Every time something new (Technology) shows up, we panic. When GSM came, we said, “Who go afford am?” When the internet landed, we said, “Ah, this thing will take jobs.” When Google became a thing, teachers feared assignments would turn into rubbish.
I remember when there was an aversion to Calculators in secondary school because it’d render our maths skills obsolete.
Now, it’s AI. And the fear is louder than a campaign brainstorm with five creative directors and one account manager who has a steep deadline.
The headlines are dramatic: “AI will replace creatives.” “Copywriters are done for.” “ChatGPT will write all our ads.” Relax. Nobody’s replacing anyone yet.
Let’s be honest. AI isn’t chasing your group head copy title. It doesn’t care about your Cannes dreams or your pitch-deck anxiety. It’s not trying to win the biggest accounts. It’s here to do the heavy lifting, the grunt work, the stuff that takes forever and pays nothing.
For copywriters, AI can help you spit out 20 headline options when your brain is fried from client feedback like “Can we make it more punchy but also gentle?”
It’s that friend who says, “Here, start with this” and if we’re being real, half the battle is knowing where to start.
For art directors, AI tools can clean up that background you’ve been Photoshopping for an hour. It can match colours, suggest layouts, and give you five decent variations of the Key visual you did.
For Sound designers or video editors, there’s AI that levels your audio, trims awkward silences, and suggests beats that match your cut. But can it replace your ear? Your taste? Nope. But it will help you hit the deadline without pulling sleeping over at the office? Definitely Yes!
AI is not the big idea. Never can it be
It’s the intern who can write a first draft, generate moodboards, or remove a logo from a 200-frame cut in seconds.
And sometimes, it’s a lifesaver.
The truth is, AI isn’t here to compete. It’s not trying to sit in the creative review and argue for why the copy isn’t landing. It doesn’t care about font choices or brand archetypes. It’s a tool. A very smart, very efficient tool that can help you get to your actual idea faster.
Remember when we thought Google would make students dumb? What it actually did was give them access. It changed how we search, learn, and think. Same thing with AI.
I’ve seen it help young writers structure their thoughts. I’ve seen designers use it to get unstuck. I’ve used it myself to bounce around ideas when my brain tired.
Does that mean we should now hand over all briefs to a bot? Absolutely not. AI doesn’t understand culture. It doesn’t know nuance. It doesn’t know that sometimes, the way to sell detergent in Nigeria is by putting Davido on bilboards instead of yet another smiling housewife.
AI doesn’t know what Insight is. It doesn’t know the tension between “I want to flex” and “I no get money.” It doesn’t understand how Nigerians joke, hustle, love, or vote.
That’s your job. Our job.
So let’s all calm down. The robots aren’t here to take our jobs. They’re here to take our tasks. There’s a difference.
Creativity isn’t dying. It’s evolving. Just like it always has.
