AI is reshaping agencies at unprecedented speed, but leaders say the most important skills in 2026 and beyond will have little to do with technical mastery.

As AI adoption grows and transforms organizational needs, agencies have shed thousands of roles in 2025. Employment in advertising, PR, and related services fell for seven straight months up to July, and additional job cuts at the end of the year, from the 10,000 total jobs lost in Omnicom’s acquisition of IPG to Dentsu’s planned 3,400 layoffs in December, leaves a flood of talent competing for a reduced number of open roles.

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