Buying AI tools takes an afternoon. Getting a team to use them well takes months.
I've worked through every major technology shift in this industry, from film and tape to digital, from broadcast to social, and now to generative AI. Each time, the tools arrived faster than the habits changed.
AI is no different. The software is the easy part. The work is in how people think.
Where AI saved us real time
We've been deliberate about adopting AI at PPP, and the gains have been concentrated in a few places.
Research. Gathering references, market context and background for a brief now takes a fraction of the time. The team gets to the thinking faster.
First drafts. Early script drafts, treatment outlines and interview questions come together quickly. Nobody starts from a blank page any more.
Pre-visualisation. Being able to show a client a moving sketch of an idea, before a shoot, has made conversations clearer and approvals faster.
Administration. Transcription, subtitles, versioning, call sheet drafts and meeting notes. Unglamorous work that used to quietly consume days.
Where human judgment stayed non-negotiable
Just as important is what we didn't hand over.
Story. Deciding what a film should say and why it matters to a specific audience is still the core of our work. AI can offer options. It can't tell you which one is true to the client.
Taste. Knowing when something is good, and when it's merely competent, comes from experience. AI output tends towards the average. Clients don't hire us for average.
Relationships. Understanding what a client actually needs, which is often different from what the brief says, happens in conversation and trust. That's human work.
Cultural judgment. Whether a line will land in Hanoi, or a visual will offend in Jakarta, needs people who know those places.
What actually changed in the team
The biggest changes weren't technical.
Briefs became more important, because fast tools amplify vague thinking. Review became more important, because a team that can produce ten options needs sharper judgment to choose one. And roles shifted. Junior team members spend less time on mechanical tasks and more on ideas, which is good for them and for the work, but needs support.
Expect scepticism, too, and treat some of it as healthy. Not every tool will earn its place, and it's fine to drop the ones that don't.
Common mistakes to avoid
Most organisations that struggle with AI adoption make one of a few mistakes.
Starting with the tool rather than the problem. Buying licences and then looking for a use. It works better the other way round.
Expecting it to replace expertise. AI tools amplify the skills of the person using them. In inexperienced hands, they produce confident-sounding mistakes quickly.
Skipping the rules. Without clear guidance, people either avoid AI entirely out of caution, or use it in ways that create real risk with client and personal data.
Measuring the wrong thing. Counting how many people have logged in says little. Ask what work got faster or better, and what new problems appeared.
Leaving it to the enthusiasts. Every team has a few people who love new tools. Adoption only sticks when the sceptics are also brought along.
Keep an eye on the costs. Done incorrectly, without proper planning can easily blow your production budget.
A simple 30-day adoption path
If your marketing or communications team is starting out, this is a sensible path.
Week 1: Pick two tasks. Choose repetitive, low-risk work, such as meeting notes and first drafts of social copy. Don't start with your most important campaign.
Week 2: Set simple rules. What can go into AI tools and what can't? Client data, unreleased products and personal information need clear boundaries.
Week 3: Share what works. Have people show each other prompts and results. Adoption spreads faster through colleagues than through training decks.
Week 4: Review honestly. What saved time? What created extra checking? Keep what works, drop what doesn't, and choose the next two tasks.
Then repeat. Slowly, the habits change.
What leaders need to do
Adoption rarely succeeds without visible support from the top. Leaders don't need to be AI experts, but they do need to make it clear that experimenting is encouraged, that mistakes in low-risk areas are acceptable, and that the goal is better work rather than fewer people. Without that reassurance, many staff quietly avoid the tools, or use them without telling anyone.
The point of all this
AI doesn't replace a creative team. Used well, it gives that team more time for the work that only people can do.
Technology is a tool. Storytelling is the craft. People are the reason the story matters.
Want help bringing AI into your team? We run practical AI adoption workshops for marketing and communications teams. Get in touch to find out more.
