AI flags 48% of alcohol-free ads could be breaking rules
Nearly half of online adverts for alcohol-free products were flagged for potentially breaching UK marketing regulations in a new trial that used artificial intelligence (AI).
The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) published the findings from a new trial that explored how AI can strengthen the regulation of online alcohol advertising.
The ASA’s in-house Active Ad Monitoring system, which used the AI-driven large language model, processed nearly 6,000 paid-for alcohol-related ads aimed at UK consumers in early 2025.
The trial looked at whether the ads violated section 18 of the UK’s Cap Code, which requires adverts to be socially responsible, target only those above the legal drinking age of 18 (and feature people aged 25 and over), and avoid encouraging excessive alcohol consumption.
The report found that overall compliance was very strong, with around 96% of adverts likely to meet the rules, and just 1% to 3% appearing to breach them. It also found that only 1% of adverts required further review.
Most of the potential breaches were related to unauthorised health or nutritional claims, irresponsible drinking messages, or content likely to appeal to children.
However, it was alcohol-free products that tended to fall foul of the rules, with the trial discovering a higher rate of potential advertising issues. The report noted that around 48% of adverts for alcohol-free products were in breach of ASA’s regulations, mainly due to the lack of clear alcohol by volume (ABV) information.
Adam Davison, director of data science at the ASA, said: “We believe AI has the potential to make our online ad regulation much faster and more effective. This report shows that the latest advances in AI can be used to help our experts scan large volumes of ads and check them against lots of complex rules more quickly.
“It highlights that the alcohol sector is generally sticking to the rules, which is great news. We’ve also spotted places where we think we can do more, and deliver better regulation thanks to our rapid adoption of AI.”
The ASA intends to contact the advertisers that appeared to violate the Cap Code and publish advice for the alcohol-free sector.
The organisation recently used AI to discover Jägermeister had breached advertising rules by implying alcohol was a key component of a successful social event.
The advertising watchdog also upheld a complaint last month that a TikTok ad by Au Vodka had targeted people under 18 years old.
Related news
Top 10 marketing moves from September 2025
