By: Mazen Jawad, CEO, Horizon Holdings

AInflation to AIuthenticity

2025 was the year of AInflation. We saw AI scan and analyze data at scale, track behavior to personalize communication, replicate and multiply creative assets, and programmatically automate media buying and placement—all in the name of agility, speed, performance, and sales.

In 2026, AI will become even more deeply embedded in our lives. It will further assist in identifying, generating, and automating creative and media solutions. We’re already witnessing AI generation in action—enhancing and duplicating content creators and celebrities who have long played a critical role in influencing choices and shaping trust.

This is where a crucial shift is needed.

Today, we must embrace a human-first AI approach—one that creates or preserves the emotional and human connections at risk of erosion. Consumer sentiment is constantly evolving and may shift even faster when audiences can no longer distinguish what is real and authentic; otherwise this is when human skepticism follows.

Blending the efficiency of technology with authentic creativity and strong brand values is no longer optional. It is essential to maintain the authenticity, transparency, connection, engagement, and loyalty we build on behalf of our clients’ brands—especially as we continue to integrate creators and influencers into the ecosystem.

At the same time, we need clearer guidelines and regulations to disclose and identify the use of AI when it is applied in ways that could confuse or mislead consumers. Today, the cost may be low and the gain high. Tomorrow, that gain can quickly start evaporating if trust disappears.

We are all working in an exciting, fast-transforming industry—one dedicated to building brands, shaping culture, and driving the growth of products and services. Trust, authenticity, and transparency are not optional—they must remain at the core of our work.

Maybe the next chapter should be the year of AIuthenticity.