The IAB Tech Lab is a global non-profit organisation dedicated to establishing technical standards that support the digital advertising industry. By focusing on open-source interoperability, the group ensures that the online economy remains secure, private, and economically viable for both businesses and consumers. Their work is organised across five pillars of innovation, addressing critical areas such as data privacy, artificial intelligence, and supply chain transparency. Members of this collective collaborate via various working groups to develop essential tools like the OpenRTB framework and measurement SDKs. Furthermore, the organisation offers compliance programmes and educational resources to help companies navigate the complexities of modern ad-supported media. Ultimately, the laboratory serves as a foundational hub for the digital ecosystem, driving the adoption of universal protocols in an ever-evolving technological landscape.

How do IAB Tech Lab standards ensure global interoperability within the digital advertising ecosystem?

What are the core pillars and technical frameworks driving innovation in digital advertising?

In what ways does the organisation support a secure and private ad-supported internet?

Wednesday, 21 January

How is the agentic AI roadmap influencing the evolution of modern advertising frameworks?

The Agentic AI roadmap is fundamentally influencing modern advertising frameworks by establishing a dedicated infrastructure for agent-based operations within the digital ecosystem.

According to the IAB Tech Lab, this influence is manifesting in three key areas:

• Creation of New Standards: The roadmap has led to the formalisation of “Agentic Advertising and AI” as a distinct category of standards, sitting alongside established pillars such as Privacy, Measurement, and Advanced TV.

• Evolution of Real-Time Bidding: The roadmap has driven the development of the ARTF (Agentic RTB Framework). This suggests a structural shift in how real-time bidding is conducted, positioning ARTF as a core standard alongside the traditional OpenRTB (Real-Time Bidding) protocol.

• Strategic Industry Focus: The unveiling of the “Agentic Roadmap for Digital Advertising” appears to be a central theme for the industry’s trajectory leading into 2026, evidenced by major initiatives such as “Signal Shift NYC 2026”.

Please note: While the sources confirm the existence of the ARTF and the Agentic Advertising category, they do not provide specific technical details regarding how the agentic framework differs operationally from traditional frameworks (e.g., specific autonomous decision-making protocols). You may need to consult external technical documentation for those specific mechanics.

How does the IAB Tech Lab mission shape global digital advertising technical standards?

The IAB Tech Lab shapes global digital advertising through its core mission to develop global, open, and interoperable technology standards designed to support the growth of a secure and private ad-supported digital economy. This mission underpins the organisation’s broader vision to establish standards that enable both people and businesses to prosper from the economic and societal benefits of the internet.

To execute this mission, the Tech Lab defines standards across five Pillars of Innovation, ensuring comprehensive coverage of the digital ecosystem. These pillars and the resulting standards reflect the mission’s focus on interoperability, privacy, and emerging technologies:

• Privacy and Security: Aligning with the mandate for a “private” economy, the Tech Lab develops critical frameworks such as the Global Privacy Protocol and dedicates resources to Addressability and PETs (Privacy Enhancing Technologies).

• Interoperability and Foundations: The drive for “open interoperable” technology is realised through essential industry standards like OpenRTB (Real-Time Bidding), the Ad Creative ID Framework, and the Supply Chain API.

• Measurement: To support a robust ad-supported economy, the Tech Lab focuses on accurate verification through tools like the Open Measurement SDK, the VAST Tag Validator, and Podcast Measurement Compliance.

• Emerging Frontiers: The mission ensures the ecosystem adapts to future growth by addressing new technologies, such as Agentic Advertising and AI, evidenced by the Agentic AI Roadmap and the ARTF (Agentic RTB Framework).

Furthermore, the Tech Lab enforces these standards through various compliance programmes—including Data Transparency and OM SDK Compliance—which serve to maintain the integrity and security of the global digital advertising landscape.

How does the IAB Tech Lab mission shape global digital advertising technical standards?

The IAB Tech Lab’s mission is to “develop global, open interoperable technology standards supporting the growth of a secure and private ad-supported digital economy”. This mission directly shapes the technical landscape by focusing efforts on three core areas: interoperability, security, and innovation.

