UK ad agencies undergo their biggest exodus of staff as AI threatens industry

WPP, which dropped out of the FTSE 100 last year, is expected to announce sweeping changes to its creative agency operations later this month. Photograph: Toby Melville/Reuters

UK advertising agencies had their biggest annual exodus of staff last year, led by younger workers, as artificial intelligence tools threaten to replace workers and force the industry to cut jobs and costs.

Staff numbers at creative agencies, which are facing acute pressure from the rollout of AI tools that reduce or even replace the need for agency staff, fell more than 14% in 2025.