At his recent TED talk, Eric Schmidt, former CEO of Google, concluded with a moment of clear-eyed urgency:

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“So my advice to you all is ride the wave, but ride it every day. Each and every one of you has a reason to use this technology. If you're an artist, a teacher, a physician, a business person, a technical person. If you're not using this technology, you're not going to be relevant compared to your peers and your competitors and the people who want to be successful. Adopt it, and adopt it fast.”

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He’s talking, of course, about AI. And he’s right. But here’s what’s changed: the question isn’t ‘Did you use AI to make that?’ anymore - like it’s some kind of shortcut or cheat code. The more pertinent question is ‘How did you use AI to make that better?’ So the focus has moved on from whether AI was involved, to how intelligently it was applied. For marketing agencies like Freak, that means a shift in how we think, work, and deliver.

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Used properly, AI doesn’t dilute originality or marginalise human influence and aptitude. Instead, in a world where high-quality execution is accessible to all, it raises the stakes - demanding more taste, judgement, analytical nous and creative clarity from those using it. These are skills developed over a lifetime, nurtured through experience, and not generated on demand. You still need to live and breathe the brief, and to understand the market, the brand, and the client better than they understand themselves. All that’s changed is that we’re able to amplify the ambition of what we produce. 

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At Freak, we’re not just using AI: we’re actively building around it. Whether it’s smarter workflows and faster production, broader ideation, creative augmentation - it’s a multiplier that extends capabilities. 

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But the relentless deluge of obvious, low-value AI-generated content out there proves that this only holds true in the hands of skilled users. And when it is applied well - it’s invisible. Just a set of new tools that allows us to think in more diverse and expansive ways, further unlocking the potential of what thoughtful creators can do. It means freeing our best brains to do more of the high-value thinking and decision-making that drives results and shapes emotions.

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For clients, it means tighter campaigns. Better data analysis. It means more options, more detail, and more opportunities. It results in more varied and effective work, infused with bolder, more original thinking - delivered with fewer delays.

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Schmidt’s right - this wave isn’t stopping. But it’s one to ride, not to resist, fear or be dragged under by. Because if you're not using AI, you don’t get to claim this as some paradigm of working harder. You're just working slower.

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