A panel of executives at the TIME100 Talks in Cannes explored how artificial intelligence is reshaping creativity across industries. The discussion featured leaders from consumer goods, AI platforms, tobacco, and digital consulting, all emphasizing a partnership between humans and machines rather than replacement.
Panelists included Jessica Padula, Nespresso USA’s VP of marketing; Amit Jain, CEO of Luma AI; Stefano Volpetti, chief growth officer at Philip Morris International; and Nigel Vaz, CEO of Publicis Sapient. Each argued that AI augments rather than diminishes human creativity, though specific use cases varied widely.
Padula noted that Nespresso uses AI to enhance customer experience, helping consumers learn about coffee through its app. “I’ve always said it is going to make good people even better,” she said, applying the logic to both employees and daily life.
Volpetti stressed that humans and AI should work in unison, while Jain and Vaz pointed to AI’s potential to accelerate ideation and prototyping. The panel avoided technical specifics, instead focusing on strategic philosophy—a sign that enterprise AI adoption remains in its exploratory phase.
The event underscores a broader shift: companies are moving past the question of whether to adopt AI toward how to integrate it meaningfully. Yet without concrete metrics or case studies on ROI, the discussion risked staying at the aspirational level.
Notably absent from the conversation were creative professionals themselves—designers, writers, and artists whose workflows are most disrupted. Their perspectives will be essential as these strategies move from boardrooms to daily practice.