Rick Rubin is one of the great music producers of my era. Amongst other things, he co-founded Def Jam, was president of Columbia Records, helped popularise Hip Hop, won multiple Grammys, and produced records for groups as diverse as Public Enemy, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Jay Z and Adele. Yet by his own admission, he “can barely play an instrument or work a soundboard” and has “no technical ability”.  

So what’s his secret? How has he reached the very pinnacle of his trade? How did he do it? Well, again in his words, ‘I know what I like and I don’t like and I know how to be decisive about what I like and don’t like’ so he attributes his success to trust in his taste. In a world obsessed with data and tangibles, this feels a little whimsical.

But, just maybe, this can help us answer what an agency can do that AI won’t be able to. AI can crunch through data and deliver incredibly deep thinking, but how will we truly know it’s any good? The beauty of being human lies in our contradictions, our irrationality, our ability to imagine and to feel. Creativity sits in that space, in the messiness of what cannot be calculated. 

As long as those things remain true, agencies built around people will always matter.

Maybe think about it this way. AI can generate endless ideas in seconds. But can it decide which one feels right for a brand at that particular moment? Can it sense when a piece of work is pushing too hard or not hard enough? Can it read the room in a client presentation, notice the raised eyebrows, and change direction instinctively? These are human skills. They rely on empathy, emotional intelligence and trust.

And trust, at its heart, is what agencies sell. Trust that the work will not only be technically correct but will resonate with people. Trust that the campaign will move hearts as well as shift products. Trust that the people in the room understand you and are prepared to fight for the integrity of the work.

And a final thought: perhaps in the future, human or “handmade” creativity will command a premium in the way that artisanal or craft products do today. Clients may come to value and trust human-made work precisely because it is not mass-generated.

This is where independent agencies can thrive. We are naturally positioned at the forefront of that movement, because independence itself is a statement: we are not built for volume, we are built for originality. Free from shareholders, C-suite politics, and the relentless pressure of group financial targets, independents aren’t defending profit machines or chasing efficiency at all costs. By their very nature, they are more human, more individual, and more personal.

Like Rick Rubin, independent agencies know what people like and don’t like, and they’re nimble enough to be decisive and trust their gut. More importantly, they’re close enough to their clients for that trust to flow both ways. These are all things AI can’t offer.

AI will only ever offer the illusion of certainty: neat answers, infinite options, dazzling efficiency. But brands don’t need infinite. They need one clear, confident path. They need someone to say, “This is it. This is the work.”

That’s what Rick Rubin does. And that’s what agencies, especially independent ones, will always do.