For WBD’s Steinhauser, Agentic AI Is Now, A Unified Ecosystem Is Not-Yet

Why It Matters

Agentic AI promises faster, frictionless ad transactions, but industry‑wide standards and a unified ecosystem are still evolving, shaping how quickly publishers and advertisers can reap automation benefits.

Key Takeaways

• WBD pilots agentic AI to cut low‑value tasks.
• Agentic workflows aim to speed ad buying and optimization.
• Open, API‑driven stack prioritizes interoperability with buy‑side partners.
• Unified buy‑sell ecosystem remains theoretical, standards still evolving.
• Full automation unlikely; human sales role will persist alongside AI.

Summary

Warner Bros. Discovery’s senior ad‑tech leader, Steinhauser, outlined the company’s current foray into agentic artificial intelligence and its broader vision for a more open, API‑driven advertising stack. He emphasized that the pilot projects are already stripping low‑value, repetitive tasks from the workflow, giving teams more bandwidth for strategic initiatives. The long‑term ambition is a fully agentic ad buying process that can accelerate negotiations, optimization, and billing across the company’s portfolio.

Steinhauser highlighted two immediate benefits: reduced friction in both direct and programmatic transactions, and faster budget reallocation. He noted that early results are positive, but cautioned that a complete end‑to‑end agentic system—where agents handle everything from negotiation to invoicing—remains uncertain. While automation will grow, the human sales element will persist as a natural evolution rather than a wholesale replacement.

On the technology front, WBD is rebuilding its ad‑tech stack around open APIs to improve interoperability with partners. He praised the breaking down of “walled‑garden” mentalities but admitted the industry is still debating core definitions—such as what constitutes “attention”—and that consensus on common frameworks is nascent. The executive described the unified buy‑sell ecosystem as largely theoretical, with standards still being negotiated and implementation timelines extending over years.

The discussion signals a broader industry shift toward AI‑driven efficiency, yet underscores the lag in standardization and the need for collaborative governance. Publishers and advertisers that adapt early to open, interoperable stacks may capture speed advantages, while those waiting for a fully unified ecosystem could face prolonged integration challenges.

Original Description

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — The ad industry talks a lot about removing friction. Warner Bros. Discovery is trying to do it by threading agentic AI into its advertising workflows and rebuilding its ad tech stack from the ground up around open, API-driven architecture.

WBD has already moved parts of its ad workflow through agentic systems, freeing staff from low-value tasks and returning time to more strategic work. The longer-term ambition is more sweeping: a fully agentic ad workflow spanning the company’s entire portfolio, accelerating deal velocity, optimization, and client outcomes.

Whether the broader industry gets there is a different question that hinges on buy-side adoption, sell-side commitment, and a level of ecosystem standardization that, by the company’s own admission, is still largely theoretical.

“Where we see it going long-term is potentially a full agentic ad workflow at WBD, which will just allow us to move business faster through the ecosystem of our portfolio,” said Jill Steinhauser, group SVP, platform, monetization and partnerships, Warner Bros. Discovery, in this video interview with Beet.TV.

Agentic ambitions take shape

Steinhauser described WBD’s current posture on agentic AI as early-stage but with meaningful momentum. The company has begun routing specific workflow components through agentic systems, with the goal of eliminating the back-and-forth that bogs down both direct and programmatic transactions. Its pitch is fewer low-value handoffs, faster deal flow, more room for human judgment on the things that actually require it.

Steinhauser Wants a future where agents handle not just optimization and revisions, but potentially the full arc from negotiation to billing. But she also noted caution. “Will we see a point where we’re seeing a full transaction from negotiation to billing commanded by agents? I’m not completely sure,” she said. “I don’t believe that we will take the human element out of the sales process, but it will continue to be a natural evolution towards automation.”

That measured outlook is worth noting against a backdrop of industry hype. Gartner has predicted that more than 40% of agentic AI projects will be canceled by the end of 2027, citing escalating costs, unclear business value, and inadequate risk controls — a reminder that enthusiasm and execution are not the same thing.

Rebuilding the stack for openness

Alongside its AI efforts, WBD has kicked off a significant overhaul of its ad tech stack, with interoperability as a guiding principle. The goal is an open, API-driven architecture that allows the company to build on existing infrastructure rather than replace it wholesale – and that gives buy-side partners cleaner, more direct integration points.

Steinhauser said she has seen genuine movement from technology partners on this front, with the walled-garden mentality that has historically constrained the industry beginning to erode. “A lot of that walled garden mentality has broken down,” she said. “We still have a ways to go truly to work under this framework, but it’s hugely valuable to us to allow us to build on top of what we currently have without having to recreate the tech completely from the ground up.”

The effort aligns with WBD’s May 2025 launch of NEO, an ad platform unveiled at the upfronts designed to give buyers simplified, direct access to WBD’s premium video inventory across channels. The platform is part of the company’s broader push to reduce transactional complexity while expanding programmatic reach.