AIMI’s inaugural conference on March 6th in Brighton explored AI’s rising role in advertising, film, music, and visual arts. Despite economic challenges, the UK’s creative sector remains a global force. AI is disrupting the sector creating a range of challenges and opportunities.
Produced by 012 Agency, the event featured prominent speakers, including Daniel Bedingfield, Roger Eaton, Martin Gent, Freepik CEO Joaquin Cuenca Abela, Child Chancellor Aryan Shekar, and key industry leaders.
Speakers showcased AI-generated projects and discussed AI’s impact on creative industries. The event concluded with an awards ceremony celebrating outstanding AI-powered work.
Key Takeaways
1. AI is rapidly empowering content creators
Despite AI’s disruptive force, the overall sentiment amongst the creatives in the room was excitement.
Brit Award winner Daniel Bedingfield describes AI tools as “magical”, envisioning six-year-olds producing their own masterpieces. Performing at the event with AI support, Daniel believes his AI-enhanced voice is better than his own.
James Dow (Brand Tech Group) compared AI’s potential to “being in the matrix where you can do anything”, enabling orchestral music or feature film creation from your bedroom.
Seasoned cinematographer Roger Eaton is applying his AI-enhanced creativity in Stealing God, a feature film project that will achieve cost efficiencies whilst retaining the highest professional standards.
Main observations:
– Generative AI enables creators to produce complex works with unprecedented ease
– Experienced artists are enthusiastically exploring AI’s potential
– The technology offers transformative creative opportunities
This perspective is not shared by all artists, many of whom are upset about AI’s unauthorised use of their creations. Studio Ghibli’s Hayao Miyazaki is a noteworthy opponent.
2. AI is reshaping production processes
Creative industry pioneers are crafting new workflows as they embrace AI’s transformative potential.
Here is how AI adoption is fundamentally altering creative workflows:
— Production processes are becoming faster and potentially cheaper
— Teams are shrinking as AI takes on more tasks
— Critical human skills remain essential for informing, curating and refining AI outputs
Yes, AI speeds up asset creation and reduces costs, but does it enhance effectiveness?
Opinions varied—while some see AI as a creative enabler, others warn of risks.
Challenges include:
— Potential cognitive erosion (Gerlich, 2025)
— Complex intellectual property (IP) considerations
— Emerging regulatory uncertainties
— Concerns about bias in AI-generated content
Advertising and media agencies are rapidly integrating AI. Clients may find AI offers another reason to demand more for less. Smaller teams and budget constraints might become the norm, yet human oversight will remain crucial signally the need for robust client negotiations.
Jonathan Maylon (We Are Tilt) cautioned against “outsourcing our thinking.” James Dow emphasised that aligning human expertise with AI tools is required to ensure the highest quality results.
The pace of change is putting many institutions on the back foot. Regulation lags, mirroring the early days of social media. IP rights remain contentious. Konrad Shek (Advertising Association) highlighted debates over AI training data and artist compensation. The recent Make it Fair campaign has raised awareness of copyright concerns.
Biases in AI also persist. Priti Mharte (Hogarth) stressed client responsibility in addressing bias, as Hogarth develops AI agents for mitigation. But can they be trusted to do the job?
Potential job displacement and environmental concerns call for policy responses, such as Universal Basic Income (UBI) and renewable energy adoption in data centres. But wiil they be on the horizon?
Freepik’s Joaquin Cuenca Abela likened AI to fire —“those who master it will succeed.”
Creatives are not the only ones who need to master AI. Policy makers must sift through the tech industry hype and address significant social and environmental impacts.
3. Career and Education Implications
The AI revolution presents significant challenges for emerging creative professionals:
– Higher barriers to entry in already competitive industries
– Need for continuous learning and adaptation
– Emphasis on critical thinking and communication skills
– Importance of understanding AI tool nuances
AI adoption may limit junior roles in an already elite industry. With smaller, tech-driven teams, how will knowledge transfer occur?
