AI Will Reshape Advertising, Not Replace Creative Agencies -ARCON DG
The Director-General of the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON), Dr Olalekan Fadolapo, has called for stronger safeguards around the use of artificial intelligence in advertising, saying the technology will reshape the industry but cannot replace creative agencies or human ingenuity.
Fadolapo spoke at the 2026 Annual Brands and Marketing Conference, organised by the Brand Journalists Association of Nigeria (BJAN) in Lagos. The conference’s theme was “Advertising in Nigeria and AI: Who Needs Creative Agencies Anyways?”
He said advertising had experienced significant change over the years, while creative agencies had continued to adapt and remain relevant. AI, he suggested, should be viewed as another stage in that evolution.
“AI is not a challenge alone. It is how we are able to manage it,” he said.
While AI can produce campaign ideas, images, voices and other creative assets in seconds, Fadolapo said human insight, originality and strategic thinking would continue to distinguish professional advertising from machine-generated content.
He also highlighted ethical and regulatory concerns linked to AI-generated images and voices. Manipulating someone’s likeness or voice for an advertisement without their knowledge or consent, he warned, could create the false impression that they endorse a product, service or message.
“You can’t put AI on a free move,” he said, calling for a robust regulatory framework and appropriate safeguards for the technology’s use in advertising.
Fadolapo noted that the advertising business model had evolved, with functions once concentrated in traditional agencies developing into specialised areas such as media, public relations and activation. AI, he said, was likely to accelerate that shift and prompt agencies to reassess how they create value for brands and consumers.
He encouraged practitioners to use AI to improve efficiency, support data-driven decision-making and strengthen campaign quality while maintaining professional and ethical standards. The future of advertising, he said, should be viewed not as a contest between people and machines, but as a partnership in which technology supports human imagination and strategic thinking.
Fadolapo commended BJAN for providing a platform for dialogue and collaboration across the media, marketing and communications sectors. He also urged brand journalists to maintain accuracy, professionalism and credibility as advertising, journalism, public relations and technology increasingly intersect.
The conference brought together practitioners, government representatives and media professionals to discuss AI’s impact on Nigeria’s advertising and brand communications ecosystem. Fadolapo said responsible adoption of the technology could strengthen the country’s creative economy, improve its competitiveness and contribute to economic growth.
