AI is changing how buying decisions are made. Consumers increasingly discover products through conversational interfaces that interpret intent, synthesize information, and recommend options in real time. In these environments, advertising is no longer confined to banners, sponsored placements, or search results. The recommendation itself becomes the ad. This shift is most visible in conversational AI platforms and shopping assistants. When a user asks AI to compare noise-canceling headphones or recommend accounting software for a midsize business, the system doesn’t return a page of links. It evaluates trade-offs, highlights differentiators, and narrows choices within the conversation itself. In environments like Amazon’s Rufus, advertising is becoming embedded directly into the decision journey. That changes the competitive landscape for brands. If your product isn’t included in the synthesized answer, you effectively don’t exist at the point of intent. Marketers are responding quickly. U.S.…