Artificial intelligence is fundamentally changing advertising by enabling real-time audience measurement, according to Nielsen CTO Anil Goel. For decades, audience measurement was largely retrospective, but AI is "dramatically improving how quickly we can process audience data and generate actionable insights," Goel told Fortune India, as customers increasingly expect answers in real time. This shift comes as India's advertising market is projected to grow 7% to ₹1.64 lakh crore in 2025, with digital accounting for nearly 60% of total advertising revenues, and digital and television together contributing 86% of overall ad spending. The FICCI-EY report shows digital media has overtaken television as India's largest media segment, while the country's media and entertainment industry reached ₹2.78 lakh crore in 2025. Nielsen is investing in AI-led measurement technologies to unify viewing behaviour across television, streaming platforms, desktops, mobile devices and digital video, using machine learning to analyse video and audio content and improve cross-platform attribution. The industry is also shifting from measuring exposure to measuring outcomes, with Goel noting brands want to connect media investments to sales, customer acquisition and engagement. Nielsen's 2025 Annual Marketing Report found that only 32% of marketers currently measure digital and traditional media holistically.