Study Shows Advertisers Increasingly Turning to Agentic AI for Better Ad Performance
Study Shows Advertisers Increasingly Turning to Agentic AI for Better Ad Performance
Taboola has released new research showing that advertisers are rapidly embracing agentic AI tools to improve marketing performance, with many now looking to expand those capabilities beyond major search and social media platforms.
According to the study, 76% of advertisers reported seeing meaningful performance improvements from AI-powered advertising solutions, particularly on so-called “walled garden” platforms such as search engines and social media networks.
The research, titled “The Agentic Advantage in Performance Marketing: Securing Incremental Growth Beyond Search and Social,” surveyed 200 senior performance marketers managing monthly advertising budgets ranging from $500,000 to $4.9 million.
One of the study’s biggest findings revealed growing demand for AI-driven advertising tools across the open web. Around 80% of advertisers said they would immediately increase ad spending outside major tech platforms if similar agentic AI solutions were available, while 86% said they would allocate up to 25% of their advertising budgets toward those opportunities.
Agentic AI refers to advanced AI systems capable of autonomously optimizing campaigns, adjusting strategies in real time, and improving targeting and creative performance without constant manual input.
Adam Singolda said advertisers are increasingly seeking AI systems that can continuously learn and optimize campaigns beyond traditional digital advertising ecosystems.
“Our research shows a clear demand for advertisers that want the same ‘always-on,’ AI-driven performance they see in walled gardens applied to the open web,” Singolda said.
The study also highlighted challenges companies face when integrating agentic AI into existing advertising workflows. Larger advertisers appeared to struggle the most, with 74% of companies spending between $1 million and $4.9 million per month identifying integration as their primary obstacle. In comparison, only 9% of advertisers spending between $300,000 and $499,000 monthly reported similar concerns.
In April 2026, Taboola introduced Realize+, a new AI-powered advertising platform designed to automate campaign optimization across the open web. The platform uses AI-driven decision-making tools and automated creative generation to improve advertising performance in real time.
Taboola said the Realize+ beta rollout is now underway as the company seeks to expand AI-powered advertising capabilities beyond search and social platforms.
The findings reflect a broader trend across the digital advertising industry, where companies are increasingly investing in artificial intelligence tools to maximize efficiency, targeting, and measurable campaign outcomes.
