Beyond efficiency: creativity and scale

The conversation then turned to creativity.

A case study for Make Up For Ever demonstrated how using Meta’s AI background tool to swap a plain white background for a more vibrant one improved both engagement and return on ad spend, all within brand guardrails. The ease and speed of the test reflected how AI can make low-risk creative optimization both fast and meaningful.

Horwitz added that the conversation has shifted: Brands are no longer asking how to use AI for low-funnel efficiencies—they want big ideas.

“Finally, we’re getting questions like: we want to use AI for big creatives as well,” Horwitz said. “How do we amplify AI at scale to be part of culture?”

As agencies and clients adapt, panelists predicted major changes in team structures, workflows, and the creative process.

“The creative process hasn’t changed probably since the Mad Men days,” Horwitz said. “This is the first time we can finally start changing it, questioning it, making production more upstream, more agile.”

Nible added that AI is creating new client expectations around digital experiences that are both emotionally resonant and algorithmically optimized, a “delicate dance” that will require close agency partnership.

And despite fears that AI will displace creativity, Horwitz argued the opposite: “Tech companies are actually hiring more designers than ever,” she said. “It’s the humans behind the machines. If the idea is good, if the story is good, if the craft is excellent, that’s what matters.”

Agencies aren’t only experimenting with generative AI—they’re restructuring around it. Efficiency gains are real, but the panel made clear that the real unlock lies in creativity, team design, and client collaboration.

The challenge now? Bringing clients along fast enough to keep pace.