Generative AI adoption accelerated rapidly from 2023 onward, expanding from limited expert use to broad departmental deployment. Early AI use focused on trend predictions, data sorting, marketing optimization and algorithmic tasks. In 2017 roughly 20% of companies used AI in at least one function, rising to about 55% by 2022 and reaching near 70% departmental adoption after 2023, even though clear economic returns remain limited. Major technology platforms are investing heavily in AI infrastructure, with combined capital expenditures projected near $340 billion in 2025. Common use cases include agentic assistants, process automation, and tools for productivity and creativity.
For better or worse, generative AI has become a tech the industry can't escape. Whether it's taking over processes, agentic assistants or a way to scale productivity and creativity, AI is usually involved somehow. Now that generative AI is in its hype mode, the next stage of the AI journey is anyone's guess. To understand how we got here, Digiday has charted the rise of generative AI, big tech's investment into AI as well as top use cases and consumer sentiment.
AI was always important, but generative AI has changed the game While AI is having a moment right now, let's not forget the actual tech was being used for a long time. Think trend predictions, sorting data, improving marketing or even algorithms - all things most agencies relied on, but never thought twice about how it was actually done. The tech was used by experts, but adoption across entire companies was still relatively slow.
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