AI is making media buying faster, smarter and more automated. But smarter optimisation doesn't automatically mean better outcomes. As more media decisions are handed to machines, the quality of the inputs matters more than ever.

Somewhere along the way, the industry normalised a level of operational faff and complexity that would feel ridiculous almost anywhere else. This piece explores why agencies are still working so hard to hit KPIs - and how curated marketplaces are changing the starting point for programmatic performance.