Levelling up creativity with AI
The The Star Malaysia article “Levelling up creativity with AI” highlights a push within Malaysia’s advertising and marketing sector to embrace artificial intelligence (AI) as a tool for strategic growth and creative innovation, not just cost-cutting. With the government allocating RM 5.9 billion in Budget 2026 to strengthen AI capabilities and digital infrastructure, the message to industry leaders is that AI must be used to elevate creative output and business expansion rather than simply improve productivity.
At a Malaysian Advertisers Association (MAA) event, speakers stressed that companies should shift focus from AI’s ability to automate repetitive tasks toward its potential to enhance strategic planning and creative direction. Demonstrations included how AI can produce highly tailored marketing content at scale, enabling brands to localise campaigns for distinct audiences without large budgets.
Experts also showcased “Pirate Queen: Zheng Yi Sao”, billed as the world’s first AI-generated feature film released in cinemas, as an example of innovative creative production that challenges traditional workflows and inspires experimentation. Industry leaders argued that AI should support human talent by freeing up creative professionals to focus on higher-level work, not replace them.
Across discussions, AI was portrayed as essential for future competitiveness, enabling faster content generation, personalised campaigns, and new forms of creative expression while also requiring investment in upskilling and responsible adoption.
