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AI and Tech Competency Become Non-Negotiable for Marketing Leadership

AI
May 13 — May 14, 2026

CMOs and agencies face mounting pressure to master AI tools and emerging technologies, with brand safety in AI-driven environments and programmatic automation emerging as critical battlegrounds. The conversation has shifted from whether to adopt AI to how to govern and control it effectively.

Category Spotlights

AI & Automation in Programmatic
3 changes

Marketers are deploying AI agents in media buying while simultaneously implementing guardrails, signaling both opportunity and risk management concerns in automated purchasing.

Mentioned:HersheyAI agentsmedia mix modeling

Sources:

  • 'We should own it': Hershey's programmatic chief on AI agents and media mix modeling
Brand Safety & LLM Integration
2 changes

AI chat platforms introduce new brand safety challenges, forcing advertisers to rethink contextual targeting and control mechanisms in conversational environments.

Mentioned:LLMsbrand safetycontextual targetingBloomberg

Sources:

  • The AI Chat Ad Frontier: What LLMs Change About Brand Safety And Control
  • Bloomberg Wants Contextual Targeting To Work In Live Video