The media landscape is changing and marketers are harnessing the power of artificial intelligence to craft personalized experiences that better resonate with consumers.

Brands are preparing for a future where AI becomes a crucial tool for engaging customers, potentially aiding in the transformation of a media landscape where increasing consumer privacy regulation, diminishing access to data, and the inevitable phase-out of third-party cookies have become the norm.

“In a world of heightened data privacy, the pivot toward AI isn’t just innovative — it’s imperative,” Angelina Eng, VP of measurement and addressability at the IAB, said in a panel discussion with executives from Attain and DoubleVerify during the IAB State of Data Town Hall earlier this month. “Our task force is at the vanguard, defining the standards that will enable marketers to harness AI ethically and effectively, ensuring that personalization never comes at the expense of consumer trust.”

The shift toward AI-driven marketing is significant, as it represents a pivotal tool for marketers in targeting and reaching their audience effectively amidst tightening data privacy norms and the deprecation of traditional tracking methods. The changes are compelling brands to innovate in areas such as audience engagement, measurement, and personalization to ensure their marketing strategies remain both compliant and competitive in a future where AI is engrained with digital advertising.

“The real power of AI emerges when it’s applied to high-quality data,” Daniel Slotwiner, head of measurement at DoubleVerify, said during the panel. “At DoubleVerify, we focus on ensuring the data that feeds into AI models is robust and reliable, so advertisers can maximize the impact of their campaigns. It’s not just about having sophisticated algorithms; it’s about the inputs that drive them. That’s where true optimization and effectiveness lie for our clients.”

This approach, said Slotwiner, speaks to the core of the current shift — while AI provides the tools for dynamic personalization, the foundation of any successful marketing strategy in this new landscape is the integrity and precision of the data behind it.

Brian Mandelbaum, CEO of Attain, echoed a similar sentiment, stating that the predictive prowess of AI lies in understanding consumer behavior. “By leveraging the vast amounts of data from our purchase panels, we’re employing AI not only to see the present landscape but to forecast future consumer purchases,” Mandelbaum said during the panel discussion.

“This predictive capability allows us to inject efficiency into the marketplace, optimizing ad spend and driving incrementality,” he said. “It’s a game-changer in the way we apply insights directly into the bidstream, transforming how ads are delivered and engaged with by the target audience.”