Let’s cut to the chase. AI is no longer that buzzword we discuss over agency chai breaks while wondering if our jobs will survive. It’s here, very much in the room, quietly (sometimes loudly) reshaping how we ideate, create, and deliver campaigns. Whether we like it or not, Artificial Intelligence has stormed into our creative studios, strategy rooms, media plans and even our WhatsApp groups. The question now isn’t whether we should embrace it. The question is: how do we humanise it?
AI is Changing the Canvas — Fast
Let’s take a step back and see where we are today. From deepfake Shah Rukh Khans selling fin-tech to hyper-real mid-journey fashion models posing for new D2C labels, AI-generated campaigns are no longer rare. They’re rampantly visible. Zomato’s AI-generated “food characters” for Valentine’s Day, Cadbury’s hyper-personalised Diwali campaigns using machine learning or Nykaa’s use of AI to generate real-time beauty looks, these are all examples of how Indian brands are flirting (and in some cases, fully committing) to the AI revolution.
The appeal is obvious. AI brings scale, speed, and slickness. You want 15 visual variations for your digital banner in under 60 seconds? Done. Need a talking mascot in 10 languages without calling a single VO artist? Done. From hyperlocal targeting to dynamic visual generation, AI has handed over an infinite palette to agencies and brands. The freedom is thrilling. The temptation is real.
But here’s the thing, we’re also at risk of losing something. The ‘art’ in heart.
Agencies Love AI. Clients Love AI. But Let’s Not Lose the Plot.
Let’s be honest, AI is a lifesaver for creative teams stretched thin on deadlines, budgets, and bandwidth. It allows us to iterate endlessly, cut production costs, and still deliver near-polished outputs. For agencies juggling multiple briefs, multiple platforms, and ever-shrinking timelines, AI has become a dependable junior creative, always ready, never tired.
Designers have started integrating AI tools like Runway, D-ID, Kaiber, and mid-journey into their workflows not out of fear, but fascination. Videographers are exploring AI for pre-vis, storyboard animatics, and even final cuts. From mood boards to master visuals, AI is everywhere.
But here’s where the plot needs saving.
Because amidst all this efficiency, what we’re beginning to lose is authentic emotion. The sweat and soul that goes into a cracking insight. The imperfect pauses in a voiceover. The quirk in a line that no algorithm could ever have imagined. That’s the bit AI can’t do—and probably never will.
The Role of the Human Idea
AI is the engine. But the steering wheel? That’s still ours.
A great idea is not born from prompts. It’s born from pain, joy, chaos, contradiction, very human emotions. No matter how fast AI learns patterns, it cannot feel the difference between a good idea and a goosebump-inducing one. That’s our job. To infuse campaigns with culture, with character, with craft.
When Fevicol released its AI-based campaign of “ads that never happened,” it worked because the idea was solid. The AI execution only brought it to life. The brief was clever, the tonality was bang-on, and the cultural resonance was unmistakable. That’s the difference. The idea led. AI followed.
We need to resist the urge to let AI lead and creatives follow. That’s where we lose the heart of advertising.
Let’s Talk About the ‘He’art’
The real muscle agencies need to build now is not AI literacy. That’s hygiene. What we need to protect, nurture, and double down on is creative intuition. Human storytelling. Emotional intelligence.
If AI can write your copy, your job is to write it better. If AI can generate ten visuals, your job is to choose the one that feels the most real, the most striking. In the age of AI sameness, the only true differentiator is the human touch. Ironically, the more brands lean on AI, the more human their message needs to be to break through the clutter.
Remember, AI can generate a hundred possible campaign lines, but it cannot generate conviction.
So, what should we as an industry do?
Here are a few thoughts I believe we as agencies, clients, and creators need to consider seriously:
1. Creative First, Tech Second: Use AI to execute not ideates. Let the idea lead. AI is your brush, not your vision.
2. Hire More Writers & Thinkers, Not Just Prompt Engineers: Don’t get caught up in the latest tech hires alone. You still need the ones who can write a headline that makes you laugh, cry or think.
3. Protect the Process: Don’t skip the brief, the brainstorm, the debates over coffee. These are not old-school rituals. They are the soul of creativity.
4. Build ‘Human-Led, AI-Powered’ Teams: Create hybrid roles. A copywriter who understands AI image tools. An art director who can guide mid-journey with emotion. Keep the balance.
5. Celebrate Imperfection: AI loves symmetry. Humans love asymmetry. That odd line. That rough cut. That raw voice note. Sometimes, imperfection is the hook.
Advertising has always been about capturing attention. But the best advertising? That’s about moving people. AI can amplify what we do, but it cannot replace why we do it. It cannot replicate gut instinct, cultural nuance, or plain old madness of a midnight idea that defies logic but works like magic.
So yes, embrace AI. Play with it. Stretch it. Challenge it. But don’t forget to also write that line which comes from your heart. Because while AI might generate content, only humans can create connection.
And that, is how we keep the ‘he’art’ alive.
(Views are personal)
