DV Research: 97% of Marketers Plan to Use AI, but Adoption Across Advertising Workflows Remains Uneven
Key Highlights
- ➤97% of marketers plan AI use across media planning, buying and optimization in 2026
- ➤AI bidding optimization usage reached 29% in 2025, up from 24% in 2024
- ➤98% of marketers using AI-powered bidding reported performance improvements
- ➤AI mid-flight campaign optimization adoption rose 10 percentage points to 31% in 2025
- ➤Accuracy and effectiveness topped AI optimization priorities at 35%
Expert Statements
Mark Zagorski, CEO of DoubleVerify
“AI is becoming a part of how nearly every marketer plans and buys media, but when you look at adoption across individual workflows, the picture is more nuanced,”
Mark Zagorski, CEO of DoubleVerify
“Marketers are increasingly embracing AI, but there's still considerable opportunity to integrate it more deeply into each step of how campaigns are planned, bought and optimized.”
Mark Zagorski, CEO of DoubleVerify
“Today's AI optimization solutions are already helping marketers make smarter decisions and improve campaign performance,”
Mark Zagorski, CEO of DoubleVerify
“As these capabilities advance, we expect AI agents to take on a greater role in managing campaign optimization on behalf of advertisers.”
Mark Zagorski, CEO of DoubleVerify
“That creates significant opportunity, but it also raises the stakes for accuracy, transparency and measurable performance.”
Mark Zagorski, CEO of DoubleVerify
“Marketers need to trust not only the recommendations AI makes, but also the actions it takes.”
NEW YORK, Oct. 29, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- DoubleVerify (“DV”) (NYSE: DV), the leading software platform to verify media quality, optimize ad performance and prove campaign outcomes, today released new findings from its 2026 Global Insights Report, Beyond the Hype: The Real State of AI in Digital Advertising, revealing that 97% of marketers plan to use AI across some aspects of media planning, buying and optimization in 2026. However, the findings reveal that broad plans to use AI have yet to translate into equally widespread adoption across individual advertising workflows. Drawing on a global survey of 2,020 marketers and additional DV data, the report examines where AI is gaining traction, as well as the priorities and concerns shaping marketers' evaluation of AI solutions.
“AI is becoming a part of how nearly every marketer plans and buys media, but when you look at adoption across individual workflows, the picture is more nuanced,” said Mark Zagorski, CEO, DV. “Marketers are increasingly embracing AI, but there's still considerable opportunity to integrate it more deeply into each step of how campaigns are planned, bought and optimized.”
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