"Robots Are Coming, But Not for Your Job… Yet" – Wesley Ter Haar’s Forecast on AI’s Quiet Disruption
Wesley ter Haar, founder of Monks (formerly Media Monks), doesn’t mince words when it comes to AI. Named
Adweek’s first-ever AI Agency of the Year, Monks is pushing boundaries in an industry that’s more comfortable riding hype cycles than actually delivering results. For Wesley, AI is the Mount Everest of opportunities—and possibly a few avalanches of risks.
Let’s dive
into his unfiltered take on what AI really means for creativity, jobs, and humanity. Spoiler: it’s not all shiny robots and poetic algorithms.
AI as a “Mount Rushmore-Level Transformation”
Forget your TikTok trends, your half-baked Web3 pipe dreams, and whatever
NFT-fueled nonsense someone’s still trying to make happen. Wesley ter Haar is here to tell you that AI is in a completely different league. "We saw this with mobile, with social, with programmatic. This is clearly at least as big as those moments," he said, with the kind of certainty that makes you want to sit up straight. And then came the kicker: "I suspect [AI is] quite a bit bigger."
Let that sink in. This isn’t just a seismic shift in the marketing landscape; it’s a tectonic plate cracking under your feet. Mobile changed the way we live. Social reshaped how we connect. Programmatic revolutionized how we buy ads. AI? AI is all that and then some—potentially re-engineering the way we think about creativity itself.
Wesley doesn’t have time for the kind of agencies that slap "AI-powered" on a pitch deck just to sound edgy. He’s laser-focused on separating substance from smoke and mirrors. His team’s mantra? “Is it real? And is it happening now?” Spoiler alert: the answers are yes and yes. AI isn’t just real—it’s redefining
the playbook in real time.
So what does "real" look like? It’s not a half-baked chatbot or an AI that spits out generic banner ads. It’s game-changing tools that elevate human creativity while pushing boundaries. It’s AI as a pitch partner, a brainstorming buddy, and
yes, a disruptor of traditional workflows. For Wesley, the challenge is clear: if your agency isn’t ready to embrace AI and figure out how it fits into your DNA, then you’re already falling behind.
"Time to buckle up—or get left in the digital dust," might as well be tattooed on the
walls at Monks. Because in Wesley’s eyes, the race isn’t coming—it’s already here. The winners will be the ones who grab the AI reins and ride this massive transformation straight into the future. Everyone else? Well, they’ll be left squabbling over whatever’s left of the TikTok trends.
The Frenemy Dynamic: Creativity Meets Chaos
For Wesley ter Haar, AI isn’t just a tool—it’s a creative powerhouse. "Right now, it’s a superpower for people in creative endeavors," he said. But don’t let that fool you into thinking it’s all sunshine and seamless collaboration. Wesley is quick to warn, "If you project outward five to ten years, it’s going to do some of the work we now so enjoy." Translation? AI isn’t gunning for your job just yet, but it’s definitely
scoping out your desk.
Imagine this: your AI pitch partner churns out 50 taglines before lunch, drafts five campaign strategies before you’ve had your second coffee, and never once complains about your indecisiveness. Sounds dreamy, right? But here’s the kicker: "You look at it and go,
'We’ve done worse.' That’s actually pretty strong," Wesley admitted, reflecting on an AI-built product demo that gave him pause. AI isn’t just pulling its weight—it’s starting to flex, and it’s flexing hard.
At Monks, AI isn’t just a passive tool; it’s an active collaborator. Wesley
called it "a co-pitching partner," describing how his team actively incorporates AI into their brainstorming sessions. Sometimes, they even compete with it. Yes, you read that right: Monks creatives go head-to-head with their AI counterpart to see who can pitch better. Spoiler alert? The machine occasionally snags the win.
But AI isn’t just about dazzling wins—it’s also a sharp tool for sharpening creative instincts. Wesley’s team uses it to "generate the 10 most stereotypical ideas for this brief," ensuring their human pitches steer clear of the cliché-filled landmines. AI becomes both collaborator and critic, a digital voice whispering, "Don’t even think about doing that."
