Alkyl aryl ketones were synthesized by the carbonylative cross-coupling reaction of alkyl iodides and arylboronic acids under combined Pd/light conditions. In this reaction, it is likely that an acylpalladium species would be formed via carbonylation of the alkyl radical, which would then undergo transmetalation of an arylboronic acid to give the corresponding acyl(aryl)palladium species, ready to undergo reductive elimination to yield the alkyl aryl ketone.