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Optimism On The Croisette: AI, The Open Web And Programmatic Advertising With Equativ’s Michael Lehman

By AdExchanger Content Studio

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Optimism on the Croisette: Equativ’s Michael Lehman on AI, the Open Web, Programmatic Advertising and Why He’s Still Bullish

The mood at Cannes 2026 is complicated — rosé in one hand, existential dread in the other. AdExchanger Editorial Director Sara Sluis sat down with Michael Lehman, President, Americas of Equativ, aboard the company’s yacht to cut through the noise. What they got was a rare thing: a genuinely optimistic take on AI’s impact on the open web, publisher futures, transparency in programmatic advertising, and why pausing your marketing spend right now might be a decision you regret in three years. Lehman draws a pointed parallel between today’s AI anxiety and the early days of RTB — and makes the case that the industry has been here before, and came out stronger. If you’re tired of doom-scrolling the trade press, this one’s for you.  Watch now.

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