Ryan Reynolds is right – ‘We’re all just f*cking winging it’
Ryan Reynolds delivered a refreshingly candid take on the intersection of AI and marketing, reminding us that no matter how fast technology advances, human creativity remains irreplaceable, writes Michelle O'Keeffe, CEO of Engaging.io.
At the HubSpot INBOUND 2024 conference in Boston at the end of September, there was plenty of talk about the future.
But it wasn’t until Hollywood star Ryan Reynolds took the stage that the conversation got real.
Reynolds, best known for acting in films such as Deadpool, also happens to have an uncanny knack for marketing.
With a portfolio including his production company Maximum Effort, advertising platform MNTN, and as co-owner of Wrexham Football Club, Reynolds is more than just a Hollywood name – he’s a business powerhouse with his finger on the pulse of modern marketing.
Benjamin Esakof/Halo Creative for INBOUND24
As he started his fireside chat, Reynolds did what he does best, blending humour and insight.
He acknowledged the obvious – yes, everything is moving faster, and marketing is no exception.
In a world where AI is transforming the speed and efficiency of marketing processes, businesses are racing to keep up. But – and this is key – he reminded us that no matter how fast things move, human creativity remains irreplaceable.
And his admission that “We’re all just f*cking winging it” is, especially with how fast the world is moving these days, bang on. We’re human; we make mistakes, but these mistakes can give us opportunities to make magic happen.
It was a refreshing moment of clarity in a world buzzing with talk of automation and algorithms. Reynolds acknowledged how these new technologies are democratising storytelling and opening doors for fresh voices. But he was clear: It’s still about humans communicating with humans. And that’s something AI can’t replicate. I totally agree.
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The AI hype is real… but so are its limits
AI is reshaping marketing. It’s churning out content faster than ever. Emails, blogs, social posts, and much more can do it all. But here’s the catch, it still needs people.
You can’t just hand over the reins and expect perfection. AI might get you 95% of the way there, but that last 5%? That’s where human magic comes in.
Editing, personality, and creativity remain fundamental human characteristics that machines are currently, unable to match, and that 5% is the most valuable component.
I’ve seen it happen. Content goes out without so much as a glance from a human, and guess what? Mistakes happen. A business was using an AI chatbot to service customers and quoted $250 for a product worth $7,000.
Yikes! And legally, that business was bound by it. That’s not just an oops moment, it’s costly and potentially brand-damaging.
Data is the foundation, but humans hold the key
AI can only be as good as the data you feed it. And most organisations’ data is a mess. Data cleansing is crucial before you let AI anywhere near it. If your data is flawed, your AI’s output will be too. And who’s responsible for cleaning up that mess? Humans.
Whether it’s a CRM crawling through years of customer data or an AI learning to generate personalised content, someone has to ensure the foundation is strong.
That someone is not a machine, it’s a person. And while AI will undoubtedly streamline certain roles, it can’t replace the strategic oversight, creative thinking, intuition and nuance that humans bring to the table.
Michelle O’Keeffe
Don’t forget who you’re talking to
In the history of martech, when new technologies launch, people always find a way to ‘cheat the system’, to ‘play the algorithm’ and every time they’ve ended up losing. Why? Because they forget they’re actually trying to meaningfully communicate with another human being.
I’ve found one philosophy to stand true in all my (very many) years in the workforce – remember you’re trying to communicate a message of value to another human – craft that communication with them in mind, and you will be fine.
AI is a great tool. It’s going to help us work faster and more efficiently no doubt. But as businesses scramble to implement AI and make sense of all this new tech, let’s not forget that at the end of the day, it’s still humans – you, and me, who make marketing work.
AI might be able to get us part of the way, but it’s people who will always push it across the finish line.
No matter how advanced AI becomes, creativity, intuition, and the ability to genuinely connect will remain uniquely human traits. And as long as marketing is about connecting with people, humans will always have a job to do. So yes, let’s embrace AI, but let’s not forget who’s really running the show.
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