January 27, 2026  |  SIGN UP

Ronan Shields
SENIOR REPORTER, AD TECH

AdCP, launched roughly 100 days ago, has ignited debate over how agentic AI should interface with existing ad tech infrastructure. Supporters frame it as an open-source bridge — “OpenRTB for the agentic era” — that lets AI agents transact across today’s programmatic stack without forcing buyers or sellers into specific interfaces.

Governance sits with the Agentic Advertising Organization, which plans a broad, multi-stakeholder structure to avoid vendor capture. Early tests by agencies, publishers and platforms suggest potential efficiencies, particularly in operationalizing direct and programmatic-guaranteed deals.

Skeptics, however, warn that AdCP may shift rather than dismantle power dynamics, introduce new transparency risks, or fragment standards if rival protocols emerge. Industry bodies like the IAB Tech Lab argue agentic layers should extend — rather than replace — established standards to ensure interoperability and long-term scale.

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