David&Goliath (D&G), a wholly owned subsidiary of Innocean Worldwide, launched its creative technology department to offer clients a broad spectrum of technologies to incorporate into brand storytelling, such as AI, augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR).The unit serves as the “connective tissue” between the agency’s storytelling-focused offerings and its technology developers, said Antonio Marcato, MD of creative technology at D&G.Marcato joined D&G in April to spearhead the department. He told Campaign its creation stemmed from clients’ desires to make campaigns more immersive and interactive.“We’re trying to answer those needs with innovative solutions,” he said. “It’s not innovation for the sake of innovation; it’s case-by-case. We’re looking at every innovation out there and finding where it would fit and benefit the clients and our audiences in a way that is necessary, not just for the sake of the splash.”One of the team’s initial projects involves using AI to create hybrid workflows, with the goal of producing cost-effective work that mirrors a major production. For example, combining an actor’s live-action performance with AI results in work that is AI-augmented rather than entirely AI-generated.“It's possible with a very small crew to produce something that, at the end of the day, can look like a much bigger production if you add the right amount of craft,” Marcato said.Rhymes in historyThe rise of AI continues to accelerate exponentially. In the minds of those hesitant about its adoption — both within the industry and beyond — it’s only a matter of time before the “AI bubble” pops.However, Marcato — who has worked with AI since before its explosion in popularity — told Campaign that the hesitation around AI closely mirrors the early anxieties surrounding the internet or mobile adoption.He points to the invention of the first portable cameras, originally designed by German author and optician Johann Zahn in 1685. It wasn’t until 141 years later that French inventor Joseph Nicéphore Niépce captured the first permanent photograph in 1826.Throughout photography’s development, critics expressed dismay, suggesting the invention would lead to the downfall of all art forms. However, the creative industry now recognizes photography as its own artistic medium, while painting and drawing remain distinct forms of expression.“[AI is] just one more tool to pull from your toolset,” Marcato said. “The art comes from the person. Without the people, without human creativity, without our ‘soul,’ it’s just a tool sitting on a shelf.”Marcato noted that, in time, AI will find its designated place in the creative ecosystem. After all, as American writer and humorist Mark Twain allegedly said, “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes.”“Once everything settles and we find the actual medium here, what we’re going to see is the explosion of creativity that comes from [AI],” Marcato said.