WARC published its Future of Strategy 2026 report. It surveyed 489 agency-side strategists. 66% see reasons to be optimistic about AI. 56% fear AI will eventually replace their roles. 65% say AI frees time for more nuanced strategic work. 55% believe AI will refocus strategy on human perspectives. Strategy influence with clients rose to 50% from 41% in 2025. 80% of strategists say they must develop stronger evidence of business impact. 57% say they need a new value proposition and compensation model. The ad industry lost 6,900 jobs between August 2025 and August 2026. WARC fielded the survey in August 2026.

• 66% of agency strategists see reasons for optimism
• 56% fear AI will replace them long-term
• 55% say AI will refocus strategy on human perspectives
• 65% say AI gives them time for more strategic work