AI Briefing: Index Exchange and Cognitiv integrate to use generative AI for programmatic curation

Two of the ad industry’s buzziest topics have generated yet another deal: generative AI and ad curation.

Last week, Cognitiv and Index Exchange became the latest companies to partner on another way to use deep learning algorithms and large language models for programmatic media. The deal lets Cognitiv’s ContextGPT product integrate with Index’s Marketplaces platform, which helps publishers use curation tools across demand-side platforms, data activation platforms and commerce media networks.

Rather than rely on keyword targeting and traditional audience segments, Cognitiv’s platform uses its deep learning and OpenAI’s LLMs to analyze millions of websites each day to help advertisers target audiences without relying on cookies. When Index sends an impression, Cognitiv provides real-time analysis to predict which ads will likely convert and then sends it back with an advertiser deal ID. Index then sends the impression to the advertiser’s demand-side platform before placing a bid.

“Advertising is the right message to the right person in the right place at the right time,” Cognitiv CEO Jeremy Fain told Digiday. “The audience is one of those things and context is another one of those things. But when they’re not combined together — especially with time and then maybe with message — it’s suboptimal. You’re showing an ad to the right person but in the wrong place or you’re showing an ad in the right place to the wrong person.”

To create custom audiences and content categories, advertisers use ContextGPT to input their product, desired audiences and the types of content they might want to buy ads across. Next, the platform uses LLMs to craft template prompts for generating audience segments based on a buyer’s media brief. A list of potential URLs is then generated, which buyers can sift through and choose to have either more or less of along with other filters for brand safety content sentiment. (The dashboard also shows inventory metrics like relevancy, daily impression estimates and unique URLs.)

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