The way people watch TV and the technology continues to change, even as the technology evolves that marketers rely upon to make their ad spend more efficient, better targeted and, in 2026, culturally relevant.
Connected TV viewing is a lynchpin in this transition, helping to give brands and agencies greater insight into the wants and needs of viewers. CTV-derived viewing data in turn enables artificial intelligence to assist advertisers with their campaigns.
Here, โTVTechโ presents the predictions of ad tech and CTV luminaries about what 2026 has in store.
Crystal Foote, founder and head of partnerships at Digital Culture Group:
- Diversity and cultural intelligence will become AI's strategic edge. In 2026, the most effective AI-driven campaigns will come not from those with the largest datasets, but from brands that embed cultural intelligence into the core of their tech infrastructure. AI is only as effective as its operator; without diverse talent guiding its development and deployment, campaigns risk automating bias instead of unlocking insight.
- Authentic cultural resonance requires more than data. It demands teams with lived experience and cultural fluency. Agencies that eliminated DEI roles missed a critical opportunity to evolve those positions into AI and innovation leadership. The expertise required to detect and mitigate bias, understand nuance and build inclusive strategies already existed within those roles. To succeed in the next wave of AI, brands must reimagine their organizational structuresโinfusing diversity not as a layer of review, but as a strategic function at the foundation of how AI is built, trained and applied.
- Voice will become the next frontier for contextual targeting. As consumers increasingly interact with technology through voice, advertising is poised to follow. Next year, voice-activated ad targeting will become a breakout channel, driven by a shift in behavior. People are speaking to their devices more than…