Rory SutherlandVice Chairman

The biggest risk may not come from AI itself but from the people deploying it. Many companies are selling AI internally as a cost-cutting tool instead of using it to create new opportunities, products, and value. That approach could damage innovation and create long-term problems for businesses and employees.

In many organizations, departments like finance, compliance, procurement, and HR have the power to stop new ideas. They are rewarded for avoiding mistakes and reducing costs but are rarely held accountable for missed opportunities. This creates a culture that discourages experimentation and long-term thinking.

Many companies focus on replacing people and cutting expenses because that creates an immediate business case. The danger is that they ignore AI's much bigger potential to create new products, services, and markets. If businesses only use AI for efficiency, they may miss its most valuable opportunities.

People respond to the incentives around them. If executives receive rewards for short-term cost savings but are not responsible for long-term damage, they will naturally focus on reducing expenses. Good incentives encourage value creation, while bad incentives often encourage behavior that hurts businesses over time.

Many organizations focus too heavily on individual performance metrics. I believe businesses should measure teams more than individuals. Teams naturally balance different strengths and skills, while excessive measurement often encourages people to optimize metrics instead of delivering meaningful results.

Bonuses often require detailed measurement systems. Once people know exactly how they are being measured, they begin optimizing for those metrics. This can create unintended behavior where employees focus on what is measured instead of what actually matters to customers and the business.

The internet has amplified winner-takes-all effects. When everyone is connected, rewards become concentrated among a small number of winners. This creates huge opportunities for a few people but also makes it much harder for talented individuals who are slightly outside the top tier.

Many successful ideas are not created because someone requested them. The best ideas often appear unexpectedly and are later recognized as valuable. Businesses should create environments where creativity can emerge naturally instead of only responding to briefs and predefined requests.

AI will reduce production costs dramatically. As a result, agencies may need to rethink how they operate. Instead of waiting for clients to request ideas, future creative businesses may produce great campaigns independently and then sell them to brands that want to use them.

Consumers are becoming increasingly skeptical because many digital experiences have trained them to be cautious. When trust declines, even honest businesses suffer. The companies that focus on transparency, fairness, and customer respect will have a significant advantage in the future.

A healthy business model aligns the interests of the company and its customers. When both sides benefit from the same outcome, businesses can create sustainable growth. Problems arise when companies profit from customer mistakes, confusion, or inertia rather than delivering genuine value.

The way information is presented changes how people behave. A small change in interface design can dramatically affect decisions, purchases, and habits. Businesses often underestimate how much customer behavior is shaped by the environment in which choices are presented.