AI-powered media buying poised for greater adoption in 2025

As digital advertising continues to evolve, artificial intelligence (AI)-driven media buying tools are set to dominate the landscape in 2025. These tools, which streamline campaign management and optimization, have already proven effective in helping major advertising platforms mitigate revenue losses caused by privacy-related restrictions. Despite concerns over transparency, their adoption shows no signs of slowing down.

AI-powered performance advertising solutions, such as Google’s Performance Max and Meta’s Advantage+ Shopping Campaigns, have gained traction among advertisers for their ability to improve results. According to an August 2024 EMARKETER survey, nearly 60% of U.S. digital ad buyers reported using or planning to use these tools. The appeal lies in their ability to automate tasks like targeting, bidding, and creative optimization, allowing publishers to maximize inventory utilization while advertisers achieve higher performance metrics.

In 2024, the landscape saw a proliferation of similar tools, including Amazon’s and Pinterest’s Performance+ offerings, TikTok’s Smart+, and LinkedIn Accelerate. These platforms promise comprehensive automation, though some, like The Trade Desk’s Koa and Criteo’s Commerce Max, still provide ad buyers with manual control over transactions.

Despite their efficiency, AI-driven tools have faced criticism from brands over their opaque operations. Advertisers have expressed frustration with limited control and insights, which hinder their ability to learn from campaign data. While platforms like Google have introduced minor features—such as negative keyword targeting in Performance Max—these measures fall short of addressing broader transparency issues.

As AI continues to reshape digital advertising, its influence on media buying is expected to grow further. While transparency and control remain sticking points, the efficiency and effectiveness of these tools will likely drive broader adoption across both walled garden and open web platforms. The coming year will reveal how platforms balance advertiser demands with the capabilities of AI-driven automation.