Moving beyond the near-endless stream of broad and empty pronouncements on AI, the IAB's 2025 roadmap details concrete steps for the advertising industry. Key initiatives include an AI Ecosystem Map to track real-world use cases across the advertising supply chain, a GenAI Personalization Playbook focused on operationalizing AI creative with quality assurance, and an AI-Centric Content Integrity & Trust effort to tackle accuracy and transparency in AI-generated ads.
Standards needed now: The push for practical tools comes as the industry grapples with implementing AI effectively and responsibly amidst rapid adoption. The IAB aims to provide the guardrails advertisers are asking for. "Establishing shared standards and scalable solutions across stakeholders is exactly what the industry needs right now," stated Caroline Giegerich, the IAB’s newly appointed VP of AI. Her role involves spearheading these efforts to create tangible resources.
Innovation vs. risk: The roadmap explicitly attempts to thread the needle between leveraging AI's power and mitigating its dangers. The focus on QA protocols, hallucination detection, and labeling standards within the Content Integrity initiative highlights the push for responsible deployment. "We’re building an AI roadmap that balances innovation with responsibility," confirmed Cintia Gabilan, IAB’s SVP, Centers of Excellence & Industry Initiatives, adding that Giegerich "will be at the helm of this transformation."
New AI leadership: Guiding this practical shift requires specific expertise, which the IAB sought through key appointments. Giegerich brings experience from Warner Music Group and HBO, particularly in generative AI applications. Alongside her, consultants Alvarez & Marsal (A&M), known for advising major media players on transformation and AI, have been engaged. A&M aims to help build "a shared foundation from which media companies, advertising agencies, and brands can harness AI’s power," according to A&M Managing Director Peri Shamsai.
The IAB's actions reflect a broader industry need for guidance as AI reshapes advertising workflows, personalization capabilities, and ethical considerations. With challenges ranging from data privacy in AI targeting to ensuring the reliability of AI-generated content, the trade body is positioning itself to provide the framework its 700+ members need to operate in the AI landscape.