Advertising moves past AI hype at Cannes Lions 2025

At Cannes Lions this year, AI is no longer the flashy showstopper – it’s becoming a practical tool that’s reshaping how brands create, target, and build trust with their audiences.

One of the main topics this year at Cannes Lions is the shift around AI – no longer “what if” but “how well” it will perform, especially in advertising.

Advertisers are moving from AI hype to hands-on, grounded use. For example, Reddit introducing their community intelligence at this year's festival, and Adobe launching their AI suite.

Brands are treating AI as a tool, not a miracle, with the conversation ongoing.

In the early days, many brands hoped that algorithms would replace human labor entirely – writing copy, generating campaigns, or even crafting brand identities from scratch.

But those early experiments often produced generic, soulless results. It became clear that AI without a human touch lacked context, nuance, and emotional resonance.

Whitney Hart, Chief Strategy Officer at Avenue Z, a tech-driven marketing and communications agency specializing in AI optimization, shared with Cybernews how the advertising world is moving from hype to hands-on use:

AI as a practical tool

“The industry is finally treating AI as a tool rather than a miracle-worker… used to accelerate the process that’s directed and refined by humans,” observed Hart.

The creative process is becoming more iterative. Marketers prompt AI, review outputs, fine-tune results, and maintain narrative control, which allows humans to focus on bold idea generation.

The early AI narrative was about automation replacing people. Now, it's about co-creation – human vision and AI execution.

As Hart explains, “The most effective AI tools in ad targeting blend real-time behavioral data with generative capabilities.”

Pinterest’s use of auto-collages adapts to users’ visual interests, presenting products in contexts that resonate with individual tastes – a perfect example of behavioral data in action.

Ethics and trust challenges

In the age of speed, ethics and trust remain the main concerns. AI’s power moves faster than public understanding – increasing the risk of misinformation.

Hart alerted Cybernews to the January 2025 LA wildfires and the public confusion caused by AI-generated images circulated online showing the Hollywood sign on fire.

“We’re facing a trust crisis… AI’s speed can outpace scrutiny,” explained Hart, covering the human need to take a bit longer to sit down and think about things.

Gaining the public’s trust is a deeper ethical challenge for brands.

Brands like Microsoft and Adobe are focusing on clear labels and tracking at Cannes to ensure that AI content is honest and verifiable.

To earn trust in this fast AI world, brands need to be transparent about how they use AI and make it easy for people to see what’s real.

Future of AI in advertising

With tools like Google Overviews, AI is reshaping how people find ads, not just how they’re made.

“Campaigns won’t just be created with AI, they’ll be discovered by the consumer through AI-search. The winners will be those who see AI not as a shortcut, but as a tool to highlight what makes human insight irreplaceable,” explained Hart.