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The Awkward Teenage Phase of AI Advertising

An AI meetup on Monday, September 21, 2026 at Fort Tectoria in Victoria, BC. Presented by VIATEC.

The Awkward Teenage Phase of AI Advertising promotional image

Monday, September 21, 2026

1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Fort Tectoria, 777 Fort Street, Victoria, BC (open in Google Maps)

Free Event

Presented by VIATEC

Host: Robert Cooper on LinkedIn

Featuring: Amanda Robinson on LinkedIn

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For years, success on Meta's ad platforms came down to precision and control: you picked the audience, the placements, the creative formats and the optimisation settings, and the campaign did as it was told. Much of that has quietly moved behind the curtain, with the platform's own systems now expanding audiences past their targeting, adapting creative across placements and generating video from stills. Amanda calls the result the awkward teenage phase: powerful, occasionally brilliant, still unpredictable. She works through what changed behind the scenes, why campaign performance has got harder to see into, and where instruction gave way to suggestion. Questions follow the presentation. It is one of the lead-up sessions before the Prompt Victoria conference in November.

Anu's Take

This is a topic that needs a lot more attention than it is currently getting, so it is good to see it start bubbling up to the top. The interesting part is who is delivering it: a Meta-certified trainer is the one calling this the awkward teenage phase. I do wonder what Cory Doctorow would make of that, since an advertiser losing visibility and control is stage three of Enshittification almost to the letter.

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Published Wednesday, September 2, 2026 by Anu Jolliffe on LinkedIn

Losing the trail back to why you got the result is the same complaint that made me change how I search: I moved to a tool that shows its work.

Frequently asked questions

When is The Awkward Teenage Phase of AI Advertising?
Monday, September 21, 2026, 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Where is The Awkward Teenage Phase of AI Advertising?
Fort Tectoria, 777 Fort Street, Victoria, BC.
How much does The Awkward Teenage Phase of AI Advertising cost?
The Awkward Teenage Phase of AI Advertising is free to attend.
Is The Awkward Teenage Phase of AI Advertising worth attending?
This is a topic that needs a lot more attention than it is currently getting, so it is good to see it start bubbling up to the top. The interesting part is who is delivering it: a Meta-certified trainer is the one calling this the awkward teenage phase. I do wonder what Cory Doctorow would make of that, since an advertiser losing visibility and control is stage three of Enshittification almost to the letter.

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