Overheard at Prebid Summit: 'Way too often, there's a delta between what people do, and what they say they will do'

"AI. Antitrust. Existential dread, and, oh yeah, innovation... these were just some of the constantly recurring threads of conversation at this year's Prebid Summit. This year's edition of the annual, publisher-focused ad tech conference earlier this week, had a particular sense of urgency given the figurative sword of Damocles, i.e., AI-overviews, looming over the media business, with some of the industry's OGs on hand to clarify controversial moves, and to tease soon-to-be revealed solutions."

"I don't think the auction is inherently a sell-side function... We believe that his is a race between the open internet and the walled gardens, this is about creating efficiency for all... Way too often in our space there is a delta between what people do, and what they say they will do." - The Trade Desk CEO Jeff Green - who opened his session by quipping that he thought he wouldn't be allowed back into the conference after many interpreted his company's recently announced OpenAds tool as rival sell-side product - maintained his outfit is there to be a team player, and that his latest launch wasn't a rebuttal to Prebid's Transaction ID."

""Tomorrow [i.e., that's today Oct. 15] a group of companies are coming together to announce the beginning of a new era of agentic advertising. Today, the agentic advertising era is the equivalent of the day before we took header bidding live [in 2008]... We need a new definition of what it means to be a supply-side platform." - One of "the Godfathers of ad tech" and Scope3 CEO, Brian O'Kelley continues his tradition of fraying the nerves of his PR and marketing teams by teasing the launch of an industry-wide effort"

AI, antitrust, existential dread, and innovation dominated conversations at the Prebid Summit. The publisher-focused ad tech event carried urgency as AI-related overviews loomed over the media business. Industry veterans clarified controversial moves and previewed forthcoming solutions. The Trade Desk CEO argued that auctions are not inherently a sell-side function and framed the contest as a race between the open internet and walled gardens, stressing efficiency for all. Scope3's CEO teased the start of an agentic advertising era and urged a new definition of supply-side platforms while promising an industry-wide initiative reveal. Prebid indicated upcoming launches.

Read at Digiday