Forward-thinking agencies are actively developing junior talent. WPP, Omnicon, Big Tech Group are providing the tools internally for creatives to play and talent synergies to surface.
This trend is also evident amongst BIMA members. Big Group are creating AI academies, while Media Monks nurture next-gen polymaths.
Marcos Angelides (Spark Foundry) emphasised that “communication skills have never been more important” for prompting high-quality AI outputs.
Yet, schools struggle to keep up with industry demands, often blocking access to AI tools. Critical thinking, creativity, and storytelling are essential skills for future creators as well as knowing how to use generative AI tools effectively. This task will become easier as AI is integrated into widely taught tools like Adobe Creative Cloud.
Personalised learning has the potential to empower learners and enhance social mobility (EY Foundation, 2025). In this context, will talent triumph if it has access to best in class tools?
4. Overcome fear to effectively adopt to AI
The “get onboard or get left behind” mantra is prevalent in public discourse, but a human-centric approach is key to making it work for us all.
Experts underscore the need for an inclusive approach to AI integration to ensure is it effective:
– Embrace innovation with collaborative approaches
– Strive for authenticity and human connection
– Develop sustainable change strategies
Antony Mayfield (Brilliant Noise) advocated for “show, then tell” to ease workplace transitions. Investing in the process of collaboratively defining new implmentation strategies will ensure they are viable and desirable.
While AI-generated content often faces criticism for lacking authenticity, those who retain human connection and creativity will thrive. A positive example is Paul Trillo’s collaboration with Cuco — A Love Letter to LA.
Conclusion
The future of creativity lies not in replacing human talent, but in harmoniously integrating AI as a tool that enhances it.
Success will depend on our collective ability to:
— Maintain ethical standards
— Protect creative integrity and IP
— Ensure inclusive technological development
— Prioritise human creativity, connection, and mobility
As Aryan Shekar, Child Chancellor, compellingly stated: “We are not just the future; we are active participants in the present.” The AI revolution demands proactive engagement of young talent, continuous learning for everyone, and a nuanced understanding of technology’s potential and limitations.
Our technological trajectory if guided by comprehensive societal vision will ensure AI serves human creativity, rather than constrains it. A long-term, cohesive and inclusive societal vision is essential to balance AI’s benefits with its challenges.
Policymakers will be obliged to address job displacement while ensuring AI reflects inclusive values. Environmental impacts will need to be proactively addressed so AI’s benefits environmental can be optimised. Closer collaboration with the creative industries and technologists will no doubt lead to the best possible results.
The future will mirror our choices — let’s ensure they serve everyone’s interests. Please read BIMA’s recently launched people-first AI standards here.
Thanks again to AIMI’s organisers (Hugo Riley, Estella Reed and Duncan Thomsen) for curating an energising and thought provoking day.
References:
Gerlich, M., (2025), AI Tools in Society: Impacts on Cognitive Offloading and the Future of Critical Thinking, Center for Strategic Corporate Foresight and Sustainability, SBS Swiss Business School, 8302 Kloten-Zurich, Switzerland.
Stanford University Human-centred Artificial Intelligence, 2022, Available at:
https://hai.stanford.edu/news/ai-and-sustainability-will-ai-help-or-perpetuate-climate-crisis, Accessed 26 March 2025.
EY Foundation, (2025), Artificial intelligence and social mobility: an opportunity to unlock the potential of young people, Available at: https://www.eyfoundation.com/en_uk/news/ai-and-social-mobility, Accessed 26 March 2025.
Resources:
AI Campfire Series, https://youtu.be/gJPfnDK1lvU?si=cjIWlp4zZp6kZMzP, We are Tilt
Olsen, P, (2024) Supremacy: AI, Chat GPT and the face that will change the world, London: St. Martin’s Press.
Talia-Moretti, L, (2025), Dear Creatives, The Future Needs You, Charismatic.ai, Available at https://charismaticai.substack.com/p/dear-creatives-the-future-needs-you, Accessed 26 March 2025.
Paul Trillo, Cuco — A Love Letter to LA