Have you noticed how fast ads are changing? In May 2026, Reuters reported that global companies were using AI at their India hubs to bring more creative work in-house. At Roundel, Target’s ad business, copywriters were using AI to make ads faster and react to trends more quickly. So, for some brands, work that once went to an ad agency can now be done inside the company. (m.investing.com)
The biggest reasons are speed, cost, and scale. In July 2025, IAB said half of advertisers were already using generative AI to build video ads. It also said 86% were using it or planning to use it. Buyers expected AI-made or AI-edited creative to reach 40% of ads by 2026. AI can also make many versions of one ad for different audiences. When ad production becomes faster and cheaper, brands do not need such large outside teams for every job. (iab.com)
Control is another big reason. IAB found that 51% of brands were worried about how agency or publisher partners use AI for them. At the same time, 52% of agencies were worried that brands would build AI skills in-house and rely less on partners. Even WPP moved in this direction. In October 2025, it launched WPP Open Pro, a platform that helps brands plan, create, and publish campaigns directly. Still, agencies are not disappearing. IAB also said more than 80% of digital video buyers still want human help when buying CTV ads. So the real change is this: brands are taking simple, repeatable work back inside, while agencies may focus more on strategy, advice, and high-level creative work. (iab.com)










