Media Experts Redefine What Quality Means in AI World Dominated by Social Media and Digital Video, According to New IAS Industry Pulse Report

Top priorities for 2026 include measuring media quality across social media and CTV, brand safety for influencer/creator content, and monitoring AI-generated content

Integral Ad Science, a leading global media measurement and optimization platform, released its annual Industry Pulse Report. The new findings reveal that media experts are embracing artificial intelligence (AI) cautiously, centering their brand strategies on the evolution of digital video and social media, and reinforcing media quality as a cornerstone of campaign performance. The findings point to a complex media environment where innovation is balanced with a strong emphasis on brand protection and performance.

“2026 marks a turning point in digital advertising. As the boundaries between channels blur — and AI reshapes how content is created, consumed, and measured — industry experts are redefining what quality means in this new era,” said Integral Ad Science CEO Lisa Utzschneider. “Advertisers and publishers alike recognize that marketing opportunities, like those on social media and digital video, come with complexity. The industry’s challenge lies in balancing digital innovation with control — ensuring every impression drives trust and performance.”

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Marketers lean into AI’s opportunities while recognizing challenges

Media experts agree that generative AI’s potential to bring speed, personalization, and scale to campaigns is undeniable — but its power also introduces new risks.

• 61% are excited about the AI developments in digital media and the opportunities it unlocks for advertising within gen-AI content;
• 83% believe the increasing rise of AI-generated content on social media is a significant concern and will require careful monitoring;
• 84% say that third-party verification will be important in identifying and classifying AI generated content within social media platforms while 86% will look to third-party sources for the ability to identify and classify AI-generated content within digital video platforms as this type of content becomes more prevalent.

Social media and digital video remain at the center of media preference
Video continues to dominate attention — and investment. In 2026, advertisers are scrutinizing the environments where their messages appear, seeking brand-safe spaces that both foster consumer trust and enhance brand relevancy.

• 88% cite digital video as a top priority, outranking display and audio;
• 84% confirm social media as a top priority compared to other digital environments;
• 87% say brand safety and suitability of the influencer or creator is essential when advertising adjacent to digital video content;
• 82% agree creator suitability is equally important as adjacency risks rise within social media platforms.

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Media quality is a cornerstone of performance
Amid these shifts, media quality remains a fundamental pillar for performance.

• 86% say the need to identify, classify, target and avoid AI-generated content will be needed within digital video platforms;
• 83% concur that measuring ad fraud, viewability, and suitability are important to driving performance outcomes within retail media networks;
• 83% agree that ad fraud and brand suitability will be a great concern as the volume of CTV inventory grows;
• 69% cite ad content adjacency as a major digital media challenge with ad fraud and measurement/outcomes rounding out the top three;
• A closer look at the types of content adjacencies shows that risky content, deepfakes and AI-generated content are the most cited, with influencer creator content following closely.

“The use of AI and AI-generated content surged in 2025, leaving publishers and advertisers trying to balance both its opportunities and risks,” said Jeremy Kanterman, Vice President of Research and Insights at IAS. “This year’s Industry Pulse report reveals a cautious industry looking to prioritize oversight of AI in digital media in 2026, with the bulk of investment still flowing into digital video, social platforms, and a steadily rising interest in using, measuring and determining outcomes around influencer marketing.”