2026 Consumer Trends We Can’t Get Behind and Why: Part 6 Of Our Six-Part Anti-Trend Series

It’s time for our sixth and final piece for our 2026 Anti-Trend series. I know, I know, we’re not crying – you are!

The previous posts have explored a varied array of topics, like why we think consumers aren’t going to co-create ads this year, and why live event TV is more enduring than on demand solitary binge watching, and we’ve consistently found that reality is more nuanced than the headlines suggest. 

This time, we’re tackling the topic on everyone’s lips… AI! There’s growing rumbles that the future of media is entirely digital, automated and AI-led, and traditional, human-led media is in inevitable decline. 

We’re not convinced, and here’s why.

The prevailing view has long been clear: linear TV is shifting to streaming, radio to podcasts and print online. Digital dominance has been building for years, but AI and rapid technological advancement are now accelerating it dramatically.

As automation expands across customer service, retail, banking and travel, it’s easy to conclude that media, like everything else, is heading toward a predominantly AI-mediated future. It's difficult to comprehend just how much of a profound impact this is going to have of us a society.  

The direction of travel is undeniable. Digital ad spend continues to rise year on year and is forecast to exceed 70% of global ad spend by 2025. Social platforms and streaming services such as Spotify, Netflix and Disney+ have reshaped media habits, especially among younger audiences. Generative AI adoption is accelerating fast, with adverts, social content and even films increasingly AI-generated and optimised for engagement. Personalisation at scale will become seamless and automated.

However, the notion that this leads to the disappearance of traditional channels and content is where the logic breaks down.  

1. Human connection is fundamental, and automation will intensify that need 

Human connection isn’t a preference; it’s a psychological necessity. The ‘belongingness hypothesis’ argues that forming meaningful interpersonal bonds is a fundamental human motivation. Not to mention the fact that loneliness was recently declared as a public health concern due to the link with significant health risks. 

At the very moment AI is removing the human layer from media, advertising and customer experiences, the demand for real connection increases. Automation now stretches far beyond media, into retail chatbots, algorithmic recommendations, and AI driven shopping assistants.

As more interactions become bot-mediated, fully human environments, live presenters, and physical events, become rarer. Scarcity creates value. If AI strips out the human element from content and advertising, audiences will increasingly seek it elsewhere. The more automated the world becomes, the more powerful human-led media becomes by contrast. 

2. The cracks in the digital and AI’s plans for future dominance are already here

There are growing cultural and behavioural signals that a fully digital and AI ecosystem has limits.  3Gem found that in the UK, individuals trust human generated content 20% more than AI generated content; highlighting that what may change is scale, but not significance.

Furthermore, 71% say there is too much digital content out there and 46% are overwhelmed at the amount of content making it harder to find content they trust. The cultural shorthand of ‘brain rot’ and algorithm fatigue reflects genuine cognitive overload from infinite ‘For You’ feeds now dominating platforms.

The health data is even more worrying. Adolescents who spend over three hours a day on social platforms are almost twice as likely to experience symptoms of anxiety and depression.

These issues are further exacerbated by the boom of viral content creators and AI. From influencers cornering me at every turn to tell me I’m not living my life optimally, to AI-made ‘alternate endings’ for shows like Stranger Things and Game of Thrones. What was once interesting, useful or novel have turned into a grim glance into an all-digital future. Lacking all sense of human creativity, emotional depth or narrative coherence.

As machine-generated content floods feeds, human-made craft becomes premium by comparison.

3. Traditional channels won’t disappear, they’ll become more powerful

It’s no surprise to hear that traditional media remains more trusted than social media globally, and broadcast TV news is more trusted than online alternatives in the UK.

Linear TV reach among younger audiences has declined long-term, yet live viewing remains resilient around major events, as we discussed in our previous article. Alongside this, Radio still reaches over 80% of UK adults weekly, including strong in-car listening among younger demographics.

So, it seems instead of disappearing, these channels may evolve into slightly smaller but highly valuable environments, delivering regulated, emotionally resonant spaces that cut through digital clutter. 

For brands, the implication is clear: don’t pursue digital efficiency at the expense of impact.

Yes, digital channels and AI offer cost-effective solutions to target and engage with consumers. But over-optimising towards them risks invisibility; 55% say they would value advertising less if they knew it was AI-generated.

In a world of skippable ads and algorithmic clutter, live, regulated and human environments offer disproportionate brand-building opportunity. Linear TV, live radio, out-of-home, cinema and physical experiences create attention and memory structures that personalised feeds often fail to replicate.

Our advice

Utilise the capabilities of digital for precision and AI for optimisation, rather than as a replacement for traditional channels, which offer impact and cut-through at scale; and above all else, creativity that feels crafted and unmistakably human.