Beyond the gadgets, ad tech and AI are center stage at CES 2025

CES embodies all the excesses of Las Vegas — from the latest high-tech toys to extravagant suites in five-star hotels to exclusive parties with the likes of 50 Cent. This year, ad tech dominated the conference, an indication that it’s now the driving force of the advertising world.

People holding signs for the biggest tech companies in the world, from Google to TikTok to Amazon, were ready to usher executives up the special bank of elevators that led to suites reserved, presumably, for talking shop behind closed doors.

Beyond the buzz, though, three decisive themes emerged for the ad tech crowd: the domination of AI (once again), with 2025 touted as a “put up or shut up” year for the tech; a demand for better measurement from streaming and retail media players; and a desire to simplify the complexity of ad tech to better serve audiences.

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