Rajeev Goel, CEO of PubMatic, joins Ari Paparo and Eric Franchi to discuss how agentic AI and AdCP are reshaping the media buying process, collapsing the ad tech value chain, and creating new opportunities for publishers and advertisers to compete with walled gardens.
Takeaways
- Agentic AI can automate planning, buying, and optimization beyond today’s DSP workflows.
- PubMatic’s AgenticOS lets advertisers transact through AI agents using AdCP.
- AI efficiency may grow digital ad spend and shift more ROI budgets to the open internet.
- Seller agents and marketplaces could help publishers unlock demand without big sales teams.
- The open web will compete better with stronger identity, measurement, and a simpler supply chain.
Chapter
00:00 Travel check and an AI focused kickoff
01:05 Moltbot and why autonomous assistants matter
01:56 Rajeev Goel joins to talk agentic AI at PubMatic
07:00 Why RTB automates only the impression moment
08:37 The manual reality of RFPs, emails, and spreadsheets
10:05 How AI agents could scale campaign management dramatically
15:15 Butler Till and Clubtails case study setup
16:35 Claude connects to PubMatic via MCP and Agentic OS
18:37 The PubMatic agent recommends inventory, audiences, and data
19:00 Buying direct in PubMatic Activate without a separate DSP
20:55 Training agents with APIs and massive historical data
22:34 AI could compress the value chain and weaken DSP UI lock in
25:22 ADCP and Prebid making seller agents easier to deploy
28:50 Discovery for smaller publishers in an agent driven market
31:17 Why Rajeev is still optimistic about the open web
34:50 Meta earnings and ads as the AI investment flywheel
39:00 Facebook Audience Network and post ATT in app shifts
41:50 Prebid takes over ADCP implementation details
45:05 OpenAI ads debate and CPM economics
50:42 Yahoo Scout and ads inside answer engines
53:15 Pinterest and Amazon layoffs and AI restructuring talk
56:52 DataLinks shout out and data readiness for AI
58:24 Closing thoughts and agentic as a breakout year
