Consumer behavior is predictably unpredictable, says Vidhya Srinivasan, vice president and general manager of Google Ads, but AI advancements have found new ways for businesses to reach people with engaging experiences on Google and YouTube. 

"Capturing people’s attention today is a big challenge," Srinivasan wrote. She added that helping businesses solve it is a top priority. 

Srinivasan on Monday published her 2025 letter to the industry, sharing insights on how consumer behavior is changing and ways that Google can help. She also announced this year's Google Marketing Live event, scheduled for May 21.

"I see vast opportunities to help businesses create relevant, interactive and beautiful content that feels tailor-made for each person’s interests," she wrote. 

People come to Google with questions and to shop more than a billion times a day. Google's internal data suggests consumers say they used Google or YouTube in about two-thirds of their purchases where a new brand, product or retailer was discovered.

On YouTube, creators have become a major part of the discovery, particularly younger audiences like Gen Z. This demographic drives watch-time growth on YouTube, Srinivasan wrote.

Online users are 98% more likely to trust the recommendations of creators on YouTube compared to other social platforms, according to 2023 data. Increasingly, people watch their favorite creators, sports and other content on their TVs -- about 1 billion hours daily.

After attending AI Live in San Francisco, Brian Pitz, Wall Street analyst at BMO Capital, wrote in a research brief that "AI will meaningfully impact every industry over time." 

"A prominent AI investor highlighted the entertainment sector as an example, suggesting anyone not leveraging gen AI would go out of business," Pitz wrote. "Another speaker discussed finance, law, and biotech sectors where knowledge work will be meaningfully impacted."

It's not just advertising where Google has seen AI advancements. The company believes the technology also can protect consumer health and nature. 

Mike Werner, head of sustainability programs & innovation at Google, announced in a post published today that Google launched its first accelerator focused on startups using technology to protect, manage and restore nature.

“The World Economic Forum has identified biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse as top global risks over the next 10 years,” he wrote. “Mitigating this risk requires advancements in data collection, insights and modeling and decision-making capabilities — which is why we’re supporting the best startups in the world to target this issue.”

It’s a 10-week virtual program that included mentoring and technical support from Google engineers and experts through a mix of one-on-one and group learning sessions.

Google also announced the open-source release of SpeciesNet, an AI model designed to identify animal species by analyzing photos from camera traps.

Aashima Gupta, global director for Healthcare Strategy & Solutions at Google Cloud, announced today while still in the early stages, researchers are exploring AI agents for a variety of uses, including personalized medicine, remote patient monitoring and drug discovery and development.

Basalt Health, which is working with Google, launched advanced AI agents to support medical assistants (MAs). These agents help MAs get ready for upcoming patient visits by preparing patient charts and performing administrative tasks.

These agents help identify care gaps and potential health risks, such as flagging important screenings for mammograms or colonoscopies.