About this episode
Everyone has an opinion about AI and creative work; almost nobody has receipts. So we spent a month using generative tools on real client-style briefs — image, copy, layout and motion — and came back with notes. This is the debrief: where the tools genuinely save hours, where they quietly make things worse, and the judgment calls no model makes for you.
We also talk about the parts of the craft that got more valuable, not less: taste, direction, client trust and the ability to tell when something is finished.
"The tool is fast. The taste still has to come from somewhere."
What you will take away
- Three production tasks where AI tools already earn their keep
- The quality traps: hands, type, licensing and same-y output
- How to talk to clients about AI use without underselling yourself
- A simple disclosure line you can put in your contracts today
Chapters
What we actually tested 00:00
The four briefs, the tools we used, and the ground rules — no cherry-picking outputs.
Where it genuinely helps 12:45
Moodboards, first-draft copy, variations and the boring middle of production work.
What got more valuable 27:30
Taste, direction and trust — plus how to price work when the draft is cheap and the judgment is not.
Producer and resident sceptic. Daniel runs our tool tests and keeps every hype cycle honest.
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