AdTech AdTalk

Tylynn Pettrey, SVP of Data Science at Chalice AI, leads work on predictive modeling, deep learning, and low-latency ML for advertising. She traces modeling history from linear regression to transformers. Short takes cover sparse ad data, embeddings, model explainability, agentic AI hype, quantum in ad tech, practical hiring skills, and a quirky mass spectrometer pandemic story.

Things are getting spicy on AdTech AdTalk. Adam (Buy Side) and Gareth (Sell Side) are joined by the industry’s unofficial oracle, Mike McNeeley (SVP of Product, Index Exchange), to tackle the erosion of trust in the programmatic supply chain.The trio dives deep into the controversy of "publisher-declared fields", why letting sellers grade their own homework is leading to ID spoofing, and why the OpenRTB spec is long overdue for a rigid overhaul. Mike pulls back the curtain on how Index Exchange polices inventory quality and why "friction" is a necessary feature, not a bug.Later, the crew pivots to product management philosophy, debating how to build for "fragmolidation" without over-engineering. Plus, they break down the massive news that Amazon is adopting Prebid (a win for open standards?), and Gareth roasts the "robotic m-dash" plaguing everyone's LinkedIn feeds.00:00 Intro & The Ad Tech Oracle02:39 The Lying Field Problem 04:41 OpenRTB Specs 10107:32 The Stock Market Fraud Analogy 10:56 Who Is Accountable for Fraud? 12:44 Index Exchange’s Quality Gates 17:45 Fixing the OpenRTB Spec 22:25 Brand Safety Lag Kills News 26:14 Salience vs. Suitability 29:49 Scaling Product Teams 35:48 The "Loss URL" Rabbit Hole 43:00 Agentic Frameworks & Sidecars 46:11 WSJ: CEOs vs. Workers on AI 48:03 Stop Using AI for LinkedIn 53:45 The "Tinder for Networking" Idea 58:07 News: Amazon Adopts Prebid1:02:30 A Win for Open Standards 1:08:21 Rapper Wars & Snowfalls

In this episode, Adam and Gareth embrace the chaos of 2026. Adam recounts a hilarious (and almost illegal) run-in with the NYPD at a "massage parlor," while Gareth laments the inflation of a $75 midtown haircut.The duo announces the formation of ACRONYM (The Ad Tech Coalition to Restore Openness and Normalize Yield Markets) and declares "Working Media" the buzzword of the year. They dive deep into the latest industry debate sparked by Brian O'Kelley, arguing whether OpenRTB is for "day trading" while Agentic AI is for "investing", and review a technical rebuttal from former Chalice engineer Will.Plus, the debut of the Kreative Korner with Marley and Sasha breaking down the "uncanny valley" horror of the AI-generated McDonald's ad, a check-in on Grok's disturbingly specific bikini generation capabilities, and a look at why AI might actually lead to marketing layoffs (per the WSJ).0:00 Intro & Pontiac Intelligence Shoutout 03:06 Adam’s "Illicit" Massage Parlor Story 07:46 Gareth’s $75 Haircut & Ad Tech Inflation 13:58 The Data Quality Problem (Serge AI & Human Review) 17:50 Announcement: Launching ACRONYM (The Ad Tech Coalition) 20:15 Why "Working Media" is the Buzzword of 2026 22:30 Grok and Trolls: Pete Hegseth in a Bikini 25:43 Kreative Korner: The Creepy AI McDonald's Ad 31:39 Is AI Art? (The "Drawing a Chair" Analogy) 43:59 Post-Mortem: Brian O'Kelley: "OpenRTB is Day Trading" 50:51 Post-Mortem: Will’s Rebuttal: Recommendation Systems vs. Agents 59:43 Q&A: Affiliate Links in Custom GPTs 1:04:13 Prediction Check-In: Amazon vs. The Trade Desk 1:11:44 News: WSJ on AI-Driven Marketing Layoffs 1:17:27 Outro

It is officially 2026, and Ad Tech Ad Talk is back from CES with a massive announcement. In this episode, Gareth Glaser finally unveils Gamera, his new inventory quality company that has officially moved out of stealth and into the funded startup phase.Gareth delivers his "investor spiel," breaking down why Facebook generates $130B with only 25% of the internet's traffic, while the Open Web lags behind. The thesis? It’s not just about audience data; it’s about inventory taxonomy. Gareth explains how Gamera uses code-on-page technology to automate inventory description, replace archaic manual tagging, and verify impressions in real-time.Adam and Gareth also debate the "Agentic" buzzword fatigue coming out of Vegas, review Pubmatic's new "Agentic OS" (is it Hot Sht or Horsesht?), and discuss the existential threat to search traffic as AI reshapes the web.

