A new report from the Unstereotype Alliance examines how inclusive marketing and AI bias are reshaping the advertising industry at a moment of growing public scrutiny and rapid technological change.
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As generative AI rapidly changes how campaigns are produced and distributed, the report asks a larger question underneath the technology itself: what kinds of people, identities, and stories are being amplified — and which ones are still missing?
The 2026 State of the Industry Report examines how inclusive marketing has evolved since the Alliance released its first industry report in 2021. Drawing on perspectives from global brands, agencies, researchers, and industry organizations, the findings point to both measurable progress and growing concern.
The report notes that inclusive advertising continues to deliver commercial value. Previous research conducted with Oxford’s Saïd Business School found that brands using more inclusive advertising practices saw stronger short-term and long-term sales performance, along with increased customer loyalty.
But the report also makes clear that representation gaps remain persistent — particularly for disabled people, LGBTQ+ communities, and older adults. According to the report, only 3% of tested ads featured someone living with a disability despite disabled people representing roughly 15% of the global population.
That disconnect matters because audiences increasingly expect advertising to feel recognizable, specific, and real.
A teenager scrolling through creator content. A parent noticing who appears in a commercial during a soccer game. An older viewer searching for someone their age portrayed as more than a punchline or background figure.
Representation is often absorbed in passing moments long before people consciously name it.
The report identifies the creator economy and generative AI as two of the most significant forces reshaping inclusive marketing today. More consumers now encounter brands through influencers, short-form video, streaming platforms, and algorithm-driven feeds rather than traditional advertising campaigns alone.
At the same time, the report warns that AI systems frequently reproduce existing social bias.
Research cited in the report found that 44% of AI systems demonstrate gender bias, while 26% show both gender and racial bias. Yet only about half of marketers surveyed said they currently use human oversight to review AI-generated creative before release.
“GenAI can scale creativity and efficiency quickly, but it can also scale bias just as fast if we’re not intentional,” said Jacqui Stephenson of Mars and the Unstereotype Alliance.
The report also argues that the conversation around representation has become more nuanced. Increasingly, the focus is shifting away from simply counting who appears onscreen toward examining how people are portrayed — whether characters and communities are depicted with complexity, agency, and authenticity.
The Geena Davis Institute is a member of the Unstereotype Alliance and shares its commitment to challenging harmful stereotypes and expanding representation across media and entertainment.
As AI tools become more embedded in creative industries, the report suggests the future of inclusive marketing may depend less on technology itself and more on the people shaping it.
Read the full report from the Unstereotype Alliance, and support the Geena Davis Institute by helping fund research focused on representation, bias, and inclusion across entertainment and media.