Advertisers are adopting AI systems that can tailor ads to individual users by analysing language, tone, colour preferences and online behaviour, raising questions over effectiveness, ethics and consumer acceptance. Companies such as Cheil UK are using large language models developed with partners like Spotlight to interpret a person’s digital activity and adjust advertising content to match what the AI infers about their personality.
The technology draws from public posts on platforms including Facebook, Instagram and Reddit, search histories, and even what people type into ChatGPT. It can mirror a person’s writing style, vary emotional tone and insert music or imagery that reflect whether the AI identifies someone as introverted or extroverted, or drawn to louder or calmer styles. Retail, consumer electronics, packaged goods, automotive, insurance and banking brands are already using this approach to create ads customised for millions of individual shoppers.
By overlaying these personality signals onto demographic information advertisers already collect, the systems extend familiar targeting practices. Details such as region, age group, parental status, holiday preferences and clothing choices have long shaped ad delivery through platforms like Facebook and Google. The difference now is that AI can alter the content itself, producing unique variations tailored to what the model believes a single person might respond to.
Cheil UK CEO Chris Camacho said AI systems can assess a person’s entire digital footprint, from social media activity to patterns of engagement, revealing emotional states and personal circumstances. He described the shift as a move from traditional segmentation to deeper psychological interpretation. The aim is to generate countless versions of an ad, each adapted at the level of tone and pacing.
Researchers in the U.S. have tested how people react to AI-personalised content. A study presenting iPhone ads with text written by ChatGPT found that messages aligned with a participant’s personality traits were more persuasive than non-personalised versions. Jacob Teeny, an assistant professor of marketing at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management who led the research, said AI is becoming highly effective at targeting but still developing in terms of creative personalisation. He said trends suggest AI-tailored ads are likely to become a standard feature of digital marketing.
Advertisers also see potential cost benefits, as 15% of digital ad spending is estimated to deliver no value because people do not notice or engage with the content. Proponents argue that AI-driven personalisation could reduce that level of wastage by increasing relevance for viewers.
Skeptics question whether tailoring content for individuals is worthwhile. Alex Calder of Jagged Edge, part of the digital marketing firm Anything is Possible, said highly specific ads might be ineffective because they reach only one person at a time and fade quickly from memory. He said AI should support broad, recognisable ideas rather than produce what he described as hyper-targeted messaging that emphasises personal data.
Others raised concerns about surveillance and regulatory scrutiny. Ivan Mato of brand consultancy Elmwood said consumers are increasingly uncomfortable with a data economy that depends on constant monitoring of online activity. He questioned whether brands should rely on such practices and what they risk losing by doing so.
Camacho acknowledged that AI-personalised ads could be misused, especially in areas such as political persuasion and voter influence. He said Cheil aims to keep its use of AI within ethical boundaries and focus on improving communication between brands and individuals.
Featured image credits: Freepik
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