Podcast Summary

AdTechGod Pod, Ep. 114: Anthony Katsur, CEO IAB Tech Lab on Agentic AI, Hype, Privacy, and the Future of Ad Tech

Release Date: December 30, 2025
Host: AdTechGod (ATG)
Guest: Anthony Katsur, CEO of IAB Tech Lab

Main Theme

This episode delivers a thought-provoking exploration of the "agentic era" in advertising technology, with particular focus on what agentic AI may realistically change in ad tech—and what’s pure hype. Anthony Katsur, a seasoned industry leader, offers sober advice on how the industry should prioritize fixing longstanding issues—like privacy, transparency, and measurement—while approaching AI innovation with pragmatism. The conversation is relevant for everyone interested in the real impact of AI agents, operational shifts, and where future disruption might (or might not) come from in digital advertising.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Stage: The Agentic Era in Ad Tech

• ATG (03:43): The host frames "agentic" as 2025’s hot topic—overflowing with hype, but minimal real-world productization so far.
• Anthony Katsur (04:12, 07:25):
  • Defines this "agentic era" as early days for AI agents in media trading.
  • Sees much industry talk, but little clarity or substance:

    "It does feel a little bit like the South Park underpants gnome episode... There's this big gap as I talk to the industry of like, ‘Oh, I want to do something agentic.’ I’m like, ‘Well, what do you want to do that's agentic?’ ‘Well, I want to do an agentic CTV buy.’ ‘Okay, what is an agentic CTV buy?’ ‘I don't know. I was hoping you'd tell me.’" [04:32]

  • Early promise: Agentic AI will increase automation and efficiency, especially via natural language interfaces, but tangible applications are sparse.

2. Agentic AI and the Current Hype Cycle

• Hype vs. Reality:
  • Many companies promote themselves as "agentic" without clear deliverables.
  • Real developments are largely internal and based on proprietary or legacy code, not new agentic protocols:

    “There is a ton of smoke and not a lot of fire... This is definitely a shiny penny moment for the industry. And as an industry we love shiny pennies and that doesn't mean we shouldn't innovate. But... there are still a lot of fundamental things that we have to address...” [08:20]

• Practical Problems Remain:
  • Existing issues like supply chain transparency, privacy, and measurement persist.
  • "Protocols don’t solve for misaligned incentives and bad actors... that's not what protocols address." [08:41]
• Regulation & Privacy:
  • Privacy remains a regulatory minefield, and AI's evolution intensifies concern for guardrails.
• RTB & the Future:
  • Despite the buzz, core tech like RTB isn’t going away:

    “RTB is incredibly efficient when used properly... that is an incredibly powerful protocol. So I think RTB isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.” [11:07]

  • Agentic AI will be additive, especially for resolving discrepancies and automating mechanical tasks.

3. Practical Impact of Agentic Interfaces

• Natural Language to Replace Knobs & Sliders:
  • Anthony outlines a vision where buyers/sellers prompt audiences and campaign specs instead of tweaking parameters by hand:

    "You're going to see more prompts versus knobs, dials and sliders... similar to self-driving cars, your hand is still on the wheel occasionally. I think that's going to be the same for the interfaces." [13:12]

• First High-Impact Zone: Ad Operations
  • Host and Guest agree: The biggest near-term disruption is in ad ops—repetitive tasks will be automated:

    "I think the, if you look at what's happened from an engineering perspective in some of the larger engineering shops... there's been a tremendous slowdown in hiring of new engineers... I'm already hearing from some publishers, they've closed a lot of open roles for junior ad operations people because AI or agentic solutions allow you to... do more with less." [15:36]

• Changing Career Paths:
  • Anthony predicts that career ladders will go from a pyramid (many juniors, few seniors) to a diamond (fewer entry points, more at mid-level, and senior roles):

    “I think we go from a pyramid shape to more of a diamond shape. Less at the bottom, more in the middle... you're still going to need that good mid-level management...” [17:31]

4. The Ongoing Importance of Human Relationships

• Relationship-heavy roles (business development, sales, technical account management) are resilient to automation.
• “You're not going to automate that... I do think there's an opportunity for some of those ad ops folks to evolve into those roles.” [19:13]

5. AI Browsers and Information Architecture Disruption

• AI-enhanced browsers (e.g., ChatGPT’s Atlas One) will change web design and ad presentation:

  “You and I could be looking at the same content and Atlas could lay it out differently for each of us... almost like personalized curation of content... interesting implications from an advertising perspective.” [20:28]

• Web servers may just serve “MD files” (Markdown), with AI customizing the layout and ad experience.

