# Marketers use AI for data and content but resist letting it buy media > Marketers use AI mostly for data analysis and content creation, not ad buying-only 32% let it handle media purchases. Brands want human oversight when money is on the line. - Type: AI news - Page: https://completeaitraining.com/news/marketers-use-ai-for-data-and-content-but-resist-letting-it/ - Published: 2026-06-11 - Updated: 2026-06-11 - Author: Jeroen Erne - Jobs: Marketing - Reading time: 2 min ### Marketers Use AI for Analysis and Content, Not Ad Buying Marketers increasingly deploy AI for low-stakes work while keeping humans in control of spending decisions, according to a Digiday survey of more than 100 advertisers. Data analysis and content creation rank as the most common uses. Among marketers running social campaigns, two-thirds use AI for data analysis and 57% for content creation. Only 32% use it to buy ad placements-the same percentage who let AI handle retail media buying. The gap reflects real anxiety about autonomous decision-making. Brands worry AI could make poor media-buying choices that tank performance, leaving them liable for the damage. They're comfortable delegating grunt work-generating stock creative, parsing data-as long as humans review the output first. This distinction matters: marketers see AI as an assistant, not a decision-maker, especially when money is on the line. ### Agencies Bet Big on Youth Culture Through Acquisitions Ad agencies are buying expertise to reach Gen Z and younger audiences in authentic ways. Havas acquired experiential youth culture agency Archrival, folding it into Havas Play, a division focused on creators, gaming, music, sports, and live events. Accenture Song made a similar move this week, buying creator-focused agency Whalar. The deal signals that large agency budgets are finally moving into creator marketing at scale, according to SI Global, an M&A firm. This is a pattern. Since 2023, Havas has also acquired Wilderness, WPP bought The Goat Agency, and Publicis added Influential and Captiv8. Agencies prefer buying creator expertise to building it in-house. ### LinkedIn Pivots Toward Creator Economy LinkedIn is building influencer tools to compete with YouTube and TikTok. The professional networking platform plans to launch a creator dealmaking marketplace, subscription features, and paid experience purchases-like consulting sessions-during its 2027 fiscal year, which begins in July 2026. The company is still in early stages with creator tools, but the direction is clear: LinkedIn wants a piece of creator monetization. The shift marks a significant departure from its roots as a job-hunting and career-advancement platform. ### Data Partnerships and Infrastructure Moves OpenAI announced a data partnership with LiveRamp using the latter's conversion API hub, expanding how AI systems access marketing data. Separately, OpenAI is in talks to lease a $500 billion data center in Ohio from NVIDIA. The facility would require 10 gigawatts of energy-roughly 4.5 times the Hoover Dam's capacity-and could increase U.S. total emissions by 0.5%. In Utah, AI super PACs have spent more than $1.3 million to influence state congressional primaries over a proposed $100 billion data center project. ### Other Moves - Media agency Mile Marker acquired creative agency LIFT. - Disney promoted Brette Lipari to VP of advertising sales. - TV and streaming networks are laying groundwork for outcome-based buying. - The Trump administration urged the UK to reconsider a proposed social media ban on under-16 users, citing compliance burdens on American companies. For marketers looking to understand how [AI for Marketing](https://completeaitraining.com/tag/marketing/) fits into strategy, the pattern is clear: use it to augment human judgment, not replace it. And for those focused on social platforms, [AI for Social Media](https://completeaitraining.com/tag/social-media/) continues to reshape how brands reach audiences. --- This is the Markdown form of https://completeaitraining.com/news/marketers-use-ai-for-data-and-content-but-resist-letting-it/. The whole site is mapped at https://completeaitraining.com/llms.txt.