Milena Traikovich is a prominent figure in the demand generation space, known for her ability to blend complex data analytics with high-impact creative strategies. With a background rooted in performance optimization and lead nurturing, she has navigated the shift from traditional marketing to the current AI-driven landscape with a focus on maintaining brand integrity. In this discussion, we explore the evolving tension between machine efficiency and the “human touch” that consumers still crave. We cover the rise of “AI slop,” the boundaries of predictive personalization, and how marketing leaders can maintain trust through transparency as the line between human and artificial content continues to blur.
The latest research suggests a significant paradox: while 68% of consumers appreciate AI when it makes ads more relevant, a vast majority still prefer content created by humans. How do you balance the efficiency of automation with the clear demand for a human touch in your lead generation strategies?
It is a delicate balancing act because we are essentially managing two different consumer expectations at once. While we lean on AI to handle the logistical side of relevance—ensuring 80% of our ads are in the local language or 77% are geographically relevant—we cannot ignore that 74% of buyers are more likely to purchase when they know a human was behind the creative process. In my work, I treat AI as the engine for distribution and scale, but I keep the “soul” of the campaign firmly in the hands of our creative team. We use the fact that 97% of marketing leaders are using AI daily to free up time, but we reinvest that time into the 87% of the advertising process that still requires a human perspective to feel authentic. It is about using the data to be in the right place at the right time while ensuring the message itself doesn’t feel like it was spat out by an algorithm.
As mentions of “AI slop” have surged, with negative sentiment peaking at 54% recently, how can brands avoid producing content that feels “soulless” or unoriginal?
The rise of “AI slop” is a warning sign for any brand that prioritizes quantity over the 41% of creative judgment that only a human can provide. When 70% of consumers say they can spot AI-generated ads because they feel hollow, it tells us that the “uncanny valley” of marketing is real and it’s turning people away. To avoid this, we stay away from the types of content consumers find most unappealing, such as machine-personalized emails or those computer-generated product photos that 69% of people expect to see more of in the future. We look for the “human imperfection” that 41% of marketing leaders believe sparks true originality, ensuring our stories have the grit and emotional depth that a machine simply cannot simulate. By focusing on empathy and emotional intelligence—the top traits 42% of experts say AI can’t replace—we ensure our content resonates on a visceral level rather than just filling a slot in a social media feed.
Personalization is often seen as the ultimate goal, yet over half of consumers find predictive advertising to be intrusive or even “creepy.” Where should marketers draw the line to ensure they are being helpful rather than invasive?
We have to be very careful because 52% of consumers feel it is too personal when an ad knows what they want before they have even started a search. There is a fine line between being helpful and being a digital stalker, especially when 50% of people feel uncomfortable when an ad references something they did offline. Our approach is to focus on the “utility” side of personalization that consumers actually want, such as the 81% who look for ads that help them save money or the 65% who want ads delivered at the right time and place. We avoid the predictive “mind-reading” that 58% of the public rejects and instead focus on being contextually relevant without crossing the privacy threshold. It is about creating a sense of serendipity rather than a sense of surveillance.
With the expectation that it will soon be impossible to distinguish AI from human content without disclosure, how will the role of transparency evolve in building consumer trust?
Transparency is going to become the primary currency of trust in the next two to five years, especially since 56% of consumers expect the distinction between AI and human work to vanish entirely in that timeframe. Since 74% of people say they would feel more comfortable with AI if companies had formal policies in place, we are making disclosure a proactive part of our brand voice. We don’t want to wait until it’s impossible for the 70% of consumers to tell the difference; we want to be the brand that is honest about our tools right now. By being open about our use of AI, we actually reinforce the value of our human creators, proving that we use technology to enhance our work rather than to deceive our audience.
Younger audiences, particularly Gen Z and Millennials, seem more concerned with the “feel” of an ad than how it was produced. What does this tell us about the future of brand storytelling?
It shows a shift toward a more pragmatic and vibe-oriented form of consumption, where 70% of younger consumers care more about the emotional resonance than the production method. They aren’t necessarily anti-AI—in fact, 69% of them don’t care about “AI polish” as long as the content features real people and feels relatable. This demographic is looking for authenticity in whatever form it takes, which means we can use AI to smooth out the edges of a campaign as long as the heart of the story remains human-centric. For these viewers, the production is secondary to the connection, which allows us to use AI for the 65% of ads that need to be perfectly timed while keeping the core narrative grounded in real human experiences.
What is your forecast for the role of AI in advertising by 2026?
By 2026, I expect we will see a massive polarization in the market between “utility AI” and “creative AI.” While 99% of marketing leaders will have increased their AI investments, the brands that thrive will be those that use the technology to handle the 80% of mundane tasks like localization and timing, while doubling down on the 41% of human intuition that sparks originality. We will move past the era of “AI slop” because the 74% of consumers who prefer human-made ads will simply tune out anything that feels machine-generated. The future belongs to the “augmented marketer”—someone who uses AI to be incredibly efficient but relies on their own empathy and creative judgment to ensure the final product still has a soul. AI will be the invisible backbone of every campaign, but the face of the brand will have to be more human than ever to capture a skeptical public.
