At the eighth edition of the ET Brand World Summit 2026, a panel titled Rethinking Media Impact in the Age of Algorithms discussed how AI is transforming media planning, shifting focus from traditional metrics like reach and impressions to attention and measurable business outcomes. Panelists included Rohan Chincholi, Atrayee Chakraborty, Abhishek Kumar Srivastava, Sonali Singh, Protiti Bagchi, and Kushal Agrawal. Chincholi argued that "Impressions are dead," defining impact as "anything that can hold a consumer's attention" for a long time. Chakraborty said the industry is moving toward "attention engineering," stating "Reach and frequency has no more impact. It is more about relevant creative plus engineered attention which is going to drive business impact." Srivastava noted consumers discover content based on what algorithms surface, requiring marketers to evaluate creative signals and consumption signals. Bagchi observed that boardroom conversations have evolved significantly.