NYC’s Advertising Week draws record 20K attendees as AI reshapes marketing talent

Advertising Week New York drew record attendance as marketers grappled with AI-driven disruption across talent acquisition, creative production, and brand authenticity. The 20,000 attendees confronted mounting pressures from broken measurement systems, widening AI-created skill gaps, and evolving definitions of authentic brand engagement in an increasingly synthetic content landscape.

The big picture: Generative AI is fundamentally reshaping advertising talent requirements, forcing agencies to prioritize creative intuition over technical training.

• Entry-level roles that rely on automated mechanisms are being redefined as AI tools eliminate traditional production barriers.
• One anonymous CMO now seeks candidates with successful TikTok portfolios rather than traditional ad school credentials.
• With tools like OpenAI’s Sora and Meta’s Vibes enabling instant video generation, the idea-to-execution gap has virtually disappeared.

Key workforce data: Despite predictions of massive AI-driven job displacement, employment figures suggest a more nuanced reality.

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics showed flat change in total advertising, PR, and related services jobs through August.
• LinkedIn reported only a 0.3% year-on-year increase in technology, information and media AI hires.
• Some agency executives noted that college interns are now teaching staff about AI applications.

Creators as the new talent pool: The creator economy is capitalizing on the shift toward authentic, human-centered content amid AI saturation.

• Holdcos and brands are hiring creators en masse for their viral content expertise and authenticity.
• Over 2,000 Advertising Week attendees signed up for creator-related sessions, prompting expanded programming.
• Creators are positioned as the antidote to “AI slop” and synthetic content flooding the market.

The authenticity challenge: Industry leaders struggled to define brand authenticity in the current economic and political climate.

• One panelist avoided using “authenticity” entirely, asking the audience for alternatives like “integrity” and “genuine.”
• The discussion ultimately focused on consumer loyalty regardless of marketing terminology used.

What they’re saying: Industry voices emphasized the irreplaceable value of human connection in building brand trust.

• “You can’t build loyalty if you haven’t established trust,” said Adam Shlachter, U.S. client president at WPP Media.
• “It comes down to listening to our customers [to establish trust] and — I’m sorry AI people — that’s something AI cannot do,” noted Amanda Forth, head of partnerships at FabFitFun.
• “Even if the industry is changing it doesn’t mean it doesn’t need us,” said Touseef Mirza, co-CEO of Purpose Hive.