There’s been a notable rise in AI-generated content over the last year, with the technology now capable of creating highly realistic videos. People are finding it harder than ever to tell the difference between what’s real and what’s been AI-generated, and many are not happy about this new reality.

In fact, it has led to a shift towards people consuming content that’s much simpler than ever, with many single-camera influencers finding success in 2025. This trend is likely to continue in 2026, with low-production, human-led videos outperforming glossy AI-generated content.

Consumers Looking for Alternatives to AI-Generated Content

Although AI has been hailed as the future and the next major disruptive technology, it’s clear that some fatigue is already setting in. This is especially true with AI-generated videos, which temporarily flooded the YouTube and TikTok algorithms in 2024. There was a brief trend of glossy videos with quick cuts and AI-generated voiceovers, but these faded away after YouTube implemented new policies to demonetise low-effort content with AI narrations.

The shift in 2025 was towards content that felt more grounded and human. This would often come in the form of simple video recordings of one person with a camera phone or GoPro, documenting their lives. Food vlogs and travel videos have been highly successful, as have videos of people simply giving advice on certain topics. Podcasts have continued to grow in stature, thanks to short clips of them being shared on video platforms and helping to drum up interest.

Human Connection is Still Highly Valued

A lot of futurists believe that, as AI’s influence over the online world grows, people will actively search for human connection. That means that people who create authentic content online have the chance to be successful in 2026 and beyond.

This concept of connecting people through the screen is nothing new. Live streaming blew up way before AI came along, purely because it emerged as the best way for people to interact with real-world experiences online. Online casino developers found that it was a great way to transmit table games to players, giving them the sense that they were playing in a real casino. Now, blackjack online features various live options with real-world dealers, including Lightning Blackjack and Free Bet Blackjack.

Live streaming was one of the biggest upgrades that ever happened to Facebook as well, with users of the platform able to share live videos and have people comment on them in real time. Facebook Live had more than 800 million daily users at its peak, highlighting how many people enjoyed this format.

Content creators who live stream to their audiences can encourage connection and interact with them in real time, but there are other ways to do this with short-form content as well. For example, some creators make short videos based on comments that fans have posted on their past content. This still fosters a human connection but allows people to discover the videos and the creators in their own time.

AI will still have an impact on video streaming platforms, but human content creators who have their face on camera are likely to continue capturing attention. The beauty of this content is that it’s genuine and gives people a way to connect with other humans online.

SoftBank Group has agreed to acquire DigitalBridge Group, a leading global digital infrastructure investment firm, in an all-cash transaction with an enterprise value of approximately $4 billion.

The deal, announced Monday, represents a major escalation in founder Masayoshi Son’s aggressive push to dominate the physical backbone of artificial intelligence, securing critical data center capacity, connectivity, and power assets essential for next-generation AI scaling. Under the terms, SoftBank will pay $16 per share for all outstanding common stock of DigitalBridge—a 15% premium to Friday’s closing price and a 50-65% premium to pre-rumor levels earlier in December.

The acquisition values the equity at about $2.92-3 billion, with closure expected in the second half of 2026 pending regulatory approvals. DigitalBridge shares surged 9.7% to $15.27 in Monday trading, building on a 45% rally earlier this month after initial reports of talks. The stock approached but remained slightly below the offer price, reflecting anticipation of deal completion.

As AI transforms industries worldwide, the need for more compute, connectivity, power, and scalable infrastructure, grows. DigitalBridge is a leader in digital infrastructure, and this acquisition is expected to strengthen the foundation for next-generation AI data centers, advance Softbank’s vision to become a leading Artificial Super Intelligence platform provider, and help unlock breakthroughs that move humanity forward.

DigitalBridge CEO Jacob Yahiayani noted that the buildout of AI infrastructure represents one of the most significant investment opportunities of our generation. SoftBank’s vision, capital strength, and global network are expected to allow DigitalBridge to accelerate its mission with greater flexibility, invest with a longer-term horizon on behalf of our investors, and better serve the world’s leading technology companies as they scale their AI ambitions.

