Business Leaders Discuss AI's Impact on Creativity

A panel of CEOs and executives from various sectors gathered recently in Cannes for a TIME100 Talks discussion, addressing how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming creativity within their respective companies. The panel featured Jessica Padula, Nespresso USA's VP of marketing, Amit Jain, CEO and co-founder of Luma AI, Stefano Volpetti, chief global growth officer at Philip Morris International (PMI), and Nigel Vaz, CEO at Publicis Sapient.

The leaders largely agreed on the necessity of human-AI collaboration for generating creative value. Padula of Nespresso stated that AI enhances employee capabilities, with Nespresso using AI tools to improve customer experience and educate consumers about coffee via its app. Volpetti described AI and human partnership as a "force multiplier" enabling personalized experiences and habit change at scale. Vaz highlighted the curiosity and continuous learning required from younger employees in the AI era, using an "Iron Man" analogy for investing in both people and technology.

Jain of Luma AI suggested that jobs will be lost to those leveraging AI, acknowledging concerns from creative professionals about originality but viewing human-machine collaboration as the future. He stressed the importance of investing in people. However, Padula noted that deep consumer understanding still requires direct human interaction beyond AI-provided data.

The discussion concluded that while AI is a powerful amplifier, human qualities such as agility, vulnerability, and thoughtfulness remain crucial differentiators for fostering creative thinking in the workplace. Volpetti added that AI enhances personalization and scale once human curiosity and consumer knowledge are established.