Gartner forecasts that artificial intelligence will handle 70% of media planning tasks by 2028. Major ad platforms are automating campaign management. Marketers face new challenges as AI reshapes digital advertising.
Gartner project's artificial intelligence will take over 70% of operational media planning tasks by 2028. The research firm expects that more than 70% of global ad spend-and over 80% in the US-will be managed through self-service ad platforms where AI drives planning, bidding, and campaign outcomes. This change is fueled by the rapid automation of major platforms such as Google Ads, Meta Ads, and Amazon Ads, which are increasingly handling tasks that media buyers once managed manually.
According to Gartner, AI now automates key functions like audience targeting, budget allocation, bid optimization, and creative selection. The firm says this leads to more efficient campaigns but requires marketers to rethink their approach. Instead of focusing on optimizing individual campaign parameters, Gartner advises marketing leaders to prioritize platform selection, data quality, and independent measurement of results.
Analysts caution that as automation deepens, advertisers may become more dependent on platform operators. When the same companies both deliver campaigns and measure their success, the need for independent measurement providers grows. Gartner recommends that organizations invest in building their own first-party data and avoid relying solely on platform-reported performance metrics.
This shift marks a fundamental change in digital marketing. AI is no longer just a tool for creative production-it is now making operational decisions in media buying. As a result, agencies and marketing teams are moving away from manual campaign management and focusing more on strategy, data integrity, and oversight of automated systems. For additional perspective on how automation is transforming advertising, see this analysis of projected growth in digital out-of-home ad spending: digital out-of-home ad spend trends.
