Daring Creativity. Daring Forever.

Episode Title: "Remember that we will always be human" (Vikki Ross bonus episode)
Host: Radim Malinic
Guest: Vikki Ross
Date: October 30, 2025

Episode Overview

This bonus episode of Daring Creativity revisits key insights from a recent deep-dive with Vikki Ross, a global tone of voice specialist renowned for her clarity on human creativity in the age of AI. Together, Radim and Vikki explore AI’s impact on creative industries, the essential value of human connection in brand communication, and why creators must remember their unique worth in the noise of technological disruption.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Humanity vs. AI in Communication

• Vikki’s Core Message: AI may be “good enough”—but it can never be truly human.

  "We've just got to remember that we will always be human and AI will never be human, and so it will never be able to talk to another human in a way that will be truly meaningful to someone." – Vikki Ross [00:47]

• AI lacks lived human experience, empathy born from real struggles, and the emotional intelligence crucial for genuine, resonant communication.
• Brands risk reducing relationships with customers to mere transactions if they optimize for “good enough” rather than emotionally rich, human-driven storytelling.

2. The AI Panic and Media's Role

• Vikki highlights the damaging “noise” of panic-driven headlines about AI replacing creatives.

  “I find it irresponsible and insane that the industry publications run headlines like AI is going to wipe out creativity because who is that help? It's not helping anybody and it's unfounded.” – Vikki Ross [03:06]

• Radim shares a staggering statistic: 95% of AI implementations have failed to bring real value, underlining that the fear of replacement is often overblown. [04:36]
• Sensational headlines stoke anxiety, misinform clients, and can create a self-fulfilling prophecy, harming both creative professionals’ mental health and business decision-making.

3. The Power (and Ignorance) of Social Listening

• Vikki advocates using organic, unsolicited audience feedback from social channels as a “free focus group at your fingertips.”

  “You can see what your audience is, as I say, thinking and feeling at any point. So to ignore them when they're expressing themselves without you asking them to is foolish.” – Vikki Ross [06:51]

• Brands often waste resources on formal research while neglecting these real-time, authentic insights, which are essential to meaningful brand voices.
• The most effective copy comes from reflecting, not imposing—a brand must speak in a voice that resonates with lived audience experience.

4. Reframing the AI ‘Threat’ to Creativity

• Revisiting her 2019 conference talk, “The Robots Aren’t Coming,” Vikki reiterates that AI still can’t create impactful adverts or copy like real people—and likely never will.

  “Six years in AI years is like 5,000 lifetime. We're not there yet. I just don't. I just can't see that it's going to completely take over. It's just not good enough.” – Vikki Ross [08:50]

• Clients currently choosing AI over humans tend to be those who already undervalued creative craft, treating copy as a commodity—even before AI became widespread.
• The AI era has simply made the market’s divide clearer: those who value authenticity and excellence, and those satisfied with "good enough."

5. A Mindset Shift for Creatives

• Creative professionals shouldn’t fear AI displacing them but rather focus on serving clients who appreciate quality, empathy, and human insight.
• Radim and Vikki agree: Knowing your worth and concentrating on what only humans can offer is a necessity—now more than ever.

  “Know your worth. When you're excellent at what you do, serve clients who appreciate the excellence. You're not competing with good enough. You're operating with different category entirely.” – Radim Malinic [09:56]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Limits of AI:
  “AI can only do that at a surface level. So yeah, I think everyone needs to calm down on whether AI is good or not. It is good. It's fine, it's good enough. But who wants good enough?”
  – Vikki Ross [00:47]

• On Responsibility in Media:
  “Industry publications have a responsibility to inform rather than sensationalize. When they prioritize engagement over accuracy, they contribute to mental health crisis among creatives, distort market perceptions, and undermine the very industry they claim to serve.”
  – Radim Malinic [04:36]

• On Market Clarity:
  “Clients that do think it's good enough, they were writing their own copy or didn't value copy or didn't know what good copy looked like before the whole AI noise came about. So we didn't want to work for them or we weren't working for them anyway.”
  – Vikki Ross [08:50]

Timestamps for Major Segments

• [00:47] – Vikki Ross on why AI will never replicate genuine human communication.
• [03:06] – Critique of AI panic and media-generated fear among creatives.
• [04:36] – Discussion of failed AI implementations and the harmful consequences of media sensationalism.
• [06:51] – The importance of listening to what audiences are already saying online.
• [08:50] – Reflection on the AI narrative: how clients who undervalue creativity are not a new problem.
• [09:56] – Radim summarizes the key shift: focusing on excellence and human value in the face of automation.

Summary Takeaway

This episode is a powerful, reassuring exploration of creativity’s undefinable human edge. In a world rattled by AI hype, Vikki Ross and Radim Malinic champion empathy, emotional intelligence, and listening as irreplaceable creative tools. Their message to listeners: Don’t let fear distract you from your worth. The future belongs to creators who dare to show up—imperfectly, but unmistakably human.