NEWS: X is launching "Creator Connect," an AI-powered product that matches brands with creators on the platform using xAI technology. The system analyzes campaign objectives, real-time trends and audience interest to surface hyper-specific creators across video, text or both. X says Creator Connect is designed for rising and niche creators, not just the top 1%. Brands can also find "lookalike" creators with similar voices and styles. Early campaigns include a premium laptop brand targeting F1-enthusiast tech creators and a major movie studio for a horror film launch. World Cup activations are in the pipeline. X is also pairing Creator Connect with "Trend Genius," which deploys brand assets in real time based on conversation velocity when a topic is spiking on the platform. Mitchell Smith, X's global head of content partnerships: "2026 is the year we're entering our creator era as a platform."