CNN’s commercial head on ethical AI and brand safety

In an exclusive interview with Campaign, CNN’s Cathy Ibal discusses how the news organisation is utilising AI for efficiency without compromising journalistic standards, how it tackles ‘news avoidance’ among clients, and its goals towards a safer, more ethical news landscape.

The way news is being created, distributed, and consumed is drastically changing. As the industry evolves, questions rise about the future of journalism, advertising, and brand safety.

In an exclusive interview with Campaign Asia-Pacific, Cathy Ibal, senior vice president at CNN International Commercial (CNNIC), offers her insights on these shifts. She discusses how CNN is navigating the complexities of technology and integrity, the ethical use of AI, and the challenges of a polarised media environment.

Media’s evolving landscape

The media industry has endured significant turmoil over recent years, with 2023 and 2024 marked by mass layoffs and fundamental shifts in operational models. CNN has not been exempted from these challenges.

Ibal contextualised the situation: “Many sectors are going through significant change, and the media industry is no different. It is imperative for media companies across the board to innovate to maintain relevance.”

From Ibal’s perspective for CNN’s international advertising sales, this process of change is vitally important as their commercial partners expect CNN to be innovative in content delivered, solutions provided, and ways they engage with audiences.

Talking about the coming year, Ibal shared how CNN is leveraging AI and digital transformation to adapt to a rapidly changing media landscape while ensuring trust remains central.

“AI presents opportunities for CNN, from how we power our products, automate time-consuming processes, innovate in our output, and work with commercial partners. It also presents challenges around content authenticity and sourcing, protecting intellectual property, and protecting the trust with our audiences,” she said.

CNN has introduced AI Principles, now part of its News Standards & Practices Guide, to ensure ethical and transparent use. AI enhances user personalisation, recommendations, and ad offerings, but Ibal said tha AI does not influence CNN’s journalism.

“We must be transparent with our audiences about our approach,” Ibal emphasised.

In advertising, CNNIC partners with third parties using AI for tasks like image tagging, emotion analysis, and image text extraction. However, according to Ibal, machine learning has been embedded within the advertising eco-system for some time. It powers decision-making in ad delivery platforms when the company is looking to optimise media.

“Machine learning still requires human input of a seed idea or concept for the machine to take and develop upon,” added Ibal.

Also in advertising, AI allows for greater precision in targeting, providing brands with tools to reach specific audiences. However, this also raises ethical concerns, particularly around issues of bias and discrimination.

Ibal acknowledged these risks: “The core of our approach is still very much human-centric storytelling. AI helps, but it’s the people behind the campaigns who assess and work to avoid biases.”

She referenced CNN’s partnership with Samsung as an example of how the network combines AI with human-centric storytelling.

“We’ve worked with Samsung on branded campaigns, focusing on human stories like how technology can be used for good. We make sure cultural nuances and human involvement are never lost in the process,” she said.

Ibal elaborated that while AI plays a critical role in automating tasks like audience profiling, data analysis, and content tagging, it is not used to create editorial content: “Our journalists remain at the core of what we do. AI helps us streamline processes, giving journalists more time to focus on fieldwork and storytelling.”

As programmatic advertising reshapes the media landscape, CNN has introduced tools to gather audience insights and ensure transparency.

Ibal highlighted that AI has allowed CNN to become more strategic and agile in its approach. “AI frees up time for us to focus on strategic decisions rather than just day-to-day tasks. This has significantly sped up processes, enabling us to offer more sophisticated and innovative advertising solutions,” she explained.

With CNN’s Launchpad and WBD Connect initiatives, the network is further enhancing its programmatic offerings while maintaining a human-first approach.

Digital transformation is another key trend reshaping partnerships for CNNIC. It has shifted to data-driven strategies, where metrics like audience engagement and real-time insights drive decisions. Partnerships now require agility and flexibility to adapt to rapid changes in consumer behaviour and technology. With enhanced personalisation, CNNIC offers targeted campaigns tailored to audience segments. Furthermore, cross-platform integration enables cohesive brand messaging across social media, streaming, and podcasts.

Navigating brand safety

The increasing polarisation of media, combined with the rise of misinformation, pose significant challenges for global news organisations.

Maintaining brand safety in such an environment requires a careful balance between commercial and editorial content. Ibal described CNN’s commitment to ensuring transparency for its advertisers and viewers.

“We have clear labelling and identification in the commercial space, ensuring transparency for viewers so they are never confused between news and commercial content,” she explained. “We ensure viewers know when they are in a sponsored environment or consuming commercial content.”

This commitment is particularly important in regions like Europe, where regulations such as Ofcom standards ensure that viewers are never confused between news and commercial content.

The challenge of brand safety is especially evident in sensitive markets like luxury, where advertisers are cautious about being associated with certain news content. Ibal mentioned that CNN has developed specific verticals, such as style, travel, and business, to create safer environments for brands.

“For some clients, especially those in luxury, we’ve created dedicated verticals to ensure their ads don’t appear alongside sensitive news content,” she noted.

However, the issue of ‘news avoidance’—a trend where brands shy away from advertising in news environments—remains a concern. Ibal discussed how CNN is addressing this issue by demonstrating the importance of funding journalism.

“Without adequate funding, the risk of misinformation increases. We have a societal responsibility to ensure that journalism continues to thrive, and advertisers play a key role in that,” she explained. CNN’s partnership with Stagwell resulted in a survey and discussions at events like the Cannes Lions Festival have brought these issues to the forefront, as media agencies and publishers work together to combat news avoidance.

The future of media

Looking ahead, Ibal expressed optimism about the opportunities in the Asia-Pacific region, particularly as digital transformation accelerates. “The region is experiencing rapid digital growth, and for a global news organisation like CNN, this presents unique opportunities to engage with diverse audiences,” she said.

However, she also acknowledged the challenges posed by misinformation and polarisation in the media landscape. Ibal highlighted that CNN is undergoing a significant transformation, with the recent launch of its subscription model marking a key milestone.

“We’ve just launched the subscription model, and it’s going to be a big part of our future. AI will certainly play a role in how we evolve as a digital-led organisation,” she noted. “The next five to 10 years will bring significant changes, but we are prepared,” Ibal conclude