How We’re Actually Using AI at DS (And What We’re Not Buying Into)
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How We’re Actually Using AI at DS (And What We’re Not Buying Into)
If you’ve scrolled LinkedIn lately, you’ve noticed: AI isn’t some freaky sci-fi future anymore. It’s running in your inbox, your CRM, your Spotify queue. And brands aren’t dipping toes in—they’re all in.
According to McKinsey, 78% of companies are using AI in at least one business function. Meanwhile, Big Tech is poised to drop over $320 billion on AI next year. That’s not a trend. That’s a business model shift. And a global-average 66% of leaders say they wouldn’t even hire someone who wasn’t proficient in using AI.
We use AI at DS, too, because it helps us move faster, test smarter, and scale what works. But speed is only valuable if you’re still steering.
The ethical risk isn’t that AI makes things too easy; it’s that it makes the wrong things feel efficient. Replicated ideas. Misaligned messaging. Work that skips the hard thinking.
We don’t use AI to skip steps. We use it to spend more time on the steps that matter.
I sat down with a few folks across our teams to get specific about the tools we’re using, the ones we’ve scrapped, and how we keep the “sense” in Designsensory with firsthand answers from:
- Jessica Thompson (Media Director)
- Chris Cable (VP, Creative)
- Stephan Zerambo (VP, Interactive)
- Hunter Foster (VP, Media + Comms)
What AI tools do you and your team use directly?
Jessica
“ChatGPT. Some of our team uses it to reword clunky sentences or proof short blocks of copy—just as a second set of eyes, not the lead author. It’s helpful for making sure a paragraph holds up or flows the way we want.”
Chris
“We use a handful of tools to speed up concepting and kill busywork.”
- ChatGPT / Gemini – For brainstorming, writing drafts, tone/voice calibration
- DALL·E / Midjourney – For early-stage visual concepts and moodboards
- Firefly / Adobe Sensei – For auto-masking, background removal, content-aware fills
- “Right now, we’re experimenting with Sora for video comps. Still unpredictable, but interesting.”
“The throughline is speed. These tools help us skip the friction and get to the good stuff.”
Stephan
“On the interactive team, ChatGPT’s a go-to for dev help. Think: debugging, quick code stubs, ‘What’s causing this React hydration issue?’ Copilot helps generate test cases, scaffold components, even translate data formats. It’s not perfect, but it gets us 90% of the way, which saves a ton of time.”
- Sentry flags bugs and suggests likely root causes
- Gemini is creeping into Google Workspace for quick replies, summaries, and content blocks
- Jasper + Grammarly help with quick content edits outside of dev
What tools have AI baked in—even if you’re not prompting it directly?
Even if you’re not directly asking something like ChatGPT to write stuff, it turns out AI is way more mixed into our everyday tech than most people realize.
Jessica
“Meta has AI that can auto-generate ad versions by swapping creative elements, but we don’t use it much. We want more control.”
Chris
“Figma’s starting to roll out AI features like wireframe generation and copy suggestions. Haven’t gone deep yet, but it’s promising. And Adobe Creative Suite is full of Firefly integrations now; it’s low-key making everything faster.”
Stephan
“GA4 surfaces trends. WordPress and HubSpot suggest AI-powered content ideas. Figma’s getting smarter. These invisible upgrades aren’t game-changing individually, but they’re stacking up to improve efficiency.”
Any tools you’re watching that could shift how your team works?
Jessica
“Copy.ai could be huge for paid search. We need dozens of headlines and descriptions quickly. It could cut down manual writing time big time.”
Chris
- Artlist.io for AI voiceover—great when we need quick-turn video
- Kaiber / Pika / Wonder Studio for faster motion design workflows
- “We’re watching Sora for campaign storyboarding, but it’s not there yet.”
Stephan
- Maze / PlaybookUX: AI-powered user testing
- ElevenLabs: Synthesized voice for accessibility prototypes
- “Some tools are starting to make stack-aware dev suggestions, not just snippets. That’s big.”
Where does AI still fall short?
Jessica
“It can’t own anything. It’s helpful at the start or middle of a task, but it’s not built for the finish line.”
Chris
“It doesn’t understand timing, taste, or tone. It can’t feel the nuance in a brand’s voice. And clients aren’t prompts, they’re people. AI doesn’t read the room.”
Stephan
“AI outputs aren’t production-ready. Code still needs validation. Brand still needs consistency. Strategy still needs a brain. We don’t let tools do the work of thinking.”
Excitements and hesitations?
Jessica
“Excited about how it could streamline media processes. Cautious about job impacts. Automation cuts steps, but it can also cut people.”
Chris
“It’s a creative accelerator. We’re faster, more personalized, and more experimental. But if everyone uses the same tools the same way, we risk sameness. Our edge comes from how we use it, not that we use it.”
Stephan
“Excited to spend less time on repetitive dev work. Concerned about overtrusting outputs that ‘feel’ right but aren’t. And yes, we’re watching ethical concerns and data handling closely, especially in client work.”
Bonus: Hunter on AI in Social
Hunter Foster
“Sora’s great for fast social content; it lets us skip steps without losing sharpness. Claid.ai handles visual placement with precision, and Premiere Pro’s generative tools like Remix and Extend have totally changed how we edit. The AI built into Meta and Google Ads is powerful, but we use it selectively. We want to steer the strategy ourselves.”
What This Means for You
AI isn’t here to replace us. It’s here to pressure-test us. To force better questions, sharper thinking, and more responsible output.
We use AI to make the work faster, not cheaper. Smarter,not soulless. It’s a tool, not a substitute. And we hold it to the same standard we hold ourselves: it has to serve the strategy, not distract from it.
The ethical line isn’t whether you use AI. It’s how. Are you chasing shortcuts? Or are you clearing space to go deeper?
At DS, we’re not just keeping pace. We’re making sure every prompt, every output, and every idea still leads somewhere original.
If you’re figuring out where AI fits in your brand’s process, let’s talk about what better looks like.
Start here →
