In our first episode of Creative Futures, IAA Benelux Executive Director Stephanie Manning sits down with Mark Polyak, Chief Product & Technology Officer at MINT, to discuss the IAA AI Ethics Manifesto. They explore how AI can enhance – not replace – human creativity, and what ethical responsibility looks like in the modern advertising industry.
Here are some highlights of the podcast.
AI as a Catalyst for Creativity
Mark explains how MINT uses AI to generate creative options quickly, empowering teams to explore new directions without replacing human input. By presenting diverse variations and insights, AI enables more informed, strategic decisions in campaign planning and creative development.
“AI gives you an entire team of experts at your disposal very quickly.”
The Role of Human Intuition
Despite AI’s capabilities, Mark emphasizes that intuition and gut instinct remain irreplaceable. He describes humans as ancient computers capable of radical, creative leaps that machines cannot replicate.
“The spark of an idea continues to come from human intuition.”
Keeping Humans in the Loop
In AI-powered advertising workflows, Mark likens the human’s role to that of a pilot in a fighter jet. Even with advanced automation, critical decision-making must remain human-led.
“There are thousands of decision points where humans need to stay in the loop.”
Ethical Guardrails and Bias Detection
Mark supports building robust ethical frameworks to prevent both known and unknown AI bias in advertising. He advocates for double-blind human oversight, multi-agent systems, and LLM peer-review as emerging methods to ensure fairness and accountability.
“All tools must guard against bias—known and unknown.”
A New Hybrid Workforce
AI is no longer just a copilot. Mark envisions humans managing hybrid teams of AI agents, shifting from manual tasks to creative, strategic thinking. In this future, agents carry out repetitive tasks while humans focus on vision and direction.
“Humans are becoming managers of teams of agents.”
A Final Reflection
Mark closes with a powerful analogy from history: the Ottoman Empire’s 200-year ban on the printing press. He warns against resisting AI entirely, urging the industry to embrace change with wisdom and responsibility.
“We can be disruptive in the right way—morally and ethically.”
Listen to the podcast on Spotify or read the full transcript.
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