Why the United Nations Is Asking Advertisers to Protect the Open Web

Why It Matters

If advertisers don’t act, AI-powered ad flows could entrench misinformation and waste media budgets; conversely, coordinated advertiser demands could force platforms to adopt safety and transparency measures that protect public trust and business value.

Summary

The United Nations and the Conscious Advertising Network released an issue brief warning that AI is accelerating a breakdown in the global information ecosystem by amplifying misinformation, hate, polarization and inefficient or fraudulent ad spending. The paper argues that the rapid adoption of AI-driven media planning and ad-supported business models risks directing budgets toward attention-grabbing but low-quality or false content. UN advisers urged advertisers—who underwrite much of the media ecosystem—to demand transparency, guardrails and conditions on AI deployment from tech platforms. They say advertisers are uniquely positioned to curb damage by making information integrity a prerequisite for buying and funding AI-powered services.

Original Description

Last month, the United Nations in partnership with the Conscious Advertising Network (CAN) launched an issue brief (https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/04/1167405) warning the integrity of the global information ecosystem is at a "crisis point".

As Charlotte Scaddan, senior advisor on information integrity at the UN, explained: "Without swift action and guardrails, AI risks accelerating the breakdown of information ecosystem integrity."

But advertisers, the UN believes, are uniquely situated to demand greater transparency and guardrails from AI companies as the likes of OpenAI turn to ad-supported business models to fund their exorbitant costs.

At our Future of Brands conference last month, Scaddan and CAN co-founder Harriet Kingaby joined host and senior reporter Jack Benjamin to unpack the report and make a direct appeal to advertisers to "make information integrity a condition of AI uptake."

Highlights:

1:35: Toplines from the Strengthening Information Integrity: Advertising, Artificial Intelligence and the Global Information Crisis issue brief

4:41: The power of advertisers in the global information ecosystem

7:14: Why advertisers should care about media quality

9:55: Concrete steps advertisers should take when working with tech platforms

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