As mentioned in my interview with ADWEEK’s AI reporter, Trishla Ostwal, in adtech PR, AI is table stakes. A company’s ability to articulate a clear, consistent, and differentiated AI narrative is increasingly tied to valuation and, for public companies, overall market performance.

To that end, for years, The Trade Desk has struggled to define its AI story. Despite its reputation as one of adtech’s most technically savvy companies, its public narrative around AI has been muted or fragmented. This has coincided with a noticeable (and sudden) downturn in stock performance. But is that finally changing?

Possibly. I analyzed every mention of AI — including direct references (such as “AI” and “artificial intelligence”), as well as derivative terms (like “co-pilot” and “agentic”), related themes, and product mentions — across all of TTD’s press releases from 2024 and 2025 (year-to-date). The dataset was sourced from the company’s investor relations website and excludes basic earnings-call scheduling notices. In total, the analysis covers 22 press releases — eight from 2024 and 14 from 2025 — totaling more than 27,000 words. Here’s what I found.

Main Takeaway: A Late but Loud AI Turn

Between 2024 and 2025, TTD’s use of AI language in announcements increased dramatically. In 2024, the company referenced AI only three times across eight press releases. Now, in 2025, TTD has published 14 press releases containing a total of 32 AI mentions — nearly a tenfold increase year-over-year.

On average, AI references rose from less than half per release in 2024 (0.4) to more than two per release in 2025 (2.3), while the share of announcements containing any AI language jumped from 12.5% to 57%. The data suggests TTD’s comms lurched noticeably toward AI in 2025, though this shift appears to be recent and clustered. It hasn’t necessarily been consistent across TTD’s overall messaging (more on that shortly).

See a fuller 2024 vs. 2025 breakdown here:

AI Language Trendline:

2024 —▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁

2025 —▁▁▂▃▅▇███▇▆▅

Metric	2024	2025 (YTD)	Change YoY
Total press releases analyzed	8	14	+75%
Total AI mentions (all terms & references)	3	32	+966%
Average AI mentions per release	0.4	2.3	+475%
Releases with ≥1 AI mention	1 of 8 (12.5%)	8 of 14 (57%)	+356%
Most AI-heavy release	Q1 2024 Financial Results (2 mentions)	Audience Unlimited Launch (11 mentions)	—
Key AI phrases used	“AI advances,” “Kokai platform”	“Agentic AI,” “AI co-pilot,” “Adaptive Trading,” “AI scoring,” “Generative AI”	Shift from general → specific terminology
AI-related products referenced	Kokai (briefly, 1x)	Kokai, Audience Unlimited, Koa Adaptive Trading, Deal Desk, OpenSincera	Expanded set of AI-linked products
Primary context for AI	Platform innovation (technical)	Business driver (strategic + narrative)	—
Tone of AI usage	Limited, secondary to data/privacy	More assertive, though still uneven	—

For comparison, the most AI-focused announcement in 2024 was the Q4/FY2023 Financial Results release (published February 15, 2024), which included two mentions of AI, both referencing the Kokai platform. In contrast, the most AI-heavy release in 2025 was the “Audience Unlimited” announcement (published September 29, 2025), with 11 AI mentions — marking a clear shift in how prominently AI now features in TTD’s messaging.

What to Make of the AI Surge

Despite the sharp year-over-year increase, the pattern suggests TTD’s use of AI language has been largely reactive — and weirdly delayed, given how aggressively the market has rewarded AI narratives since early 2023. Consider that across 2024 and even the first half of 2025, AI barely appeared in company communications. Of the 32 total AI mentions in 2025, just seven occurred in the first six months — that’s less than a quarter of the total. The remaining 25 (78%) appeared after June, concentrated in product announcements like Deal Desk, OpenSincera, and Audience Unlimited.

This back-loaded surge points to a catch-up strategy. It’s a late effort to align TTD’s positioning with investor sentiment and broader business/tech/adtech trends. It has been reactive, not proactive.

What This Means for Your AdTech PR Strategy

TTD’s sudden ramp-up in AI language underscores a broader lesson for all adtech companies — public or not — navigating the intersection of perception and performance. When AI becomes a proxy for innovation and growth, as it has since 2023, silence can be costly. As seen here, even technically advanced companies risk being seen as laggards if their PR doesn’t go where the market’s attention and capital are.

With that in mind, some takeaways to consider for your adtech PR strategy:

• Be proactive, not reactive. Waiting for competitive or investor pressure to shape your narrative almost guarantees a “catch-up” perception. Be out in front of AI storytelling. 
• Consistency matters as much as content. Sporadic AI references can create confusion about a company’s capabilities or priorities. Frequent, contextualized mentions across announcements signal AI is not an afterthought but a core value driver.
• Clarity beats hype. The most credible AI narratives connect tech to tangible customer or business outcomes. Overly abstract or delayed messaging can erode confidence, especially in a market flooded with weak AI claims.
• Integrate across comms. AI messaging should be reflected not just in product launches but in financial results, leadership commentary, case studies, conference presentations, and beyond. It should be everywhere, basically. 

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👉 Building your company’s AI narrative? Contact Chris Harihar on X (@chrisharihar), LinkedIn, or by email.

Chris Harihar is a 15-year adtech PR veteran who has led communications for some of the industry’s most recognized brands. He has helped both category leaders and emerging startups define their stories, sharpen their positioning, and turn communications into growth.