I’ve seen this movie before. Different technology, same doomsday predictions, surprisingly familiar ending.
In the late 1990s, we were told the internet would eliminate traditional advertising. Media buyers would be obsolete. Then came programmatic in the 2000’s with its promise of perfectly automated ad buying. Human planners? Unnecessary friction in the machine.
Now it’s AI’s turn to revolutionize everything. And yes, it will change things. But here’s what a quarter-century in this business has taught me about technology hype cycles: the fundamentals don’t disappear; they just wear new clothes.
The dot-com boom didn’t kill media planning. It made understanding audience behavior across channels more critical. Programmatic didn’t replace buyers. It freed us from spreadsheet drudgery to focus on strategy. AI won’t eliminate the need for advertising professionals. It will ruthlessly expose those who mistake tools for thinking.
What actually survives these transitions? Critical thinking. Understanding human psychology. The ability to look at data and ask better questions. Knowing when the algorithm is optimizing for the wrong thing. These skills compounded in value with each wave of disruption.
What dies? Rote execution. Resistance to learning new systems. The belief that experience alone is enough.
I’m teaching students who will graduate into an AI-saturated industry. But I’m not teaching them to prompt engineer their way through a career. I’m teaching them to think strategically about problems AI can’t yet frame, to understand audiences in ways algorithms can’t capture, and to make judgment calls when the data points in multiple directions.
The technology changes. The need for sharp human thinking never does.