‘AI is accelerating, but so must human creativity'
Artificial intelligence (AI) is accelerating, but so must human creativity. In the rapidly evolving marketing landscape of the GCC, and Saudi Arabia specifically, AI is no longer experimental. It is now part of our day-to-day workflows, whether it is utilised for image generation and automated copywriting or consumer behaviour prediction and campaign performance analysis.
OpenAI's Sora now can deliver cinematic content from a single line of text, while production pipelines are being simplified by Adobe Firefly, and platforms such as Midjourney and Runway help teams creatively visualise and edit video in minutes. Not only is speed and volume changing agencies and internal teams, so is accessibility.
AI is already delivering real business value through efficiency, scale and cost optimisation, which leads marketers to one critical question: where does human creativity stand in all the AI advancements, and where does it retain its competitive advantage?
You can't automate insight
While AI delivers executional efficiency, it still lacks lived experiences. It can simulate behaviour and tone, but it cannot interact with consumers or products in real environments.
This matters because the most relevant marketing strategies in our region are fundamentally built on contextual understanding, cultural relevance and consumer observations. These come from teams who have interacted with consumers, experienced the products and interpreted local nuances.
Human ideation remains essential because the most impactful ideas still emerge from the ground up and are shaped by real-world observations.
AI should be a creative partner, not a replacement
In practice, I believe AI should be used to support ideation, not substitute it. According to the 2024 AI Marketing Report survey, 70.6 per cent of the 1,290 marketers polled believe AI can outperform humans in key marketing tasks. However, only 34.1 per cent of marketers report significant improvements in their outcomes from AI. This demonstrates that while AI can drive operational efficiency, human creativity still plays an essential role in delivering impactful results.
We've seen brands such as Coca-Cola embrace AI to enhance creative campaigns without letting it replace the human element. Coca-Cola utilised AI-enabled tools to personalise advertisements in real time based on consumer behaviour to create relevant content without sacrificing the company's brand values. This is a positive example of using AI as a tool to amplify creativity, not as a substitute for the insights that come from real-world experience.
Clear boundaries are now a strategic best practice
With generative content comes new risks. Deepfakes, algorithmic bias and content duplication are no longer theoretical; they are relevant concerns that affect brand trust and market credibility.
I believe it is critical for organisations to define the boundaries of AI's role early and clearly. This includes determining where automation is needed, and where human validation is mandatory. These decisions need to be built into creative operations, not handled retroactively.
In markets such as Saudi Arabia and the wider GCC, authenticity isn't just a creative choice, it's a core requirement. Audiences expect brands to be genuine and aligned with their values, making it essential to build trust through every interaction.
Aligning innovation with national vision
Across the region, governments are actively shaping the digital economy with forward-looking strategies. Initiatives such as Saudi Vision 2030 and the UAE's Digital Economy Strategy show us that innovation must have a context: our cultural identities and national goals of development must coexist within the modern digital era.
The marketing and advertising industry will need to evolve alongside this shift. It's important that tech adoption doesn't move faster than cultural relevance or brand integrity.
At the end of the day, creativity grounded in local culture and audience insight will always feel more authentic and credible than AI-generated content with no real connection to either.
Looking ahead: The strategic role of AI in a human-centred future
AI is accelerating and will continue to evolve, and it is not unreasonable to assume the future of AI may involve systems getting closer to a human experience in the application of AI, the technology itself and robots with human capabilities.
The technology may eventually facilitate human-like experiences in an array of environments that we have not yet seen in real-world experiences.
Until we reach the point where AI or humanoids can physically interact with products or environments like we do, the strategic advantage is going to remain with humans owning insights.
In this next phase of marketing, AI's role will continue to complement human ideation. Our ability to truly understand culture, behaviour and context cannot be replicated by AI, regardless of how advanced it is getting. AI can assist, but it cannot replace the lived experience of creatives, who engage with the world firsthand.
By Najib Sabbagh, Founder and CEO, SSUP World
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