Here we go again, it seems the in-housing question is raising its head once more. But this time it’s different. The emergence of AI agents and agentic workflows in media is forcing everyone to rethink their position. And honestly? It’s fascinating to watch.
I’ve been thinking about this a lot today. What’s interesting is how it mirrors the early days of programmatic. Remember that chaos? Everyone thought technology would make agencies obsolete. Instead, it created new value layers.
The same thing looks like it might happen with agentic AI, but I think there’s a twist, I’d say the technology’s actually pushing us toward more collaboration, not less.
From what I hear about what’s happening on the ground the most successful implementations aren’t purely agency-led or client-controlled. They’re these weird hybrid models where agencies bring their market intelligence and strategic oversight, while clients keep control of their data and business rules. And this shouldn’t surprise any of us.
The biggest risk isn’t even the technology… it’s how we’re all tempted to treat agentic AI as just another automation tool. I suspect some are already falling into this trap, with the agency likely positioning it as a « set and forget » solution. Meanwhile, some clients are going the opposite way, trying to build everything in-house without the strategic layer that agencies bring. Both miss the point entirely.
Here’s where it gets really interesting. What are the real opportunities? They’re emerging in the spaces between. It’s messy, but when agencies and clients actually collaborate to define the strategic framework, then let their AI agents loose within those boundaries… that’s when the magic happens. Again, this shouldn’t surprise us.
Success isn’t about control anymore. It’s about creating intelligent partnerships between human expertise and AI capabilities. New skillsets, new structures, new ways of working together – that’s what’s going to matter. The agencies that get this will thrive. The rest? Well…
I’d also say we need to stop obsessing about who’s in control and start focusing on building something new together. Because the future isn’t agency-led or client-controlled, it’s about genuine collaboration. Even if that means completely rethinking how we work and how we structure ourselves.