Bottom line up front: Digital marketing in 2026 is undergoing a dual transformation. On one side, AI and short-form video have rewritten the path to discovery — marketers need to shift from keyword thinking to intent thinking. On the other, regulatory scrutiny has tightened significantly across global markets (especially India), and disclosure of AI-generated content has moved from “best practice” to “legal obligation.” The brands winning today aren’t the ones buying the most traffic — they’re the ones that balance systematic growth with compliance risk control