Observed Signal · Aug 14, 2026 · Interview · Source: AdExchanger · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Neutral
Agentic AI vs Supply-Path Optimization in Media Buying
Andrea Kwiatek, director of strategic partnerships at independent agency Goodway Group, told AdExchanger that while the industry is excited about agentic AI, supply-path optimization (SPO) remains a practical priority. Goodway Group is testing agentic media-buying agents by feeding them campaign briefs to compare buyer and seller agent recommendations and to verify whether agents can be constrained to approved buying paths. Kwiatek stressed the need for transparency, rigorous partner validation, and third-party verification to ensure AI-driven buying does not become another opaque black box. The interview highlights agency responsibilities to vet partners and protect client outcomes while experimenting with new agentic infrastructure.
Discusses practical industry implications of agentic AI for programmatic media buying and reinforces the ongoing importance of SPO, partner validation and transparency—relevant to agencies and buyers but not a platform-level policy or major technical release.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Andrea Kwiatek is Director, Strategic Partnerships at Goodway Group and was interviewed by AdExchanger.
- Goodway Group is actively testing agentic media buying by feeding buyer agents client campaign briefs and assessing seller agent recommendations.
- Goodway Group says it uses a rigorous validation process and third-party verification platforms to ensure partners meet transparency, pricing and customization standards.
- Kwiatek will speak at AdExchanger’s Programmatic I/O conference in New York City on September 28–29, 2026.
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Pros and Cons of Agentic Media Buying
This Digiday analysis (May 11, 2026) examines the debate around agentic media buying — AI-driven, agent-to-agent approaches that autonomously negotiate media buys. Proponents (including some agencies and publisher technologists) argue agents can cut ad‑tech intermediaries, push more budget to publishers, optimize performance at machine speed, and accelerate a flight-to-quality toward premium, first‑party inventory. Critics, including voices at The Trade Desk and publisher and agency leaders, warn agentic trading could add new layers of opacity, replicate ad‑network fragmentation, harm the open exchange, and be misused to prioritize outcomes without human oversight. The practice remains nascent with very little money transacted; several holding companies and agencies (Omnicom, Stagwell, Butler/Till) are testing agentic workflows while industry observers stress governance, transparency and broader platform-driven traffic declines mean agents are unlikely to be a standalone fix for publisher monetization.
Agentic AI in Advertising: Progress, But Not Transformative Yet
Karsten Weide of W Media Research provides a measured assessment of agentic AI in advertising, arguing the technology's promise outstrips current production reality. Deployments exist—largely in planning, troubleshooting, and optimization—but fully autonomous buying is rare and typically constrained by human-in-the-loop governance, fragmented data, legacy stacks, and trust issues. PubMatic, Viant, and Yahoo are highlighted as leaders/early adopters; Amazon, Google, and Meta run internal agentic capabilities with tight controls. Startups and vendors are experimenting with agent-led planning and optimization, and products like HUMAN Security’s Agentic Trust aim to increase visibility. Near-term adoption is expected to be gradual, favoring semi-autonomous workflows until governance, interoperability, and clear ROI improve.
Agencies Push Agentic Media, Address Client Rogue Fears
At Advertising Week, media agencies are advancing agentic advertising initiatives while addressing client concerns about rogue AI activity. Dentsu's Carat partnered with NBCUniversal, Freewheel, and Newton to launch a planning, buying, and optimization agent for upfront investments, with a luxury retail client already using it. Tinuiti launched a 'Bliss Point Model Context Protocol (MCP) Server' to integrate measurement with AI agents. Stagwell relaunched Assembly as Stagwell Media with its agentic system Machine OS. Executives emphasize human oversight, governance, and approval thresholds to build trust. Additionally, the article discusses the importance of 'moments' in commerce media, with examples from ExxonMobil, Dollar General, and Pepsi's Nordic campaign with Wolt.
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