Smartly CEO Urged Agency Workforce AI Transformation
CEO Laura Desmond called for comprehensive media reskilling to bridge the growing gap between marketing budgets and AI output.
Updated on Sept. 22, 2026 in Artificial Intelligence
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Smartly CEO Laura Desmond has called for a major transformation of agency workforces to meet the demands of artificial intelligence. The expansion comes as marketing organizations struggle to align massive financial investments with mature AI execution.
Why it matters
AI implementation has introduced significant complexity, creating a measurable gap between marketing spending and operational results. Agencies must now reskill traditional media practitioners to master the new technical requirements of the sector.
Chief marketing officers currently allocate an average of 15.3% of their budgets to AI technology. While this spending grows, only 30% of marketing organizations report having mature or fully developed AI readiness.
The players
Laura Desmond
She is the CEO of Smartly and previously served at Publicis Groupe for over 27 years.
Smartly
This is a technology company that recently opened a new hub in Mexico City to focus on AI and connected TV.
The details
Agencies are encouraged to leverage their existing institutional knowledge of brands and consumers to better navigate complex technology providers. To support this growth, Smartly has opened a new hub in Mexico City specifically to enhance its AI and connected TV offerings.
Timeline
Mid-2000s: The advertising industry pivoted from traditional media to digital platforms.
September 22, 2026: Article published regarding agency AI talent transformation.
The Tech Race
This push for AI reskilling follows a pattern set by the industrys mid-2000s pivot from traditional media to digital workflows. As agencies replace legacy systems with AI-driven models, the competition for specialized talent and technical infrastructure continues to escalate.
Consumers may notice shifts in how brands interact with them as agencies finalize their transition toward AI-optimized campaigns. These organizational changes are designed to bridge the gap between marketing budgets and the quality of the personalized content users see online.
The takeaway
The move toward AI-centric agency models suggests that technical literacy will soon become as critical as traditional media buying experience. Agencies that successfully reskill their staff are positioning themselves to better manage the complexity of modern marketing platforms.
Further reading
Learn more about the latest developments in Artificial Intelligence.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Beet.TV - The Root to the Media Revolution.
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