NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 1, 2026--
Integral Ad Science (IAS), a leading global media measurement and optimization platform, today earned a prestigious finalist nomination in the 30th Annual Webby Awards for its groundbreaking generative AI assistant, IAS Agent, recognizing its excellence in the AI, Marketing, and Branding category.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260401298168/en/
IAS Agent is an AI-powered assistant designed to help marketers activate campaigns faster, uncover deeper insights in minutes, and optimize performance at scale. Powered by the industry’s most comprehensive dataset and more than 15 years of proprietary IAS insights, IAS Agent empowers any marketer to deliver the trusted intelligence brands rely on to protect and drive performance for multimillion-dollar campaigns.
"We are incredibly proud to be recognized for our innovation, and it’s a testament to our team's forward-thinking vision for the future of marketing," said Lisa Utzschneider, CEO of IAS. "Our focus is to give marketers the trusted intelligence and complete transparency into every recommendation so brands can protect their campaigns and accelerate performance across their omnichannel investments. IAS Agent is the next evolution of that promise.”
From now until April 16, 2026, IAS Agent is eligible for the People’s Voice Award. You can cast your vote at:https://lnkd.in/gb7GMnB2.
To learn more about the IAS Agent or to see how it can support your team’s goals, reach out to the IAS team for more information.
About Integral Ad Science
Integral Ad Science (IAS) is a leading global media measurement and optimisation platform that provides the industry’s most actionable data to drive superior results for the world’s largest advertisers, publishers, and media platforms. IAS’s software provides comprehensive and enriched data that ensures ads are seen by real people in safe and suitable environments, while improving return on ad spend for advertisers and yield for publishers. Our mission is to be the global benchmark for trust and transparency in digital media quality. For more information, visit integralads.com
About The Webby Awards
Hailed as the “Internet’s highest honor” by The New York Times, The Webby Awards is the leading international awards organization honoring excellence on the Internet, including Websites and Mobile Sites; Video; Advertising, Media & PR; Apps & Software; Social; Games; Podcasts; Creators and AI. Established in 1996, The Webby Awards received over 13,000 entries from all 50 states and over 70 countries worldwide this year. The Webby Awards are presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS). Sponsors and Partners of The Webby Awards include Adobe, WP Engine, Meltwater, Patreon, NAACP, KPMG, Wall Street Journal, Deadline, AdAge, TechCrunch, The Hollywood Reporter, SXSW, Scalable, and The Society of Digital Agencies.
Integral Ad Science Earns Prestigious Webby Finalist Nomination for its Generative AI Innovation, IAS Agent
The horrific death of a man who was ejected from a Six Flags roller coaster in Georgia is drawing attention to the safety of amusement park rides that have become increasingly faster and steeper in their quest for the biggest thrill.
Fatal roller coaster accidents are extremely rare, and Georgia officials have said little about why Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, a 42-year-old school employee from Atlanta, was thrown from his seat on Monday while riding the Goliath at Six Flags Over Georgia, striking other patrons before falling below the ride. Four other passengers, all minors, suffered injuries that were not life-threatening, Cobb County police said.
Goliath sends riders plunging from 200 feet (61 meters) at speeds reaching 70 mph (112 kph). Rather than upside-down loops and corkscrews, the two-decade-old coaster focuses on velocity and downhill plunges.
Six Flags temporarily closed nine similar coasters across North America as a precaution. The ride's manufacturer, Bolliger & Mabillard, said it was “actively investigating the incident and will not comment further until we have a better understanding of what happened.”
To his family, Kariem was a beloved and intelligent man who died during an outing with people he loved.
“He was just a great, smart guy,” said She Robinson, who identified herself as Kariem’s cousin. “He was a gentle giant that everybody loved.”
He loved Atlanta and Six Flags Over Georgia, Robinson said, and was visiting the park Monday with his significant other, her daughter and her niece, Robinson said.
Another cousin, Kelvin Johnson, described Kariem as kind and considerate.
