Brands want UK agencies to keep AI out of their work

Key Points

Barclays roundtables found brands want creative work made without AI
Agencies say clients pay for human insight, judgement and originality
Larger agencies are adopting AI faster, and clients are noticing
Founders flagged job losses in marketing and AI copyright questions
Creatives prefer using AI internally for admin and performance tracking

Brands are asking UK creative agencies for work made without AI, a Barclays study of 30 creative business leaders found.

The bank held roundtables in London, Glasgow and Cardiff throughout 2025 with small and medium-sized firms working in film and TV, games, music, theatre and advertising.

Creative agencies told Barclays that brands increasingly request work that AI has not touched, favouring authentic human creativity instead.

The agencies said human insight, judgement and originality are what their clients pay for.

“It’s important to maintain creativity and not lose it to AI. The sector wants AI to do cool stuff for us, not client projects,” said one roundtable participant.

Agency leaders also said the largest firms in the sector are moving faster on AI than their smaller rivals.

“Larger organisations are adopting AI more quickly, and clients are starting to notice,” said another participant.

Founders raised concerns about job losses, particularly in marketing services, where AI could automate routine creative tasks.

Others flagged unresolved copyright questions, including who owns AI-generated content and what happens when AI ends up in client work.

Participants said they would rather use AI behind the scenes for routine processes, administration and tracking how campaigns perform.

Barclays said creative businesses need a clear strategy on where AI adds value and where it doesn’t, with the technology best used for internal efficiency rather than client-facing creative output.

“Although there are reservations about what it can help to achieve, there’s an understanding that it could add value when integrated correctly,” said Elaine Dowman, head of media and creative industries at Barclays.

The report also found that creative firms struggle to access finance, specialist advisers and business training, particularly outside London.

The UK’s creative industries employ around 2.4 million people, accounting for 7% of all UK jobs, and contributed £145.8 billion to the economy in 2024.