1. Ensuring Global Interoperability To fulfil the mandate of creating “open interoperable” standards, the Tech Lab develops frameworks that allow different advertising systems to communicate seamlessly.

• Core Standards: This includes maintaining OpenRTB (Real-Time Bidding) and the Ad Creative ID Framework, which are among their most-used standards.

• Regional Reach: The mission’s “global” scope is supported by specific regional bodies, such as the European Communication Group and the Asia Pacific Communication Group, ensuring standards are applicable across different markets.

2. Prioritising Security and Privacy The mission’s explicit goal of a “secure and private” economy drives the development of specific protocols and compliance tools.

• Privacy: The Tech Lab shapes standards like the Global Privacy Protocol and dedicates working groups to Addressability and PETs (Privacy Enhancing Technologies),.

• Security & Quality: To support a secure supply chain, they provide tools such as the Spiders & Bots list, the Supply Chain API, and the Open Measurement SDK.

3. Categorising Innovation The mission shapes future standards by defining them across “5 Pillars of Innovation”. This structure allows the Tech Lab to rapidly address emerging technologies, as evidenced by:

• Artificial Intelligence: The launch of the Agentic AI Roadmap and the ARTF (Agentic RTB Framework),.

• Advanced Television: The development of the CTV Ad Portfolio and standards for Advanced TV,.

What are the primary pillars of innovation driving the future of ad-tech development?

Based on the IAB Tech Lab’s current standards and strategic focus, the technical standards for the digital ecosystem are defined across 5 Pillars of Innovation. While the sources explicitly list six specific categories of standards development, these key areas collectively drive the future of ad-tech:

• Agentic Advertising and AI A significant focus of future development is Agentic AI, with the IAB Tech Lab launching an Agentic AI Roadmap. Specific frameworks currently in development or use include the ARTF (Agentic RTB Framework), which signals a shift toward AI-driven programmatic capabilities.

• Advanced TV Innovation in television advertising is centred on the Advanced TV category, specifically through the development of the CTV (Connected TV) Ad Portfolio. This pillar aims to support the technical requirements of the evolving TV landscape.

• Supply Chain and Foundations This pillar focuses on the foundational infrastructure of the ad-supported economy. Key developments here include the Supply Chain API and the Deals API, which facilitate transactional efficiency and transparency. It also encompasses established protocols like OpenRTB (Real-Time Bidding).

• Privacy, Addressability, and PETs Though listed as distinct categories in the standards menu, Privacy and Addressability and PETs (Privacy Enhancing Technologies) represent a unified push for a secure, private digital economy. Major initiatives driving this area include the Global Privacy Protocol and Data Transparency standards.

• Measurement Ensuring accurate verification across platforms remains a primary driver, anchored by the Open Measurement SDK. This pillar supports the goal of enabling businesses to prosper through reliable metrics.

How does Agentic RTB differ from traditional real-time bidding?

Based on the provided sources and our conversation history, the documents identify OpenRTB and Agentic RTB as distinct technical frameworks, but they do not provide specific technical details explaining how the operational mechanics (such as bidding logic, latency, or data exchange) differ between the two.

However, the sources do highlight the following structural distinctions:

• Distinct Frameworks: The IAB Tech Lab lists OpenRTB (Real-Time Bidding) and the ARTF (Agentic RTB Framework) as separate entities within their “Most-used Standards” list, indicating that Agentic RTB is not merely an update to OpenRTB but a standalone framework.

• Categorisation: While OpenRTB is traditionally associated with “Supply Chain & Foundations”, the ARTF falls under the newly created “Agentic Advertising and AI” category,. This suggests that Agentic RTB is designed specifically to support the Agentic AI Roadmap and the integration of AI agents into the digital advertising ecosystem.

Missing Information: The sources do not describe the specific functional differences—such as whether Agentic RTB allows for autonomous negotiation by AI agents or how it alters the bid-response mechanism found in traditional OpenRTB. To understand the technical “how,” you would likely need to review the specific technical specifications of the ARTF documentation, which are not included in these excerpts.