TikTok has introduced its Model Context Protocol (MCP) server and developer toolkit, allowing marketers to connect their own AI agents directly to the TikTok ads platform. Announced by global head of product marketing Jose Villalobos during TikTok World, the company’s sixth annual global ad product summit, the new system enables AI agents to plan, launch, and optimize ad campaigns without manual input. The MCP automates tasks such as setting up creatives, adjusting bids, and managing budgets, aiming to improve performance through a combination of automation and AI.

The initiative continues TikTok’s broader 2024 strategy to automate advertising operations. Similar developments have been seen across the industry, with Google, Meta, and Amazon each launching their own MCP servers to let AI models interact directly with their ad systems. According to adtech expert Shirley Marschall, a major motivation behind these proprietary MCPs is data sovereignty, as platforms seek to retain control over how AI agents access and use their data.

The announcement came alongside other product updates at TikTok World, which also marked leadership changes within the company’s marketing division following the resolution of its U.S.-China deal earlier in the year.