With the Cannes Lions tightening their AI rules this year, German marketing publication Werben und Verkaufen asked industry experts for their take on the new disclosure requirements. Here's what WongDoody's Dennis Dünnwald, Senior Vice President Marketing Solutions, had to say: 

"At first glance, the new Cannes documentation requirement seems like festival bureaucracy. In reality, it’s what many marketing organizations lack in their day-to-day operations.

"AI is often sold as a production engine—faster, cheaper, more variations. But the real pain point for CMOs lies elsewhere. Brands lose their distinctive voice overtime. Every agency brings its own style, every unit its own tone, every quarter a new idea—until recognition becomes a matter of luck.

"AI exacerbates this effect when it merely cranks up output. It helps when it does the opposite. It’s not about even more content, but rather about which messages fit the brand and which do not. What is fact and what is interpretation—and who is accountable for it.

"The crucial question, therefore, is not whether AI must be disclosed. What matters is whether companies can transparently explain and take responsibility for the decisions and results generated by AI. Cannes is the litmus test. Everyday life is the stage. It requires just a few rules, clearly documented. And then maximum creative freedom."

100%, Dennis! We live in fascinating times. And calling the sweet spot between creativity and technology home, creating with the best of both, is a wonderful place to be.

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Read more in W&V