Cannes Was Hot: AI + Human Creativity Took Center Stage
IAB and IAB Tech Lab executives were on the ground at the 2026 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, connecting with members and industry leaders from across the digital ecosystem. While AI dominated nearly every conversation, the focus has shifted from potential to actual implementation, including how to deploy AI responsibly, measure its impact, and build the standards that enable it to scale. Across discussions on the creator economy, commerce media, CTV, and measurement, one message stood out: AI doesn’t replace creativity. It amplifies it, making human judgment, trust, and collaboration more valuable than ever.
From the energy of La Croisette to conversations happening across the global stage, Cannes remains a vital moment to explore the ideas and innovations redefining our ecosystem. Explore what happened in Cannes!
2026 Cannes Photos
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Executive Recaps
Read the insights and takeaways from our executives who were on the ground along La Croisette during the Cannes Lions Festival.
Cannes Lions Was Melting, AI Was Everywhere, Live Streaming & Commerce Got a Word In
This year’s Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity was blazingly hot. Not just metaphorically, I mean literally hot. Like Sahara Desert hot.
This was my first Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity and before I get to AI, I want to start with the top thing I noticed there: connection. From the friends I got to see on the street to the work meetings I had with executives typically unreachable to the celebrities amongst us.
I came back from the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity thinking about three things: CMOs, Creators, and Connections. Across the official programming, pre-Cannes gatherings, and a few spontaneous late-night villa excursions, one theme kept showing up: technology may be changing the operating model…
IAB and IAB Tech Lab Executives in Cannes
David Cohen
Chief Executive Officer
IAB
Anthony Katsur
Chief Executive Officer
IAB Tech Lab
Sheryl Goldstein
EVP, Chief Industry Growth Officer
IAB
Carryl Pierre-Drews
EVP, Chief Marketing Officer
IAB
Caroline Giegerich
VP, Artificial Intelligence
IAB
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