Listen to this Post
Introduction
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer just a support tool—it is becoming a partner in shaping ideas, strategies, and even creativity itself. In Japan, Dentsu Group, one of the largest advertising and communications conglomerates in the world, has taken a major step by announcing “AI For Growth 2.0”. This initiative, unveiled in May 2025, aims to merge human expertise with AI-driven systems to enhance market research, creative output, and innovation. What makes this move particularly striking is not only the scale—AI personas representing up to 100 million people—but also the ambition to replicate and learn from the thinking styles of top creators inside Dentsu.
To explore the impact of this strategy, Dentsu’s Susumu Namikawa spoke with IT critic and thought leader Kazuhiro Ohara. Their dialogue sheds light on the future of AI in advertising, revealing both its promises and its challenges.
the Original
Dentsu Group, through its companies Dentsu Research Institute, Dentsu Inc., Dentsu Digital, and Ignition Point, announced a new AI strategy titled “AI For Growth 2.0” in May 2025. The initiative introduces two groundbreaking tools:
- People Model – A system that can create AI-driven personas of up to 100 million people. By using these personas, companies can conduct large-scale virtual surveys and simulate consumer behavior, giving marketers instant access to insights without traditional fieldwork.
-
Creative Thinking Model – An AI trained on the creative processes, knowledge, and decision-making methods of Dentsu’s leading creators. This AI doesn’t just automate tasks—it mimics the way top professionals think, enabling it to generate innovative visuals and creative concepts.
The overarching goal of these models is to redefine advertising and marketing. Instead of relying solely on historical data or external trend analysis, these tools allow Dentsu to generate living, evolving market insights and creative strategies.
During the conversation, Namikawa emphasized that AI should not be treated as a mechanical assistant but rather as a colleague in “on-the-job training” (OJT). By exposing AI to real-world problems and integrating it into workflows, the system becomes smarter and more adaptable.
Ohara highlighted that this approach could revolutionize advertising, especially since traditional surveys and research methods are costly and time-consuming. With AI personas, feedback becomes nearly instantaneous. However, he also noted risks: the possibility of over-relying on simulations instead of real human input, and the ethical issues tied to modeling large-scale consumer behavior.
Ultimately, both experts agreed that AI could expand creativity rather than replace it, provided it is developed responsibly and in partnership with human talent.
What Undercode Say:
The unveiling of AI For Growth 2.0 signals a turning point for the advertising industry. What stands out is not just the scale of the People Model or the sophistication of the Creative Thinking Model, but the cultural shift in how companies perceive AI.
Dentsu is not merely using AI to automate repetitive tasks. Instead, it is positioning AI as an apprentice, capable of learning the “Dentsu way” of creativity and strategy. This mindset is fundamentally different from many global competitors, who often view AI as a cost-cutting tool.
The People Model is particularly disruptive. Imagine a marketer who, instead of commissioning a nationwide survey, can instantly simulate the opinions of 10 million Japanese consumers—or even expand it to global demographics. This doesn’t just save time; it accelerates innovation cycles, letting brands test ideas, slogans, or campaigns before they ever reach the public. Yet, one must ask: how accurate are these simulations? Even the most advanced persona modeling cannot perfectly capture cultural nuances, emotional shifts, or unpredictable consumer behavior.
The Creative Thinking Model goes a step further, raising deeper philosophical questions. If an AI can learn how a human creative director thinks, at what point does the line between originality and replication blur? Are we celebrating creativity, or are we codifying and reproducing it? Still, in practice, this tool could democratize access to high-level creative thought. Smaller teams or new entrants into the industry could leverage AI-generated ideas that reflect the wisdom of Dentsu’s most seasoned professionals.
There is also a potential global ripple effect. If successful, this model could push Western advertising giants like WPP, Publicis, or Omnicom to develop similar AI systems, leading to a new era where ad agencies compete not only on human talent but also on the sophistication of their AI “creative colleagues.”
Another important layer is ethics and trust. Consumers may grow wary if they feel campaigns are generated entirely by machines rather than human intuition. Transparency—acknowledging when AI contributes to creative work—may become essential to maintaining brand credibility.
From a market perspective, AI For Growth 2.0 could reshape how campaigns are tested, refined, and launched. Instead of lengthy planning cycles, AI-driven insights could compress timelines dramatically, enabling real-time campaign evolution. This speed may redefine what “responsive advertising” means, pushing companies to adjust not just monthly but daily or even hourly.
In conclusion, while the opportunities are vast, the success of Dentsu’s vision will depend on balance. AI must remain a partner, not a master. The most powerful ads will likely emerge from the intersection of AI’s predictive capability and human emotional intelligence.
🔍 Fact Checker Results
✅ Dentsu did announce “AI For Growth 2.0” in May 2025.
✅ The People Model and Creative Thinking Model are real components of this initiative.
❌ No evidence yet of real-world deployment at full 100 million-person scale; this remains a projection.
📊 Prediction
In the next three years, Dentsu’s AI For Growth 2.0 will likely push Japan to the forefront of AI-driven advertising. Other global firms will rush to adopt similar persona-based models, but cultural alignment and consumer trust will determine success. By 2028, hybrid campaigns—where AI drafts ideas and humans refine them—could become the industry norm, setting a new standard for creativity worldwide.
🕵️📝✔️Let’s dive deep and fact‑check.
References:
Reported By: xtechnikkeicom_a838c4f453fb784683cc5da5
Extra Source Hub:
https://stackoverflow.com
Wikipedia
OpenAi & Undercode AI
Image Source:
Unsplash
Undercode AI DI v2
🔐JOIN OUR CYBER WORLD [ CVE News • HackMonitor • UndercodeNews ]
📢 Follow UndercodeNews & Stay Tuned:
𝕏 formerly Twitter 🐦 | @ Threads | 🔗 Linkedin | 🦋BlueSky | 🐘Mastodon
