As AI continues to transform the advertising landscape, Sam Altman’s bold prediction—that artificial intelligence could replace up to 95% of ad agency work—has ignited a vibrant debate within the creative community. While some industry leaders credit AI for securing major business wins, many see it as a transformative partner that enhances human creativity rather than replaces it. The pressing question remains: How will AI impact the core value proposition of creative agencies? Is it a threat, a tool, or a true game-changer? We asked industry experts to weigh in on this rapidly evolving landscape.
Here are some of their insights.:
Dipika Parulekar – Global Head of Partner Marketing| Driving Partner Ecosystem Growth, at Tredence
AI isn’t dimming the creative spark. It is amplifying human imagination at scale like never before. For creative agencies, this is not a moment of threat but one of reinvention. The future belongs to those who see AI as a strategic partner, leveraging its speed, scale, and precision to surface deeper insights, craft bolder narratives, and drive real outcomes.
Nilesh Malani – Chief Marketing Officer and Business Head, at Waaree Group
Sam Altman’s forecast certainly turns heads, but from where I sit, AI will automate most execution, fundamentally reshaping agency-client dynamics. Agencies will pivot from pure creators to high-level strategic partners, interpreting AI insights and focusing on human nuance, brand ethics, and cultural relevance. This will free our time to engage in deeper, more strategic collaborations, demanding rapid, data-driven outputs. The relationship will becomes less about tasks and more about intelligent co-creation, with agencies ensuring the human, authentic voice remains central to AI-powered campaigns.
Samyukta Iyer, Founder and CEO of The Simple Thing
Well, it’s a bit like asking, “How do you see electricity impacting candle-makers?” Some will cling to the wax. Others will start lighting up the world.
AI, to me, isn’t a threat. It’s that brilliant-but-socially-awkward intern who knows everything, does everything in milliseconds, but still needs me to explain what irony is. Or why the word “mojo” works better than “synergy.”
Ad agencies have always thrived at the intersection of chaos and craft. AI doesn’t change that. It just shifts the coordinates. It’s not replacing the ideas, it’s replacing the excuses.
The value ad agencies bring isn’t in typing fast or making mood boards. It’s in knowing when to throw the rulebook out, when to whisper instead of shout, and when a single word can change a brand’s destiny.
So, is AI a tool? Yes. A threat? Only if you’ve built your career on stock photo searches and lorem ipsum. A partner? Absolutely, but only if you’re leading the dance.
Because at the end of the day, AI might write the joke, but it still can’t tell if it’s funny.
Ramya Ramachandran, Founder & CEO of whoppl.
AI has become a transformative partner in our industry by eliminating manual work and delivering insights in seconds—be it understanding consumer behavior, identifying cohorts, or analyzing competitors and their spend. It has accelerated our ability to stay ahead of the curve, especially in influencer marketing and content, where real-time execution is key. From streamlining research to enhancing data-driven strategies, AI empowers us to move faster and smarter. While creativity and execution still rely on human intelligence, AI seamlessly supports the heavy lifting, enabling us to focus on innovation and storytelling with greater impact.
Kruthika Ravindran, – Director, Key Accounts, at TheSmallBigIdea
At its heart, a creative agency is all about insight, great ideas, making things happen, and getting results, all driven by human creativity and strategic thinking. AI isn’t here to trash that. Instead, it’s shaking up how we do it.
In my opinion, AI is more like a super-smart assistant. It’ll redefine our skill sets and how we spend our time. And agencies that welcome AI, integrate it strategically into their workflows and understand its limitations will simply find themselves better equipped to deliver more for clients.
This isn’t a good or bad thing; it’s a game-changer, where AI does the heavy lifting, giving our creative thinkers the freedom and support to focus on the big picture, truly connect with the audience, and understand all those cultural nuances.
Mriga Kothare Pushkar – Creative Director, at Landor India
Firstly, AI isn’t the enemy. If we use it right, it can be one of the most powerful allies we’ve ever had. At the heart of what us creatives do is emotion, connection and cultural impact, the stuff that really moves people. And while AI can speed things up, find patterns and throw out ideas, it cannot rewrite cultural narratives like we can.
It’s a tool to amplify our boldness, helping us personalise at scale or test concepts swiftly.
At Landor, we’re using AI to sharpen our thinking, not replace it. To personalise better, to experiment faster, but never at the cost of what makes our work human.
Because great creativity doesn’t just keep up with culture, it forges it.