Happy New Year and welcome to 2026! In the first episode of the year, Adam and Gareth kick things off with their boldest predictions for the future of ad tech.From the rise of the "Ad Tech Singularity" (where DSPs, SSPs, and data companies finally merge) to the inevitable comeback of open web banners (yes, really), the duo covers it all. They debate whether retail media networks are just selling "fancy value-click" inventory, why performance CTV is bringing IP-address attribution "home to roost," and why AI won't make investors rich (but might make you rich).Plus, Gareth explains why Elon's unhinged tweets might actually be good for Grok's credibility, and predicts the end of the "trust era" in inventory quality. It's a jam-packed episode to set the stage for a wild year ahead.00:00 - Intro & Pontiac Intelligence Shoutout02:59 - The Joys of Parenting Toddlers (AKA "First Principles of Humanity")06:53 - Post-Mortem: The Looming Retail Media Scandal10:04 - Is Retail Media Data Actually Any Good?15:50 - Elon, Grok, and the Future of Truth on X24:35 - Adam vs. DigiDay: The Trade Desk Whisper Campaigns36:58 - Adam's Prediction #1: The Revival of the OLV Market40:34 - Adam's Prediction #2: New AI-Native Agency Models44:01 - Adam's Prediction #3: AI "Gravity" & The Valuation Reality Check46:07 - Adam's Prediction #4: Muscular Behavioral Remedies for Google47:40 - Gareth's Prediction #1: The Ad Tech Singularity (Unbundling is Over)54:46 - Gareth's Prediction #2: Performance CTV & The Return of IP Attribution1:01:17 - Gareth's Prediction #3: The Banner Market Will Grow in 20261:04:13 - Gareth's Prediction #4: Amazon Will Not Beat The Trade Desk1:09:30 - Gareth's Prediction #5: Disappointment with LLM Ad Revenue1:11:44 - News: Marketing Layoffs Due to AI Pressure1:17:27 - Outro

In the final episode of 2025, Adam and Gareth look back at a chaotic year in ad tech and look forward to the "fewer, better pages" of the future. The duo tackles the persistent myths plaguing the industry, from the zombie-like return of domain spoofing (it's solved, guys) to the shady practice of ad stuffing via carousels.Adam rails against the concept of "scale" as a software problem (it's not) and the wasted time of digital media planning, while Gareth makes the case that video placement misdeclaration is the #1 issue we need to kill in 2026. They also debate whether agentic AI is just a fancy way to automate sales houses and if guaranteed deals are obsolete in a programmatic world.Plus, a look at Pinterest's move into CTV, why LiveRail ruined ad tech M&A for a decade, and a special shoutout to the LinkedIn Year-In-Review spam.0:00 Intro & Pontiac Intelligence Shoutout 02:18 Holiday Party Anxiety & The "Irish Exit" 04:47 The AI Year in Review: Trials & Tribulations 08:23 Did The Trade Desk Actually care about Performance in 2025? 13:12 MYTH BUSTING SEGMENT BEGINS 15:26 Myth #1: Domain Spoofing is Still a Huge Problem 19:45 Myth #2: Resellers & Ad Stuffing (Carousels) 25:14 Myth #3: Video Placement Misdeclaration (In-Stream vs. Out-Stream) 30:33 The Future of Open Web: Fewer, Better Pages 39:40 Myth #4: "It Doesn't Scale" (The First Principles of Audience) 43:40 Myth #5: Privacy Laws Prevent Reach Measurement 45:49 Myth #6: You Need DoubleVerify for Brand Safety 47:48 Myth #7: Digital Media Planning is Essential 50:14 Myth #8: Agentic AI Benefits Advertisers (Where's the Value?) 52:02 Why Guaranteed Deals Don't Make Sense Programmatically 54:58 StinkedIn: The Worst Year-End Wrap-Ups 57:34 AI Phishing Emails Getting Too Good 58:45 Outro & 2026 Preview

