In this episode of the MadTech Podcast, ExchangeWire head of marketing Grainne Reid is joined by co-founder & advisor Ciaran O'Kane and head of content John Still.

They discuss Omnicom's acquisition of Interpublic Group, OpenAI's plans to build out its team to develop ad platform integration and an announcement surrounding its video tool Sora, as well as new policies rolled out by Spotify for protect creatives from misuse of AI.

This week's stories:

FTC locks in Omnicom–IPG deal (AdWeek)

The Federal Trade Commission has approved a revised final consent order for Omnicom’s $13.5bn (£10bn) acquisition of Interpublic Group. The FTC conditionally cleared the deal back in June, on the condition that it wouldn’t deny ad dollars to publishers based on political or ideological views, unless directed to by a client. Following a mandatory public comment period, these conditions have now been locked in, adding a compliance monitor to ensure the restrictions apply only within the US. The European Union is still reviewing the deal. 

OpenAI’s Big Week (AdWeek, WSJ)

A recent job listing from OpenAI shows that the company is hiring a Growth Paid Marketing Platform Engineer to join their newly formed ChatGPT Growth team. The role will involve developing internal tools for ad platform integration, campaign management, and real-time attribution.

Elsewhere, OpenAI announced that video tool Sora will require copyright holders to opt out of having their property used for AI generation.

Spotify rolls out new AI policies to protect creatives (Marketech APAC) 

Spotify has introduced platform updates and policy changes which aim to protect artists, songwriters, and producers from the misuse of AI. One of the measures is stricter enforcement against impersonation, particularly through the use of AI-generated vocal deepfakes. Following the updates to its rules, vocal impersonation will only be permitted if the artist being mimicked has given explicit authorisation. 

Spotify is also introducing AI disclosures in music credits, which will allow artists and rights holders to specify how AI contributed to a track. Spotify said the move aims to increase transparency without penalising artists who use AI responsibly.