AI Platforms to Manage 65 Percent of Ad Spend
Experts project automated agentic tools will handle over half of global advertising expenditures by the end of 2028.
Updated on Oct. 29, 2026 in Advertising
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AI-powered media platforms are projected to manage 65 percent of global media spend by late 2028. This transition signifies a major shift toward agentic technology in the digital advertising industry.
Why it matters
While AI agents increasingly automate decisions regarding advertising spend allocation, industry experts emphasize that human strategists remain essential for maintaining accountability and meeting specific business objectives. Continued human oversight is required to ensure these systems operate correctly as complexity increases.
Projections indicate that more than 50 percent of global ad spend will be facilitated through buyer agents or AI-powered tools within the next 24 months. These platforms utilize advanced LLM integrations to manage advertising budgets.
The players
ChatGPT
This is a generative artificial intelligence tool developed by OpenAI that is currently used within the advertising industry.
Google Gemini
This is an artificial intelligence model developed by Google that currently supports various automation tasks in professional digital media workflows.
Claude
This is an artificial intelligence assistant created by Anthropic that is actively utilized by industry professionals for generative tasks.
The details
Modern advertising currently utilizes programmatic demand-side platforms for automated placement, with tools like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Claude already active in the field. New agentic technology now aims to move beyond simple automation to make active decisions regarding the allocation of marketing resources.
Timeline
Over 50 percent of global ad spend is expected to transition to AI tools within the next 24 months.
Experts forecast 65 percent of all media spend will be handled by AI-powered platforms by the end of 2028.
Market Landscape
The adoption of agentic technology in media buying marks a transition from simple automated transactions toward sophisticated, AI-driven decision-making processes. This shift mirrors the earlier evolution from manual ad placement to the current programmatic advertising landscape used across Australia.
Businesses may experience changes in how their advertising budgets are allocated as automated agents assume more decision-making authority. Clients should expect to work closely with human strategists to ensure these evolving tools remain aligned with broader business objectives.
The takeaway
Companies should maintain rigorous human oversight to mitigate the potential opacity that advanced agentic tools can introduce into financial systems. Prioritizing clear business objectives will remain critical as AI platforms take a larger role in daily marketing operations.
Further reading
Learn more about evolving media strategies in the Advertising section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by B&T.
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