Integral Ad Science (IAS) recently partnered with YouGov to dive deeper into the thoughts of over 250 U.S.-based digital media experts who utilize programmatic advertising, unveiling key insights for 2025 in their “Industry Pulse Report.” The survey aimed to understand the opportunities and risks these professionals see in the ever-evolving digital ad landscape, especially as AI continues to play a larger role in the industry.
The top concern among ad buyers is the risk of ads appearing alongside fake news or misinformation. This issue has been a persistent one, highlighted in IAS’s report last year, and it continues to be a significant worry. Reports in 2024 indicated that X (formerly Twitter) has had challenges with its updated content moderation policies, resulting in ads appearing next to harmful or misleading content. Despite X’s reassurance, claiming that “99.99% of Tweet impressions are healthy,” the concern about ad placements alongside potentially damaging content remains a critical issue for advertisers.
However, even with these concerns, ad buyers still see substantial opportunities in social media advertising. Digital video, social shopping, and influencer marketing are all expected to grow in 2025. Social shopping, which many were initially skeptical about, is anticipated to gain more traction, and influencer marketing will continue to rise in importance. While social media promotions seem to dominate the landscape, ad buyers appear less enthusiastic about other methods like live-streaming, suggesting these options won’t see significant change in the next year.
Another pressing issue is the rise of generative AI and its potential to create deepfakes, which could further amplify concerns around ad placement. The fear of ads being linked to misleading or fake content due to AI-generated material is becoming a more significant challenge. Ad platforms will need to step up their efforts to detect and clearly label AI-generated content, as this will only become a more significant issue as generative AI tools improve.
Overall, while digital ad buyers are looking at exciting opportunities in the coming year, concerns around ad placement—especially alongside harmful content and deepfakes—are still top of mind. As AI continues to evolve, the digital advertising space will have to adapt quickly to maintain trust and safety for brands and consumers alike.