Study: AI Now Core To Ad Optimization, But Humans Still Hold The Edge.

As more radio groups look to artificial intelligence to operate their business more efficiently, a new global study from DoubleVerify (DV) forecasts a sweeping transformation in digital advertising as artificial intelligence moves from experimental to essential, with marketers increasingly embracing automation to reclaim time, improve precision, and protect ROI.

The report arrives as AI transitions from an experimental add-on to a core part of media buying and campaign optimization. While 42% of marketers already use third-party AI or automated bidding tools outside of their programmatic demand-side platforms (DSPs), another 49% plan to adopt them. DV says this surge reflects clear benefits in time savings, budget efficiency, and campaign performance — but warns that AI adoption is still hampered more by leadership hesitation than by employee readiness.

The report, based on a survey of nearly 2,000 marketing decision-makers worldwide, identifies five top priorities for AI adoption. They include —

1.                  Automate the Grind

Globally, manual campaign optimization eats up more than 10 hours per week for 26% of marketers, with North American agencies losing an estimated $17,000 per employee annually to repetitive tasks. AI can offload time-intensive work like bid adjustments, budget pacing, and viewability tuning, freeing teams for strategic and creative planning.

“By offloading repetitive optimization tasks to intelligent systems, marketers can refocus on high-impact work like strategic and creative testing — the kind of work that leads to innovative campaigns that remain relevant and resonate with consumers,” the report says.

2.                  Optimize in Flight

Planned usage of AI for real-time bidding and mid-flight adjustments rose 12% year-over-year according to DV. These tools can dynamically reallocate budgets, adjust frequency caps, and optimize ad placement in response to live performance data — tasks that would be impossible to scale manually.

“Mid-flight optimization is where AI delivers some of its highest value,” the report says. By continuously adjusting budget allocation, pacing and other campaign parameters based on real-time data, AI can unlock efficiencies and create an impact that humans alone can’t match.”

3.                  Activate Smarter

Campaign activation saw the largest single-year jump in planned AI usage — up 32% — with verticals such as food and drink (+68%) and technology (+41%) leading adoption. DV says AI is increasingly used upstream to standardize campaign builds, pre-fill parameters, and shorten launch timelines.

4.                  Precision Over Proxies

Reaching the right audience remains the number-one optimization challenge worldwide according to marketer. DV reports a 106% global increase in AI-driven upper-funnel campaign activations in 2024. AI can integrate verification data like viewability and brand suitability to ensure quality impressions while reducing CPMs and expanding reach.

DV says upper-funnel strategies—the sort that use media like radio and television—require more than broad reach; they demand relevance, efficiency and brand integrity. “To make that happen, marketers need AI tools that don’t just automate, but intelligently guide investment based on a brand’s own KPIs,” the report says.

5.                  Cut Through Walled Garden Weeds

Social video ad spend in walled gardens is expected to hit $27.2 billion in 2025, up 15% year-over-year. But marketers face hurdles including limited transparency, brand safety risks, and unclear ROI. DV recommends combining AI optimization with independent verification to maximize efficiency and ensure ads reach the right audience.

Humans Still Hold the Edge

With 92% of companies planning to increase AI investments and only 1% claiming full deployment maturity, DV sees a widening gap between intent and execution. While AI can process millions of data points and automate complex decision-making, DV emphasizes that human oversight remains vital. Empathy, ethical judgment, and creative vision cannot be replicated by algorithms. “These are the subtle ingredients at the end of a recipe that make for a media strategy that performs,” the report says.

Instead, DV concludes that AI should serve as “the best smart assistant” for media buyers, enabling marketers to focus on long-term strategy and creative storytelling that resonates with human audiences.

Download the report HERE.