Creative agencies are using AI to polish pitches but ignoring the bigger opportunity.

I spoke with a few creative agency leaders last week.

Each of them is using AI in the creative process: storyboards, sizzles, pitch decks. It's helping bring ideas to life faster and pitch with more polish.

But when I asked how AI was being used across the rest of the business, the conversation stalled.

No CustomGPTs shaping strategy or pitch development.
No internal tools supporting briefs, audits, or research.
No agents automating workflows or organizing knowledge.
No systems supporting account management, operations, or delivery.
No AI-enabled marketing. No new business engine. No roadmap.

This isn’t about being behind, it’s about untapped potential.
Most agencies start with creative because it’s the most visible, low-friction place to experiment. But the real opportunity is broader.

Imagine a CustomGPT that pulls relevant case studies and market insights for every brief. Or an internal tool that flags potential budget overruns across active projects.

These aren’t pipe dreams, they’re table stakes for what’s coming.
AI can, and should, live across the agency.

Used well, it makes every team more effective. It frees up time, improves thinking, shortens cycles, and sharpens delivery.

It can identify projects at risk, streamline client communication, strengthen account management, and surface competitive intelligence for new business - as much as it can supercharge strategy and creative.

It turns internal chaos into systems that scale.

And it becomes a force multiplier for new business, marketing, and growth.
This is the work I do: helping agencies integrate AI across the business with clear systems, smart strategy, and sustainable momentum.

How are you using AI beyond nanobanana and other creative tools?