Moloco touts CARA AI ad system, CTV and retail media push
CEO Ahn Ik-jin told MolocoCon 26 that clients now submit 1,000 to 10,000 creative assets, a scale that cannot be tested manually.
Moloco presented its AI advertising technology CARA (Compound Ad Recommendation Architecture) and outlined expansion into connected TV and retail media at its MolocoCon 26 press conference on November 5, 2026, according to digitaltoday.co.kr. CEO Ahn Ik-jin used the event to describe how AI is reshaping the mobile app economy.
Ahn framed the internet economy around three axes — production, discovery and monetization — and said AI is lowering the production barrier through automated coding. He said new app releases this year more than doubled year over year, while app download growth reached only about 2%.
CARA combines six areas — campaign automation, ad recommendation, bidding, ad inventory, creative and signals — into AI-based real-time optimization. Ahn said clients now submit 1,000 to 10,000 creative assets, a scale nobody can test manually.
Moloco positions its AI ad tools for the independent mobile app ecosystem outside walled gardens such as Google and Meta, with customers in Korea, North America, Europe and Asia. Ahn said about half of all app usage time happens outside walled gardens, and about three-quarters of US digital media time including connected TV.
In Korea, CJ Olive Young has started an advertising business on its own shopping mall using Moloco's technology, and CJ CheilJedang is seeing results on Kurly with the company's engine. Ahn said Moloco aims to help Korean companies take new growth opportunities in global markets with AI.
Quick answers
What is CARA from Moloco?
CARA (Compound Ad Recommendation Architecture) bundles campaign automation, ad recommendation, bidding, ad inventory, creative and signals into AI-based real-time optimization.
What did Moloco's CEO say about app growth?
Ahn Ik-jin said new app releases this year more than doubled year over year, while app download growth was only about 2%.
Which Korean companies use Moloco's technology?
CJ Olive Young began an ad business on its own shopping mall using Moloco's technology, and CJ CheilJedang is getting results on Kurly with Moloco's engine.