Is your channel mix resilient in an AI-disrupted world?

AI disruption is fundamentally altering digital advertising. Key data shows 80% of Google searches now end without a click due to AI overviews, and nearly half of consumers are comfortable using AI for product research. This erodes traditional top-of-funnel channels: paid search CPC has risen 10-25% year-over-year, while affiliate revenues have dropped 7%.

According to a BCG analysis, 35% of global digital ad spend is in 'disrupted supply' (search, display, affiliate) vulnerable to AI changes, while 65% sits in 'stable supply' (social, in-app ecosystems, CTV) anchored in deep user engagement. For ad ops decision-makers, diagnosing exposure is critical: measure organic direct traffic share (target above 51% cross-industry average) and disrupted channel spend (target below 34%). The solution lies in diversifying into high-attention channels.

Mobile apps dominate user time (54 of every 60 mobile minutes are in-app) and spending (in-app purchases up 21% YoY). Marketers diversifying beyond Google/Meta into independent app ecosystems saw up to 116% higher Day 30 ROAS. CTV also performs strongly: 30% of viewers shop via on-screen QR codes, and 66% of Moloco CTV-driven installs occur within 6 hours of ad exposure.

The actionable takeaway: audit your channel mix, reallocate from disrupted to stable channels, and leverage programmatic opportunities in independent apps and CTV.