Artificial intelligence can expand advertising so that each person gets their own message, but it cannot replace human creativity, says Ogilvy Spain CEO Jordi Urbea. According to him, AI only processes the past, while creativity builds the future.
Urbea discussed with BeInCrypto at the Ibiza Tech Forum 2026 event. He uses AI daily in large brand campaigns. Practical experience supports his claim that emotion and surprise stay with people.
In advertising, AI makes individuality possible at scale.
In an interview with BeInCrypt o, Urbea described her work simply. Her job is to make the brand shine. Ogilvy Spain is one of the country’s largest agencies and is part of the WPP network.
She doesn’t view technology with suspicion. Instead, she uses AI as a tool that breaks the old production ceiling. Traditionally, the campaign used to make one commercial film—sometimes two or three.
“With AI, I can create a personal ad for every person.”
Financial figures support her enthusiasm. Companies that use AI for personalization report that the money spent on advertising generates 10–25% more, according to Bain & Company. About 65% of top executives now name AI personalization as the most important driver of growth.
Scaling alone still comes with risks. About 71% of consumers expect personalized encounters, but 76% feel frustrated if advertising fails to deliver. This gap forms Urbean’s core rationale.
According to Urbea, data answers only half the question. Even though AI can see what people have done, it doesn’t tell you why someone chooses a particular brand tomorrow.
“AI gathers thousands and thousands of data points and information about people. That matters when analyzing what each person should do. But to actually reach someone’s heart, you have to find the right language they genuinely want to hear.”
At this point, she draws a clear line in her view.
“AI works with the past, but creativity builds the future. That’s the core.”
University research supports this view almost word for word. According to a study from the University of California, Berkeley, generative AI only recombines the data it was trained on. It develops the story, but it doesn’t detach from it.
In the 2025 study, they go further. It describes a mathematical ceiling that limits the creativity of AI to amateur level. The researchers say that as long as there is no new architecture, people remain the source of high creativity.
This conclusion ties into a broader discussion about human nature in an increasingly automated economy. In this conversation, Urbea clearly takes one side.
“I’m absolutely certain that AI can never replace that. Completely sure.”
Her confidence also has practical backing. Studies show that consumers feel emotionally emphasized messages seem less authentic when they know AI wrote them. Engagement decreases even if the words stay the same. It’s about trust, not content quality.
Rose and chocolate cake
Urbea illustrated the danger of optimizing alone with a homegrown story. When you feed an algorithm information about what works, it recommends repeating the same thing forever.
“Imagine you’re at home with your partner and you give them a rose and a chocolate cake every day. The algorithm tells you they like these, so you give them the same thing every day. I’m sure that on day 20 the message is: ‘Okay, there’s more to life than roses and chocolate cake. A little creativity, please. Surprise me.'”
Marketing research confirms this: repetitive ads that lack creativity quickly lose their impact, especially for less well-known brands. Creative ads, on the other hand, gain strength quickly and hold up better over repeated exposure.
So the data supports Urbea’s hunch. Optimization without surprises leads to burnout, while creativity endures repetition. Using the same logic, AI today enhances marketing content without the AI originating the idea itself.
One detail, however, should be noted. Newer research suggests that ad-induced weariness may fade over time. So repetition is not always fatal, and the metaphor reflects a trend rather than an absolute rule.
Urbea’s warning hits hardest the brands that copy their competitors. In her view, imitation destroys identity faster than any algorithm.
“When everyone follows the same template, your brand disappears. You’re like a big ship that’s gotten lost in the night.”
His solution goes back to the basics. Effective storytelling requires your own voice, not a borrowed template. AI can produce large amounts of content and personalize messages at scale.
Idea, surprise, and appealing to emotions still belong to people. When AI changes the work environment, Urbea’s perspective offers a clear test for marketers. Let the machine handle the past, but keep the future in people’s hands.