“He’s just a very helpful, positive kind of person," Johnson said. "He’s that person that would step up first to volunteer for anything.”
The federal government does not regulate roller coasters at major amusement parks. Instead, oversight falls to states, creating what some call a patchwork of rules that range from strict regulations to minimal oversight.
U.S. Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts has repeatedly sought to close what he calls a federal safety “loophole” that allows the Consumer Product Safety Commission to regulate traveling carnival rides but not stationary attractions at major parks.
Georgia’s Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner, which oversees annual ride inspections, is “conducting an in‑depth and comprehensive review” of Monday's death, said Garrison Bennett, a spokesperson.
Amusement parks worldwide generally adhere to what are known as ASTM standards set by industry experts, which cover everything from ride design and construction to how much acceleration and force each rider is allowed to experience.
The industry has multiple layers of inspection, said Dennis Speigel, a theme park consultant and past president of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, a trade group. Park operators are under pressure from insurance carriers that could face a hefty payout if something goes wrong.
“With the checks and balances that are put in place, theme parks are really one of the safest places to be on the planet,” he said Tuesday.
Industry figures show 1.27 serious and reportable injuries per million roller coaster rides in 2024. Across all amusement park rides, the trade group said “guest behavior” contributed to 66% of the injuries that year, with 15% due to technical factors and 9% to operational factors.
The trade group's current president, Jakob Wahl, offered condolences to Kariem's family Wednesday.
Martin Lewison, a roller coaster expert and a professor at Farmingdale State College, said it was difficult to imagine there being a mechanical malfunction on a roller coaster such as Goliath because of its design.
The ride features a pull-down lap restraint called a “clamshell” that works with a ratchet mechanism that makes clicking sounds as you press it down over your hips. They have multiple disks to ensure redundancy if one fails, Lewison said.
“They’re dependable. They’re not so technically advanced that theme parks have difficulty with operations,” Lewison said.
The operator then has a safety system that displays a green “go” light for every seat on the train before it can be dispatched. The train should theoretically not be allowed to proceed unless all restraints are locked, Lewison said.
In 2022, a 14-year-old Missouri boy fell to his death from an Orlando amusement park ride when the harness didn't lock properly due to his size. In 2013, a 52-year-old Dallas woman was killed when she slipped from her seat on the Texas Giant ride at Six Flags Over Texas. Six Flags redesigned restraint-bar pads and seat belts, and added a test seat at the ride’s entrance so guests can check whether they fit safely.
Nick Mendenhall, who witnessed Monday’s death and has ridden Goliath more than a dozen times in recent weeks, said he saw Six Flags staff check the restraints each time he rode it.
“There are two employees, one on either side of the train, and with their hands they push down and they make sure it locks every time. I’ve never seen them not do it,” Mendenhall said.
California requires approval of new or modified rides by the state Department of Industrial Relations. Officials either directly inspect them and how they are being operated each year, or rely on an annual inspection by the owner, according to the department's website.
Florida exempts its largest theme parks, including Walt Disney World and Universal, from state safety inspections. Parks conduct their own inspections and have their own protocols, but must report injuries or deaths. Texas, similarly, relies on private inspectors hired by park operators or their insurance companies.
This story has been updated to correct the name of a roller coaster expert to Martin Lewison, not Lewinson.
Associated Press writers Kate Brumback in Atlanta and John Raby in Charleston, West Virginia, contributed.
Attractions are seen at Six Flags Over Georgia, about 15 miles (24 kilometers) northwest of Atlanta, Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
A roller coaster is shown at Six Flags over Georgia on Monday, Oct. 12, 2026, about 15 miles (24 kilometers) northwest of Atlanta. (AP Photo/Emilie Megnien) Correction changes location to outside Atlanta.
FILE - This aerial view shows the X2 roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, Calif., on Sept. 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)
Attractions are seen near Interstate-20 at Six Flags Over Georgia, about 15 miles (24 kilometers) northwest of Atlanta, Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Attractions are seen at Six Flags Over Georgia, about 15 miles (24 kilometers) northwest of Atlanta, Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