6. IAB Tech Lab’s Strategic Planning & How Priorities Are Set

• Strategic planning starts in June each year, driven by input from working groups, board members, and direct feedback from holding companies and publishers.
• Emphasis is on principal buy-in to ensure adoption of standards and initiatives.

7. The Hype "Bubble": Will AI/Agentic Fervor Pop or Deflate?

• Anthony believes the cycle will deflate, not burst:

  “Your first agentic AI project will fail... that’s just part of innovation... Eventually, some things will start to take hold... We are going to have our Gartner... peaks and troughs. Right now, we are at the peak of optimism. We will hit some drops of despair for sure. But I don't think Agentic is going away.” [24:45]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Agentic Hype:
  • “There is a ton of smoke and not a lot of fire... we love shiny pennies.” — Anthony Katsur [08:20]
• On Challenges Still Facing Ad Tech:
  • “Protocols don't solve for misaligned incentives and bad actors... that's not what protocols address.” — Anthony Katsur [08:41]
• On Privacy Concerns:
  • “Privacy is not going away... The regulators are not, you know, they're not done fining, they're not done subpoenaing companies, they're still doing it. If anything, I think you're going to see them step that up in 2026.” [09:30]
• On Ad Ops and Career Shifts:
  • “I think we go from a pyramid shape to more of a diamond shape. Less at the bottom, more in the middle... you're still going to need that good mid-level management...” [17:31]
• On AI-Powered Browsers:
  • “What's incredibly powerful... is that you and I could be looking at the same content and Atlas could lay it out differently for each of us... really interesting implications from a web design perspective.” [20:28]
• On Strategic Experimentation:
  • “Likely your first agentic AI project will fail. And again, that's just part of innovation.” [24:45]
  • “I don't think Agentic is going away... I think we'll see a deflation.” [25:37]

Timestamps for Major Segments

• 03:43 — The Agentic Era Defined: Anthony Katsur introduces what “agentic” means and industry confusion over its applications.
• 07:25 — Hype vs. Reality: Discussion around the fever pitch of AI/agentic hype and longstanding industry issues being overshadowed.
• 11:07 — RTB, Protocols, and Agentic's Role: Framing standards, protocols, and how agentic AI interfaces will coexist with RTB.
• 13:12 — What is an Agentic Interface?: Breakdown of how audience selection and UI may evolve toward prompts and natural language.
• 15:36 — Ad Ops Disruption: Impact on hiring, junior roles, and structural change in departments.
• 19:13 — The Enduring Value of Human Relationships: Why some workflows won’t be automated, and upskilling ad ops talent.
• 20:28 — AI Browsers & Personalized Layouts: How AI-enhanced browsers may reshape web consumption and ad placements.
• 22:22 — Tech Lab’s Strategic Prioritization: How the IAB Tech Lab sets its roadmap and reacts to true trends vs. noise.
• 24:45 — Will the AI Bubble Pop?: Anthony’s prediction for the course of the agentic hype cycle.

Episode Tone & Style

Anthony Katsur provides a straight-talking, pragmatic take while the host pushes the conversation toward both innovation and sobering reality checks. The episode is marked by a spirit of candor, skepticism about hype, and a sense of cautious optimism for genuine, thoughtful advances in the ecosystem.

This summary provides a structured and detailed look at the full breadth of the episode—whether you’re an ad tech insider, a curious marketer, or a tech skeptic, it offers clarity on where agentic AI stands (and stumbles) in the evolution of digital advertising.