Turning up the heat: Answering the industry’s hottest questions at CES 2026’s coolest location
This year during CES 2026, Mediaocean controlled temps with a mix of hot takes and chill vibes. Amidst the fireside chats, insightful conversations, and delicious food and drinks, attendees found space to connect inside the Ski Lodge by Mediocean —all while getting the scoop on the latest coming out of advertising and tech.
At our Prisma Chalet, industry legends Scope3’s Brian O’Kelley, LUMA Partners’ Terry Kawaja, and Mediaocean’s Bill Wise sat down to talk about the state of AI and digital media automation, and how buying, measurement, and advertising workflows are shifting.
With the adoption of AI across the ecosystem, the esteemed panel noted that the industry is facing a rare opportunity for a “do over”—using everything learned from the evolution of programmatic to reshape how advertising works moving forward. They also suggested that walled gardens may offer a preview of what a more successful advertising ecosystem could look like when supported by the right AI technology. The conversation ultimately raised bigger questions: how can the industry separate fact from fiction around AI, and use what works to instill trust and drive growth.
To be sure, many industry leaders have opinions on how to do just that.
For example, SiriusXM’s Keri Degroote shares how AI-driven advancements like synthetic voices, real-time optimization and personalization at scale are lowering the barrier to entry and unlocking opportunities for brands in our Apres Ads session during CES . Additionally, our “Slot Ones” event gave further insight into how some companies are already putting their ideas into practice as well.
Innovid’s Chris Murphy sat down with execs from Universal Ads, Yahoo DSP, and Sage Quill for hot wings and even hotter takes—asking spicy questions to get insider opinions on the latest industry happenings. Three takeaways became clear about the future of AI and advertising.
Programmatic was first, but it may not be the future
Universal Ads’ Sydney Cohn shares that they are taking “a page from the social playbook” to reach the right person at the right time via their self-service ad buying platform for CTV and streaming. Their system signals where TV buying is heading, and how AI will reshape it.
By moving away from complexity (single price, no fees, no minimums) and focusing on outcome-driven KPIs, the platform reframes CTV as a performance channel. This model sets the stage for AI to play a central role. When pricing and access are simplified, the focus shifts to how intelligently audiences are reached and optimized. That’s where AI can step in, becoming the engine that determines that “right person at the right time.”
Stay tuned for the full video!
Cultural relevance remains critical, and AI can make it scalable
Sage Quill’s Nola Solomon stresses the importance of cultural relevance in creative to reach audiences meaningfully and authentically. Even in a data-rich, automated advertising world, understanding your audience remains a key differentiator ... and AI can help operationalize it.
By evaluating creative resonance at scale, connecting creative signals to performance outcomes, and adapting creative to context in real-time, brands can show up authentically at scale more than ever before.
Stay tuned for the full video!
How agentic AI is changing the game
We’ve all heard how AI promises to make things faster, better, and more efficient. But is it really delivering on those promises? Yahoo DSP’s Adam Roodman shares how Yahoo is doing just that, highlighting the value proposition for AI in DSP spaces.
AI’s true value for DSPs isn’t just speed, it’s access and amplification. Agentic AI lowers the barrier to entry by reducing complexity, allowing more buyers to leverage sophisticated capabilities that were previously underused due to time, expertise, or resource constraints.
Watch the full video here.
The takeaway? The industry is on fire!
With the increase in agentic AI, plenty of uncertainty about the future, and a need for interoperability, innovation, and relevance, brands are looking for omnichannel solutions that enable meaningful performance at scale. It’s no surprise that with that need, many new solutions—and with them, many new hot takes—are going around. But coming out of CES 2026, with its heavy focus on AI and automation, it’s clear that the next phase of change is already underway.
