DPG tests AI control of advertising campaigns
The media company is testing a connection that allows agencies to manage campaigns through their own AI systems.
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DPG Media is testing the opening up of its advertising platform to AI agents from media agencies and advertisers. The new connection is initially being tested in the Netherlands and Belgium; according to DPG, a wider rollout is planned for early 2027.
DPG Media is testing Ad Manager Agentic, a connection that, according to the company, allows external AI agents to create and manage advertising campaigns and retrieve results. The system uses the Model Context Protocol, which DPG describes as an open technical standard that allows AI applications to connect with other software.
According to DPG, the service is currently being tested by partners in the Netherlands and Belgium. In the Netherlands, participants include Dentsu Benelux, Abovomaxlead and Draft Digital; in Belgium, D'Ieteren, Space and Havas have been named as participants in the testing phase.
According to DPG, the connection allows an agency to have its own AI system communicate directly with DPG's advertising platform. As a result, campaigns can be set up and adjusted more quickly, the company says. DPG says the technology will be available alongside existing interfaces and APIs.
Human approval remains mandatory under the current setup for strategic choices, budgets and the actual publication of campaigns. This means an employee of the advertiser or agency formally retains control over the most important decisions.
The development is part of a broader movement in which AI not only creates text and images, but also performs tasks within business software. DPG previously launched an AI tool that helps advertisers select target groups from its own audience data.
For media agencies, automation can save time, but the shift also raises questions about control, responsibility and the use of audience data. How substantial the potential time savings are and what risks large-scale use could entail are important questions in this regard.
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One story, several perspectives
What is established
- DPG Media is opening its advertising platform to connections with AI agents.
- The service is initially being tested in the Netherlands and Belgium.
- According to DPG, human approval remains mandatory for important campaign decisions.
Left
Arguments Automation in advertising should be accompanied by strong rules on personal data, transparency and the protection of workers. Decisions about target groups should not be left entirely to commercial algorithms.
Values Equality, privacy, public oversight and protection against concentrations of power.
Consequences Without oversight, profiling and automated exclusion could increase; with rules, AI can be used without human responsibility disappearing.
Centre
Arguments AI agents can bring efficiency and innovation, as long as companies remain responsible for the outcomes and systems can be monitored. Phased testing and human approval are therefore sensible conditions.
Values Practical innovation, proportionality and institutional responsibility.
Consequences A controlled introduction can save time and limit errors, but requires ongoing evaluation of privacy, security and the effects on employment.
Right
Arguments Companies should be given room to adopt new technology quickly and should not be burdened with unnecessary bureaucracy. The advertiser paying for the campaign can itself be held responsible for the choices made.
Values Entrepreneurship, competition, freedom of choice and limited government interference.
Consequences Faster adoption could make the Dutch media sector more competitive, but too little oversight could lead to abuse and unclear liability.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The article's core is based on an announcement by DPG Media and an independent media source. The text clearly distinguishes between the current testing phase and future plans.
- confirmed DPG Media is testing Ad Manager Agentic in the Netherlands and Belgium. — Mentioned in reporting on the launch. source
- confirmed The connection uses the Model Context Protocol. — Described in the announcement and background information. source
- confirmed Human approval remains necessary for budgets and putting campaigns live. — Included in the description of the testing setup. source
Editor's note
It is certain that DPG has announced the connection and that human approval remains part of the current setup. The eventual scale, efficiency gains and possible consequences for work and data use are not yet known.Sources
- DPG Media opent advertentieplatform voor AI-agents — MarketingTribune
- DPG Media opent Ad Manager voor AI-agents via MCP — Emerce
- DPG Media lanceert AI-gestuurde Audience Discovery Agent — DPG Media