Meta to let AI handle entire Ad creation and targeting by 2026: Report

Meta Platforms is working on new AI tools that will allow brands to fully create and target ads by the end of next year, reports The Wall Street Journal. 

According to the report, a brand could submit a product image and a budget, and the new AI feature would handle the entire process. The social media giant already offers features that have made its platform more appealing to advertisers, including generating personalised ad versions, image backgrounds, and automated video edits. 

Meta, which generates its revenue through advertising sales, will also allow users to see variations of the same ad in real time, based on factors such as geolocation. 

The company pointed to CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s recent public comments on AI-driven ads when contacted by Reuters.

Last week, Zuckerberg pointed out the growing need for AI tools that can deliver “measurable results at scale,” noting that Meta aims to become a go-to platform where businesses can set goals, define budgets, and let the platform handle the rest. 

The move comes as Meta races to maintain its dominance in digital advertising amid growing competition from players like TikTok and Amazon. 

Last week,  The New York Times signed an AI licensing agreement with Amazon. As part of the deal, the ecommerce giant will utilise the news outlet's editorial content to train its AI (artificial intelligence) systems. 

Tech rivals such as Google and OpenAI have also introduced AI tools for generating images and videos. Google rolled out its text-to-image model Imagen and video generation tool Veo, and OpenAI with its DALL·E image generator and Sora for text-to-video creation.