Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about the conversation surrounding artificial intelligence in advertising. Everywhere you look, people are trying to peer into the future—wondering how dramatically AI will reshape the way we concept, produce, and deliver creative work.

In many ways, the moment reminds me of those old coin-operated viewers you’d find at scenic overlooks. You drop in a coin, turn the dial, and slowly the blurry landscape snaps into focus. The inscription on many of them reads: “Turn to clear vision.”

That feels like where the industry is right now.

Everyone is turning the dial, trying to get a clearer view of what’s ahead.

There’s no question that AI is an incredible tool. It can accelerate ideation, help visualize concepts at speed, and unlock creative possibilities that simply didn’t exist even a few years ago. Used well, it can remove friction from the process and allow teams to explore more ideas faster than ever before.

But the most important ingredient in meaningful creative work hasn’t changed.

Perspective.

Tools don’t create work with purpose on their own. It still takes people who understand the story, the audience, and the context surrounding the work to shape something that truly resonates. Creativity isn’t just about generating images or words—it’s about judgment, taste, and the ability to recognize what actually matters.

AI will absolutely change how we work.

But creativity, human insight, and thoughtful perspective remain the lens that ultimately brings everything into focus.

The technology may keep evolving—but the people who know where to point the lens will always shape what the world actually sees.