By Jay Bemis | Advertising Systems Inc.
How will artificial intelligence change the work of today’s marketers?
Experts say AI could transform everything in the world of marketing, from ad creation to targeting and even the future role of agencies in the advertising ecosystem.
“As AI-powered agents are increasingly deployed to carry out tasks on behalf of people, advertisers will need to work out how to influence these robot servants,” said host Marcus Johnson on a recent episode of eMarketer’s “Behind the Numbers” podcast.
Both Meta and OpenAI already have laid some of the groundwork with plans to automate much of the work now performed by marketers and agencies, eMarketer notes.
And, Mark Zuckerberg, Meta’s CEO, has promised that by the end of 2026, brands will be able to tell Meta their objective and budget, and the platform then will handle everything else.
Meanwhile, OpenAI’s Sam Altman believes 95% of what marketers currently use agencies for soon will be handled by AI instead.
There’s some truth in that Altman prediction, but “it’s overstated,” said another eMarketer analyst, Yory Wurmser, during the podcast.
“There’s still going to be a role for agencies,” Wurmser believes “but it is true that a lot of the lower-touch advertising, the direct response advertising that Meta does at scale, will be made a lot easier and a lot of that can be automated with AI agents.”
As AI automates the more tactical aspects of advertising, Wurmser said, agencies are adapting by shifting their focus and capabilities.
“I think it does fundamentally change what they do … they also become technology companies,” he said. He pointed to recent acquisitions as evidence: “You saw it first with Omnicom buying IPG, then WPP buying InfoSum. Publicis is buying Lotame.”
Such moves, according to eMarketer, signal a strategic pivot toward data ownership and technology consulting. Agencies are positioning themselves to develop insights from this data and build expertise in machine-to-machine advertising, where AI agents representing brands communicate with AI platforms, Wurmser says.
What About Advertising Budgets?
As AI makes advertising more efficient, eMarketer says, a key question emerges: Will these efficiencies lead to reduced ad spending or will marketers simply reinvest those savings into more advertising?
“I think the odds are really good that digital ad spending and ad spending in general (are) going to go up,” said Wurmser. “Each ad should be more efficient with better targeting, so in that way, I expect to see digital ad spending going up.”
He suggests that as AI becomes more common in digital channels, brands might want to increase investment in channels where they can reach actual humans, such as connected TV, out-of-home advertising and influencer marketing.
The bottom line, according to eMarketer?
“Rather than reducing overall ad spending, AI efficiencies are likely to change how and where advertising dollars are allocated. Brands may run more campaigns, explore new channels, or invest more heavily in brand-building efforts with their AI-enabled savings.”
Goodwill, Google Plan to Expand AI Workforce
Goodwill Industries International and Google, meanwhile, announced Wednesday that they are launching an initiative to train 200,000 people in foundational AI skills in the US and Canada.
Through Google’s AI Opportunity Fund, Goodwill will provide Google’s AI Essentials course at no cost in the two countries to help workers learn AI skills. Goodwill has offered Google’s digital skills programs since 2017, “resulting in over 400,000 Americans being placed into well-paying jobs,” it said.
“AI continues to transform our workforce, reshaping recruitment processes and redefining the skills employers seek,” said Steve Preston, president and CEO of Goodwill.
“Through this free online training, Goodwill is helping to equip job seekers with the tools needed to succeed and stay competitive in a workforce increasingly influenced by AI.”
