Two new launches from IAB Tech Lab focus on AI web & programmatic

LLM Content Ingest API Initiative

Announcing the news at its annual summit, IAB Tech Lab has put forward a proposal for a framework that would see publishers compensated for the use of their content by large language models (LLMs) and AI agents. 

Tech Lab reports that the framework will incorporate mechanisms that:

• Enable brands to control how their content is integrated into LLMs and AI agent services. This effort focuses on developing a technical specification to help publishers respond to increased AI scraping and to support a fair value exchange between content owners and LLM developers
• Provides a structured approach for brands to manage how their information is accessed and interpreted by AI systems

The next step is that Tech Lab will be inviting publishers, brands, and AI system developers to a workshop that collaboratively explores solutions. Find out more here. 

Commenting on the development, Anthony Katsur, CEO of IAB Tech Lab, said: “It is clear that AI agents powered by large language models are shifting how users engage with content. While this is a promising new way for people to access information, we have also seen data showing publisher traffic decreases at 15% or higher, and revenue is down. Meanwhile, AI platforms are growing on the back of open web content, impacting publisher revenues and misrepresenting advertisers. This initiative is about giving publishers and brands a path forward that is fair, enforceable, and grounded in technical standards.”

Containerization Project 

Also at the event, Tech Lab announced the launch of its Containerization Project to address emerging challenges in the development and maintenance of programmatic infrastructure. 

Explaining the goals of the project, Katsur said: “After more than a decade of incredible growth, the digital ad ecosystem has pushed the current framework upon which programmatic is built to its limits. The way ad tech is built today is complex and has the potential to introduce inefficiency at integration points. 

“The Containerization Project is not about incremental change. While Open RTB isn’t going anywhere, we are taking a hard look at how programmatic architecture is deployed and the underlying protocols, such as HTTP/1.1, and proposing a more intentional, durable foundation to innovate the next generation of real-time bidding.”

Tech Lab is calling on companies across the ecosystem - including publishers, platforms, buyers, and technology providers - to participate in the ongoing development of the framework. Find out more about how to get involved with the working group here.