Marketers put up guardrails as AI agents reshape programmatic buying

May 14, 2026 AI agents are evolving quickly. In theory, agents are autonomous decision makers — automating campaign creation, optimizing ad buys and drafting pitch decks. In reality, marketers aren’t ready to give up control, establishing guardrails to keep agents in check. Marketers don’t have a lot of trust when it comes to AI agents in ad buying yet. But that mistrust isn’t unfounded. Advertisement TOP STORY The Programmatic Marketer Marketers put up guardrails as AI agents reshape programmatic buying As AI agents enter programmatic advertising, marketers are adding guardrails to maintain oversight, transparency and control. OTHER THINGS TO KNOW AI may be speeding up media buying, but it’s also exposing cracks in how agencies execute. As independent agencies hit operational limits, they’re turning to partners to scale without sacrificing client trust. Partner insights from Pathlabs. According to research from Keen Decision Systems, only 10% of marketers incorporate prior knowledge into their forecasts, an indication that most start from scratch every time. Partner insights from Keen Decision Systems. AI gives marketers speed. Landing pages that used to take weeks to build now take minutes. But people with disabilities stop buying from brands whose AI-built sites make it impossible to complete a purchase. Partner insights from AudioEye. MEDIA & PLATFORMS Member exclusive Media Briefing: BuzzFeed’s $120M sale marks another step in the repricing of digital media scale Byron Allen’s $120 million BuzzFeed deals marks another turning point in the collapse of the platform-era media business model. The Programmatic Marketer By the numbers: Ad tech's quarter of mixed fortunes AI and CTV raise investors’ hopes, although underlying tensions persist. PARTNER INSIGHTS FROM NEXXEN How native CTV is solving the channel’s attention problem While in-stream remains highly effective for storytelling and scale within premium content environments, native formats can engage audiences at the exact moment of decision, when viewers are actively choosing what to watch. MARKETING The Programmatic Marketer ‘We should own it’: Hershey’s programmatic chief on AI agents and media mix modeling The confectionary advertiser has developed an AI-enabled MMM system to inform its media investments. Programmatic boss Vinny Rinaldi said it won’t be stopping there. The Sports Marketing Playbook Heineken shares its marketing strategy for the summer of soccer as World Cup hype ramps up Heineken getting in on the summer soccer hype by launching a limited-edition soccer-themed 12-pack and 24-pack offerings across the U.S. PARTNER INSIGHTS FROM CONTENTFUL As AI becomes standard for scaling marketing, leaders are finding ways to adapt More organizations are using AI to produce more with fewer resources — but the advantage comes from how creative and technical marketers activate AI, not just add it to their tech stack. Advertisement PARTNER INSIGHTS FROM SPORTRADAR As fan behavior fragments, brands look to data to keep pace Fandom is no longer a linear journey in which audiences tune in to kickoff and switch off at the final whistle — and campaign planning should reflect this. ICYMI The Programmatic Marketer The case for and against agentic media buying Agentic media buying promises a reinvention of the programmatic ecosystem, but experts are divided on whether it could help – or hinder – accountability. Written by Jim Cooper and Sara Jerde Were you forwarded this email? Sign up to get it daily. Advertise | Digiday+ | Events | Awards Update your email | Unsubscribe | Privacy policy