AI agents and token-driven business growth reshape digital business

For three decades, internet companies made money by encouraging consumers to visit their websites and click on advertisements.

A different approach is now taking control, one based on tokens, which are tiny pieces of data used by AI systems to interpret and generate content.

TikTok revealed big changes at its sixth annual TikTok World conference, including new tools that let AI systems conduct advertising campaigns without human intervention.

The company developed the TikTok Ads Model Context Protocol Server, which enables businesses to integrate their AI systems directly into TikTok’s ad marketplace.

These artificial intelligence systems can now create, run, and improve commercials on their own.

Other major technology businesses are doing the same. Google released its own open-source version of its advertising system, while Meta developed one that integrates with Claude and ChatGPT.

According to Shirley Marschall, an advertising technology specialist, these organizations are hurrying to establish standard methods so they can track how AI programs use their platforms and generate revenue.

TikTok has launched several new tools to make this process easier. TikTok Ads Skills gives developers the tools they need to build AI systems for creating ad campaigns, analyzing content, and managing budgets.

TikTok One and Creator AI Search look through campaign plans and creator profiles to connect brands with the right content creators.

The company also added Symphony AI Integration, which uses ByteDance’s Dreamina Seedance 2.0 tool to create high-quality videos.

Updates to Smart+, including Auto Selection and Asset Manager, automatically chooses the content that performs best.

Token economy drives rapid growth

TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, is investing heavily in this technology through its cloud division, Volcano Engine.

The division introduced ArkClaw, a cloud-based system built on OpenClaw.

ByteDance believes that making AI tokens cheaper and quicker to process will help fuel the next stage of AI growth.

The data shows how quickly this technology is growing. By March 2026, ByteDance’s Doubao models were processing around 120 trillion tokens each day, about 1,000 times more than when they started in 2024.

AI agents still make up less than 10% of total token usage, but their share is rising rapidly. Developers have even started a trend called “lobster-raising,” inspired by the OpenClaw logo.

Jensen Huang said he expects companies to charge $150 for every million tokens used in advanced AI services in the future.

Alibaba has even created a separate division called Token Hub to manage token-related operations across the company.

Companies reshape operations around AI

These changes are creating new ways for companies to make money. TikTok GO lets users find and book travel directly in the app through AI-targeted ads.

TikTok Growth Max helps media and game companies get users interested through Mini Series and Mini Games on the platform.

Some companies are changing how they operate completely. Yao Jinbo, who runs 58.com, said his company is becoming an “AI-native enterprise.”

The company now uses nearly 200 billion tokens every day, replacing entire departments with constant AI work.

Traditional software companies are struggling to keep pace with these rapid changes.

Programs that were once bought, installed, and permanently maintained are now being generated instantly by AI whenever they are needed.

Businesses are no longer competing only on the speed of their computer chips, but also on how efficiently they manage computing power, electricity, data flow, and what many now call “token factory efficiency” in the growing AI economy.

Tokens began as a means to monitor how much computational power AI consumes. They are now being used as a currency to trade intelligent services.

The amount of AI work done is increasing faster than the cost per token is decreasing, implying that the market will continue to rise.

This shift is more than just a technology upgrade; it represents the full industrialization of intelligence, with tokens becoming a new global commodity.

Traditional advertising has turned into a high-speed, algorithm-driven system, greatly changing the rules of digital business, efficiency, and modern online competition worldwide.

If you're reading this, you’re already ahead. Stay there with our newsletter.