(SeaPRwire) – By: Oliver Hawthorne
The core anxiety in creative circles right now is simple: Will AI take my job? A TIME100 Talks panel in Cannes last week cut through the noise with a clear message. It’s not AI you should fear—it’s the person next to you who’s already using AI to work faster and smarter.
Four leaders sat down to discuss this: Jessica Padula from Nespresso USA, Amit Jain of Luma AI, Stefano Volpetti from Philip Morris International (PMI), and Nigel Vaz of Publicis Sapient. Volpetti, whose company sponsored the event, said AI aligns with PMI’s shift from cigarettes to smoke-free alternatives. Both are about changing habits, he noted. He argued the future is humans and AI, not against. Together, they’re a force multiplier—doing more in parallel instead of sequence. Vaz used an Iron Man analogy: you need both the suit (AI) and the person (creatives) to make a superhero. Padula talked about Nespresso using AI to enhance, not simplify, the coffee experience. Consumers want to slow down, she said. AI can help teach them about bean origins via apps, creating meaningful moments. Jain acknowledged creatives’ emotional ties to authenticity but said AI lets them experiment with 100 ideas at once. His key line: You lose your job to someone using AI, not AI itself.
The commercial loop here is straightforward. Companies that integrate AI into their creative processes will outpace those that don’t. Vaz emphasized the need to value learning over knowing. Young workers will need to upskill every four years to stay relevant. The endgame? A workforce where adaptability isn’t a nice-to-have—it’s a job requirement. Organizations that build cultures of continuous learning (learn, unlearn, relearn) will attract the best talent and thrive. Those that don’t will be left behind.
Author bio: Oliver Hawthorne, Principal Correspondent at an international tech review, covers AI’s impact on creative industries.