Observed Signal · Sep 25, 2026 · Market Research · Source: Adzine · Impact: 3/5 · Sentiment: Neutral
AI in Media Buying: Expectations Outpace Experience
A new IAB Europe study reveals that while 58% of industry professionals expect agentic ad buying to become mainstream within a year, actual adoption lags significantly. Of 47 respondents, 36 have either not yet deployed agentic systems or use technologies where humans still control planning and execution. The 'Impact of AI on Digital Advertising Report 2026', based on 50 interviews, shows that AI is widely used for reporting and campaign analysis (86% overall), but only 11 out of 29 detailed respondents use it for agentic buying and selling. A complementary survey by StackAdapt (500 marketers, 6 countries) found similar patterns, with half citing fragmented data pipelines as a barrier. Companies are cautious about granting full autonomy, with most preferring human-in-the-loop models. The average performance rating for AI in operational advertising was only 2.76 out of 5. The industry is still defining governance, training, and integration practices to bridge the gap between expectations and real-world experience.
The article presents industry research on the adoption of agentic AI in media buying, highlighting a significant gap between expectations and practical implementation. It is relevant to AdTech/MarTech as it indicates a key trend and potential market shifts, but it is not a single major event.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- 58% of IAB Europe survey respondents expect agentic ad buying to be regularly used within the next year.
- IAB Europe's 'Impact of AI on Digital Advertising Report 2026' is based on 50 interviews with agency, adtech, advertiser, and publishing professionals.
- 86% of IAB Europe respondents report using AI in marketing, primarily for reporting and campaign data analysis.
- Only 11 out of 29 IAB Europe respondents use AI for agentic buying and selling.
- In StackAdapt's AI Delegation Gap Report, 90% of respondents favor AI recommendations with human decision-making, and the average satisfaction score for AI performance was 2.76 out of 5.
Connected Companies & Entities
2 Entities mapped“Laut einer aktuellen Studie von IAB Europe erwarten 58 Prozent der Befragten, dass Agentic Ad Buying innerhalb des kommenden Jahres regelmäß...”
“Ein ähnliches Bild liefert die kürzlich veröffentlichte Untersuchung des DSP-Anbieters Stackadapt....”
Ontology Mapping & Concepts
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