Integral Ad Science (IAS) has revealed the findings of its 2026 UK Industry Pulse Report, conducted in partnership with YouGov, which surveyed 220 digital media experts in October 2025. Released on December 8, 2025, the report reveals that the digital advertising landscape is preparing for significant challenges in the face of rapid growth in AI-generated content while prioritizing channels where quality control is increasingly difficult.
Digital video emerged as the foremost priority format for the upcoming year, with 87% of respondents indicating its essential role in 2026 strategies. This marked a notable lead over digital display at 81% and digital audio at 55%. Social media maintained its status as the top environment for investment, with 82% of experts favoring it, followed by influencer marketing at 60% and video livestreaming at 52%. This heightened focus on video and social platforms intensifies the pressure on measurement systems aimed at ensuring brand safety across billions of daily impressions.
Concerns regarding ad adjacency to AI-generated content were prominent, with 56% of respondents identifying it as a major challenge for 2026. The rapid proliferation of machine-generated text, images, and videos on social platforms throughout 2025 complicates efforts to uphold brand safety standards and suitability controls. Yet, amid these worries, 50% of experts expressed optimism about AI developments, recognizing commercial potential alongside the inherent risks. Notably, 42% stated they would exercise extra caution before advertising next to such content.
Quality issues concerning AI-generated content were underscored by the survey, with 68% of respondents avoiding content featuring inaccurate information or misinformation. Sixty-three percent reported they would steer clear of content that cluttered user experiences, while 61% would reject material that plagiarizes existing works. These insights reflect a growing demand among advertisers for distinguishing high-quality AI content from low-value machine-generated offerings aimed at maximizing ad revenue.
The report further highlighted that 40% of media experts see the rising levels of unsuitable AI-generated content as a serious threat to media quality over the next year. This concern echoes industry apprehensions regarding made-for-advertising sites, where fraudulent publishers have leveraged automated content generation, prioritizing impression inventory over user experience.
While social media continues to dominate as a priority environment, 41% of respondents also identified it as facing significant challenges—marking the highest percentage among all media types surveyed. This juxtaposition illustrates the unmatched reach and engagement capabilities of social platforms, coupled with ongoing issues in content moderation and brand safety vulnerabilities.
Influencer marketing is also witnessing rapid evolution, with 77% of media experts affirming it will become a more integral aspect of social media advertising strategies. However, this growth brings increased scrutiny; 79% of respondents indicated that the safety and suitability of influencers will be crucial when advertising adjacent to digital video content. This concern extends to the influencer’s overall online presence, past statements, and potential for controversial behavior that could tarnish brand reputation.
The rise of AI-generated content on social platforms is an area of particular concern for 2026. Seventy-three percent of respondents cited the need for monitoring the increasing prevalence of such content. Additionally, 81% stated that third-party measurement and optimization will be vital in identifying and classifying AI-generated materials, emphasizing the importance of avoiding placement next to deceptive AI content.
As the digital video landscape expands, the need for sophisticated content analysis becomes critical. Eighty-two percent of experts agreed that brand safety will become an escalating concern as the volume of digital video ads increases. Furthermore, 89% highlighted the importance of assessing the brand safety and suitability of influencers when advertising alongside digital video content, underscoring the intersection of creator economy growth and brand protection needs.
Connected TV (CTV) has solidified its role as a key media environment; however, measurement capabilities remain inadequate compared to advertiser needs. Eighty-two percent of respondents acknowledged that brand safety in CTV will become a growing concern as inventory volume and seller numbers rise. Ad fraud is also a pressing issue, with 76% indicating that it will become more concerning as the amount of ad-supported CTV inventory grows.
The study also pointed out that attention measurement is emerging as a critical metric for evaluating CTV ads, with 84% of respondents agreeing it will gain importance. This focus reflects frustrations with traditional completion rate metrics that fail to accurately indicate viewer engagement. Additionally, frequency management challenges in CTV campaigns were highlighted, with 76% of experts stating it will be crucial for measurement platforms to help advertisers avoid excessive ad frequency.
As sustainability practices gain traction among UK publishers, 40% identified the monitoring of carbon emissions from programmatic advertising as their top concern for 2026. This focus contrasts sharply with advertiser priorities, where 78% highlighted ad content adjacency as the foremost challenge. Such disparities indicate that while advertisers are primarily focused on media quality and fraud, publishers are increasingly pressured to adopt sustainable practices.
The findings underscore the need for independent verification providers like IAS and DoubleVerify, which are positioned to meet the demand for enhanced measurement capabilities as the industry grapples with evolving challenges related to AI-generated content and brand safety. With advertisers seeking greater transparency and quality assurances, the landscape appears set for further evolution as stakeholders adopt more collaborative approaches to measurement and verification.
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