Unny Radhakrishnan, CEO of Digitas India

Why is there so much hype around AI in advertising? Where do you see its best use in an agency system?
Any new technology that impacts our behaviour or business will create a lot of buzz. Arthur C. Clarke’s quote, ‘Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic,’ is perhaps what we are experiencing with AI now. AI has been in agencies and marketers’ lives for a while, where platforms and tools used AI (often mentioned as AI & ML) on large amounts of data and predictive algorithms for business strategies and campaign optimisation. The recent hype is a result of the continuously evolving maturity of LLMs and generative AI. Generative AI tools are being used by many functions like consumer insights, strategy and creative.
What sort of new skills do ad recruits require in this scenario? Which are the jobs that you see beco-ming redundant?
We need to be increasingly familiar and comfortable with the different tools and technologies that keep evolving. Depending on which function one is involved with, skills such as data engineering, data analysis, ability to interpret and fine-tune the outputs of AI tools within a context, software design and development skills with AI tools etc. will remain important. The ability to ask the right questions will become far more important than having the right answers.
Does the current macro-economic situation limit how much ad agencies can invest in technology?
Agencies will have no choice but to invest in technology. Any forward-looking business will always find ways and means to invest for the future. Globally, Publicis Groupe plans to invest €300 million over the next three years, aimed at putting AI at its core to become the industry’s first Intelligent System. What this means is that we will be infusing a layer of AI across our organisation to connect our enterprise knowledge under one entity: Core AI. It will allow our people to be more efficient and more productive.
As the worlds of technology and creativity collide, who will likely win and why: agencies that understand technology or those who understand humans?
This is not about collision or one winning over the other. In our industry, understanding human emotions, needs, and insights becomes important. Since it is about appealing to people’s emotions and creating behavioural shifts, the human angle and creativity are not going anywhere. Technology will be an enabler in bringing those creative ideas to life, testing it, and iterating faster. Anyone solving marketing or business problems will need to understand both.