In 2024, the artificial intelligence market in Italy, according to what was analyzed by the Artificial Intelligence Observatory of the Politecnico di Milano, grew by +58%, exceeding the record threshold of 1.2 billion euros. In terms of spending, the sectors where it is most used, again according to the POLIMI study, are telecommunications and media (then energy insurance, resource & utility, banking & finance, with a strong acceleration in the large-scale distribution & retail sector).

The data relating to the adoption of AI in the media and communication sector is confirmed by a recent survey by IAB Interactive Advertising Bureau – Europe which shows that 91% of operators in the digital advertising sector are already using, or have used in the recent past, or at least are experimenting with generative AI. Of the remainder, 90% said they plan to test it within their company in the next 6 months.

A real AI-mania that is infecting the economy and the world of large companies, also finding a significant and enthusiastic adoption of Italian creatives among companies. With one limit, observes Davide Ciliberti, top Italian pr and spin doctor of the group of “comunicazione Purple & Noise “that is, that artificial intelligence cannot replace creativity, or the human factor”.

Art director Carlo Cavicchio of CD Cromo, a historic Italian graphics company of excellence, explains the concept better: “AI is certainly generative but definitely not creative. What is ‘generated’ is perhaps captivating, and perhaps even a bit pandering – continues Cavicchio – since the algorithm, which devours our data, probably produces something that is already in line with our taste, but the output is flat, lacking in true originality. That is, creativity, that brilliant, distinctive element, ingenuity, craftsmanship, vision that is inextricably linked to the human factor“.

“There is no doubt that AI has entered heavily into the production dynamics of the creative industry and going forward it will be more and more so – says Cesare Casiraghi, a well-known Italian advertiser – Of course it is an extraordinary tool to look for new stimuli and ideas, but it lacks a fundamental ability, that of scoring the decisive ‘goal’. After all, if the physicist, Nobel Prize winner, Giorgio Parisi has managed to convince AI that 4×5 multiplication gives a result of 25, then we must really hope that artificial intelligence will never replace human creatives.”

“AI is not a destiny already written, nor is it the sphere of the fortune teller capable of revealing the future. It is an evolving technology, still malleable, as long as you want to govern it instead of being subjected to it, especially in the advertising field“, warns Andrea Crocioni,  director of TouchPoint, the main advertising magazine in Italy – “For creatives it is in fact a very interesting tool, a tool, a commodity, but it cannot replace artistic genius”.

“Today, in fact, thanks to AI it is possible to perform in a very short time what was done in days and weeks – confirms Vicky Gitto,  award-winning and internationally recognized Italian creative - Although the executive quality of AI-based applications is improving rapidly, I am convinced that for the creation of a campaign, AI alone is not enough. There are few examples of very beautiful AI-generated work but also examples where the result is poorly executed campaigns, with out-of-focus images, errors and generally low quality. Perhaps AI can be suitable for the good creation of posts and reels for various social media, but real campaigns have and will still need strategic vision and creative talent to positively affect the value of brands”

“And in fact, just out of curiosity, try to ‘ pass’ a brief for the creation of a campaign to a creative and to AI. The latter will still offer you a déjà vu. Slogan à la ‘O così o Pomi’ of the legendary Pino Pilla of the Pirella agency, only human talent can be created,” concludes Ciliberti.