During ad: tech 2026, held in New Delhi, Adam Goodman, director, AI in advertising, Microsoft Advertising APAC, chatted with us about how experimentation is growing in the AI space, and revealed how its application remains uneven, with few treating AI as a connected system across discovery and engagement. 

When brands and agencies approach AI today, the thinking is starting to move in the right direction. Most conversations revolve around three core areas: discovery, experience, and performance. Individually, these are the right questions. But the gap appears in how they are applied.

“AI is not a series of isolated use cases. It is a system.” Goodman pointed out that marketers are still treating discovery, engagement, and conversion as separate efforts, which limits the real potential of the technology. What he’s really getting at is simple: unless these layers work together, AI cannot deliver meaningful business outcomes.

On discovery, the shift is already underway. Consumers are moving toward AI-led recommendations and conversational interfaces. He remarked, “The fundamentals of SEO still matter, but they are no longer sufficient on their own.” 

Goodman explained that marketers need to expand beyond traditional search and start optimising for AI-driven environments. In practical terms, he’s talking about diversification, showing up not just on search engines but within AI assistants that increasingly influence consumer decisions.

The conversation around tools also needs a reset. Goodman expressed, “One of the biggest misconceptions around AI tools is that they are destinations. In reality, they are becoming infrastructure.” 

Using Copilot as an example, Goodman explains how AI is embedding itself into everyday workflows rather than existing as a separate platform. What this means for marketers is a shift away from fragmented tools towards a more unified system where planning, execution, and analysis happen together, continuously.

India, according to Goodman, has an edge in this transition. He said, “India has consistently shown a willingness to experiment.” He highlighted how brands in the market are quick to test and adopt new technologies, often ahead of global counterparts. 

But he’s also clear about the limitation. “Experimentation alone is not enough," he shared. The real challenge lies in scaling these early wins into consistent, repeatable outcomes that drive business impact.

He points to early success stories to illustrate this potential. “Examples like Nilkamal (one of their clients) saw around 3.1x higher conversion rates through brand agents compared to traditional site experiences.” The takeaway here is not just about isolated wins, but about the opportunity to build systems that can replicate such results at scale.

On the topic of privacy, Goodman acknowledged the growing tension with personalisation. He said, “The balance between privacy and personalisation has always existed, but AI has made it more visible.” 

He explained that trust is now central to how consumers engage with brands. Personalisation is increasingly tied to user consent, and marketers need to respect that boundary while still delivering relevance. 

In other words, trust is no longer a backend concern; it’s part of the experience itself.

Measurement is another area that is changing. On which Goodman believes that adoption without accountability is key.  

Goodman emphasises that brands are no longer satisfied with surface-level metrics. 

They want clear visibility into outcomes, from engagement to conversion. Tools like Microsoft Clarity help track user behaviour, but the larger shift is towards integrating measurement directly into the AI system, allowing brands to continuously learn and optimise.

Looking ahead, Goodman believes the next phase of AI will centre on orchestration. He expressed, “The next wave of AI is less about individual capabilities and more about orchestration.” 

He described a future where complex workflows, from planning to execution, can be handled within a single system. Drawing from his agency experience, he notes how tasks that once required multiple teams can now be compressed into significantly shorter timelines. The implication is clear: faster execution, higher productivity, and fewer barriers.

Finally, on creativity, Goodman pushed back against the idea that AI limits it. “If anything, it expands who gets to create," he remarked.

He explained that AI removes traditional barriers like cost and technical skill, allowing ideas to move faster from concept to execution. What this really means is that creativity is shifting. It’s becoming less about production and more about direction, with marketers focusing on ideas and narratives while AI handles execution.

The broader takeaway is that AI adoption is no longer the real challenge. Integration is. As Goodman puts it, the shift is already underway, but the real question is how quickly brands can move from experimentation to building connected systems that deliver consistent results.

Read the full interview in the April issue of Manifest, which can be purchased here.