From CERN to Ad Regulation: How AI & Data Science Are Changing Advertising | Adam Davidson
Data Malarkey - the podcast about using data smarter
Release Date: 02/19/2025
Best of Series 8: Perception, Purpose, and Persuasion - The Data Malarkey Podcast
Data Malarkey - the podcast about using data smarter
In this Greatest Hits episode, Master Data Storyteller, Sam Knowles, rounds up the sharpest, most compelling, and most insightful moments from Series 8 of Data Malarkey - the podcast about using data, smarter. From AI and ethics to storytelling with data, this episode features golden snippets of conversations with: VW’s Nick Ratcliffe on marketing measurement Cambridge United FC’s Mark Bonner on the need to balance the emotional and the rational in the era of sporting analytics The Great Lakes Reporter of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Caitlyn Looby, on three golden rule of...
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Data Malarkey - the podcast about using data smarter
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Data Malarkey - the podcast about using data smarter
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Data Malarkey - the podcast about using data smarter
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Data Malarkey - the podcast about using data smarter
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Data Malarkey - the podcast about using data smarter
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Data Malarkey - the podcast about using data smarter
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Data Malarkey - the podcast about using data smarter
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Data Malarkey - the podcast about using data smarter
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Truth Before Meaning: Scott Taylor on Data Storytelling & Business Impact
Data Malarkey - the podcast about using data smarter
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info_outlineCheck out our Data Storytelling scorecard: https://data-storytelling.scoreapp.com
In this episode of the podcast, Master Data Storyteller Sam Knowles sits down with Adam Davidson, Head of Data Science at the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). Adam shares his fascinating journey from CERN’s Large Hadron Collider, where he contributed to the search for the Higgs boson, to leading data-driven efforts in advertising regulation.
💡 What You'll Learn in This Episode:
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How Adam transitioned from physics to advertising regulation, with the constant drumbeat of data science
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The role of AI and machine learning in monitoring online ads
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Why data storytelling is critical for bridging the gap between data teams and leadership
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How the ASA is tackling fraudulent ads and influencer marketing transparency
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The future of real-time ad monitoring and automation
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Ethical concerns around the misuse of data in advertising
If you've ever wondered how AI is shaping the future of digital advertising and how regulators are keeping up, this episode is for you!
🎧 Listen now and discover how AI, data science, and machine learning are transforming the ad industry!
Episode Chapters & Timestamps
00:00 - Introduction: Meet Adam Davidson
01:27 - From CERN to Data Science in Advertising
04:32 - Bridging the Gap Between Data Science & Leadership
09:14 - The AI-Powered Ad Monitoring System
14:38 - Regulating the "Wild West" of Online Ads
18:12 - The Challenge of Influencer Marketing & Hidden Ads
25:30 - AI & Automation: Real-Time Ad Monitoring
32:02 - How AI in Advertising is Evolving
39:45 - Misuse of Data: The Dark Side of AI
45:36 - Final Thoughts & Where to Follow Adam
Guest Bio: Adam Davidson
Adam Davidson is the Head of Data Science at the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), where he leads efforts to monitor and regulate digital advertising using AI and machine learning. His career started in particle physics at CERN, where he was involved in the discovery of the Higgs boson. Adam later transitioned to data science roles at Qubit and The Economist, before joining the ASA in 2021.
Now, he’s using data and AI to bring accountability to online advertising, leading a seven-strong team of data scientists at the ASA who are ensuring that brands comply with regulations, legislation, and ethical marketing standards.
🔗 Follow Adam Davidson on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-davison-a5624815/
🔗 The Advertising Standards Authority https://www.asa.org.uk
Key Takeaways & Quotes from This Episode
🧠 On Data Storytelling:
"Data science is useless if leaders don’t understand it. Storytelling bridges that gap.” – Adam Davidson
🤖 On AI in Advertising Regulation:
"We built an AI system that actively monitors ads in real time – catching fraudulent content before it spreads.”
⚖️ On Ethical Advertising:
"Influencer marketing needs more transparency. Consumers deserve to know when they’re being sold to.”
🚀 On the Future of AI & Automation:
"Machine learning in advertising isn’t new. What’s new is the scale at which we can use it for good.”
Resources & Links
🔗 Adam on BBC2’s Horizon, “The Hunt for the Higgs Boson” – www.dailymotion.com/video/x621wqk
🔗 Profile on Adam in Marketing | Beat – https://www.marketing-beat.co.uk/2024/04/11/asa-harnessing-ai-technology/
🔗 “Using AI to monitor the promotion of prescription-only medicines” by Adam Davison, ASA blog, 09.11.23 – https://www.asa.org.uk/news/using-ai-to-monitor-the-promotion-of-prescription-only-medicines.html
🔗 “Our Active Ad Monitoring system” by Adam Davison, ASA blog, 14.07.23 – https://www.asa.org.uk/news/our-active-ad-monitoring-system.html
🔗 “How data science is changing ad regulation” by Adam Davison, ASA blog, 17.11.22 – https://www.asa.org.uk/news/how-data-science-is-changing-ad-regulation.html
Support & Connect
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📢 Share this episode with colleagues in marketing, advertising, or data science.
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