As conversations around artificial intelligence continue to dominate the global advertising industry, X3M Ideas CEO, Steve Babaeko, has urged agencies to shift their focus away from technology itself and toward the human skills that truly create competitive advantage.
Speaking at the inaugural IAA Slam during the 2026 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, Babaeko delivered a thought-provoking perspective on AI’s impact on the creative industry, arguing that the widespread availability of AI tools has not diminished the value of creativity but has instead exposed the difference between average execution and genuine mastery.
Using a motorsport analogy, Babaeko compared AI tools to cars, noting that while almost anyone can learn to drive, very few can perform at the level of seven-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton.
“Everyone can learn to drive a car,” he said. “But everyone who can drive a car cannot drive like Lewis Hamilton. That is the AI conversation our industry is not having properly.”
According to Babaeko, the rapid democratization of AI means that creative agencies no longer enjoy exclusive access to the technologies that generate campaign ideas, presentations, scripts, and strategic frameworks. With clients, marketers, and even junior professionals now able to access the same tools, the cost and speed of content production have changed dramatically.
