We have been working extensively with AI for the last 18–20 months.

Not just experimenting with prompts or generating the occasional image. We have been using AI across design, development, automation, ideation, content, internal processes, and client projects.

And after spending that much time with it, we have started noticing some interesting patterns.

The conversation around AI is often presented as “AI vs. humans.”

But from what we are seeing, the reality is much more nuanced.

Humans vs. AI

Yes, it’s real.

There are tasks that previously went to designers, developers, writers, or agencies that clients can now attempt themselves using AI.

We have genuinely lost a client or two because they decided they would rather use AI than human talent.

And there’s nothing necessarily wrong with that.

If AI can solve someone’s problem faster, cheaper, and at a quality they’re comfortable with, it makes complete business sense for them to use it.

Pretending this shift isn’t happening won’t help creative professionals.

The more interesting question is: What work becomes more valuable when basic execution becomes easier?

That’s where things get exciting.

Designers With AI

This is where we are already seeing strong demand.

Clients love the idea of designers using AI because they understand the potential benefits: faster exploration, more concepts, quicker iterations, and potentially lower production costs.

But there’s an interesting contradiction.

Clients want the efficiency of AI without necessarily wanting something that feels AI-generated.

They still expect strategy, taste, originality, refinement, and attention to detail.

Essentially, they want AI economics combined with human craftsmanship.

For designers, that means the skill is gradually shifting from simply creating everything manually to knowing what to automate, what to generate, what to refine, and what should remain completely human.

Clients With AI

This might be one of the most positive changes we’ve experienced.

Clients are getting better at communicating ideas.

Instead of saying, “I want something modern,” they can now use AI to explore concepts, create rough references, structure requirements, or visualize what they have in mind.

That gives designers much better starting points.

But there’s another side.

Sometimes we receive an entire AI conversation containing dozens of ideas, contradictory requirements, alternative directions, and suggestions that haven’t been filtered.

Instead of simplifying the project, that can make it more complicated.

AI can help you think.

But knowing what to remove is becoming just as important as knowing what to generate.

“Don’t Use AI”

We saw more of these requests when generative AI first became mainstream.

Some clients specifically asked us not to use AI.

That sentiment seems to be fading.

As clients experiment with AI themselves, many are becoming less concerned about whether AI was involved and more concerned about the quality of the final result.

The question is gradually changing from:

“Did you use AI?”

to:

“Is this actually good?”

And that’s probably a healthier way to evaluate creative work.

“Only Use AI and Deliver Fast”

Interestingly, we’re now seeing the opposite request gaining momentum.

Use AI. Move fast. Create at scale. Repeat.

For certain projects, that’s exactly what businesses need.

Not every piece of content needs weeks of craftsmanship.

Sometimes a company needs 50 variations, multiple concepts, rapid experimentation, or a scalable production system.

In those situations, AI isn’t simply a creative tool.

It becomes an operational advantage.

The professionals who learn how to build reliable AI-assisted workflows around these requirements could become extremely valuable.

“Teach Me AI”

This has been one of our favorite developments.

We have received requests from people who don’t necessarily want us to execute everything for them.

They want to understand how to use AI themselves.

What tools should they use?

What should they automate?

How should they prompt?

Where does AI genuinely save time?

Where should they still rely on professionals?

We genuinely enjoyed these conversations because they represent something bigger.

AI isn’t simply changing the services businesses buy.

It’s changing how businesses themselves operate.

So, Where Are We Heading?

After 18–20 months, one thing seems increasingly clear to us:

The future probably isn’t humans vs. AI.

It’s humans learning where AI belongs.

Some jobs and tasks will disappear. Others will become faster. New services will emerge. Client expectations will change. Creative professionals will need to evolve.

But strategy, judgment, taste, empathy, context, and the ability to understand what a client actually needs remain incredibly valuable.

AI gives us more capability.

Humans still decide where that capability should take us.

And perhaps that’s the most exciting part of everything happening right now.

What changes have you noticed in your industry since AI became part of everyday work?

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