When AI thinks fast, creatives must think deep: Saboteur’s Nick Eagleton

“Machines can’t think, can’t choose, and can’t love one thing over another, because of cultural connection, wisdom, or shared meaning,” asserted Nick Eagleton, co-founder of the London-based independent branding studio Saboteur. “We (humans) do that.”

Eagleton, who led a D&AD creative thinking masterclass at the recently concluded Goafest 2025, spoke exclusively to Campaign India about placing human instinct and cultural nuance at the heart of storytelling. His key argument? The real threat isn’t AI—it’s forgetting what makes ideas resonate with people.

While the world accelerates towards AI-generated efficiencies and data-led decisions, Eagleton warned that storytelling still hinges on empathy and curiosity. “Design,” he said, “is not about looks—it’s about values, history, and emotion. Even if machines can mimic form, they can’t originate meaning.”

First impressions: A sculptor lands in Goa

Touching down in India for the first time, Eagleton—a sculptor-turned-brand strategist and long-time D&AD juror—spent his time at Goafest exploring the country’s creative landscape.

“I love the feeling of not knowing,” he said, reflecting on the work displayed at the festival. Despite the brief visit, he recognised both familiar global trends and distinct regional voices.

He was particularly struck by his conversation with creatives from a Kolkata-based agency, where he saw evidence of hyper-local strategies—campaigns designed not for a homogenised national audience, but for communities shaped by language and cultural memory.

Eagleton observed, “The client needs aren’t radically different. But the execution has to be far more agile and regionally attuned than in, say, the US.”

AI: Threat or toolkit?

Unsurprisingly, AI dominated many discussions at Goafest, including Eagleton’s. He cautioned against treating it as a revolutionary force poised to replace human judgement. “The current hype is being created to make AI seem like the most transformative thing ever, but it’s part of a larger evolution, not a takeover,” he said.

Pointing to past apprehensions about tools like the MacBook or platforms like social media, Eagleton suggested that AI would follow a similar path: from threat to tool.

He was quick to add that many AI solutions are designed by companies more focused on selling tools than solving creative problems. “There is a race to win that market, and of course, they will claim they can do everything. But I don’t believe that will happen.”

The ethics and energy cost of AI

A less-acknowledged dimension of AI’s rise—its environmental and ethical toll—was another key point in Eagleton’s discourse.

Quoting figures suggesting that an AI-powered search could consume ten times more energy than a conventional query, he linked this to wider concerns around server infrastructure and its impact on local ecosystems.

With AI usage expanding, Eagleton noted a shift in industry behaviour: “Clients and creators are beginning to disclose where and how AI is used.” He sees this trend towards transparency as a chance for creatives to reclaim storytelling, strategy, and originality from the noise.

For Eagleton, the true challenge ahead is finding the balance between speed and responsibility—especially in an industry where being “first to market” often eclipses “first to think”.

Design: A cultural tool, not just a visual one

Eagleton rejects the notion of design as a purely aesthetic endeavour. “Design is shaping things for a purpose,” he explained, encompassing not just visuals, but product experiences, brand journeys, and even behaviour.

His emphasis lies in framing design as a cultural force—one that uses every brand interaction to stir thought, emotion, or conversation. “It could be a print ad, an app interface or a brand activation. But it should aim to shape culture.”

In a market as fragmented and content-saturated as India’s, he argued, standing out requires more than attention—it demands resonance.

Advice to young creators: “Think Olympic-level”

In his closing thoughts, Eagleton offered pointed advice for the next generation of Indian creatives aspiring to global recognition. “Think Olympic-level,” he said. “Not everyone wins gold, but you enter this industry to create something incredible.”

He laid out three principles for young professionals:

• Set the bar high: Don’t benchmark against what’s around you—benchmark against what’s awarded globally, from D&AD’s New Blood to Cannes Lions.
• Master the tools, but go beyond them: Understand the software and tech, but remember—what sets great creatives apart is empathy, curiosity, and imagination.
• Feed your imagination: “Walk the streets, talk to strangers, read voraciously.” It’s in those lived moments, he said, that real stories find their edge.

Eagleton’s visit may have been brief, but the conversation offered long-range reflections on how creativity, technology, and cultural context must continue to evolve—not in silos, but in concert. As AI gets smarter, the challenge for humans, as Eagleton reminds us, is to keep feeling, choosing, and storytelling smarter.