Is AI taking over?

Against my art director’s will, I’m ranting about AI. Again. Only because too many unqualified folks think they can use it as a universal catch all for creative content. AI is a tool. Something that makes execution of ideas easier. You have to understand what the problem is you’re trying to solve and then know how to wield the correct tool for the job.

Thumbing through social media and print publications recently, I came across AI generated ads. How could I tell? The logos were wrong, I didn’t know who these ads were aimed at, and most important, they lacked any emotional appeal for me to react. To “buy” into the brand.

Let’s get it out of the way. I do not fear AI. I use AI. I like AI. I talk to AI. I use AI for research, asking dumb questions, driving my art director crazy, and speeding up boring tasks. But here’s the thing, if you’re going to use AI, for the love of your brand (and your bottom line), let someone who actually understands content creation take the wheel. God forbid, would you trust me and AI if I were to devise your retirement plan or recommend a treatment for that rash of yours? I’m an artist!

From a branding perspective, what I’m seeing lately are “car crashes”. Let’s talk logos for example. Your logo or what we in the trenches call a visual identity, reflects your brand. Your values. Your positioning. Don’t let some random AI mock-up swoop in and replace it with a shiny, generic, “close-enough” knockoff. I see too many logos that look like they’ve been dunked in hot water, shrunk two sizes and end up with a pink glow because they were washed with your red ginch. Your brand’s unique font, colour palette and identity are gone.

Then there’s brand imagery. I cannot believe we are in 2026 and I still have to say this, “People in photos should have the correct number of fingers”. If a model in your image has a hand that looks like it lost a wrestling match with a blender, I don’t care how “cool” the AI photo is, it’s bad. Same with shadows. If your model is facing the sun, the shadow shouldn’t be doing its own shadow puppet show in the opposite direction. And don’t get me started on proportions. Legs that are eight feet long, coffee cups the size of cars, and chairs that work with two legs get noticed.

These are not “little” things. These are the fine details that quietly scream, “No one cared enough to fix this!!” And that’s the problem. Your brand isn’t just your logo and some colors slapped on a Canva template. It’s the accumulation of a thousand tiny decisions that either build trust or erode it. When you let AI spit out whatever and call it done, you’re basically telling your audience, “Ah, you won’t notice.” Spoiler. They do.

I’m exhausted from defending my craft like it’s some kind of luxury item. I keep having to say, “Good enough is not for me and my team.” If you want “good enough,” you can absolutely get it. Cheap. Fast. And with AI. Continue on. But don’t pretend it’s the same as strategic, thoughtful, on-brand, human-reviewed work.

At the end of the day, you do get what you pay for. And if you pay for generic, you get generic. If you pay for expertise, you get a brand that actually means something, and delivers results. Just put AI, a tool, in the hands of the professionals. Rant over.

Cheers, mark.