In a society paying a heavy price for the ‘move fast and break things’ ethos of the first wave of tech expansion, the UN and the Conscious Advertising Network are urging the industry to slow down and prioritise safety when it comes to AI adoption. 

A new issue brief from the United Nations and Conscious Advertising Network (CAN) warns that unchecked adoption of artificial intelligence in advertising risks accelerating a global information integrity crisis, with major consequences for brands, media, and society.

The new paper, which is being launched at The Media Leader’s Future of Brands event today, is entitled Strengthening Information Integrity: Advertising, Artificial Intelligence and the Global Information Crisis. The whitepaper argues that the advertising industry sits at the centre of the digital information ecosystem, and therefore holds a critical lever to shape how AI develops.

The report finds that AI is intensifying systemic risks, including mis and disinformation, declining trust and media fragmentation, at the same time as advertisers face mounting commercial pressure to adopt the technology at speed. It highlights an ever-increasing disconnect between rapid AI adoption and the lack of governance frameworks to manage its impact.

It warns that AI is accelerating the spread of information risks, including disinformation, hate and polarising echo chambers at scale.

This misinformation is effectively funded by advertising, which continues to fund content regardless of quality, accuracy, potential harms or effectiveness.

The report also highlights the fact that increasing opacity in AI-driven media buying risks worsening fraud and inefficiency. A truth which underlines that this issue is not just a societal challenge, but a direct commercial risk for brands. 

While the rise of AI-generated content threatens the viability of independent and pluralistic journalism. The Conscious Advertising Network warns that audiences engage with advertising in environments they trust, and as trust declines, so does campaign effectiveness.

According to the report, advertisers are uniquely positioned to influence the future of AI through their media investment decisions. With global ad spend exceeding $1 trillion annually, brands can demand higher standards from platforms, AI developers and media partners.

The report includes key recommendations for advertisers, urging brands to demand transparency across AI and advertising supply chains.

Its recommendations to advertisers also include prioritising quality media environments and journalism and setting clear standards for where and how ads appear in AI-generated content. The report underlines the power brands hold which gives them the opportunity and responsibility to use their commercial leverage to require stronger safeguards from platforms.

Evidence cited in the issue brief suggests that improving transparency and control in media buying can deliver double-digit improvements in return on ad spend, reinforcing that responsible practices align with business performance.

The brief comes at a pivotal moment for the industry as AI platforms explore advertising-based monetisation models, increasing the influence advertisers have over how these systems are designed and deployed. 

The report warns that failure to act now could result in increased regulatory pressure, reputational risk for brands, reduced advertising effectiveness and further erosion of the open web and pluralistic media.

Charlotte Scaddan, UN Senior Adviser on Information Integrity, explained: “Advertising funds the systems that shape what people see, trust and believe. Without swift action and guardrails AI risks accelerating the breakdown of information ecosystem integrity. Advertisers have the power to help fix it.”

Harriet Kingaby, Co-Chair and Co-Founder of the Conscious Advertising Network (CAN), added: “Brands are under pressure to move fast on AI, but doing so without guardrails risks undermining the very environments their marketing depends on. This is not about slowing innovation - it’s about making sure it works for business and society.: 

She continued: “This is a defining moment. Advertisers can either fund the problem or help build a more transparent, trustworthy and effective digital ecosystem.”