When it comes to AI, maybe we’re not as screwed as we think we are

For every minute I spend building the Global Street Art brand, I could be doing active outreach to prospective clients, who otherwise rarely reach out directly. I’ve traded sales for marketing – and the results are, well, questionable (but thanks for reading; I promise there’s a cracking joke a few paragraphs down that makes this worth it).

AI enterprises

With the advent of AI, writing this column feels disrupted. I could theoretically draft an article in seconds with ChatGPT, and editors at The Drum might appreciate that the piece came with fewer typos and clearer thoughts. But text is only the start – we’re months away from AI that can launch a new business from scratch: register domains, source suppliers, and manage logistics. This will spark a proliferation of AI-driven enterprises, and soon enough, we’ll be in a world where AI sells to AI.

Let’s set some context: before co-founding the wonderful institution of Global Street Art, Europe’s leading hand-painted advertising company, I had an unlikely career path. I was a competitive breakdancer and a scientist. I earned a double first at Oxford in biology, then completed my PhD at Cambridge on mathematical models of DNA evolution.

Why am I telling you this? Because I’m single and not getting any younger? No – that’s not why. I’m staring at a technology that may soon render my achievements yesterday’s news. I can poke holes in some assumptions they make, but let’s be blunt: Large language models are already arguably smarter than me and cover every topic known to man. The gap is only going to widen. We used to pay for intelligence – think about a lawyer’s hourly rate – and now more and more of it is free.

With digital at full capacity and AI set to dominate data analysis, content generation, and consumer insights, there’s little room left in digital advertising for humans to outperform. AI does it all, and it’s advancing weekly.

Real-world matters

At this point, you might be – as an AI won’t say –“bricking it.” But I’m not. Here’s why: the faster our digital lives become, the more we crave human stuff. Humans still need connection, something social media has provided only satisfactorily.

Certain ad spaces remain immune to full digital takeover. Out-of-home (OOH) advertising is one of these rare spaces, holding its ground in the physical world. Public areas can only support so many screens, and eventually, digital signage wears thin. There are 16,000 digital screens in the UK – what a joyous way to increase screen time beyond the eight hours on my laptop and four on my phone that I (and you, likely) spend every day…

Painting is different. A recent study found that a viewer’s emotional response was 10 times stronger for a painting than for a poster of that same painting. The study stopped short of comparing it to screens, but my guess? Digital is more forgettable.

In my last article, I wrote about the half-life of physical objects. They last because they’re tangible. Who goes back to look at TikToks from a month ago? How long does a tweet get noticed? Digital content is free and only getting easier to produce, so we appreciate it less. Think of it this way: we care more about a view we hiked up a mountain to see than one we reach by cable car.

Human potential

Digital lowers the cost of any activity, and as the cost drops, so does our commitment. Think about doom scrolling. You’re consuming the most incredible entertainment our species has ever produced, and you don’t give a shit. It’s too much of a good thing.

Over the last year, I’ve developed a killer workshop in our HQ, teaching people techniques for creativity. The ‘Creative Sessions’ I run at Global Street Art are an investment in humans.

So, when I say I’m the luckiest person in advertising, it’s not because John Hegarty once liked my comment or because someone told Jon Evans at the Uncensored CMO that I’m a great kisser. It’s because I see a future where “human” is the alternative to AI, which does many things better than I ever will.

I’m betting on what AI can’t claim, which is also why I built a giant fuck-off museum in our office basement, packed with designs by past creatives whose legacy I’d like to keep going a bit longer.

Here’s my closing thought: AI is getting smarter, and the disruption will be huge. By betting on the one thing that won’t change – the human (and maybe our weariness of all things digital) – we might just carve out careers that last a little longer.