The news: AI is drastically changing the digital advertising landscape, and connected TV (CTV) is no exception. Its growing influence is redefining everything from creative production to targeting precision, transforming how advertisers plan and execute campaigns.

In a conversation with EMARKETER, Martin Kristiseter, CEO of media company Digital Remedy, shared his insights on how AI is evolving as a critical copilot for CTV advertising.

AI is transforming placement: Time-consuming creative production is one of the top difficulties advertisers face in their media campaigns, and CTV is particularly challenging because audiences are especially sensitive to ads that seem low-effort.

AI serves as a performance driver in CTV, noted Kristiseter; the tool “reads billions of data signals in a quick amount of time,” ensuring ad campaigns “drive better performance.”

AI promises better targeting: One of the top challenges in CTV advertising is targeting. CTV contains notable visibility gaps that contribute to its low ad reach, and these gaps exacerbate advertisers’ difficulty in personalizing creative for target audiences.

AI is critical because it has a positive impact on CTV targeting, planning, and optimization, Kristiseter said. AI is able to identify distinct audience preferences “that a human wouldn’t see right off the bat,” enabling companies like Digital Remedy to run “about 10,000 campaigns a day on CTV.” And these ads show higher levels of precision and effectiveness, as AI “better serves ads at the right time, with the right creative, that [audiences] will respond better to and convert.”

Humans remain essential: AI is becoming more and more critical for CTV advertisers, but Kristiseter made it clear that the tool doesn’t eliminate the need for a human touch. “AI isn’t replacing the human element or strategy [of CTV advertising]. It just helps amplify it.” AI is important because it enhances efficiency and frees up time for strategic, high-level thinking—but human oversight and intuition are the key to elevating creative work.

The future of AI for CTV advertisers: AI’s role in CTV advertising will only continue its rapid evolution in upcoming years. For advertisers at the start of this multi-year acceleration, AI is best used to improve campaign efficiency and enhance outcomes through better targeting—but should be treated as a strategic accelerator rather than a human replacement. Using AI tools to handle complexity while leveraging human insight for overall storytelling will help advertisers strike the right balance.