IS THIS AI?

No one will be talking about AI in 2026

For this season finale Olly Veysey and ever-brilliant co-pilot Lisa Talia Moretti are joined by fellow council members Dora Moldovan and Prateek Jain — two people shaping the next phase of AI inside major organisations. Together, they revisit the sharpest insights of the season, from AI slop and hallucinations to “slow craft”, agency reinvention, vibe coding, and why most organisations are still stuck at the automation stage. And they explore why 2026 won’t be about AI hype… but about skills, readiness, fluency and culture. This episode is reflective, honest, occasionally provocative, and very much a conversation for anyone who leads creative work, product teams, agencies or innovation functions in the UK. SOME REASONS TO TUNE IN 1. We're sharing what we learned as AI practitioners doing the work From the stark failure rates of GenAI projects to Nathan Roach’s “better-than-nothing practice” to Dora’s cult-building honesty about Chief AI Officer roles — this episode distils the key truths that survived contact with reality.  2. The real shape of the next agency model is emerging We talk openly about what’s dying (the old delivery pyramid), what’s arriving (high-agency teams, strategic weight at the top, AI taking the “do”), and why slow craft may become the defining competitive advantage for creative and digital businesses in 2026. 3. Get clear on what 2026 will actually be about Will anyone be talking about AI in 2026? Yes, but differently. We unpack: * why “demagification” is happening fast * why AI literacy and enablement skills will become non-negotiable * and why next year’s hottest hire may be an AI Adoption & Enablement Lead — part educator, part translator, part cultural catalyst. If you’re responsible for capability, culture, transformation or creative output, this is essential listening. AI isn’t going away. It’s just stopped being magical. The work now is literacy, workflow design, culture and clarity. The cheat code people hoped for never materialised. So the learning begins. If you’ve been with us through all eight episodes — thank you. Season One was designed to cut through the noise and bring clarity, curiosity and a bit of courage back into the UK’s creative and tech world. We’ll see you in 2026 to find out if Dora will be eating her hat. — Olly & Lisa IS THIS AI?

Fear not, Creatives, AI comes in peace

This week on IS THIS AI?, we’re talking creativity, why 90% of everything is cr*p, and whether AI is here to help or to quietly remove you from your studio. We’re joined by Derek & Norts (The Peeps) who have been experimenting with machine learning and creativity since before AI tools got slick (and same-y). This conversation gets into the uncomfortable, strategic, and sometimes joyful reality of creative work alongside AI: where it’s useful, where it isn’t, and what still makes human creativity distinct.  Tune in for - 1. A more grounded take on the “AI is coming for your job” narrative. We talk honestly about where the pressure on creative roles is really coming from (hint: not the models), and what agency leaders need to plan for. 2. Where to start with AI and how to avoid the slop Practical ways to keep your work distinctive when the tools flatten taste and style. This is about creative judgement and filters—not prompts. 3. Where the real creative opportunity sits now. Why the interesting future is small, strange, hands-on, and niche. And why you should be looking for the things AI enables that were impossible before. Book tickets to the BIMA AI Roundtable with Be Kaler Pilgrim on AI & recruitment – 19 Nov, 10am UK: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/bima-ai-peer-network-roundtable-tickets-1870338014349

Computer says no: AI x recruitment.

This week, Olly and Lisa sit down with Be Kaler Pilgrim, a design and tech recruitment leader who has spent more than two decades helping creatives find their place in changing organisations.  We get honest about where the jobs have gone, how to get seen when robots are the first reader of your CV, and what soft skills genuinely look like in an AI workplace. As always, it's personal, practical and grounded in what is actually happening right now. Why listen? 1. Understand the real story behind the vanishing creative roles.  2. Learn how to get past automated gatekeepers. 3. Make peace with soft skills being hard to show, and find your way. Some things we took from our conversation with Be Kaler Pilgrim • Most companies don't actually know what “AI skills” are yet. Curiosity and fluency can help us stand out. Ditch the empty claims. • Hiring is slower, more stubborn and more competitive. We have to be resilient and ready to compete. • Communities matter more than ever. Let's not struggle alone. • Robots can filter keywords, but they cannot judge fit or values. Humans still hire humans, which is a relief to us. Tune in Whether you are hiring or you are trying to build a creative career in the UK, and want help to make sense of the changing rules. Find us Be Kaler Pilgrim: https://www.smithfieldsearch.com/#who Olly Veysey: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliverveysey/ Lisa Talia Moretti: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisataliamoretti/

AI slashes at all marketing skills and levels

This week, our guest Nathan Roach introduces a framework to identify the gaps and understand AI's role across all marketing skills and levels. Developing from the T-shaped marketer framework, this discussion touches on the importance of focusing on tasks, the risks of becoming caterpillars, and how the skills we already have are still our most valuable assets. Which is a relief for most of us.  Tune in for: 1. An explanation of how we can level up the T-shaped marketing framework. 2. Why we need to think about the relationship between tasks and skills, and also continue to protect and build on the fundamentals. 3. The dangers of "unearned knowledge" and why we should be cautious not to lose specialist expertise.  As ever, we get practical, personal and interested in how we move forward with AI by our side. Co-hosts Olly Veysey & Lisa Talia Moretti are joined by Marketing Director, Nathan Roach and Director of AI Strategy, Prateek Jain. Links: Leveling up the T-shaped Marketing Framework [https://bima.co.uk/leveling-up-the-t-shaped-marketing-framework/], Nathan S. Roach. AI, Talent & Trust: A Landmark Report on the Future of Marketing Leadership [https://www.adma.com.au/ai-report], ADMA Beyond Skills: Reengineering work [https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-we-need-beyond-skills-our-conversation-sap-siobhan-savage--w04fc/], Reejig CEO Siobhan Savage The hunt is on the Renaissance Man of computing [https://wow.agiledata.io/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/David-Guest-1991-The-hunt-is-on-for-the-Renaissance-Man-of-computing.pdf], King's College Professor Emeritus, David Guest

AI is not ready

Huge numbers of enterprise AI projects are failing. Allegedly. MIT recently published a report claiming that “despite $30–40 billion in enterprise investment into GenAI... 95% of organizations are getting zero return.” Amid the shock, excitement, eye rolls, and told-you-so's, hosts Lisa Talia Moretti & Oliver Veysey take a clear eyed look at what’s really going on behind the MIT stats. They are joined by fellow AI Council member, Tom Good, and Luke Alexander - Chief Digital & AI Officer for Four Agency Worldwide. 20 minutes packed with insights and practical ideas on everything from addressing AI fluency, embracing friction, and bringing our attention back to the people who matter most.