Optable maintains that publishers' identity, audience, and pricing data serve as context for AI. That claim gets tested every time a buyer tries to connect its own data to a non-standardized range of publisher signals. This session put a builder of agents and a buyer of media on stage to share their perspectives.
Matt described the problem agents solve best: no person can read every signal across every surface, but an agent that reads the material, KPIs, analytics, and trends can surface insights and show lift immediately. He called AI tools "an upgrade from fixed modeling processes," and noted that the industry's focus has moved beyond time savings to better outcomes and more frequent measurement, as well.
Shukmei brought the buyer's view. Automation reduces manual effort, works around third-party dependencies, and produces measurable insights faster. "What everyone wants is a clean line and an understanding of identity," she said, and she argued for owning your data and your identity graph.
Both speakers drew a firm line on how to get there. "All of these decisions start with data," Matt said. Shukmei warned that "AI can't automatically fill in the gaps for you," and urged teams to verify outputs and add signals.
The takeaway for data, measurement, and planning teams: get the data foundation in order, then adopt agents strategically and measure often.
