AI gets a lot of hype. In agency and client work, we have seen it help in some places and fall flat in others. Here is an honest take on where it added value and where it did not - and how that shapes the way we sell AI prototyping versus a full production build.
Where AI helped
Drafting and summarising: First drafts of copy, meeting notes, and summaries of long documents. Not final-word quality, but a real time-saver when you edit and fact-check.
Routine classification: Tagging, categorising and routing content or tickets. When the rules are clear, a small model or script can do the first pass.
Research and ideation: Quick exploration of a topic, competitor angles or "what if" scenarios. Good for sparking ideas; you still need to validate and refine.
Code and scripts: Boilerplate, one-off scripts and repetitive dev tasks. Again, with review - it is a productivity boost, not a replacement for judgement.
Clickable prototypes: Fast explorations of a journey or feature before anyone commits to production. That is the useful version of an AI website redesign: prove the idea, then build properly.
Where it didn't
Client-facing final copy: Tone and brand matter. AI output often sounds generic or off; it needs heavy editing. For anything that goes straight to the client, we still write or heavily revise.
Decisions that need context: Resourcing, prioritisation, "is this done?" - those need human context. AI can suggest, but it does not know your team or your client.
Highly regulated or sensitive work: Where accuracy and accountability are critical, we do not let AI drive the answer. We might use it to draft or research, then we own the outcome.
When a simple rule works: Sometimes the best "automation" is a clear checklist or a few if/then rules. Adding a model is overkill. That is often a process problem, which sits with agency process consulting.
Takeaway
Use AI where it adds leverage: drafting, summarising, classification, research, boilerplate, prototypes. Do not use it where judgement, brand or accountability matter most without human review. And do not assume every problem needs AI - often the fix is process, clarity or a simple script.
If you want to prototype AI in your workflow, we can help: AI prototyping. If the real issue is how pitches and handovers move through the team, start with process, not another tool.