions, and franchise-led storytelling extensions in a bid to deepen audience engagement.

The future of traditional broadcasting also came into focus in the UK, where the Government is reportedly preparing a Green Paper exploring a potential shift away from terrestrial television signals toward internet-based streaming delivery. 

In AI safety and regulation, Anthropic is set to brief global financial authorities on cybersecurity vulnerabilities identified through its Claude Mythos Preview model. The discussions, reportedly requested by Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey, underscore growing concerns about the financial risks associated with increasingly advanced AI systems.

Finally, Netflix continued accelerating its advertising strategy, announcing plans to expand its ad-supported subscription tier into 15 additional markets by 2027. The streamer also revealed plans to incorporate podcasts and vertical video formats, reflecting broader efforts to diversify engagement and strengthen its position in the evolving digital advertising landscape.