Things fall apart: AI risks entropy but puts a premium on original thinking [Video]

To compete with AI, agencies must do what they’ve always done best, says Dan Chapman, global chief strategy officer at UM, part of IPG Mediabrands: come up with great ideas that show clients the way ahead.

In the second law of thermodynamics, entropy describes an inevitable decline into disorder within a closed system. Applied to marketing, this principle translates to the gradual loss of differentiation and innovation as strategies converge and optimize toward the mean. In 2025, I predict we’ll start seeing AI’s entropy-inducing effects in media and marketing.

The efficiency of AI tools, while undeniably beneficial, often leads to an over-reliance on pattern replication. This compounds the issue of entropy, driving brands toward uniformity and reducing their ability to stand out in the marketplace. Without intervention, this trend could erode the creativity that fuels successful marketing.

Two uncomfortable truths about AI compound this challenge. First, AI is normative by …

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