Why Agencies Must Stop Selling AI Videos to Brands That Can Afford Humans
There’s something off in the air lately.
You feel it too, right?
AI is everywhere. In our workflows. In our brainstorms. Now in our videos.
But the problem isn’t the tool.
It’s who’s using it—and why.
The wealthiest brands on Earth…
…are now cutting costs on creativity.
Not because they have to.
Because they can.
Multinationals. Banks. Telcos. Luxury giants.
All of them have the money to hire real directors. Real actors. Real crews.
Instead, they’re asking for AI-generated everything.
Because it’s faster. Cheaper. Cleaner. No egos. No union hours. No mess.
But here’s the cost no one’s talking about:
Every time a mega-brand uses AI to replace a human creator, a door quietly closes somewhere in our industry.
AI was supposed to level the playing field.
Instead, it’s being used to bulldoze the little guys.
For years, small businesses, NGOs, and startups couldn’t afford high-end production.
Now, with AI tools, they finally have access to the big leagues.
That’s a good thing. That’s progress.
But when global corporations with billion-dollar budgets start using the same shortcuts?
It’s not innovation.
It’s exploitation.
It’s like the CEO showing up at the food bank.
Agencies, we need to draw a line.
What if we made a pact?
Not a legal one—a moral one.
What if WPP, Omnicom, Publicis, IPG, Dentsu, and Havas could all agree on this. We do not sell AI video production to clients who can afford to pay humans.
Simple as that.
If you’re a major brand, you want a campaign?
Great. Hire a team. Book a studio. Feed the industry you profit from.
Save the AI shortcuts for those who truly need them.
Not for the top 1% to make even more with even less.
What we risk losing is more than jobs.
We lose mentorship.
We lose artistry.
We lose nuance.
We lose culture made by people, not pattern-matching algorithms.
And worst of all?
We normalize the idea that creativity is disposable.
That human input is optional.
That good enough is good enough—as long as it’s cheap.
This isn’t about being anti-AI.
It’s about being pro-choice—for creators, for clients, for culture.
AI can be a tool for empowerment.
But only if we choose to wield it with conscience.
The rich don’t need help making things faster and cheaper.
The rest of us do.
So to every agency out there:
Let the giants pay.
Let the small rise.
Let’s build a future where AI helps the underfunded create—
not helps the overfunded extract.