Marketers embrace AI across workflows, but questions over guardrails and job impacts remain

August 18, 2026 Marketing execs are pushing for company-wide AI adoption, expecting everyone to use AI tools to expedite brainstorming, scale creative ideas and win client business. That expectation exists without a universal line in the sand for where machine learning ends and human ingenuity begins. Advertisement TOP STORY The Business of AI Marketers embrace AI across workflows, but questions over guardrails and job impacts remain As AI moves deeper into agency workflows, marketers are still figuring out the guardrails—and what it means for entry-level jobs. OTHER THINGS TO KNOW Step-by-step guide to assessing agentic readiness and adopting at scale. A buyer agent evaluating inventory is only as informed as the data a seller agent can surface. Becoming agent-ready now sets publishers up for a smooth transition into agentic buying and selling. Partner insights from Optable. While AI is changing how work gets done, it’s not changing who does it just yet. The focus now is shifting from finding the perfect tech stack to prioritizing AI that works alongside marketers. Partner insights from Contentful. There are only 10 spots left for the Digiday Publishing Summit, taking place Sept. 14–16 in Miami. Join publishing leaders from Reuters Digital, Axios, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and more for candid conversations, valuable networking and practical insights on what’s next for publishing. MARKETING The Sports Marketing Playbook How Unilever detergent brand Persil measures sports sponsorship impact The fabric detergent brand sponsors Arsenal and F1 Academy. Brand boss Giovanna Gomes explains how it tracks the impact of those deals beyond just exposure. Retail Revolution How DTC startups are using AI to scale more efficiently Brand marketers are recreating the DTC playbook for the current agentic AI landscape. PARTNER INSIGHTS FROM PAYPAL ADS Why the group organizer is the customer worth competing for The chief friend officer, or CFO of the friend group, organizes, decides and settles up. Every payment they make pulls other people into a purchase that might never have happened otherwise. MEDIA & PLATFORMS Modern Retail ANA updates efforts to standardize retail media network measurement The ANA is hammering out guidelines around standardization of retail media measurement, on behalf of its member base of marketers PARTNER INSIGHTS FROM SHEER ID Why — and how — brands are building loyalty with students With $593 billion in spending power, college students are one of the most lucrative audiences a brand can engage.  Advertisement PARTNER INSIGHTS FROM MOLOCO The problem with last-touch for CTV Measuring CTV on last-touch alone tells only part of the story. Across hundreds of advertisers, 30% of campaigns are significantly undervalued by last-touch models alone. DIGIDAY + Member exclusive Ad Tech Briefing: TV measurement’s competitive reset gathers pace (with more job cuts) ComScore and VideoAmp confirm large job cuts, just days after rival Nielsen makes bold M&A move. Written by Jim Cooper and Sara Jerde Were you forwarded this email? Sign up to get it daily. Advertise | Digiday+ | Events | Awards Update your email | Unsubscribe | Privacy policy