Is Artificial Intelligence Future of Video Advertising

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Imagine you are a movie editor in 2026. You are given a script and awarded tens of thousands of shots to craft a 10-second pre-roll advertisement, targeted on social media to audiences with particular interests and viewing habits, residing across North America and Europe.

The customer approves it the following day, uploads it on different social platforms and suddenly millions of individuals are seeing it throughout the western hemisphere, reacting in various ways. Most drop off over the first 3 seconds. A data team participates in the analytics streaming in, deliberating whether it is worth reshooting and recutting a different video to minimize moments where the viewing masses fall off, optimizing those precious few seconds your audience is really watching.

From single cuts to countless tailored versions

Meanwhile, somewhere in a different office, in that same year, another team is developing a digital video. Except they are not shooting one film: they are shooting numerous iterations of it. In one, the celebrity changes clothes. In another, the actor is a celebrity. In yet another, the celebrity is African-American.

After completing the shoot, this team will not pass the footage to a movie editor. They move it to a different algorithm.

The algorithm can cut another video advertisement in milliseconds. Rather than taking a single day to edit one video, it can compile countless versions, each slightly different and tailored to certain audiences according to their user data. Then, as the video stats flow in and the artificial intelligence development company provides more efficient tools, the algorithm can edit the video in real time too — rather than waiting a week to test and act on audience behavior, the algorithm can perform instant A/B evaluations, optimizing the company’s investment each day.

This is not science fiction — it is happening right now. We are seeing a pivotal moment in video advertising history, much like the transformations experienced in other industries disrupted by the digital revolution, where individual editors are becoming less central. This marks the next step in personalized advertising, tailoring content to individuals instead of the masses.

Dynamic content driven by data

In this future of dynamic content, audiences’ data is fed to AI that determines facets of the video according to their information. Women may see a version of the video where the advertising star is female, for example. And as a video producer, you would not be privy to particular customer information; rather, you would simply create an algorithm that looks at that data, reflects it back to the consumer, then steps away.

The possibilities for customization extend beyond consumer information as well. If it is raining outside, it might be raining in the video, provided the agency plugs in a geolocating weather script. If it is nighttime, the video could mirror reality. This is a logical development and a natural application of artificial intelligence for a society accustomed to exchanging privacy for free services: advertisements geared toward individuals instead of masses.

We would argue that this customized model of video production is significantly more effective than the current approach of producing one video for the masses. In dealings with large-scale advertising agencies, executives are often preoccupied with investing enormous resources in a single, groundbreaking advertisement.

Such large-scale projects are invaluable, and we surely have great appreciation for the craft. However, what does this say about the agency’s priorities? We are not arguing there is no place for them in the future of communications and advertising (the best of these ads are often esteemed, amazing and downright enjoyable to watch), but to make them the centerpiece of a multimillion-dollar campaign is unwise in an age when companies hold more customer data than ever before — and when AI is transforming this arena. Personalization is the way of the future; unfortunately, most firms still do not know exactly what to do with their stores of customer data.

You cannot have a revolution without breaking from the past

In a recent post, Chief Marketing Officer and Senior Vice President at Riverbed Technology Subbu Iyer compared the future of connective networks to Google Maps: the future will see companies finding the best path to deliver their products to their users.

We really like that analogy, and it applies perfectly to the evolution of video creation. With video production, we are witnessing a shift toward the same idea, whereby the video is the path and the product is the destination. We are customizing how each person discovers new products.

While working with a multinational advertising agency earlier this year, we advised them of this impending reality. They would not sign off on it. We were not surprised. As former video editors and producers, we understand the energy and craft that goes into creating a creative campaign. Yet our career background also positions us well to comprehend how and why AI can replicate what a human editor can do, and we would rather spearhead innovation in the sector than lag behind it. Besides — we have seen this kind of transition occur before.

At that time, teams were shooting and editing in analog. Most of the staff did not believe there was a more efficient way to edit, and senior management sent me to agencies around the country to prove them wrong. After six months, once everyone realized the future was digital, NBC began installing multiple digital editing bays across its facilities and investing in massive servers to host their content.

This was over a decade ago, and ever since then technology has been evolving at an astounding pace. The broadcast media industry has witnessed another revolution in automated cameras and lighting; hundreds of operators and technicians have lost their jobs to a few technicians in control rooms.

Yes, this digital progression is disruptive — and will continue to cost jobs — but it is the direction the industry is taking. You can either attempt to maintain an older version of your business because “it is how we have always done things,” or you can step into the future and stay ahead of the curve.

It is a lesson leaders could learn from. These are not stable times: technology is continually evolving, leading businesses are adjusting their algorithms daily and there is more competition in every digital marketplace than ever before.

“To me personally, marketing is all about values,” he explained. “This is a very complicated world; it is a very noisy world. And we are not going to get an opportunity to get people to remember much about us. No company is. And so we have to be very clear on what we want them to know about us.”

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