T Vampugani While AI is improving efficiency in media operations, agencies still find it lacking in generating high-quality creative content.
Media agencies are increasingly relying on artificial intelligence to streamline campaign operations, but when it comes to creative output, AI still has a long way to go. At the recent Digiday Media Buying Summit in Nashville, industry leaders discussed how AI is reshaping their approach to media buying and optimization, yet they acknowledged that AI-generated creative remains underwhelming.
David Dweck, SVP of paid media at Wpromote, explained that his agency uses AI from companies like EDO—co-founded by actor Edward Norton—to track the effectiveness of ad creative and network programming, focusing on metrics like search and conversion uplift. Additionally, Wpromote leverages AI from Google to optimize creative across platforms such as YouTube and social media. While AI has improved campaign measurement and reporting efficiency, Dweck emphasized that it still falls short in generating high-quality creative. “It’s far from ready for showtime,” he said, noting that AI-driven tools like Gemini are still not up to the mark for creative work.
David Gaines, CEO of Media by Mother, echoed these sentiments, noting that AI’s strengths lie more in automating routine tasks such as budget allocation. With over 33,000 media buying options available in the U.S., AI’s ability to navigate complex decisions is invaluable, allowing teams to focus more on creative strategy. However, he cautioned that AI can’t replace the nuanced understanding of context and creativity that humans bring to the table.
Despite AI’s growing role in automating routine tasks, agencies remain wary of its lack of transparency, particularly within platforms like Google’s Performance Max, which require structured testing to ensure consistent results across campaigns.
