X began a phased rollout of a rebuilt, AI-powered advertising platform on Thursday, April 30, 2026, as the company works to accelerate a recovery in ad revenue that has been underway in recent years.
The new platform features updated retrieval and ranking systems driven by artificial intelligence, which X says will make it easier for marketers to create targeted campaigns. The company says the changes will deliver more relevant ad placements, better results, and more precise targeting, while giving advertisers greater control over their campaigns.
Monique Pintarelli, head of global advertising at xAI, described the rebuild in a statement posted on X: “We are designing this new ad stack to enable more rapid and seamless integration of ongoing innovation. Advertisers can expect a smooth delivery of continuous improvements and a regular drop of new features as we keep pushing the platform forward.”
The overhaul follows X’s merger with Elon Musk’s AI company xAI. X had struggled to grow ad revenue in the early years under Musk’s ownership, prompting the company to shift focus toward other revenue streams, including AI and subscriptions. According to eMarketer forecasts cited in the source, X’s estimated ad revenue reached $2.26 billion in 2025 and is projected to rise to $2.46 billion in 2026 — still roughly half the size of Twitter’s 2021 ad business, but trending upward.
The launch comes as AI has contributed to broader ad revenue growth across the tech industry. Google, Meta, and others have reported strong digital advertising performance this week, with AI systems helping to automate ad creation, targeting, and measurement — and lowering barriers for smaller businesses, according to a report by The New York Times cited in the source.
For X, the rebuilt platform represents a direct attempt to close the gap with competitors and convince advertisers who pulled back in recent years to return to the platform.
Source: TechCrunch