The ad industry is quietly drawing a line between what the tech can do and what it will not be trusted to touch. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

January 16, 2026 | SIGN UP

James Cooper

Jim Cooper
DIGIDAY, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

This morning, we published a Mythbuster report that debunked eight commonly held beliefs regarding generative AI and digital media and marketing.

The list defuses concerns about AI replacing human media buyers at the point of transaction and the death of brand storytelling at the hands of LLMs. But it also points out false hope that AI will somehow untangle the snarl that is ad tech and that divining how best to use the tech is the hardest nut to crack – it’s not, by a long shot.

Economics and proper governance are much higher hurdles for agencies and brands to clear. Read our most important AI coverage here each Friday ICYMI.

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Top stories

AI REVENUE GENERATION

Mythbuster: What AI is not about to do in advertising

As the hype around AI thins into something closer to reality, the ad industry is quietly drawing a line between what the tech can do and what it will not be trusted to touch.

CES 2026: Agentic AI hype vs. media buyers’ pragmatism

Think of it as a temperature check. Agencies and tech platforms alike boasted and pitched their AI-powered autonomous media buying from the CES stage. Meanwhile, buyers find it all more interesting than urgent, according to Digiday executive editor of news Seb Joseph.

PARTNER INSIGHTS FROM EXPERIAN

Context is the missing piece to using AI successfully in marketing

Context bridges the space between recognition and intent. It captures time, place and situational cues that shape decision-making. As privacy regulations evolve and identifiers decline, these in-the-moment signals are becoming one of the most reliable ways to maintain relevance while respecting privacy.

The Rundown: Google has drawn its AI payment lines — and publishers’ leverage is narrow

For publishers trying to navigate AI licensing, the message was blunt: Google is willing to pay for access, but not for training — and it remains unwilling to define AI Overviews as a compensable use of journalism.

A MESSAGE FROM NAME.COM

Marketers tap new top-level domains to build recognition in the era of AI

Domains like .studio that align with brands' work create a clearer identity and give brands control of their narrative. They instantly communicate a brand's purpose, reducing the friction between name and identity and turning the domain itself into a marketing asset.

AI REVENUE GENERATION

‘The net is tightening’ on AI scraping: Annotated Q&A with Financial Times’ head of global public policy and platform strategy

Matt Rogerson, FT’s director of global public policy and platform strategy, believes 2026 will bring a kind of reset as big tech companies alter their stance on AI licensing to avoid future legal risk. And he believes AI scraping is reaching a new phase.

AI REVENUE GENERATION

‘Worried about getting caught out’: Sir Martin Sorrell on why CMOs are not ready to pay for outcome-based agencies

A steady economy is emerging as the quiet counterweight to AI’s much-hyped reinvention of the agency holdco model. That, at least, is how Sir Martin Sorrell — the architect of that model and its most persistent critic — sees it.

PARTNER INSIGHTS FROM BLOCKBOARD

How Jersey Mike’s drove incremental value with AI-powered programmatic CTV

At a time when every wasted dollar can significantly impact revenue and growth, marketers continue to grapple with performance dilution and fraud. However, emerging platforms are pairing AI with technology designed to verify delivery, optimize performance and reduce ad fraud in real time.

Other things to know

PARTNER INSIGHTS FROM BETTERUP