AI is no longer just a buzzword — it’s redefining digital advertising.
The State of Data 2025 report by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) offers a groundbreaking exploration into how artificial intelligence is transforming the media campaign lifecycle, from planning to activation to analytics.

Amid the decline of third-party cookies and increasing privacy regulations, brands, agencies, and publishers are turning to AI to stay competitive. This report highlights how generative and agentic AI are not just optimizing workflows but taking the reins — from building media plans and forecasting performance to generating synthetic data for audience segmentation.

Key Takeaways from the Report

• Full-scale AI adoption is still emerging: 70% of companies haven’t yet integrated AI across all stages of media campaigns. However, half expect to be fully scaled by 2026.
• Agencies and publishers are leading the charge, leveraging AI to reduce manual effort, optimize bidding, and analyze audience behavior more effectively than brands.
• Top challenges include fragmented tools, data quality issues, and lack of strategic clarity — not job displacement.
• Only half of the industry is taking steps to address AI implementation hurdles like governance, training, and roadmapping.

Rather than a simple overview, this ebook presents a robust industry-wide survey of 500+ experts and builds a compelling narrative around “The Now, The Near, and The Next” in AI-driven advertising.

Why You Should Read It

Whether you’re a marketer, strategist, or technology leader, this report is your roadmap to navigating the next phase of AI integration. It doesn’t just present problems — it offers solutions: phased roadmaps, best practice frameworks, and a look at where innovation is already succeeding.

It’s essential reading for any organization planning to compete in a data-driven, AI-augmented future.

About the Author
The IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau) empowers the media and marketing industries to thrive in the digital economy. With hundreds of member companies and decades of research, IAB is at the forefront of digital transformation and AI adoption.