The Trade Desk has launched Kokai Zuma, a new version of its Kokai advertising platform, adding agentic AI tools and updated measurement features.
The release is the latest update to Kokai, which The Trade Desk introduced in 2023 for planning, buying and measuring advertising across the open internet. The changes are intended to make the system easier to use for advertisers managing campaigns across multiple channels, formats and devices.
Kokai Zuma combines visible interface changes with behind-the-scenes updates to forecasting and modelling. The Trade Desk said it has invested in the AI systems underpinning Kokai to improve predictions of available inventory and campaign outcomes, while supporting the new automated tools inside the product.
According to the company, the revised modelling and forecasting have delivered an average 32% improvement in cost-per-acquisition performance. The figure offers one of the clearest indications yet of how The Trade Desk plans to justify further investment in AI-led automation in media buying software.
AI features
A central part of the release is Koa, the AI system used across The Trade Desk's platform. It analyses more than 20 million ad impressions each second and now supports a broader set of automated functions within Kokai Zuma.
Among the new additions is Koa Assistant, a conversational interface that can help users create campaigns, build audiences, troubleshoot issues and analyse performance. The company also introduced specialist Koa agents designed to automate campaign tasks, identify opportunities for changes and help users act more quickly within the system.
The update also expands AI use in audience creation. The Trade Desk said Koa can identify relevant untapped audience segments to broaden campaign reach, a feature likely to be particularly relevant for advertisers using Audience Unlimited, its audience planning tool linked to data providers in its marketplace.
Another feature focuses on frequency optimisation. Koa adjusts exposure settings based on campaign goals and results, aiming to reduce manual work while improving delivery.
Measurement changes
The Trade Desk has also revised reporting and measurement tools in Kokai Zuma. The changes include updates to Conversion Lift, which assesses the effect of advertising on conversions, as well as additional reporting dimensions intended to give users more detail when planning campaigns.
The reporting homepage has been redesigned to surface commonly used reports, saved templates and generated files more quickly. A revised Report Builder is intended to make customisation easier and give users more visibility into available dimensions.
The changes reflect a broader issue in digital advertising, where marketers face increasing pressure to show which placements and channels are producing results. By simplifying access to reporting and lift studies, The Trade Desk is seeking to make its platform more useful to media buyers who need both automation and clearer evidence of performance.
Workflow redesign
Alongside the AI and measurement updates, Kokai Zuma changes how the product is navigated. Refreshed advertiser, campaign and ad group views are designed to highlight key metrics and trends more clearly.
A new Applied Settings View brings targeting parameters into one place so users can see what may be driving or limiting spend. Bulk editing has also been updated so traders can preview the likely impact of changes before applying them across campaigns.
These workflow revisions show the company is trying to address operational friction as much as analytical complexity. In practice, many media teams spend significant time moving between campaign settings, performance reports and targeting controls, so interface changes can affect day-to-day efficiency as much as underlying bidding models.
Jeff Green, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of The Trade Desk, described the release as the next step in the company's platform strategy. "Kokai changed the way digital media is bought and sold programmatically, and Zuma builds on that foundation, making our platform faster, simpler and smarter," said Green.
He said AI and usability were central to the update. "AI is helping our customers move faster than ever, while making measurement more intuitive and actionable. We've listened closely to our users about what they need to navigate an increasingly fragmented digital media ecosystem, and Zuma brings those learnings into Kokai. We're continuing to build the platform that advertisers deserve - one that removes friction from the work, puts agentic AI to practical use and gives them a clearer view of the outcomes their media dollars are driving," Green added.
Industry analyst Karsten Weide gave a positive assessment of the changes. "This is impressive," said Karsten Weide, Principal and Chief Analyst at W Media Research.
He added: "It's great to see The Trade Desk go full-bore on agentic, and the performance gains are real numbers. That's encouraging - this is real change."
The release underlines how advertising technology companies are increasingly repositioning AI from a background optimisation tool into a more visible operating layer for campaign management, reporting and decision-making. The Trade Desk is now tying that shift to measurable campaign outcomes.