Our Future Leaders programme has been developed over several years to provide insight, inspiration, and practical takeaways for Members aspiring to senior roles within our industry.

As part of the 2026 programme, we are delighted to announce our next Future Leaders event.

AI is changing how marketing work is planned, created, reviewed and delivered. But the real opportunity is not simply to make more, faster. It is to use AI in a way that protects and strengthens the human capacities that great work depends on: judgement, creativity, taste and relationships.

In short, using AI to think more, not less.

In this session, David Craik (founder and CEO) and Darran Barton (Client Partner for Innovation and Interactive) from Bright Signals will explore a human-centred approach to AI in marketing. Looking at how future leaders can stay grounded in human judgement while using AI to improve the quality of their thinking, decision-making and creative output.

The session will combine practical examples, agency-side learning and an interactive element designed to help participants think differently about AI and the future of marketing.

What we’ll cover:

 - What might the AI future look like? What do we mean by human-centred AI?

 - A practical framework for making better AI decisions, including legal and policy boundaries, brand values, client and audience context, transparency, and safe use of tools.

 - Judgement, quality and fidelity.

 - An interactive exercise: from human embodiment to creative empowerment.

By the end of the session, participants should leave with:

 - A clearer understanding of why human judgement matters more as AI becomes increasingly capable.

 - A practical way to think about when and how to use AI in marketing work.

 - Practical techniques around using AI to improve quality, clarity and creative thinking.

 - Confidence to question AI use, not just accept it.