AI and Programmatic: The Agentic Age?

"As artificial intelligence evolves from responsive tool to autonomous agent, programmatic advertising faces its most significant transformation yet. The emergence of agentic AI (systems capable of independent decision-making, goal-oriented behaviour, and complex task execution) promises to fundamentally reshape how digital advertising is bought, sold, and optimised. But what does this shift truly mean for an industry already grappling with the implications of generative AI, escalating privacy regulations, and fragmenting media environments?"

"Success will depend on collaboration and a willingness to test, but the direction of travel is clear. As programmatic continues to evolve, the shift towards agentic systems represents its most exciting transformation yet. Autonomous buyer and publisher agents, supported by intelligent intermediaries, can negotiate, optimise, and act on behalf of their human counterparts. This progression from automation to true autonomy will free people to focus on creativity, strategy, and delivering meaningful outcomes for customers."

"What the experts predict... This year saw the rise of AI agents, each impressive yet mostly confined within single platforms. While valuable for simplifying complex interfaces, their impact so far has been more evolutionary than revolutionary. The next major step will come as agent-to-agent communication, enabled by open standards like AdCP (Ad Context Protocol), becomes embedded throughout the programmatic supply chain."

Agentic AI is shifting programmatic advertising from responsive automation to autonomous systems capable of independent decision-making and goal-oriented behaviour. Autonomous buyer and publisher agents, supported by intelligent intermediaries, will be able to negotiate, optimise, and act on behalf of humans. Agent-to-agent communication enabled by open standards like AdCP will be pivotal across the programmatic supply chain. The current rise of AI agents has been platform-confined and evolutionary rather than revolutionary. Success will require collaboration and experimentation, while the industry must also address generative AI impacts, escalating privacy regulations, and fragmenting media environments.

Read at Exchangewire