‘AI won’t kill creativity, but lazy thinking will’: Aditya Kanthy decodes myths at Techspectations
The session began with a touch of wit as Kanthy addressed the constant chatter about the demise of traditional agencies with the advent of AI.
The session began with a touch of wit as Kanthy addressed the constant chatter about the demise of traditional agencies with the advent of AI.
The session began with a touch of wit as Kanthy addressed the constant chatter about the demise of traditional agencies with the advent of AI.
Kochi: The digital world may be obsessed with algorithms and automation, but the future of advertising still belongs to the storytellers. This was the resounding message at the final session of the Techspectations, Manoramal Online’s digital summit in Kochi on Friday, where industry leaders gathered to ‘crystal ball’ the landscape of 2030.
In the session titled “The Future of Advertising in an AI-First World”, Aditya Kanthy, President and MD of Omnicom Advertising India, joined Boby Paul, Senior General Manager of Manorama Online, to dismantle myths surrounding Artificial Intelligence (AI).
The session began with a touch of wit as Kanthy addressed the constant chatter about the demise of traditional agencies with the advent of AI.
“Part of that introduction sounded a little bit like an obituary; I’m used to that in the advertising business. We’re constantly hearing about the death of advertising as we know it... I think there’s a dismissive attitude towards brand building and storytelling, which I think is horribly misplaced,” Kanthy said.
He warned that while capital is flooding into AI, marketers must not repeat the mistakes of the early internet era by abandoning the “human touch” that actually drives long-term profit.
Addressing the age-old debate of whether modern advertising is driven by data (math) or intuition (magic), Kanthy argued for a hybrid approach. “If you go too far in the direction of the math, you miss the basic intuitive way in which human beings respond to stimulus,” he said.
He added that while AI offers an "efficiency layer" by automating grunt work, its true power lies in its ability to help creators tell stories in “extraordinary new ways”, citing the pioneering work of studios like Pixar.
One of the interesting moments of the chat came when Boby Paul questioned whether AI is simply “commoditising” creativity. Kanthy was blunt in his rebuttal. “I think that’s a mistake... It is frankly lazy thinking which plagues marketing to suggest that creativity is being commoditised because average work is easier to produce. Of course it is. Pretty crappy fodder will result in poor work,” Kanthy said.
He emphasised that AI is a tool, not a replacement for the “masters” who embrace it to push the boundaries of their craft.
The conversation shifted to India's unique position as a “high-growth” economy. Kanthy highlighted that India is no longer just a back-office but a Global Capability Center (GCC) for strategic and creative talent.
He also said that AI will empower “mom-and-pop shops” and small-town creators to market in their local languages, sparking a new wave of regional creativity. Also, India’s digital and payments infrastructure offers unique opportunities for the “full buying journey” that Western markets are still navigating.
Kathy highlighted that global campaigns for the US and Europe are increasingly being fuelled by strategic and filmmaking talent based in India.