In this episode of AdTech AdTalk, Adam and Gareth break down the big news of the week: Pinterest acquiring TV Scientific. Is it about CTV tags, or is it really about IP address stuffing to juice attribution?The duo goes deep on the AI wars, debating whether Google’s "stack" strategy will crush open standards, the "vertical integration" lesson from the browser wars, and the suspicious claim that Gemini 3 has no ads (yet). They also tackle the "passive voice" of the Irish exit, the surprising economics of OnlyFans chatbots, and why SaaS investors are panicking about AI.Plus, a look back at the "Vast Arbitrage" era, why LiveRail ruined ad tech acquisitions for a decade, and why nobody can name a single piece of "new knowledge" generated by an LLM.0:00 Intro2:12 The "Irish Exit" & Holiday Party Anxiety04:08 AI Standards vs. The Google Stack06:40 The Browser Wars & Vertical Integration 11:34 The "Architects of AI" & Godzilla Battles 15:28 The ROI of AI: Application Layer vs. Infrastructure 19:02 AI Won't Make Investors Rich (But Might Make You Rich) 23:11 The Service Industry Boom & The End of SaaS Playbooks 28:43 Pinterest Acquires TV Scientific: Attribution Gaming? 39:08 The "LiveRail Chill" on Ad Tech M&A 44:37 Post-Mortem: Google's "No Ads in Gemini" Claim 50:05 Post-Mortem: Vast Arbitrage & Waterfalls Explained 54:58 Post-Mortem: Can AI Create New Knowledge? 59:43 Q&A: Affiliate Links in Custom GPTs 1:01:23 OnlyFans Chatbots & The Future of Influencer AI 1:02:46 Outro & Hanukkah Wishes

In this episode of AdTech AdTalk, hosts Adam and Gareth are joined by Hillary Slattery, Director of Product Management at IAB Tech Lab and the "designated asshole" charged with shepherding OpenRTB.They dive deep into the granular realities of programmatic advertising, from the importance of OpenRTB's 107-page spec to the contentious debates around video ad placement definitions and the widespread misuse of the buyer UID field. Hillary explains why deal IDs are often a "band-aid" for poor OpenRTB implementation and the challenges of standardizing creative across platforms.The trio also discusses the implications of the Omnicom/IPG merger, the $16 billion Facebook makes from scam ads, and why users actually prefer ad-supported content to paying for it.Chapter Timestamps0:00 Intro & Pontiac DSP Shoutout 01:22 Happy Birthday to Gareth & Marley! 02:03 Meet Hillary Slattery 06:09 What is OpenRTB? 08:55 The Role of Agentic AI in Ad Tech 16:43 Standardizing Creative with Ad-ID 21:52 The "Designated Asshole" of OpenRTB 26:23 The Debate Over "In-Stream" Video 28:02 The Buyer UID Field Controversy 38:28 Agency Holdcos & The "Bonus Malus" Trap 45:22 Why You Should Use Deals in CTV 50:02 Deal IDs vs. OpenRTB Implementation 55:08 Post-Mortem: "No Such Thing as Server-Side Header Bidding" 58:44 Post-Mortem: Facebook's $16 Billion Scam Ad Problem 1:03:01 News: Trade Desk's Bad Creative Preview 1:04:54 News: Meta Wins Antitrust Case & User Ad Tolerance 1:08:56 News: Omnicom/IPG Merger & The End of Scale 1:12:34 Outro

In a special Thanksgiving edition, the hosts tackle Google's ongoing antitrust challenges and the massive IPG/Omnicom merger. They dive into the complexities of header bidding, discussing Index Exchange's innovative containerization project. A lively debate unfolds over the new 'Agentic RTB' standards and how brands like Bayer can effectively adopt them. The duo critiques the concept of TV as a 'passive screen' and dissects the implications of price floors in programmatic advertising. Expect insights on Google's bureaucracy from Sergey Brin and the relevance of AI in today's digital landscape.

In this "old school" episode of AdTech AdTalk, Adam and Gareth fly solo (mostly) to vent about the industry and answer chat questions without the pressure of being nice to a guest. The duo dives deep into the technical weeds of PMP duplication, explaining the bizarre reality where sending the same deal ID five times actually results in more spend due to DSP throttling and QPS caps.They also tackle the controversy surrounding The Trade Desk’s Kokai update, debating whether the loss of trader control is worth the aggressive pacing algorithms. The conversation shifts to the philosophy of measurement, the generational shift in caring about inventory quality, and why coupons are the original performance marketing.Plus, a surprise visit from "Senator AdTech" (who looks and sounds suspiciously like a famous Vermont politician) to rail against the "rigged auction" of the bid request system. Finally, the hosts roast Grok’s sycophantic description of Elon Musk’s physique and play a round of Hot Sh*t or Horsesh*t featuring Quantcast’s new "self-driving" AI claims.00:00 Intro & Pontiac Shoutout 02:32 Live in Denmark 03:20 The PMP Duplication Hack 10:29 How DSP Sampling Works 19:30 Why Traders Hate Kokai 26:12 The Shift to Quality 30:30 Senator AdTech Skit 35:00 Measurement & Coupons 42:45 Post-Mortem: Fake Metrics 46:40 Grok’s Love for Elon 52:04 Naming the Grok Segment 53:30 Hot Sht or Horsesht: Quantcast 59:00 Outro