AI, Accountability, and Assurance - Getting it Right

As AI-powered ad tech advances, platforms, providers, and brands are racing to show they can both scale their current efforts and safeguard their strategies.  In an industry obsessed with results and continued optimization, AI brand safety applications have become more than a compliance mechanism - they have become the new standard for avoiding mishaps. But are they always reliable? As an example, Scope3’s new Brand Stories solution, announced ahead of Cannes Lions, positions AI not just as a tool for precision targeting - but as a brand safety amplifier. Early results claim improvements over legacy brand safety tech and in another partnership with Triton Digital, expands multi-channel safety parameters. The message is clear: future-proofing brand safety means embracing smarter, integrated AI systems, to cover more bases without sacrificing control. But as we all know, it’s terribly difficult to evade brand safety hiccups – and as an industry we must keep striving for better.

YouTube, for example, secured its fifth consecutive Media Rating Council (MRC) accreditation for in-stream and brand safety, certifying the platform’s AI systems, human review processes, and advertiser inventory controls. This kind of accreditation raises the standard for all industry players - it signals the platform’s accountability to advertisers navigating volatile media environments and says that it is deploying current capabilities to the benefit of brand advertisers across its tiers. A useful advantage as audiences grow wary of AI and/or manipulative content, and advertisers demand proof their ads won’t appear alongside it.  Such rigorous validation will become table stakes for platforms seeking sustained ad revenue.

For a slightly different twist on the liability frontier, the recent legal dispute between Sony Music and Marriott over unlicensed music in social media posts - which risked $140 million in damages - underscores a crucial but often overlooked reputational risk/brand safety issue. Intellectual property rights have long been a discussion across multiple industries, with concerns raised by everyone from major record labels to indie content creators. In fact, despite what we think of as clear guardrails with licensing and fair-use, one could posit that the century-old debate is far from over given the rise of social media stars not schooled in the specifics of rights arbitration. But, in the fast & fluid world of digital storytelling, music has become a rapidly shared language brands and creators tap into freely, if sometimes carelessly. This case is a timely reminder that the consequences of cutting corners aren’t hypothetical. Reputational damage and legal exposure walk hand-in-hand with brand missteps.

The connective thread across these developments is clear: brand safety isn’t just about shielding yourself from the worst; it’s about proving you’re operating with intent, transparency, and care. Whether through AI-enhanced media curation as a tool, lawful use of creative assets, or third-party-backed assurance - the brands that thrive will be those investing not in shortcuts, but in systems built for accountability in an increasingly scrutinized digital landscape.