Industry Report: The State of AI Automation in Media & Advertising Agencies 2026

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Industry Report: The State of AI Automation in Media & Advertising Agencies 2026

Learn more

The State of AI in Media & Advertising 2026

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state of ai maturity in media and advertising

The state of AI automation in Media & Advertising agencies.

Multiply employee efficiency by automating the bulk of work and powering critical tasks with agentic AI.

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AI adoption is no longer the question.

AI adoption is widespread across media and advertising. Structural integration is not.

While most agencies use AI in daily work, far fewer are rebuilding workflows around automation, creating a growing divide between AI-assisted agencies and automation-led operations.

This study explores where that divide is emerging, what drives progression, and why operational design may become the next competitive advantage.

AI adoption is widespread across media and advertising. Structural integration is not.

While most agencies use AI in daily work, far fewer are rebuilding workflows around automation, creating a growing divide between AI-assisted agencies and automation-led operations.

This study explores where that divide is emerging, what drives progression, and why operational design may become the next competitive advantage.

Download report

Key findings from the study.

Tool-level adoption

AI is mainly used to support individual tasks, while the underlying workflows stay largely the same.

01 Workflow-level integration

Automation is starting to shape how work moves through teams. Repeatable processes emerge.

02 System-level institutionalization

Automation becomes part of the operating model, embedded in how work is structured.

03

The full report explores how agencies move between these stages and what organizational conditions tend to support that progress.

What the report covers.

Sample

62 mid-to senior-level professionals directly involved in AI implementation and operational decision-making

What this captures

A snapshot of how AI is currently applied across workflows and organizations

Outcome

A three-stage maturity model describing how automation is embedded in operations

Organization Types

Independent agencies, performance media companies and in-house media teams.

Sample

62 mid-to senior-level professionals directly involved in AI implementation and operational decision-making

What this captures

A snapshot of how AI is currently applied across workflows and organizations

Outcome

A three-stage maturity model describing how automation is embedded in operations

Organization Types

- Independent agencies
- Performance media companies
- In-house media teams

Sample

62 mid-to senior-level professionals directly involved in AI implementation and operational decision-making

What this captures

A snapshot of how AI is currently applied across workflows and organizations

Outcome

A three-stage maturity model describing how automation is embedded in operations

Organization Types

- Independent agencies
- Performance media companies
- In-house media teams

Download the full industry report.

Get a clearer picture of how AI automation is evolving across media and advertising organizations. Our report explores what separates agencies that are beginning to institutionalize automation from those still experimenting with AI tools.

The findings draw on insights from senior leaders working across media, performance, creative, and in-house agency environments.

Download report