Ajaz Ahmed, partner of Studio.One and founder of AKQA, argues that artificial intelligence will not replace creative professionals. In a conversation with Gareth Moss, founder of executive search firm The Blueprint, Ahmed said AI is doing the opposite - it is "raising the value of the imaginative ones." The interview, part of The Blueprint's Truth About Talent: AI series, directly challenges the negative hype that AI spells the end of creative work.
AI does not replace creativity - it elevates it
Ahmed dismantles the biggest myth about AI head-on. "AI is superb at spotting patterns and producing more of them. Creativity is the leap that breaks the pattern," he said. He drew a sharp distinction between what machines and humans do best. AI excels at giving us more of what already exists, while people are good at imagining what doesn't yet exist. The professionals who keep good judgment, taste and perspective at the centre of their work, he believes, will lead the industry through every wave of change.
Removing process, not people
Ahmed's approach centres on using AI to strip away process layers, not creative talent. He pointed to the Jevons Paradox - when steam engines made coal use more efficient, society burned more coal, not less. "The point is that when something becomes cheaper to produce then demand expands. AI will do the same to creativity where it will enlarge, not shrink the market," he said. He also offered the example of the spreadsheet, which didn't eliminate finance professionals but allowed those who adopted it to dramatically outperform colleagues who clung to older methods. "Creative leaders who treat AI as an instrument, not a threat, will get dramatically ahead of those who don't," Ahmed said.
Building AI without baked-in bias
Ahmed acknowledged the risk that AI could amplify stereotypes at scale, but he said the real problem predates the technology. "The advertising industry's record on diversity is indifferent. AI did not cause this, a lack of leadership did," he said. He argued that the agencies producing the most resonant work in the AI era will be those whose teams reflect the audiences they aim to serve. The ability to render, animate, compose, edit and prototype is now available to anyone, which he called a massive opportunity, not a threat - one that makes AI for Creatives a skill that can open doors rather than close them.
Why the timesheet model is finished
Ahmed does not believe the old agency billing model, which rewards hours over outcomes, can survive AI adoption. "The timesheet is an archaic system that rewards hours over outcomes and time over thought and imagination," he said. He noted that good work costs the same as bad work; what matters is the quality of the people behind it. Agencies that continue to meter their value in minutes, he warned, will find many of those minutes replaced by software. Clients want results, and agencies that price for value are thriving while those clinging to the billable hour race to the bottom.
Why this matters for creatives
The core insight for creative professionals is that AI shifts the emphasis from execution speed to the quality of ideas. Imagination, taste and the courage to back a bold concept become more valuable when production can be automated. The technology does not diminish the need for human judgment - it strips away the tasks that get in the way of it. Creatives who lean into AI as a collaborator, not a competitor, will find their own value rising, not falling.
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