Madison Ave. leads with copywriting. AI finishes by laying off the temps.

(Originally published Aug. 19 in “What in the World“) The Mad Men are leading the march to AI.

According to a July industry report, nearly 90% of advertisers who spend over $1 million on digital video are either already using generative AI or plan to do so. Because why pay for a Don Draper when you can get ChatGPT to crank out your next car commercial for the cost of an old fashioned?

Beyond Madison Avenue, however, AI is still just catching on. Fresh U.S. Census Bureau data shows that 9% of companies are already using generative AI in producing goods or services.

AI is also starting to nibble at the job market. MIT’s new “State of AI in Business 2025” report, found that companies aren’t yet replacing employees with AI, but they are replacing the offshore workers that provide “business process outsourcing.” Doing so, MIT found, is saving companies between $2 million and $10 million in outsourcing costs.

Your boss isn’t replacing you with AI. Yet. But MIT estimates that 27% of jobs could eventually be replaced by AI.