• by Joe Mandese , Yesterday

For the third consecutive year -- and the fourth time in the 12 years they've been selecting one -- the members of the Association of National Advertisers have picked AI as their marketing word of the year. Actually, they picked two -- "Agentic AI" and "Authenticity" -- and therein lies the paradox.

Or, as ANA Executive Vice President Bill Duggan describes the selections: "Agentic AI captures a transformative shift that is reshaping how marketing gets done, while Authenticity reflects the enduring human values that brands must protect as technology accelerates. Together, these words signal the new reality for marketers in 2025 and beyond: success will come from navigating advanced AI capabilities without losing the trust, truth, and transparency that define strong brands.”

Technically, "Agentic AI" won more votes among the 623 ANA members who voted, but the ANA made the determination that close runner-up "Authenticity" should be the associations first-ever second marketing word of the year.

So what's the paradox? Well, I turned to an authority on the subject, asking Google AI chatbot Gemini if "agentic AI could be authentic," and here's what it had to say:

"The question of whether agentic AI can be 'authentic' is complex, as AI systems, including advanced agentic AI, lack human consciousness, understanding, or feeling. They operate based on patterns and data, not personal experience or intrinsic emotions," Gemini explained, adding, "Authenticity, when applied to agentic AI, generally refers to whether the AI's actions and communication feel genuine, transparent, and aligned with human values and intent."

Of course, the ANA didn't necessarily mean that agentic AI should, or could be authentic, just that the two terms best describe the two biggest marketing themes of the year -- one being inherently synthetic (AI), and the other capable of being authentic (people).

And if you ask me, that is quite a paradox brand marketers are expected to walk.

Or, as one anonymous ANA member said in the association's 2025 Marketing Word of the Year report: "It’s getting harder to determine what is real and what is performative. Reaching consumers in a way that is tangibly authentic is going to be the difference-maker."

You can read other verbatims here.