The way we advertise online is changing—fast. With people spending more time on digital platforms and less time paying attention to traditional ads, businesses are looking for smarter ways to reach their audience. This is where Generative AI is making a huge impact.

From writing ad copy to choosing the perfect product to show you at the right time, AI is no longer just a buzzword. It’s becoming the engine that powers modern advertising.

Personalized Ads Are the New Normal

Not long ago, online ads were generic. Everyone saw the same banners or product suggestions, often based on basic info like age or location. But today, thanks to AI-powered recommendation systems, ads feel more personal. They show you things you’ve searched for, clicked on, or might even need soon—without you realizing it.

Smarth Behl, a software engineer working behind the scenes, has helped build these kinds of systems. During the online shopping boom in 2020 and 2021, he worked on recommendation tools that helped e-commerce platforms show personalized products to millions of people.

“Instead of guessing what people want, we now use AI to understand what they’re actually looking for,” he explains.

From Guesswork to Real-Time Relevance

AI doesn’t just look at your past behavior. It learns from it. Whether it’s your searches, purchases, or even how long you watch a video, AI uses this data to decide what ads should be shown to you—right now.

This means no more irrelevant or repetitive ads. Instead, users see promotions that feel timely and useful.

Generative AI: Creating Ads on the Fly

One of the most exciting developments is generative AI—technology that can create content like text, images, and even video. This means AI can now generate ad copy, design banners, and even create video ads that are customized for each user or group.

Behl notes that this reduces the need for huge creative teams and allows for faster testing and tweaking of ad campaigns. “Brands can now experiment more and get better results in less time,” he says.

Smarter Ads in Short-Form Content

In today’s world of TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels, attention spans are short. That’s why placing the right ad in the right video at the right moment is key. Behl has helped build tools that let AI understand video content and automatically insert ads where they fit best.

For example, if someone is watching a makeup tutorial, AI might show them an ad for beauty products—making it feel like part of the experience, not a distraction.

AI Is More Than a Tool—It’s the Foundation

The future of advertising is clear: AI isn’t just helping with ads—it’s becoming the core of how ads work. From personalization and performance tracking to content creation and delivery, AI touches every part of the process.

Behl believes that the biggest challenge now is building strong infrastructure that can grow as AI evolves. He’s part of a new generation of engineers shaping the behind-the-scenes systems that make modern digital advertising smarter, faster, and more effective.