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Not all jobs are worth saving, according to David Droga, chief executive officer of Accenture Song.
While artificial intelligence is transforming the advertising landscape, it is the “messy, mediocre middle” of the workplace that is at risk – not the uniquely human ability to think strategically and innovate.
“When things are generic, AI can do a better job,” David said, speaking at the Australian Financial Review’s Business Summit yesterday, during a quick stopover in his native Australia.
David, the founder of Droga5 and CEO of its owner, Accenture Song, is positioning Song as a pioneer in blending creativity with technology as tools like generative AI and synthetic personas reshape how brands create and deliver content.
While some fear AI will replace human creativity altogether, David believes it is an opportunity to elevate the industry by focusing on what humans do best. He also emphasised a need for a “layer of humanity over technology” to drive meaningful creativity.
Describing the impact of AI on creative jobs, he said there is a “formulaic middle that exists in advertising, design, journalism, and even architecture.”
“[AI won’t] eviscerate and erase the need for humans and thinkers and creators … it’s going to replace the [bits in] the middle across a swathe of things.
“Not all creativity is profit, not all creativity and jobs are worth saving … that doesn’t mean that I don’t believe everyone should have the right to have a job, and creativity should still be one of the great natural resources.
“It is messy, it is mediocre, and it is exactly where AI can step in and do a better job.
“What AI cannot replace is the human ability to think strategically, to empathise with consumers, and to create something truly original. The challenge for creatives is to move beyond the middle and focus on work that requires a layer of humanity.”
He also took aim at companies that prioritise consistency and predictability over innovation.
“Most businesses reward people for playing it safe,” he said. “But in a world that is changing as fast as ours, that is a recipe for irrelevance.”
AI, then, is not a threat to creativity but a tool to more quickly test and learn and combat such irrelevance.
“AI can help us fail faster,” he explained.
“We can test ideas, iterate, and refine at a speed that was unimaginable a decade ago. But at the end of the day, it is still about what you do with those tools.”
He shared how Accenture Song’s clients are using AI to streamline processes, including financial institutions reducing onboarding times from weeks to hours and marketers using synthetic personas to test campaigns across multiple demographics in real time.
“These are efficiency plays, but they are also freeing up creatives to focus on higher-value work,” David said.
While AI may eliminate some roles, David believes it will also create new opportunities, pointing to emerging roles and skill sets.
“Just as the digital age gave rise to new jobs and skill sets, AI will do the same,” he said.
“We have invested heavily in training our teams to work with AI.
“It is not about replacing people; it is about empowering them to do more.
“Too many companies start with their own processes and work backwards. But if you start with the consumer and work backwards, you are almost always going to win.”
The lauded creative leader criticised the current state of many apps and digital experiences, calling them “box-ticky” and “crammed with information.”
“Design is not just about how something looks; it is about how it works for the user,” he said.
“That is where creativity and technology come together – to create experiences that are intuitive, meaningful, and human.”
He urged leaders to create environments where creativity and risk-taking are encouraged.
“Give people the freedom to experiment, to fail, and to learn,” he said. “That is where the best ideas come from.
“Creativity needs technology to scale, and technology needs creativity to stay human.
“It is not about choosing one over the other. It is about finding the right balance.”