Written by Kotori Tayama-Gannon

From policy to parody  

A group of 40 Australian founders under the age of 40 have united in a letter urging Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to reconsider proposed capital gains tax changes, warning the reforms could discourage entrepreneurship and future investment. 

While supporting the government’s move to remove negative gearing and the CGT discount on housing to improve affordability, the group argues extending the changes to productive asset investments could hinder companies looking to scale, from start-ups to established small businesses. 

In response, a growing social media campaign emerged, with users sharing AI-generated images of Anthony Albanese appearing as a business partner in a range of Australian companies, satirising the government’s proposed reforms. It has turned a complex economic policy debate into something far more visible online. 

As AI becomes more mainstream, the ability to quickly create and share trend-led content is playing a growing role in shaping political discussions online – ‘meme-fying’ matters and changing how audiences engage with them. 

OpenAI wins Musk showdown  

A federal jury has ruled in favour of Sam Altman and OpenAI, dismissing Elon Musk’s claims that the company abandoned its original non-profit mission by shifting to a for-profit model.  

Musk argued that Altman and OpenAI president Greg Brockman had betrayed OpenAI’s founding purpose – to develop AI for humanity’s benefit rather than private gain – and accused them of breach of charitable trust and unjust enrichment, seeking $134 billion to be returned to OpenAI’s non-profit arm and their removal from leadership. 

 After a three-week trial featuring testimony from Musk, Altman, Brockman and Satya Nadella, the jury found Musk had filed his lawsuit too late, agreeing he was aware of OpenAI’s commercial plans as early as 2017. Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers immediately dismissed the claims, handing OpenAI a major legal and reputational win as it moves toward a potential IPO, though Musk has vowed to appeal.  

The legal battle may be over, but the bigger debate around who gets to shape and profit from AI is only heating up. As the industry moves rapidly from experimentation to commercial scale, questions around ownership, control and accountability are becoming harder to ignore. 

Regional media takes another hit  

WIN Network will stop broadcasting Network 10 channels across Riverland, Mount Gambier and Griffith from 1 July 2026, removing free-to-air access to Channel 10, 10 Drama, 10 Comedy and Nickelodeon in those regions.  

The move reflects growing financial strain on regional broadcasters as advertising revenue declines and audiences shift to digital platforms. While viewers can still access content via the 10 app and 10 Play, Network 10 has warned the change will disproportionately affect regional Australians with limited internet access or low confidence using streaming services. 

This decline of regional broadcasting is another reminder that while media habits may be shifting, access still matters. The challenge now isn’t just keeping up with audiences, but making sure audiences can keep up too. 

Australians are scrolling more (but retaining less)  

We’ve all been there – you open your phone to reply to a message, and next thing you know, it’s 12 AM and you’ve spent the last hour mindlessly watching Reels. Sound familiar? Well, you’re not alone! 

A new report from Fujifilm suggests Australians are consuming more digital content than ever but engaging with it less meaningfully. It found that over half of respondents admitted scrolling out of habit rather than genuine interest, with 49% retaining little of what they see online.  

The research points to growing audience fatigue, driven by endless feeds, fast-moving trends and overly polished content, with 41% caught in “doomscrolling” loops and nearly half craving slower, more intentional media experiences. The findings reinforce a growing challenge: visibility no longer guarantees attention.  

As audiences become more selective, content that feels authentic, human and emotionally resonant is increasingly outperforming overly trendy, algorithm-driven strategies. Trust is also emerging as a key differentiator, with 59% more likely to trust content labelled as not AI-generated. 

Marketers must rethink their approach when cutting through the noise – and AI ‘brain rot’ taking over our feeds – by creating content with genuine human authenticity that’s worth slowing down for. 

TikTok expands AI ad toolkit  

On the flip side of AI content, TikTok has launched a suite of new advertising tools designed to make campaign creation faster and more automated, highlighting how quickly generative AI is reshaping digital marketing.  

Announced at TikTok World in New York, the new features allow businesses to generate video ads from simple text prompts, images or clips, create large volumes of creator-style content, and use AI to identify relevant influencers for campaigns.  

TikTok has also introduced premium ad placements within its search results, expanding opportunities for brands to capture users with high purchase intent. Beyond creative tools, new developer features will enable AI agents to automate tasks such as campaign setup, audience targeting, performance analysis and budget optimisation. 

Together, the updates signal TikTok’s push to streamline the entire advertising process – from content creation to campaign management – while giving brands faster, more scalable ways to reach audiences. 

For brands, the real balancing act is learning how to work with these AI features (rather than around them) while maintaining an authentic brand voice that engages their audience – If done right, it may give them the upper hand. But will AI-generated ads stand the test of time? Watch this space.