Adland is urgently pivoting for AI. We will have to do the same for climate

"Each time, the industry mobilises, restructures, and invests billions to stay ahead. But there's one disruption we're treating very differently. And it might be the biggest one of all. This year alone, WPP is spending $318m on AI. Publicis has committed €300m over three years. Havas, €400m over four. Between them, over €1bn is flowing into AI transformation in just four years. The message is clear: AI is existential, and the industry is responding with existential urgency."

"Climate, meanwhile, feels abstract, distant and political. Something for the sustainability team to manage while the rest of us get on with our proper work. Climate is a market-reshaping force that will redefine every product and service, every client brief, every consumer behaviour, and every business model we touch. PwC's 28th Annual Global CEO Survey tells the story: one-third of CEOs say climate-friendly investments made over the last five years have increased revenue."

"Why the imbalance? It's not hard to see why AI has captured imaginations. The threat is immediate and visceral: Meta's "infinite creation model" promises full campaign automation from a single image and budget. AI even forces the question: Will my agency even exist in five years? AI promises efficiency, competitiveness, and the chance to redefine creative roles entirely. People become multiskilled overnight with new tools."

Advertising holding companies are committing over €1bn to AI transformation within four years, with WPP, Publicis and Havas making sizable multi‑year investments. Many agencies have scaled back climate commitments or relegated climate to sustainability teams. AI presents immediate business risks and operational opportunities, promising automation, efficiency, and new skillsets that threaten traditional agency roles. Climate change constitutes a market-reshaping force that will alter products, services, briefs, consumer behaviour and business models. PwC's CEO survey reports roughly one-third of CEOs saw revenue gains from climate-friendly investments and a similar share reported profitability boosts from GenAI. Both AI and climate are existential threats and opportunities.

Read at The Drum