Amazon and Criteo Shift Focus to Agentic AI Amid Mixed Earnings Results

Amazon’s first‑quarter 2026 earnings revealed a strategic pivot from training to inference workloads, with the company’s custom Trainium chip now delivering a positive return on investment. The report highlighted a renewed emphasis on advertising, agent development, and sports‑rights acquisitions, positioning Amazon to meet the growing demand for low‑latency generative‑AI applications. In tandem, Amazon announced a new upfront strategy that blends premium streaming, digital signals, and AI‑driven optimization, and a partnership with LinkedIn’s CTV Ads. This alliance grants advertisers access to the first‑party audience of over one billion LinkedIn members within Amazon’s authenticated graph, which covers roughly 90 % of U.S. households. Amazon DSP now offers AI‑powered campaign planning, real‑time optimization, and full‑funnel measurement across streaming, digital, and open‑internet inventory, while premium sponsorships for live sports and interactive video formats are highlighted as key differentiators.

Criteo’s Q1 earnings, however, painted a more cautious picture. Shares fell 20 % after the company released weaker‑than‑expected results and lowered its year‑end guidance. Despite the dip, advertiser spend on Criteo’s platform surpassed $1 billion in Q1 for the first time during the traditionally slow advertising season, underscoring the volatility in the ad‑tech sector as firms pivot toward agentic AI solutions. The drop reflected investor concern over the revised guidance and the broader market downturn in advertising spend, prompting a reevaluation of bidding strategies for marketers using Criteo’s platform.

The juxtaposition of Amazon’s optimistic outlook and Criteo’s tempered results illustrates the broader industry shift toward agentic AI and real‑time inference. Amazon’s investment in custom silicon and integrated media buying tools signals a maturing AI infrastructure that could reshape cloud and edge computing strategies. Meanwhile, Criteo’s experience highlights the challenges of monetizing agentic AI ad revenue, suggesting that the transition will take longer to materialize. Advertisers and investors alike will need to monitor how these companies balance innovation with profitability as the ad‑tech landscape continues to evolve.