Yahoo and Kochava push AI agents deeper into media buying workflows 

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Yahoo has partnered with Kochava to introduce “agentic” workflows inside its demand-side platform, signaling how AI automation is becoming a competitive differentiator in programmatic advertising.

The partnership aims to automate campaign functions such as optimization, attribution analysis and targeting adjustments, reducing the amount of manual work traditionally handled by media traders. The move reflects a wider industry shift as ad tech companies race to embed generative AI into operational workflows rather than using it only for creative assistance.

The announcement comes as marketers face growing pressure to improve efficiency while managing fragmented media environments and tighter budgets. According to Gartner, more than 80% of routine digital campaign optimization tasks could be partially automated by 2027.

Industry analysts say the next battleground for DSPs will likely center on workflow intelligence rather than inventory scale alone. Platforms are increasingly competing on how quickly AI systems can interpret campaign data and recommend or execute performance changes in real time.

For enterprise advertisers, the shift could streamline campaign execution but also raise concerns around transparency, governance and decision-making accountability as AI agents gain greater control over bidding and targeting systems.