Let’s be honest, nobody knows what the future of AI holds. Even the experts find it exhausting keeping up, it’s not just you. The good news is that the AI industry has two ends, a noisy front that demands constant attention yet makes little sense, and a practical back, quietly delivering tools that are fast becoming part of our everyday workflows. OOH is a wonderfully varied industry and AI is already adding real-world value at almost every layer.

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But talk is cheap and examples are way more useful, so let’s look at a few ways AI is already making a difference.  

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Let’s start with the client. They probably used an off-the-shelf model (Gemini, Claude, ChatGPT etc.) to ensure the brief was tight and concise. They probably clicked the “Deep Research” box to summarise live market and competitor analysis. A smart human checked the results and refined the strategic direction. The shortlisted agencies and vendors were identified because they did a better job of their search AIO (AI Optimisation), adding more AI-friendly, conversational, “question and answer” content on their website and PR articles.

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The creative agency used AI (if client allowed) to ideate, research and visualise concepts, maybe with Adobe’s in-built AI, multi-model platforms like Higgsfield, or directly through products like Nano Banana, Seedance. They tested the creative against synthetic AI audiences, optimising everything from copy to imagery against expected results. Anything below a 7/10 is recursively optimised.

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The planners used their in-house model, trained on a mix of previous briefs (client, audience and objectives), previous media plans, success reports, as well as industry mobility reports, audience data, location and media owner specs, to give a bespoke foundational plan to update with new campaign-specific requirements. In reality, they probably used Google NotebookLM for the data, and a Google Gem to do the reasoning and generate the results, but it got the job done. Adding the plan to a shared directory triggered a Zapier cloud automation to generate all the docs… vendors, RFPs, direct buy plans, DSP recommendations and rates, and even write the email cover notes.

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Once the campaign is locked, the creative formats are dynamically resized, redesigned and uploaded using AI. Programmatic triggers are constantly optimised for outcomes. When the AI spots a potential new mini-strategy, it uses its restricted autonomy to bid for new media and update the plans. The campaign dashboard back at base (and with the client) assimilates complex data into meaningful statements and actions. “Programmatic hot weather triggers are underperforming due to unexpected storms. Click generate storm creative.” or “Reallocating transit media to retail for 48-hours would 10x the spend. Click to reallocate.”

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Meanwhile, the media owners are identifying the next most-optimal locations for panels, refining the potential land and development costs, negotiating complex planning processes and creating persuasive investor presentations. And somewhere, in a dark lab, AI is being used to increase internal quantum efficiency in next-generation LED displays, cut environmental waste and energy usage.

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t’s all incredibly exciting and fast-moving. Many worry about being left behind as they “don’t use AI”, but frankly, if you do anything digital these days, you’re already using AI, just indirectly. That’s true of your email’s spam filter, or a deeply integrated and sophisticated OOH ecosystem like MMG. They have embedded it when it makes sense, and where it delivers results.

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The point is, stop asking “What can we use AI for?” and ask, “What increases value… and can AI help?” AI in OOH is not about the shiny headlines. We’re past that. It’s about being educated, asking the right questions and taking advantage of real, tangible tools. If you’re not actively exploring what AI has to offer, you’re missing out.