Human truths in the algorithmic era 2026 media trends

Human truths in the algorithmic era 2026 media trends

The report Human Truths in the Algorithmic Era – 2026 Media Trends by dentsu approaches the current media transformation through three recurring perspectives on human behavior. Instead of looking at innovations in isolation, the report asks which human expectations remain stable under algorithmic conditions.

The initial focus is on the tension between the desire for simplicity and the need for orientation. AI-supported search, automated agents and greatly shortened purchasing processes promise efficiency, but at the same time make decisions more difficult to understand. Visibility is no longer created via a single entry point, but is spread across several environments that are effective at the same time, such as social feeds, trading platforms, traditional search and AI assistants. Information, recommendations and ratings overlap and together form perceptions. The report makes it clear that completely seamless processes do not necessarily generate trust. Deliberately set hurdles can structure choices, clarify expectations and give meaning to experiences.

A second perspective focuses on media as social spaces. Attention is formed where people exchange ideas, share experiences and classify content. Communities, live formats and messaging environments are described as places where credibility and cultural relevance are conveyed.

This is followed by the third perspective, according to which people do not read advertising but turn to what interests them. Advertising is embedded in entertainment and everyday life and develops its effect over time. Attention thus appears to be a long-term process that can only be measured to a limited extent using short-term key figures. In this context, AI-supported target group models are seen as an attempt to map complex motivations more consistently without replacing human interpretation.