Gerety Awards Brings Creative Leaders Together in Paris to Debate Who Owns the Idea in the Age of AI

Nov. 02, 2026

The Gerety Awards will bring Paris's creative community together on November 5 for an evening celebrating the 2026 Gerety Awards winners, alongside a Gerety Talk exploring one of the most pressing questions facing the creative industry today: who owns the idea when artificial intelligence becomes part of the creative process?

Hosted at Mathematic Studio, the panel discussion, "The New Creative Power Struggle: Who Owns the Idea in the Age of AI?", will bring together leaders from across advertising, creative production, digital strategy and brand communications to examine how artificial intelligence is challenging traditional ideas of authorship, originality and creative ownership.

As AI becomes increasingly integrated into the development of campaigns, from initial concepts and scripts to visuals, editing and final films, the boundaries between human creativity and machine-generated content are becoming increasingly blurred.

The discussion will explore the shifting balance of power between agencies, production companies, clients and technology, examining who deserves creative credit, who holds responsibility for the final work and how the relationships that underpin the creative industry may evolve.

When AI contributes to an idea, who can claim ownership? How should agencies and production partners navigate copyright, transparency and client expectations? Does AI challenge the value of human creativity, or does it make creative judgment and originality more important than ever?

And perhaps the most provocative question of all: if a machine helps create an award-winning campaign, who should stand on stage to accept the award?

The panel will feature:

Rebecca Rice, Executive Creative Producer/Partner, Mathematic Studio. Bringing a perspective from the world of creative production and visual storytelling, Rebecca will explore how AI is changing production workflows, creative collaboration and the relationship between agencies, directors and production partners, raising questions about where creative ownership begins and ends.
Sébastien Zanini, Chief Creative Officer, DENTSU CREATIVE France. Bringing a creative leadership perspective, Sébastien will examine how AI is influencing the development of ideas, the role of human judgment in an increasingly automated creative process and what originality means when technology can generate content at scale.
Chrystele Velayoudon, Head of Strategies, VML Paris. Bringing a strategic perspective on the relationship between brands, creativity and technology, Chrystele will examine how agencies and clients can navigate the opportunities and responsibilities of AI while protecting the value of original thinking and meaningful creative ideas.

The Gerety Talk forms part of the Gerety Awards' ongoing programme of international events, bringing creative communities together to celebrate outstanding work and explore the ideas and challenges shaping the future of advertising.

The evening will also celebrate the French winners of the 2026 Gerety Awards, recognising creative excellence from around the world and providing an opportunity for agencies, brands, production companies and creative leaders to connect over drinks.