AI vs. Agencies: Mark Zuckerberg's vision of ad disruption sparks debate in India

In a recent interview, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg painted a sweeping vision of a future in which artificial intelligence renders much of the advertising industry obsolete. His comments, delivered with trademark Silicon Valley confidence, have sparked a debate across the marketing world, one that pits automation against human insight.

“You’re a business, you come to us, you tell us what your objective is, you connect to your bank account,” Zuckerberg said. “You don’t need any creative, you don’t need any targeting demographic, you don’t need any measurement, except to be able to read the results that we spit out. I think that’s going to be huge. I think it is a redefinition of the category of advertising.”

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To many in the industry, Zuckerberg’s remarks signal more than innovation, they suggest a dismantling of the traditional advertising ecosystem as we know it. But while the Meta founder sees a streamlined, data-driven system replacing creative and strategic intermediaries, industry leaders aren’t so sure.

The limits of automation

“AI is only as good as the data it receives,” said Gowthaman Ragothaman, CEO of Aqilliz. “It follows a ‘garbage in, garbage out’ principle.” While platforms like Meta may succeed in automating campaign execution, from asset creation to media buying, Ragothaman argues that true effectiveness depends on the quality of the inputs, which still require human judgment.

“Agencies help brands ask the right questions,” he added. “And that’s something machines can’t do in isolation.”

That sentiment is echoed by Sowmya Iyer, founder and CEO of DViO Digital. While she acknowledges that AI may take over performance-driven creative work, she believes brand-building remains firmly in human hands.

“Strategy, emotional resonance, storytelling - these cannot be ‘spat out’ by AI,” Iyer said. “Efficiency is not a substitute for meaning. And meaning is what makes brands matter.”

Not the end, but a remix

Some in the industry view this moment not as a death knell for advertising agencies, but as an inflection point.

“For Indian agencies, this isn’t the end - it’s a remix,” said Krishna Iyer, Director of Marketing at MullenLowe Lintas Group. “AI can generate thousands of creatives, but it can’t tell you which one will resonate with a Tamil-speaking millennial in Chennai versus a Gen Z gamer in Gurgaon.”

According to Iyer, the role of the agency will evolve, from execution partner to brand steward. “We’ll need to interpret AI outputs, preserve brand meaning, and inject emotional depth into algorithmic logic.”

Others, like Gopa Menon, Chief Growth Officer for APAC at Successive Digital, point to a question of trust. “Will brands hand over all their assets to platforms like Meta? I doubt it,” he said. “The future isn’t about execution, it’s about oversight. Agencies that become AI co-pilots, not competitors, will define the next chapter.”

A cultural code still uncracked

For Nagessh Pannaswami, founder of Curry Nation, the cultural complexity of a market like India is reason enough to be skeptical of full automation.

“AI can help with scale and optimization. But it cannot replace the nuanced understanding of local languages, regional sentiments, or the instinctive knowledge of what resonates in Indore versus Itanagar,” he said. “That’s where boutique agencies still thrive, by connecting at a human level.”

This grounding in cultural context, many argue, is the last bastion of irreplaceable human contribution. Rakesh Hinduja, Co-Founder of Wondrlab Network, views technology not as a threat, but as an enabler.

“AI optimizes delivery. It doesn’t replace trust. The future lies in collaboration, between tech and creativity.”

The black box dilemma

Yet as AI-driven tools become more accessible, particularly for small businesses, some caution that questions of transparency and accountability remain unresolved.

“AI may offer solutions for those who can’t afford traditional agencies,” said Harikrishnan Pillai, CEO and Co-Founder of TheSmallBigIdea. “But what are we handing over in return? Data? Brand control? The system is still a black box.”

Pillai warned that as platforms gain more control over creative and performance, the need for regulation and independent oversight will only grow. “When AI confuses your logo with a competitor’s, who’s responsible? And how do you even find out?”

A shared future

Not everyone is waiting for that future to unfold. Sindhu Biswal, CEO and Founder of Buzzlab, says his agency is already using AI to create high-performing assets at scale, and plans to build AI agents into their workflows.

“We test everything. We let the data decide. The shift isn’t coming. It’s here,” he said, pointing to similar advancements at Google via its Gemini platform.

Still, Biswal and others emphasize that technology and creativity are not zero-sum. In a world of automated abundance, originality may become more valuable, not less.

“Out of millions of ads generated, only a handful truly stick,” Pillai said. “And those come from human passion, not an algorithm.”

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