ISBA: GenAI rockets but we must ensure it doesn't crash

Fresh evidence has emerged on the rapid uptake of AI among client marketers, with the number using the technology more than quadrupling in just over a year, and agencies are likely to be the main beneficiaries, yet there are still issues to tackle around skills, ethics and the environment.

That is according to the results of ISBA’s latest Generative AI member survey which reveals the proportion of advertisers reporting at least one live GenAI use case has risen from 9% in April 2024 to 41% in July 2025.

In fact, most advertisers now have GenAI 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.

However, there is still work to be done to ensure all teams fully understand these policies, despite the breadth of topics reflecting a thoughtful approach to risk management.

Even so, ISBA reckons the overall trend is positive, with industry-wide conversations now focusing on upskilling and training; yet 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, with agency contracts in the process of being updated to include terms relating to GenAI. 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 GenAI strategy and use cases.

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

ISBA head of agency services Lorna East 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.”

But what do those at the coalface think?

For ISBA president and former CMO of Boots UK Pete Markey, it is rapid increase in levels of adoption that stands out. He added: “GenAI is a transformative technology for marketers…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.”

Meanwhile, former National Lottery marketing director and ISBA member Rachel Moss commented: “While 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.”

Finally, Virgin Media O2 marketing director Simon Valcarcel believes that the future will belong to marketers who can combine their creativity and expertise with smart use of GenAI.

He concluded: “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.”