eight&four’s Co-Founder, Kate Ross, has contributed to Creativebrief’s latest discussion on how agencies are approaching AI and what that means for marketing leaders.
If you’ve attended a marketing conference in the past year, chances are AI dominated the agenda. From fears about creativity being replaced to excitement over efficiency gains, artificial intelligence has become the industry’s loudest conversation.
According to IAB research, 85% of companies already use AI-based tools for marketing, with nearly three-quarters confirming that at least one campaign function is now AI-powered. As adoption accelerates, agencies are racing to prove they’re at the forefront of innovation by launching new AI-powered products, tools and task forces.
But in the rush to integrate AI in whatever way possible, not every move is a meaningful one. Kate Ross cautions that for in-house marketing leaders, rapid adoption should invite scrutiny, not celebration. The real measure of progress lies in judgment: knowing when AI genuinely improves the work and when it simply dilutes it.
She encourages brands to look for agency partners that are building thoughtfully around AI, using it to solve real business problems rather than to showcase flashy technology. For marketing leaders, the opportunity lies in being selective, applying filters, setting benchmarks and maintaining high creative standards to ensure AI strengthens rather than standardises their output.
The message is clear: AI should not be treated as a race to the top, but as a test of responsibility. The question is no longer how quickly agencies can adopt it, but how intelligently they do so.
Read the full article on Creativebrief here.
