IAB Australia launches AI Working Group to provide practical industry guidance

IAB Australia has launched its AI Working Group to support the needs of publishers, platforms, ad tech, agencies and marketers. The Group will have a strong focus on providing practical guidance for the industry and will collaborate on key policy topics and initiatives with The AI Council of Experts which was recently launched by AANA, MFA and ACA.

The IAB Australia AI Working group will pay particular attention to identifying future skill requirements and develop local best practice advertising use cases across addressability and targeting, content creation, creativity; and measurement and insights. It will look at how AI is impacting the day-to-day operations of the digital advertising ecosystem, as well as offering guidance to the industry on dealing with synthetic media, shining a light on innovation, and exploring ethical AI use, bias and fairness.

The need for a local working group was recently highlighted by the IAB US State of Data report which found that full-scale AI adoption in the media campaign lifecycle isn’t a question of if but when. More than 80% of agencies, brands, and publishers who haven’t yet scaled their adoption, confirmed they have a timeline for when they expect it to happen. While two-thirds of agencies, brands, and publishers confirmed they are using AI tools that are easy to access, but that they lack the functionality needed for full-scale adoption

Kellyn Coetzee at Zenith Media Group and Daevid Richards at News Corp Australia will co-chair the AI Working Group, which will work closely with IAB Australia’s Data Council and Executive Tech Council. Members of the group at launch come from publishers, brands, agencies and adtech vendors and include Elastic by IVE Group, Google, GroupM, Integral Ad Science, iProspect, Microsoft, MiQ, News Corp Australia, OMD, Paramount, PHD, Prophet, Spark Foundry, Yahoo, Zenith Media Australia and Zitcha

Says Gai Le Roy, CEO, IAB Australia: “Bringing together a dedicated group with deep AI skills and focus will allow us to provide the industry critical support and guidance in this very fast-moving category. The Group will work collaboratively with other recently announced industry groups, ensuring that the digital advertising ecosystem is well served across the areas of governance, standards and best practice.”

Says Kellyn Coetzee, Head of Digital at Zenith Media Australia and AI Working Group co-chair: “As an industry, we cannot afford to stand still. I am deeply passionate about equipping everyone with the knowledge and skills to navigate this wave of change and help shape the future of digital media. I am thrilled to be part of a group equally committed to driving progress and empowering our industry for what lies ahead.”

Says Daevid Richards, Ad Tech Product Director at News Corp Australia and AI Working Group co-chair: “AI is redefining how digital media advertising operates – bringing both new challenges and transformative opportunities. The IAB AI Working Group aims to maximise the potential of AI in digital advertising by educating the market, establishing guidelines to build awareness of trends and best practices along with providing industry support.”

Image credit: Igor Omilaev on Unsplash