Category: Special Coverage

AI vs. Human Creativity: The future of marketing lies in synergy, not substitution

While AI excels at pattern recognition, optimization, and efficiency, creativity is inherently human, driven by emotion, cultural understanding, and intuition. But the question still remains if AI can truly replicate human ingenuity or is it merely an advanced tool that enhances human potential.

At Storyboard18’s Global Pioneers Summit 2025, Daniel Hulme, CEO – Satalia, Chief AI Officer – WPP; Ruchira Jaitly, CMO – Diageo India; Sanjay Menon, MD – Publicis Sapient India; and Rohit Bhasin, President – Head Affluent, NRI, Business Banking and CMO – Kotak Mahindra Bank, discussed ‘AI vs. Human Creativity – who truly drives the future of marketing’.

AI as a Business Imperative: Industry leaders weigh its transformative impact

(From L to R): Vrijesh Nagathan, Ajay Dang, Shibani Gharat (anchor), Kedar RAvangave, Anuradha Aggarwal and Sundar Srinivasan at Storyboard18 GPS Summit 2025

Industry leaders at the Storyboard18 Global Pioneers Summit 2025 emphasized AI’s transformative role across sectors, highlighting its potential for efficiency, personalization, and ethical challenges.

Dream11’s IPL campaign creators unveil behind-the-scenes insights at Storyboard18’s Global Pioneers Summit

Creative leaders Adarsh Atal and Shriram Iyer joined celebrated filmmaker Nitesh Tiwari to discuss the creativity and power of great ads at Storyboard18's Global Pioneers Summit on March 28 in Mumbai.

The creative masterminds behind Dream11’s blockbuster IPL campaign ‘Aapki Team Mein Kaun’— Adarsh Atal, Group Chief Creative Officer, Quotient Ventures, Shriram Iyer, Co-founder, ZeroFifty Mediawork, and renowned filmmaker Nitesh Tiwari, delved into the key factors that contributed to the campaign’s success.

Content creator Raj Shamani’s journey: Prioritizing substance over virality

Shamani shared that he revisits his persona every three months, using five key questions to ensure his content remains relevant.

At Storyboard18’s Global Pioneers Summit 2025, Raj Shamani spoke about redefining digital success by prioritizing long-term impact, authenticity, and audience trust over fleeting viral fame.

WPP’s Daniel Hulme: ‘You won’t beat your competitors without differentiated AI talent’

While discussing ethics and risks in AI, Daniel Hulme made the case that there’s no such thing as AI ethics. Humans have intent—AIs don’t. It's the human intent that needs scrutiny.

At Storyboard18’s Global Pioneers Summit, Daniel Hulme, CEO, SATALIA and Chief AI Officer at WPP, outlined artificial intelligence’s transformative role in marketing, business, and beyond—highlighting both its vast potential and ethical challenges.

Ogilvy global CEO Devika Bulchandani, Piyush Pandey, Shubhranshu Singh at GPS 2025: Advertising titans champion joy as a brand purpose

"Purpose doesn't have to be a sad thing; it could be joy also," said Devika Bulchandani, Global CEO, Ogilvy and Piyush Pandey, Chief Advisor, Ogilvy India, in a panel discussion led by Shubhranshu Singh, CMO, CVBU, Tata Motors, at Storyboard18's Global Pioneers Summit.

In a discussion led by Shubhranshu Singh, CMO, CVBU, Tata Motors, Piyush Pandey, Chief Advisor, Ogilvy India, and Devika Bulchandani, Global CEO, Ogilvy talked about the evolving landscape of advertising, creativity, and the role of purpose in branding.

As Artificial Intelligence advances, Ogilvy’s global CEO champions the power of human creativity

"Ideas and creativity don’t have to be data-led. They don’t have to be brand-led. They have to be human-led," says Devika Bulchandani at Storyboard18’s Global Pioneers Summit.

Discussing how great marketing isn’t just seen but is felt, Devika Bulchandani, Global CEO, Ogilvy, emphasised that ideas and creativity should be human-led rather than driven by data or brands. Highlighting the power of the creator economy, she urged marketers to move beyond treating influencers as mere ‘channels’ and instead foster deeper, more meaningful connections.

‘Largest employer in the world is inefficiency’: CRED’s Kunal Shah at Storyboard18 Global Pioneers Summit

At Storyboard18's Global Pioneers Summit, Kunal Shah, Founder and CEO of CRED observed, "We’re moving from ChatGPT to generative images to AI agents—fast. The biggest disruption will be how humans adapt. High-commitment actions—like having kids—might decline. People may choose perpetual excitement over long-term responsibility."

At Storyboard18’s Global Pioneers Summit, Kunal Shah, Founder and CEO of CRED reflected, “Ironically, many experts are in denial of AI. But people like me, who never claimed to be experts, are embracing it.”

PepsiCo’s Jagrut Kotecha on collaboration, purpose, and the future of business in India

Speaking at Storyboard18's Global Pioneers Summit, Jagrut Kotecha of PepsiCo stressed the need for deeper industry collaboration, especially in sustainability and community development.

Discussing the role of partnerships in empowering communities at Storyboard18’s Global Pioneers Summit, Jagrut Kotecha, CEO, PepsiCo India and South Asia, said that transformation happens when organisations, corporates, and governments come together, leaving egos aside.