88% of US advertisers now use AI in creative production, led by VFX, motion graphics creation and script writing

XR finds nearly half of US brand and agency advertisers use AI daily 

VFX, motion graphics creation and script writing lead the way

NEW YORK, NY — September 9, 2026 — Eighty-eight percent of marketers on both the agency and brand sides of advertising say they are actively using or piloting AI during the creative production processes, with nearly half using it daily, according to new research from XR Extreme Reach. The findings suggest AI is becoming embedded across advertising and creative operations as brands and agencies respond to growing demand for content and shorter deadlines to deliver.

According to XR’s State of Ad Ops study of 400+ US and UK advertising professionals, AI is helping advertising teams move campaigns through production faster and expand their creative capacity, rather than replace senior creative talent.

The study found AI usage skews heavily toward production and post-production tasks, with visual effects and compositing topping the list at 45%. Performance analysis and creative testing and image creation follow close behind at 44% each. Video and motion generation (42%), scripting and copywriting (41%), and ad versioning and adaptation (38%) fill out the rank of capabilities, a sign that advertisers are leaning on AI to refine and stress-test creative work, not simply churn it out faster.

However, XR found that adoption isn't uniform, depending on where a team sits in the production process. 

• Production companies are furthest along, with 79% already using AI in their workflows or piloting it on specific projects. 
• Full-service agencies have made it a daily habit: 62% now use AI every day to scale VFX work, run ad testing, and speed up storyboarding. 
• National and global brands are earlier in the production process, with 42% relying on AI mainly for campaign brief writing, image creation, scripting and voice-over or audio generation. 
• Media agencies trail the pack at 36%, treating AI more as an experiment than an established tool.

"Skepticism about AI exists in every corner of the ad industry, from the C-suite to the creative studios," says XR CMO Graham McKenna. "But the data shows that skepticism hasn't slowed adoption, with the creative industry now using AI for some aspect of their production. They aren’t letting AI run wild, though. Many brands and agencies are drawing clear lines between output and originality, letting AI tackle the busy work while keeping the big ideas firmly in human hands.”

A market-level pattern is also emerging. Both the US and the UK show strong AI adoption, but the two markets are pulling different levers. US marketing teams are prioritizing quality and personalization, while UK teams lean toward using AI to improve speed to market and increase creative volume. Either way, AI is settling in as a core part of the infrastructure, and markets are configuring around their own priorities. 

For the FULL report, click HERE.