A fresh warning from Wall Street suggests the wider business world is seeing almost no return on its huge AI bills, while the infrastructure powering the technology faces mounting political resistance. We also look at how search changes continue to bite event marketing, and what the latest wearable recording devices look like in practice.
In this round-up
A research note from Torsten Slok, chief economist at private equity giant Apollo Global Management, delivered a blunt assessment on 25 October 2026: artificial intelligence has produced zero financial payoff for corporate America outside the major tech firms. Looking at what Slok calls the "S&P 493" (the standard index minus the seven tech giants like Alphabet, Microsoft, and Nvidia), profit margins and revenue per worker have remained entirely flat. Slok pointed out that while software can act as a great calculator, corporate intelligence relies on judgement, trust, and unwritten rules that algorithms simply do not understand.
For agency directors and venue leads facing pressure from clients or boards to automate everything, this is a useful reality check. It does not mean you should bin your tools. Instead, it justifies taking a measured approach. Using AI to speed up drafting run sheets, proposal outlines, or supplier emails can save time on admin, but expecting software alone to transform your margins or replace seasoned account managers is wishful thinking. Stick to solving real, small operational problems rather than buying into high-ticket enterprise transformation promises.
Read more: techcrunch.com
Data centre expansion has grown into a major political flashpoint ahead of the US midterm elections on 3 November 2026, with 16 states proposing bans or restrictions on new facilities. Globally, there are now around 12,250 sites, up from 8,000 in 2021, with the UK and Germany leading Europe behind the US and China. Worldwide, these facilities now consume more electricity than the whole of France, prompting fierce local backlash over soaring energy use, noise, and water shortages for cooling. In the US, Elon Musk's xAI campus plans to use 41 methane gas turbines to power its Colossus 2 facility.
While this may seem remote from the exhibition floor, it will filter down into venue running costs and sustainability accounting. Venues across the UK and Europe are already under pressure regarding grid capacity, and computing footprints increasingly fall under corporate emissions audits. When corporate clients ask for detailed carbon reporting on your hybrid platforms, app hosting, or production setups, understand that cloud computing is no longer viewed as invisible overhead. There is nothing to do today, but expect sustainability questionnaires from corporate clients to become sharper.
Read more: bbc.co.uk · wired.com
The shift from traditional search results to AI-generated answers is fundamentally altering web traffic, according to an analysis published on 25 October 2026. Following the rollout of features like Google's AI Overviews and AI Mode, which synthesize answers directly on the results page, major publishers have seen incoming traffic plummet. Similarweb data showed search traffic to The New York Times fell from 44 percent to 35.5 percent over three years, as users read summaries rather than clicking through to original websites.
If your event relies on organic Google search to drive ticket sales, delegate registrations, or exhibitor leads, you cannot depend on traditional search engine optimisation alone. Search engines are designed to keep users on their own pages. To protect your visitor pipeline, focus marketing budgets on direct channels where you control the audience: clean, opt-in email lists, direct trade partner outreach, and community engagement. Treat web search traffic as a bonus rather than your primary registration funnel.
Read more: theverge.com
Hardware makers are pushing a crop of small wearable devices designed to record, transcribe, and summarise daily life. Amazon recently launched the Bee Frontier (£58 converted from $74.99) and Bee Eclipse (£77 converted from $99.99), both card-sized or clip-on microphones that transcribe conversations and provide key takeaways via an iOS app for £15 ($19) a month. Meanwhile, Limitless offers a £76 ($99) pendant aimed at professionals and journalists for transcribing meetings, while Friend 2.0 (£99, converted from $129) adds a speaker for conversational companionship.
For event organisers, production teams, and venue managers, continuous recording gadgets raise genuine on-site confidentiality and privacy headaches. If you manage closed-door roundtables, sponsor lounges, or Chatham House rule sessions, you should review your delegate and staff policies. A tiny pendant clipping onto a lapel or phone can easily bypass standard phone-recording restrictions. Make sure your on-site badges or room rules state clearly whether passive ambient recording devices are allowed.
Read more: techcrunch.com
Elon Musk's xAI released the first seven-minute episode of an AI-generated adaptation of "The Odyssey" on 23 October 2026, created with Wonder Studios and director Dev Walker. The project follows months of public promotion after Musk criticised Christopher Nolan's live-action version. Despite producing moments that passably mimic actors on a ship, reviewers noted the finished clip felt airless, heavy on repetitive voiceovers, and lacking momentum or dramatic tension.
The release is a helpful benchmark for anyone in event production exploring generative video for stage backdrops, opening stings, or promotional teasers. Generative tools can output impressive single clips, but weaving them into a cohesive story that maintains an audience's attention remains difficult. If you are experimenting with AI video for your opening plenary or an awards ceremony, use it for brief visual ambiance or abstract motion, not for driving your event narrative.
Read more: techcrunch.com
The moderators of Reddit's r/opensource community have sparked intense backlash after enacting new submission rules banning any project that uses, is made by, or is intended for artificial intelligence. Alongside this, the moderators introduced rules requiring projects to be at least a year old and effectively barred non-English speakers, claiming they cannot verify AI translation. The move has led to immediate protests and the creation of alternative communities.
There is nothing directly actionable here for planning an exhibition or managing a venue, but it serves as a stark reminder of the cultural friction surrounding AI. Many creative and technical professionals feel strongly about the uncredited use of data and the rise of automated content. If your agency is launching AI tools or marketing campaigns aimed at creative or software sectors, remember that vocal communities can react sharply to heavy-handed AI adoption. Handle client and attendee communication with transparency.
Read more: theverge.com