Agencies understand the disruption.
New channels. New platforms. New tools. New customer expectations. For those of us who work, or have worked, in agencies, we feel it. We have adapted time and time again, often faster than our customers.
But artificial intelligence is different.
AI isn’t just another capability to integrate into your technology stack or a way to cut down on the time you spend in your current workflow. It is a force that is reshaping how value is created across industries and roles, especially professional services.
Right now, many agencies are using AI to work faster. This is a smart place to start. But this is not where the story ends.
Because the agencies that win in the next decade won’t use AI to improve what already exists. They will use it to reimagine what is possible.
Why is Improving AI only the first chapter?
Most organizations approach AI through a familiar lens:
- Workflow automation
- Reducing costs
- Increase productivity
These gains are real. And necessary.
But it’s also temporary.
When everyone has access to similar AI tools, efficiency becomes less important. Speed becomes the baseline. Equivalent cost savings. For agencies, this raises a much bigger question:
If AI can help speed up and reduce the cost of the services we sell, what exactly will we sell next?
This is where the conversation needs to shift from improvement to innovation.
From doing the same work faster to creating new value
AI is already reshaping how organizations:
- Communication and selling
- Design products and services
- Recruiting, training and developing talent
- Strategy building and resource allocation
For agencies, this opens the door to entirely new possibilities:
- New service lines powered by artificial intelligence
- AI-powered customer experiences
- Special tools, platforms or IP
- New pricing models and revenue streams
AI is not just a way to improve margins; It’s a way to expand the role agencies play in their clients’ growth.
But accessing this potential requires more than just experimenting with tools. It requires leadership, intent, and a clear framework for innovation.
What should agency leaders ask now?
At this moment, agency leaders are navigating a mixture of excitement and uncertainty.
You may ask:
- Where should (and shouldn’t) we invest in AI?
- How do we avoid chasing every new tool while still moving fast enough?
- What skills will our teams need 12, 24 or 36 months from now?
- How do we innovate responsibly, without putting our customers or employees at risk?
These are leading questions. Not artistic.
These are exactly the questions that Paul Reutzer addresses in his upcoming keynote at AI Summit for Agencies.
A framework for the growth of AI-driven agencies
And in his session, “The AI Innovation Imperative for Agencies: From Improvement to Exponential Growth” Paul provides an executive-level perspective on where AI is headed and what it means for agencies specifically.
Drawing on his experience as an agency founder and AI educator, Paul will explain how agency leaders can:
- Identify and prioritize AI-based innovation opportunities Across services, operations and go-to-market strategies
- Interpreting key AI trends Shaping the near-term future and understanding which ones actually matter
- Creating the right conditions for AI-driven innovation, including:
- Developing talents and skills
- Governance and ethical barriers
- Large-scale experimentation and implementation
The goal is not to chase the latest gadgets. It’s to build artificial Intelligence Forward Agency, A system that can adapt faster, innovate smarter, and create new value for customers.
Why is this important now?
Artificial intelligence capabilities are advancing at an extraordinary pace. The window for experimentation closes, and the era of implementation begins.
Agencies that treat AI as a side project risk being left behind. Agencies that treat it as a core strategic capability must redefine their future.
As Paul said recently Share LinkedIn:
“Many marketing agencies are at a crossroads. AI threatens to disrupt traditional service and pricing models, while presenting new growth opportunities for companies that can reimagine their businesses and help clients drive AI transformation.”
This is not fear mongering. It is a call to leadership.
Join the conversation at the AI for Agencies Summit
Paul Reutzer will deliver this keynote at AI Summit for AgenciesA Free virtual event Designed for agency leaders and practitioners who want to move beyond experimentation toward real, sustainable growth.
- February 12
- Free registration
- hypothetical
Register to attend the AI for Agencies Summit
The questions posed in this session are questions that every agency leader should be thinking about right now.
Learn more from Paul
Listen to Paul and Mike and subscribe to The Artificial Intelligence Show podcast.
Listen to Paul’s opening remarks at MAICON 2025
About Paul Reutzer
Paul Reutzer is the founder and CEO of SmarterX and Marketing Institute for Artificial Intelligencewhere he leads efforts to accelerate AI literacy and human-centered AI transformation in enterprises.
He is the co-author of Marketing artificial intelligencecreator of the Marketing AI Conference (MAICON), and co-host of the popular podcast Artificial Intelligence Exhibition. Through the SmarterX AI Academy, Paul has helped tens of thousands of professionals learn how to apply AI responsibly and strategically.
Before founding the Marketing AI Institute, Paul launched PR agency 20/20 – HubSpot’s first partner agency – which he sold in 2021 after establishing it as a leader in the digital marketing space.
This unique combination of agency experience and AI leadership gives Paul a practical, story-driven approach to helping organizations rethink business models, reinvent industries, and build for what’s next.
About the AI for Agencies Summit
the AI Summit for Agencies It brings together agency leaders and practitioners to explore how AI is reshaping agency models, services, and growth.
Want to hear from Paul and five other agency leaders? Sign up for free, virtually AI Summit for Agencies 2026scheduled to be held on February 12, 2026.
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