Affiliate Roundup: Agentic AI Reshapes Media Buying, Creator Trust Grows, Meta Expands Instagram Affiliates, & More

This week in FMTC’s Affiliate Roundup: Agentic AI could reshape programmatic advertising through autonomous media buying. Consumers trust creators more than AI, according to People Inc.’s Jonathan Roberts. Meta and Shopee expanded their affiliate partnership to Instagram.

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• Practical Ecommerce argues that brands should stop chasing AI visibility scores and focus on measurable business performance instead. 

• Affiverse has published a guide to affiliate marketing in the AI era, arguing that trust, high-quality content, and reliable attribution will become increasingly important as AI reshapes discovery. 

• Agentic AI could reshape programmatic advertising by shifting media buying from human-managed campaigns to autonomous AI agents. 

• Quantum has acquired Cashback.co.uk and Custard from Submission Technology, expanding its cashback and rewards portfolio in the affiliate marketing space. 

• People Inc.’s Jonathan Roberts argues that consumers trust creators more than AI, making authenticity a growing competitive advantage for brands.

• Meta and Shopee have expanded their affiliate partnership to Instagram, giving eligible creators more ways to earn commissions through shoppable content.  

• Reddit Threads has joined the Amazon Associates Program, giving affiliate marketers a new way to monetize discussions and product recommendations.