Post-closing, DigitalBridge will operate as a separately managed platform under Ganzi’s leadership, preserving its operational independence while integrating into SoftBank’s ecosystem. DigitalBridge, founded in 1991 as real estate-focused Colony Capital and rebranded in 2021 after a pivot under Ganzi, manages $108 billion in assets as of September 30, 2025. Its portfolio spans data centers, fiber networks, cell towers, small cells, and edge infrastructure across North America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East—making it one of the largest dedicated digital infrastructure investors globally.

The acquisition directly enhances SoftBank’s involvement in the Stargate project, a $500 billion AI infrastructure initiative with OpenAI, Oracle, and MGX. DigitalBridge participates in Stargate, including Vantage’s near-gigawatt Wisconsin campus. Recent expansions brought Stargate to nearly 7 gigawatts of planned capacity across sites in Texas, New Mexico, Ohio, and the Midwest, with over $400 billion committed—putting the venture ahead of schedule toward its 10-gigawatt U.S. goal by year-end.

Son’s 2025 AI strategy has been relentless: SoftBank committed up to $30 billion to OpenAI (including syndicated portions), liquidated its $5.8 billion Nvidia stake to fund commitments, and pursued aggressive financing. The DigitalBridge deal follows Son’s public assertions of pursuing Artificial Super Intelligence, dismissing bubble concerns while predicting AI will generate at least 10% of global GDP.

Market reactions were positive in thin holiday volume: SoftBank shares edged higher, while analysts praised the strategic fit for securing scarce AI-enabling assets amid hyperscaler demand. The move positions SoftBank to control more of the “picks and shovels” in AI—namely, data centers, power, and networks—complementing its investments in Arm, OpenAI, and robotics.

Verisk has terminated its planned $2.35 billion acquisition of roofing software firm AccuLynx after U.S. antitrust regulators failed to complete their review by the deal’s final deadline.

The development pinpoints how prolonged regulatory scrutiny continues to reshape the calculus for large technology and data-driven transactions.

The data analytics company said on Monday that it pulled the plug after being notified by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission that the agency had not finished reviewing the deal by December 26, the termination date set under the merger agreement. The transaction, announced in July, had initially been expected to close by the third quarter of 2025 before regulatory delays pushed the timeline back.

The decision immediately sparked a dispute between the two companies. AccuLynx has notified Verisk that it believes the termination is “invalid,” while Verisk said it “strongly disagrees” with that assessment and intends to “vigorously defend” its position. The standoff raises the prospect of a legal battle over whether Verisk was contractually entitled to walk away once the regulatory clock expired.

Verisk shares rose 1.7% in afternoon trading, suggesting investors were largely relieved by the outcome or saw limited strategic damage from the abandoned deal. Analysts at Raymond James said the termination could free up capital and potentially lead to incrementally higher share repurchases in 2026, now that Verisk will not need to deploy cash for the acquisition.

The deal had faced mounting uncertainty since October, when the FTC requested additional information from both Verisk and AccuLynx, a step that typically signals a deeper antitrust review and can extend timelines by several months. At the time, Verisk executives said discussions with regulators were progressing, but the extended review ultimately prevented the transaction from closing within the agreed window.

Verisk is believed to have given regulators additional time to complete their work by extending the termination date to December 26. When that deadline passed without clearance, the company opted to abandon the deal rather than face what could have become a protracted regulatory and legal process. In similar cases, companies often must choose between litigating against regulators—a process that can take years and carry reputational and financial risks—or walking away from the transaction altogether.

Founded in 2008, AccuLynx provides cloud-based software designed to help roofing contractors manage sales, estimates, production workflows, and overall business operations. The acquisition was intended to deepen Verisk’s exposure to construction and property-related analytics, complementing its core businesses that serve insurers, risk managers, and corporate clients with data-driven insights.

The transaction would have been one of Verisk’s largest strategic moves in recent years, reflecting a broader push among data and analytics firms to expand vertically into software platforms that generate proprietary operational data. Regulatory scrutiny of such combinations has intensified as authorities examine whether data consolidation could reduce competition or create barriers for smaller rivals.

With the acquisition now off the table, Verisk said it plans to redeem the $1.5 billion of debt it issued to finance the deal, reversing a key component of the transaction’s capital structure. That move is expected to strengthen the company’s balance sheet and restore financial flexibility, particularly as uncertainty persists around the pace of deal approvals in the U.S.