Mathieu Roche on Digital Ad Evolution: Identity, Privacy, and AI’s Impact

Mathieu Roche,co-founder and CEO of ID5.io, highlights how his company, founded seven years ago, has become a leader in digital advertising. They achieved this by offering advanced custom models, specifically in linking different online devices within households.

Roche stresses that identity is crucial for effective ad performance, ensuring the right message reaches the right person at the right time. He advocates for complete transparency and respect in data collection, viewing it as a “respect contract” with the audience.

He criticizes companies that exploit regulatory loopholes, emphasizing the need to clearly explain that advertising funds free content and services, and that understanding user interests requires transparent data usage, consent, and minimal data collection. Embracing consent and privacy, he believes, strengthens customer relationships.

Looking ahead, Roche predicts AI will fundamentally transform advertising over the next 5-10 years, impacting content interaction, device usage, and the roles of websites and search engines. Advertising will need to adapt to an AI-driven world where AI agents may handle research and comparison tasks.