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
“Start Making Sense”: Data Malarkey Season Nine greatest hits
Data Malarkey - the podcast about using data smarter
Master Data Storyteller, Sam Knowles hosts a best-of-Season-Nine greatest hits episode, featuring: Kelly Beaver, Ipsos UK & Ireland; Angela Balakrishnan, the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO); AI pathfinder and TED Talker, Susan Etlinger; senior comms advisor at Wadds Inc., Stephen Waddington; founder of Social for Good, Kerry Watkins; and, the Ohio State University’s Professor of Story Science, Angus Fletcher. Themes include the Market Research Society’s “Campaign for Better Data”, ultra-processed data in the age of AI, information rights and public trust,...
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Reality doesn’t obey logic — Angus Fletcher on anomalies, intuition, and innovation
Data Malarkey - the podcast about using data smarter
Professor of Story Science, Angus Fletcher, joins Master Data Storyteller, Sam Knowles, to dig into narrative cognition, creativity, and innovation in volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) environments. Drawing on Project Narrative (based at Ohio State University) and his book Primal Intelligence, Angus explains why logic is not reality, why adults struggle with intuition, and why the most effective stories and breakthroughs start with an anomaly. We explore intuition, imagination, emotion, and common sense as core human capabilities that enable us to outperform computational...
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AI, authenticity, and digital detox — Kerry Watkins on Social for Good
Data Malarkey - the podcast about using data smarter
Social for Good founder, Kerry Watkins, joins Master Data Storyteller, Sam Knowles, to talk charity communications, nonprofit social media strategy, and building authentic engagement on LinkedIn. They cover why relying solely on a company page limits reach (“LinkedIn particularly wants people to network with other people”), how to swap broadcast posting for proactive engagement and relationship metrics, and why “people want to see real people”. Kerry explains what AI is changing in social media - automatic targeting that often outperforms manual audiences, internal tools for...
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Engineering rigour vs PR Malarkey - Stephen Waddington on data, stories, and measurement
Data Malarkey - the podcast about using data smarter
Master Data Storyteller, Sam Knowles, welcomes Wadds Inc.’s Stephen Waddington to explore engineering-style rigour in PR. They discuss: elevating the function during the pandemic, building multi-source datasets for the “Pints & Profits” case study, why “synthetic audiences” are “ultimately junk,” McDonaldization and repeatability, balancing numbers and narrative, and the pitfalls of AVE and proxy metrics - plus a call for all PR practitioners to contribute to Stephen’s PhD research. Take the Data Storytelling Scorecard: Resources and social media • Contribute to...
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Data doesn’t create meaning - we do
Data Malarkey - the podcast about using data smarter
Master Data Storyteller, Sam Knowles, welcomes AI Pathfinder and TED Talker, Susan Etlinger, for a conversation about AI, meaning-making, and agency. Topics include the influx of new data types, Orwell vs Huxley (after Neil Postman’ Amusing Ourselves to Death), why we’re “intentionally ceding control to machines”, the burden of proof for automation, inclusion across languages and models, and why “facts can’t defend themselves against being misconstrued”. Susan also highlights core skills for a new curriculum for the AI era: History, Statistics, and Social Sciences. Take the Data...
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Empowering people through information: Inside the ICO
Data Malarkey - the podcast about using data smarter
Master Data Storyteller, Sam Knowles,speaks with Angela Balakrishnan, Executive Director of Strategic Communications & Public Affairs at the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) about information rights, public trust, AI, and why “data is about people”. Topics include the ICO’s role, rights awareness, AI priorities and consultation, practical tips (think about your digital footprint; strong passwords; MFA), and the Ripple Effect campaign (“It was one admin error”) with trauma-informed research and charity partners. Resources and links - ICO website - - ICO on...
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Ultra-processed data: the hidden risk AI can’t solve
Data Malarkey - the podcast about using data smarter
In this episode of the Data Malarkey Podcast, Master Data Storyteller, Sam Knowles, welcomes Kelly Beaver, Chief Executive of Ipsos UK & Ireland, to explore why the data industry is at a crossroads. Kelly shares insights from the Market Research Society’s "Campaign for Better Data" - tackling synthetic data, the risks and benefits of AI to the market research industry, and the danger of what she terms “ultra-processed data”. With passion and precision, Kelly explains why high-quality evidence matters more than ever. 🔍 Topics covered: The rise of synthetic and...
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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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Measuring what matters: Darryl Sparey on comms, metrics, and making data sing
Data Malarkey - the podcast about using data smarter
In this episode of The Data Malarkey Podcast, host and Master Data Storyteller, Sam Knowles, talks with Darryl Sparey, Managing Director and Co-Founder of UK-based PR agency, Hard Numbers. A seasoned expert in communications and marketing measurement, Darryl breaks down what it really means to use data effectively in PR, how vanity metrics mislead, and why storytelling still reigns supreme. From launching award-winning campaigns to championing smarter KPIs, Darryl brings sharp insight and plenty of playful Data Malarkey to the mic. Take the Data Storytelling Scorecard: 🔍 Topics in this...
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The Extinction of Experience: Christine Rosen on reclaiming humanity in a digital world
Data Malarkey - the podcast about using data smarter
In this episode of The Data Malarkey Podcast, host and Master Data Storyteller, Sam Knowles, is joined by Christine Rosen, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and author of the 2025 book, The Extinction of Experience. They dig into what happens when real-world, face-to-face experiences are replaced by screens and algorithms. Christine shares her unique journey from a bassoon scholarship to intellectual thought leadership, how teaching aikido shapes her thinking, and how she sees technology reshaping human behavior - for better and worse. With insight, wit, and depth, Christine...
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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