ISBA has today published the results of its latest Generative AI (Gen AI) member survey which reveals a dynamic and encouraging landscape for the adoption of Gen AI among UK advertisers. In just over a year, the proportion of advertisers reporting at least one live Gen AI use case has more than quadrupled, rising from 9% in April 2024 to 41% in July 2025.

Most advertisers now have Gen AI policies in place (58%), with a further 19% actively developing them. These policies address key ethical considerations, including IP/copyright, AI labelling and transparency, bias/discrimination, workforce displacement, and environmental impacts. While there is still work to be done to ensure all teams fully understand these policies, the breadth of topics covered reflects a thoughtful approach to risk management.

The overall trend is positive, with industry-wide conversations now focusing on upskilling and training. 46% of advertisers have not yet started AI skills training, highlighting a significant opportunity for industry-wide collaboration. Ensuring UK advertisers have the skills to remain competitive globally is a shared priority.

The survey also reveals how advertisers are taking action with their agency relationships. Agency contracts are in the process of being updated to include terms relating to Gen AI. Marketers are also expecting to increase the use of their agency partners, which will be a welcome forecast for the agency community.

Efficiency is driving adoption more so than effectiveness. At this stage, 62% of advertisers report that efficiency (defined as savings of time and money) is the primary focus of their Gen AI strategy and use cases.

The Gen AI Survey is part of ISBA's ongoing commitment to support its members' responsible adoption of Gen AI. ISBA has already created 12 guiding principles in association with the IPA on the use of Gen AI in advertising. ISBA has also published new contract terms for members to use in their media services agreements.

Reflecting on the results, Lorna East, Head of Agency Services, ISBA said "It's brilliant to see advertisers innovating at pace, with great responsibility. There are several areas for us to explore further with both members and the broader industry on how and where we develop our skills, what our role is in implementing environmentally sustainable practices, and the opportunities for agencies to support advertisers' innovation and marketing effectiveness."

ISBA President and former CMO of Boots UK, Pete Markey said "Gen AI is a transformative technology for marketers and its exciting to see levels of adoption amongst ISBA members is rapidly increasing. We have a real opportunity to shape the future of how we use Gen AI, ensuring we have the right skills and guidelines in place is an essential next step."

Reflecting on the results, former Marketing Director, The National Lottery and ISBA member Rachel Moss said "Whilst we seem to have leant into using it for creative assets and efficiency for easy wins, it's great to see as understanding and experience matures, the focus on our gaps has also become more sophisticated - be that in workforce skills and displacement as well as environmental impacts. Important conversations for me in the next year, are how we create future marketing talent when AI may be replacing some of the entry level tasks, and how we leverage AI both as a tool and enabler of sustainability within business."

Simon Valcarcel, Marketing Director, Virgin Media O2 said "The future will belong to marketers who can combine their creativity and expertise with smart use of Gen AI. To get there, we need to take skills development seriously as an industry. It's not just about running training programmes, but about creating cultures within organisations where AI use is recognised, shared and celebrated, rather than hidden. Only then will we be able to harness the full transformational power of this technology and give UK advertisers a real competitive edge."

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