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TL;DR: This examines the evolution of the midstream marketing functions: Generating and Developing across three AI eras: Experimentation (2024-2026), Acceleration (2026-2028), and Elevation (2028-2030). It highlights how AI will progress from an inspirational tool to an autonomous creator in Generating, and from an assistive technology to a core intelligence in Developing. The piece emphasizes the shifting roles of human creatives and strategists, who will need to adapt to working alongside increasingly capable AI systems while maintaining oversight and creative direction.
- Key focus: Transformation of Generating and Developing functions through AI integration
- Spotlight on the changing dynamics between human creativity and AI capabilities
- Emphasis on the need for human expertise in guiding and refining AI-generated content
As covered in the introduction to the upstream section, AI offers immense opportunities to enhance productivity and drive innovation within the marketing industry. This includes optimizing processes, enhancing current marketing activities, and offering new, innovative experiences.
In this section, we will examine the midstream executive functions within marketing, where the main product of marketing is created. Specifically, we will focus on the Generating and Developing executive functions, analyzing how generative AI is likely to transform these over the next three eras. This includes exploring potential technology adoption and the necessary steps for transitioning and retraining personnel to adapt to new AI-driven processes.
Generating is the executive function that manifests the words, visuals, audio-visual content, and code. Standing at the pinnacle of Gen AI/ML impact, this function is set to undergo profound evolution, marked by the deepening integration of AI in the creative process across three upcoming eras. It is anticipated to be the most impacted function by generative AI, with a Gen AI/ML Impact Rating of ★★★★★.
Generating in the AI Experimentation Era (2024-2026)
In this dawn of AI integration, the genesis of creation is still deeply human. Creatives draw upon AI as a muse, a wellspring of inspiration to generate a diverse range of content in response to a defined brief. During this era, AI platforms serve as auxiliary tools that provide a new perspective, enhancing human creativity rather than driving it.
Sean Betts, Chief Product and Technology Officer, OMG UK – Interviewed June 2024
According to the research from WARC, the greatest impact will happen to the Generating function – 42% believe the function will be enhanced by AI. The people who carry out this function as a core part of their day-to-day jobs will typically transition to spending more time carrying out Developing and Judging functions – with 26% and 29% citing the need for retraining for this transition.
This shift is already happening for creative and creative-production teams working with generative-AI creative platforms such as Adobe Firefly. In the media domain, this will increasingly be the case for strategic planning teams working with AI-embedded within strategic workflows – such as Omnicom’s Omni.
Generating in the AI Acceleration Era (2026-2028)
As we move into the Acceleration Era, the belief in Generative AI taking over executive functions begins to increase. The percentage of people believing that the Generating executive function will be replaced by AI remains very high at 38%, with an increasing number now seeing the need for retraining (43%) – as individuals largely move to more of a Developing function.
With the maturation of AI capabilities, AI’s role in generation shifts from passive assistance to active partnership. AI no longer merely suggests but starts to actively craft content under the guidance of human intelligence. Creatives, strategists and planners now find themselves in a literal conversation with AI to generate original concepts, images, words, audio and experiences.
In this phase, AI platforms are not only adept at multi-modal generation but also at evolving and refining creations based on iterative feedback. This era sees the rise of advanced GenAI platforms tailored for nuanced and complex creative prompts.
In essence, everyone is promoted to executive level, irrespective of their seniority. Junior creative teams function as executive creative directors, assessing the output of the generative AI and refining with feedback and developing with further creativity. The most junior planner is now an executive planning director, assessing the strategic suggestions from AI and refining and shaping.
Generating in the AI Elevation Era (2028-2030)
In the Elevation Era, the impact of Generative AI on various executive functions becomes more pronounced. The transformation of Generating, Deciding, and Judging functions will have largely been completed by this era – with only 20% still believing that the function will be replaced by AI – indicating that the new role for practitioners will be focused on working with and refining the output of AI. Again, this has huge implications for the skill set of this next generation of talent.
At this stage, the lines between human and machine-generated content become increasingly blurred. AI platforms, now imbued with near-AGI levels of capability, become autonomous powerhouses of creation, ushering in an age where AI is not just a tool but a creator in its own right.
Creative teams will utilize frontier AI capabilities embedded into existing platforms such as Adobe Firefly to build multi-layered RAG (Retrieval Augmented Generation) prompts that result in creative streams. These streams will produce probabilistic content tailored to individuals in real-time, generating at the frame rate based on engagement. Trained on brand IP and data to ensure consistency of output, these streams will be largely autonomous. Creative professionals would oversee and fine-tune as needed.
