The the Estonian Marketing Association (Eesti turundajate liit) noted cost savings is not always the main driver, but whatever the reasoning, AI should remain a tool and not an end in itself.

Supermarket Maxima runs around 300 campaigns a year which make use of AI. Its sales and marketing manager Jaanika Terasmaa said the technology allows ad agencies to bring hot ideas to meetings. "The agency comes to every meeting with a live idea, because it has been able to make quick clips of what a new advertising campaign could look like,"  Terasmaa told "Aktuaalne kaamera".

In any case, if agencies have been using AI, this has not been detrimental to campaigns, she went on.

"Unfortunately, or fortunately, an advertising agency is made up of people, so we don't recognize that from the price list, but we have been seeing better and more interesting quality in the content," Terasmaa added.

Kent Raju, creative director at Kala Ruudus, an advertising agency, said AI should remain a tool, not a final product. "We don't start by writing a command, but rather come up with an idea which is right for the brand," he said.

He criticised the use of AI for more simple tasks, such as restaurant menus, and which can be quite obvious. "I feel bad looking at the waste of artificial intelligence – material where restaurant menu pictures are taken with AI – for what purpose? You can take a real picture of real food, but it came with AI and it seems like the wrong choice."

Musician Mikk Saar said AI has created ads for events he has been a part of which have had defects, such as distorted faces or incorrect text, and he now wants to be consulted before ads get run. "A party won't be canceled, but if the poster is made with AI and everything is distorted, I won't be sharing it on social media – which means the organizer loses out. It doesn't match my brand image."

In any case, old‑fashioned advertising seems to be making a comeback. "It's become very popular to put out an ad and show that you actually made it," said Anniken Haldna, CEO of the marketing Association. This fact can get as many views as the ad itself, she added

The growing use of AI in advertising has also raised concerns about authenticity and trust. Studies cited by the association suggest that consumers are nowadays generally sceptical of AI‑generated ads, while experts warn that overuse could lead to a greater spread misinformation, as well as damaging companies' credibility. Creative professionals say the human perspective remains essential, with AI best employed as an aid rather than a replacement for human creativity.

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