#USA #New York #digital advertising #IAB Tech Lab #Agentic Roadmap

In January 2026, IAB Tech Lab made headlines within the digital advertising landscape by unveiling its groundbreaking Agentic Roadmap. This strategic initiative aims to enable the efficient scaling of agentic buying and selling in the digital realm by integrating established standards with contemporary protocols. Through this roadmap, the organization intends to create a practical pathway for securing interoperable agentic execution across digital advertising without overhauling foundational systems already at the market's core. The CEO of IAB Tech Lab, Anthony Katsur, emphasized that agentic execution has already become intrinsic to the operational fabric of digital advertising. With a strong emphasis on open and interoperable standards, the roadmap reflects IAB's commitment to scaling these systems responsibly, leveraging existing infrastructures rather than introducing new frameworks that could lead to market fragmentation. The strength of the Agentic Roadmap lies in its connection to a robust framework of accepted core standards that underpin the digital advertising ecosystem today. Already, transaction and management standards such as OpenRTB, AdCOM, OpenDirect, VAST, and the newly introduced Deal API contribute significantly to this infrastructure. Add to this the existing measurement standards, including the Open Measurement ID and the anticipated Conversion API, as well as regulatory frameworks like the Global Privacy Protocol (GPP) and the Transparency Consent Framework (TCF), and you have a comprehensive system that informs the future of digital advertising. Moreover, critical existing taxonomies—ad product taxonomy, content, and audience taxonomies—and agentic control-plane standards like the Agentic RTB Framework (ARTF) are designed to enhance how large language models and autonomous agents engage in real-time transactions without sacrificing performance. The IAB Tech Lab is not just resting on its laurels, however. The integration of these proven standards with modern protocols—such as the Model Context Protocol, Agent2Agent, and gRPC—will support secure machine-speed operations and scalable coordination across independent systems. Katsur affirms that the proposed changes deliver a dual advantage: combining high-performance agentic execution with the interoperability and trust that stakeholders in the market already rely on. As a result, agencies, publishers, brands, and technology providers can expect faster speeds to value, reduced integration intricacies, and minimized operational risks—all of which are vital for cultivating an environment ripe for innovative breakthroughs. Looking ahead to 2026, IAB Tech Lab plans to deepen these standards within the agentic execution layer through a series of focused initiatives. These include open-source reference implementations of both buyer and seller agents, a neutral Model Context Protocol reference server, standardized agent profiles, the application of Protocol Buffers, and gRPC mappings for existing specifications. Engaging with industry feedback, IAB Tech Lab is also directing resources toward the development of critical metrics for trust, provenance, measurement, and transaction integrity—all while maintaining alignment with both GPP and TCF. Leaders across various companies have expressed immense support for this roadmap. Ryan McConville from NBCUniversal Advertising Partnerships highlighted how IAB's commitment to interoperability creates a solid foundation for scaling automation, while George Panagopoulos of Experian Marketing Services emphasized that the roadmap illustrates how agentic execution can broaden in scope without losing control or transparency. Nishant Khatri from PubMatic reinforced the idea that successful agentic advertising depends on the simultaneous evolution of intent, execution, and governance, reflecting the key dimensions of IAB Tech Lab's roadmap. Furthermore, engagement with the community is a priority, as evidenced by IAB Tech Lab's scheduling of a public webinar for January 28, 2026. This session will provide an overview of the roadmap and delve into the applicable standards and agentic execution strategies that can be leveraged across the digital advertising landscape. The organization will also roll out a series of in-person Agentic AI Boot Camps, beginning February 12, 2026, at the Ad Lab. These workshops will be conducted monthly, offering practical guidance and hands-on education aimed at implementing efficient agentic workflows following the established open industry standards. As the realm of digital advertising evolves, IAB Tech Lab's Agentic Roadmap, propelled by the efforts of the Agentic Task Force, serves as a comprehensive guide toward scaling intelligent systems, ensuring interoperability and stability, while fostering confidence throughout the industry. For further details about the Agentic Roadmap, including upcoming webinars and workshops that encourage practical implementation of the new standards, stakeholders are encouraged to register and participate actively in shaping the future of digital advertising.