Introduction

The last digital shift left creativity on the sidelines, but this AI revolution puts creative people back at the center.

What’s the problem it solves?

The previous advertising revolution focused on media and tech, leaving creatives out and leading to cluttered ads, short-termism, and poor formats. AI changes this by giving creative people direct access to powerful tools, letting them shape content at scale without being dependent on agencies or large budgets.

Quick Summary

Tom Roach argues that generative AI is not replacing creativity, but fueling it. Unlike the digital revolution, where adtech democratized media buying, GenAI is democratizing ad creation. This means individuals and small businesses now have access to tools that were once only available to agencies and big brands, while larger companies are using AI to cut costs and speed up production without lowering quality.

AI is already producing professional-grade ads, with companies like Google and Runway building models hand-in-hand with creators. Experiments show that human-led AI ads can outperform industry averages, while big brands like Unilever and Diageo are rolling out AI studios to scale creative production. Although fears of low-quality "AI slop" exist, Roach believes human audiences will naturally ignore bad content, while top brands will keep pushing for premium standards.

He also addresses the big debate: can AI ever be truly creative? While AI may not yet generate iconic ideas on its own, it excels at remixing, scaling, and rapidly iterating creative concepts. This makes it a powerful partner for human creatives, not a replacement. AI also creates new job categories, shifting roles rather than killing creativity.

Key Takeaways

• The digital revolution democratized media buying, but GenAI democratizes creative production.
• Creatives are actively shaping AI tools, unlike in the past where they were sidelined.
• Big brands are adopting AI studios to scale content while maintaining high quality.
• "AI slop" will exist, but human audiences and algorithms will punish low-quality work.
• AI won’t kill creativity; instead, it scales and accelerates it while opening new creative roles.
• The real future is people and AI working together, not one replacing the other.

What to do

• Embrace AI tools as creative collaborators, not threats.
• Focus on producing the top 5-10% of content, not adding to the "slop."
• Experiment with AI video, image, and creative strategy platforms early.
• Maintain strong creative direction - AI works best with human guidance.
• Re-skill teams into hybrid roles (e.g., copywriters -> AI copy strategists).
• Watch for emerging ad formats (like immersive game-like AI video) that could redefine the industry.

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