In Wesley’s world, AI isn’t just transforming creativity—it’s challenging humans to rethink how they collaborate, innovate, and push boundaries. Genius? Absolutely. Terrifying? Only if you’re not paying attention.
AI: Between Sci-Fi and the Black Mirror Abyss
Wesley ter Haar isn’t losing sleep over apocalyptic AI scenarios. "A lot of the big doom scenarios feel a little too sci-fi to me," he remarked, casually swiping away the kind of fears that keep tech doomers up at night. But Wesley
isn’t naive about the challenges AI brings. His real concern lies closer to home: the slow, steady erosion of jobs.
"A relatively small but meaningful degradation of employment," he explained, "might happen across every type of role, every type of company, a little bit more every year."
It’s not about robots taking over en masse—it’s the gradual loss of roles, year after year, as AI quietly chips away at the workforce. The big question, as Wesley sees it, is whether new jobs will materialize fast enough to offset the losses. His answer? Probably not.
Then there’s the
ethical tightrope AI forces us to walk. Wesley’s real fear isn’t the rise of machines; it’s the rise of manipulative machines. "Machines that can barter, sell, and badger people into making wrong choices," he said, calling this "the real Black Mirror piece." The thought of AI-powered algorithms tuned to exploit human weaknesses isn’t just unsettling—it’s dystopian.
And what about synthetic humans? Wesley didn’t hold back: "That’s still dodgy," he said, signaling his skepticism about the ethical implications of creating digital people. While the tech industry charges forward, Wesley’s measured perspective serves as a reminder that just because we can build something, doesn’t mean we should.
Wesley isn’t playing Chicken Little, but his concerns are real. AI might not bring the sci-fi apocalypse, but its potential to disrupt jobs and exploit vulnerabilities could reshape society in ways we’re only beginning to understand. For Wesley, the question isn’t whether AI will change the world—it’s whether we’re ready for how it
does.
Ethics, Schmethics—Until It’s Your Dataset
Wesley doesn’t just dabble in AI ethics—he’s practically got a PhD in not crossing lines. Monks has implemented granular ethical guidelines that go beyond the generic “don’t be
evil” vibes. Their red flags? Dark patterns, targeting people at their weakest moments, and exploiting sensitive data. "That to me is the main dystopia," he said, calling out the industry’s creepier tendencies.
And what about synthetic campaigns, you ask? Fully AI-generated ads without
a single human touch? Wesley isn’t sold. "Pretty much every client wants people in the loop still," he said. Humanity: 1, Robots: 0—for now.
AI’s Reflection of Humanity: Warts and All
For Wesley ter Haar, AI is less a creator and more a mirror, reflecting everything we are—flaws
and all. "It just ingested all of our biases, and so it spits it back out," he explained, cutting to the uncomfortable truth at the heart of machine learning. AI doesn’t invent new perspectives; it regurgitates the collective consciousness we feed it, from the poetic to the problema
tic.
"It
becomes this collective consciousness," Wesley observed, offering a view that’s both profound and unsettling. In his eyes, AI is neither inherently good nor evil—it’s a high-definition reflection of humanity. Whether that reflection leans more toward Maya Angelou or the script of a Black Mirror episode remains to be seen.
This insight isn’t just philosophical—it’s a challenge. If AI amplifies what it’s taught, the responsibility falls squarely on us to teach it well. Left unchecked, those warts—our biases, our blind spots—will only grow larger, magnified by the algorithms we rely on. Wesley’s take is a sobering reminder: AI is only as good as the humanity it reflects.
Final Thoughts: AI as Opportunity (and Comedy Gold)
Wesley’s view on AI is refreshingly grounded. He doesn’t see it as the messiah of marketing—or the harbinger of doom. For him, it’s both a tool to elevate creativity and a reality check for an industry addicted to shortcuts.
When asked if humanity is ready for an AI-dominated future, Wesley deadpanned, "That was my hope for the internet as well, and we all saw how that played out." Touché.
As for Monks, their strategy is clear: be fast, be first, and be ethical. If Wesley has his way, AI will shape not just ads, but entire industries—and he’s just getting started.
So, whether AI turns out to be a savior or saboteur, one thing’s for
sure: it’s going to be one hell of a ride. Just ask the guy who sent a chicken sandwich to space.
