I recently attended RampUp 2026, LiveRamp’s annual conference, where AI dominated almost every session and conversation.

But what struck me most wasn’t the technology itself — it was how early the industry still is in figuring out how AI will actually be implemented in digital advertising.

In this video I share three takeaways from the conference:

AI in advertising still lacks standards.

Many of the protocols that will enable AI agents to operate in advertising markets are still being developed or competing with each other. As with past infrastructure waves, standards may ultimately determine how quickly AI can scale.

AI currently faces little organized resistance in AdTech.

Unlike earlier innovation waves such as programmatic buying, there is not yet a strong group pushing back against AI adoption.

The conversation about AI is ahead of the operational reality.

Despite the intense focus on AI, relatively few companies have actually implemented agentic workflows in production environments.

Finally, I discuss the tension emerging between AI acceleration and increasing privacy regulation, and why governance, control, and structured data will likely become critical capabilities for companies navigating the next phase of digital advertising.

If you work in ad tech, programmatic advertising, or digital media, I’d be curious to hear your perspective on how quickly AI adoption will actually happen.

— James Deaker

The Yield Doctor