The Path Forward
The evolution of the Generating function will fundamentally reshape creative processes, with frontier AI capabilities becoming embedded in existing platforms. Future creatives will engineer sophisticated, multi-layered RAG prompts to produce dynamic, probabilistic content streams tailored to individual viewers in real-time. These AI systems, trained on brand IP and data, will generate content at the frame rate, continuously adapting based on engagement. As AI transitions from tool to autonomous creator, the industry must prepare for a radical shift in skills and mindsets. Creative professionals will oversee AI-generated content, fine-tuning outputs and providing strategic direction. The key challenge will be maintaining human relevance amidst AI’s growing capabilities—emphasizing emotional intelligence, cultural nuance, and ethical considerations that AI cannot replicate. Success will hinge on fostering a symbiotic relationship between human creativity and AI efficiency, enabling hyper-personalized, always-on content generation that pushes the boundaries of innovation while remaining true to brand essence and human connection.
Developing, an essential executive function, focuses on taking initial concepts and transforming them into fully realized products or strategies. This function is critical for creatives, strategists, and planners, as it involves the evolution of ideas into practical and marketable solutions. The impact of machine learning and generative AI on this function is substantial, with an impact rating of ★★★★☆.
Developing in the AI Experimentation Era (2024-2026)
In the initial stages of AI integration, AI’s role in Developing will be seen in new applications within marketing management. Creative professionals will start using AI as a source of inspiration and a tool for initial ideation. Existing platforms, such as Adobe’s suite with GenAI enhancements, will continue to develop AI functions, providing a new layer of assistance in developing campaign materials and strategic plans. Professionals in this phase will need to become adept at using these AI tools, ensuring appropriate application and integration into their creative process.
Matt Henry, Innovation Lead, AMV BBDO – Interviewed June 2024
This transition from Generating to Developing can be seen in the fact that 30% of respondents cite an immediate need for training and development, placing an emphasis on organizations to focus on the definition of the new capabilities required from each individual and the learning and development program to support them on that transition.
Developing in the AI Experimentation Era (2024-2026)
The introduction of AI integration will trigger a significant shift in creative roles, with a clear transition from generating to developing. Creative teams and strategists will increasingly focus on refining and enhancing AI-generated content rather than creating from scratch. AI tools, integrated into platforms like Adobe’s suite, will enable individuals to develop content through natural language, and increasingly voice. This era will require professionals to become proficient in using these AI tools, ensuring their effective integration into the creative process.
This shift is reflected in the 30% of respondents citing an immediate need for training and development. Organizations must quickly define new capabilities required from each individual and implement comprehensive learning programs to support this transition.
Developing in the AI Acceleration Era (2026-2028)
As AI integration progresses, the Developing function will undergo a substantial transformation. Advanced GenAI platforms with multi-modal prompting capabilities will emerge, allowing creatives to intuitively adapt and approve changes. AI will evolve into a sophisticated assistant, offering refinements based on deep data analysis and predictive patterns. Creatives, strategists, and planners will need to master these platforms, learning to collaborate with AI to elevate creative output.
This era will see a significant move from Generating to Developing functions as AI takes on more initial creative tasks. The need for retraining becomes more urgent, with 43% of respondents acknowledging this need as roles shift predominantly towards development. The role of the creative and the strategist will also develop beyond the generative platforms into spaces where generative AI cannot go, for example, the ability to connect with influencers and content creators or mediate brand partnerships and external real-world experiential experiences.
Developing in the AI Elevation Era (2028-2030)
As we approach AGI, AI will become the core intelligence driving all platforms in the Developing function. Closed-loop GenAI systems will autonomously generate and adapt content based on performance data and individual feedback, with full transparency to human operators. The focus will shift to overseeing AI’s logic, ensuring its developments align with client feedback and strategic direction.
In this era, practitioners will primarily refine AI outputs, requiring a new skill set for the next generation of talent. Continuous learning and adaptation will become essential in this rapidly evolving landscape.
The Path Forward
The future of Developing will be characterized by a close interaction between human creativity and AI’s analytical capabilities. Talent in this new era must develop a nuanced understanding of when to intervene and when to let AI lead. Technology will evolve from current AI platforms to sophisticated, closed-loop systems capable of autonomous refinement of creative strategies. The key challenge for practitioners will be maintaining strategic oversight while harnessing AI’s potential, ensuring that creativity remains fundamentally human even as it’s enhanced by artificial intelligence.
