Artificial intelligence is becoming a standard part of digital advertising strategies, but its integration into individual media workflows remains uneven. According to DoubleVerify’s (DV) 2026 Global Insights Report, 97% of marketers plan to use AI across some aspects of media planning, buying and optimization in 2026. However, adoption figures across specific campaign activities suggest that many organizations are still transitioning from experimentation to broader operational deployment.
The report, titled Beyond the Hype: The Real State of AI in Digital Advertising, draws on a global survey of 2,020 marketers alongside additional DoubleVerify data. It examines how advertisers are incorporating AI into campaign workflows and the factors influencing their decisions to adopt optimization technologies.
The findings point to a growing gap between strategic intent and practical implementation. While nearly all surveyed marketers expect to use AI somewhere in their advertising operations, adoption varies considerably depending on the task.
AI Adoption Expands Across Media Workflows
AI-assisted media planning is gaining traction, particularly in the preparation and analysis of campaign briefs. The percentage of marketers using AI to summarize media briefs increased from 28% in 2024 to 37% in 2025. Adoption is expected to reach 40% in 2026.
Campaign activation and bidding optimization are also seeing increased adoption. In 2025, 35% of marketers used AI to activate campaigns, compared with 31% in 2024. AI-powered bidding optimization increased from 24% to 29% over the same period. The corresponding 2026 adoption expectations are 40% and 34%.
Mid-flight campaign optimization recorded one of the more notable increases. Adoption climbed from 21% in 2024 to 31% in 2025, representing a 10-percentage-point rise. Marketers expect usage to reach 36% in 2026.
These figures suggest that advertisers are gradually moving AI beyond planning and analytical assistance into active campaign management. However, the projected adoption levels also indicate that significant portions of the market have yet to integrate AI into these operational processes.
Bidding Performance and Measurement Gain Importance
One of the report’s most notable findings concerns AI-powered bidding. DoubleVerify reported that 98% of marketers using these solutions experienced performance improvements.
This finding highlights the commercial appeal of automated bidding, where algorithms can process campaign signals and adjust bidding strategies against advertiser-defined performance objectives. For agencies and enterprise advertising teams managing campaigns across multiple platforms, AI-based optimization can reduce reliance on manual adjustments and support more responsive media buying.
However, performance improvements alone may not determine long-term adoption. As automated systems gain greater control over campaign decisions, advertisers need confidence in the data, recommendations and optimization processes behind those decisions.
DoubleVerify’s DV Scibids AI addresses this requirement through custom bidding algorithms that use first-party data and third-party measurement inputs to optimize campaigns against specific key performance indicators (KPIs). The technology is part of the company’s Media AdVantage Platform (DV MAP), which combines media verification, AI-powered optimization and outcomes measurement.
Accuracy, Privacy and ROI Shape AI Investment
Despite growing interest, marketers remain selective about the AI technologies they introduce into advertising operations. DoubleVerify found that 35% of respondents prioritize the accuracy and effectiveness of AI recommendations when evaluating optimization solutions. Data privacy and security compliance ranked next, at 29%, followed by cost and return on investment, also at 29%.
These priorities reflect a broader challenge for the programmatic advertising industry: automation must deliver measurable improvements without compromising transparency, data governance or campaign accountability.
For advertisers, inaccurate recommendations or poorly controlled automated decisions can affect budget allocation and campaign performance. Agencies also face pressure to explain how AI-driven buying decisions are made, particularly when managing campaigns against multiple client objectives.
The growing role of AI agents could introduce another layer of complexity. As these systems move from recommending optimizations to executing campaign actions, advertisers will need greater visibility into decision-making processes, performance signals and operational controls.
Market Landscape
AI adoption is developing alongside increasing complexity in digital media buying. Advertisers must manage fragmented inventory, changing audience signals, privacy requirements and performance expectations across multiple channels.
Automated bidding and campaign optimization are therefore becoming important components of the programmatic ecosystem. However, the effectiveness of these systems depends on the quality of their inputs, the reliability of measurement and their ability to align optimization decisions with business outcomes.
DoubleVerify’s findings indicate that marketers increasingly recognize AI’s potential but are not adopting it uniformly. The difference between 97% planned overall usage and the lower adoption figures across individual workflows illustrates why AI integration should not be measured solely through broad adoption intentions.
For verification and measurement providers, this creates an opportunity to connect automated media decisions with independent assessments of media quality and campaign outcomes. The competitive focus is likely to extend beyond optimization capabilities toward accuracy, transparency, privacy and demonstrable business value.
Strategic Outlook
The next phase of AI adoption in advertising will likely focus on operational integration rather than simply increasing the number of marketers experimenting with AI.
As AI agents become more capable of managing campaign adjustments, advertisers will need systems that combine automated execution with reliable measurement and human oversight. Platforms connecting bidding optimization, media verification and outcomes measurement could become increasingly relevant to enterprise advertising strategies.
DoubleVerify’s report provides evidence of growing interest in this direction, although its findings represent marketer-reported adoption and expectations rather than independently verified market-wide deployment rates.
For advertisers, agencies and publishers, the central question is shifting from whether AI belongs in advertising workflows to how effectively these systems can improve decisions while maintaining accountability.
Top Insights
- 97% planned AI usage: Nearly all surveyed marketers expect to use AI in some part of media planning, buying or optimization in 2026.
- Bidding adoption is increasing: AI-powered bidding usage rose from 24% in 2024 to 29% in 2025.
- Mid-flight optimization is accelerating: Adoption increased 10 percentage points between 2024 and 2025.
- Performance improvements are widely reported: 98% of marketers using AI-powered bidding reported improvements.
- Trust remains critical: Accuracy, privacy compliance and ROI are leading considerations when evaluating AI optimization solutions.
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