Enough with the “Delving” – Staying Human in the Age of AI with Melina Palmer
Mabel Mba
SXSX 2025 - SJMC Student Media Coverage
Artificial intelligence is everywhere—reshaping industries, redefining creativity and rewriting how businesses connect with their audiences. With all this tech innovation, though, one question remains: How do we stay human?
That’s the focus of “Enough with the ‘Delving’ – Staying Human in the Age of AI,” a
must-attend panel at SXSW 2025’s Advertising & Brand Experience track. Join Melina
Palmer, CEO of The Brainy Business and an expert in applied behavioral economics,
alongside other industry leaders, as they dive into what it takes to balance AI’s capabilities with the irreplaceable human touch.
Palmer, a keynote speaker, podcaster and author of three books, offers a clear-eyed perspective on how brands can use AI wisely. She thinks if AI is implemented properly, it can handle mundane tasks, like responding to routine questions or drafting reports, giving humans more space to be creative and truly connect. However, the key is to be thoughtful—not just about what you’re asking AI to do but how it impacts your team and your customers.
Ben Gutman, who helped spark this discussion, will join the panel alongside Joanna Lepore, a foresight expert with unique insights into how AI could transform communication and branding. Also on the panel is Usama Fayyad, the inaugural executive director of the Institute for Experiential AI at Northeastern University, who will bring a wealth of knowledge on the intersection of AI and human experience. The panel will explore how AI is being integrated into business processes, how brands can avoid losing their human edge and what lessons we can learn from successes and missteps.
One story Palmer highlights is both humorous and cautionary: A chatbot at a car dealership
accidentally agreed to sell a car for $1 due to poor programming.
“It’s a great reminder that AI is only as effective as the framework we build around it,” Palmer said.
While the risks of misusing AI are real, the opportunities are equally exciting. Properly
deployed, AI can make brands feel closer to their customers. Automating repetitive tasks
means faster, more empathetic responses, leaving humans free to focus on what really
matters.
This session will tackle pressing questions, including:
- How can brands integrate AI into processes without losing their human touch?
- What steps can companies take to ensure AI complements creativity instead of
replacing it? - How do we prepare teams to embrace AI while maintaining trust and authenticity?
The conversation will also examine how AI tools, like automated content creation and data
analysis, can help businesses scale innovation without sacrificing the “human feel.”
Attendees will be armed with actionable strategies to use AI as a collaborative tool—not a
shortcut.
“We don’t want AI to take over creativity,” Palmer said. “We want it to do the tedious stuff
so humans have space to do what they do best—connect, create and inspire.”
Don’t miss this engaging, forward-thinking discussion on Friday, March 7, 2025, from 2:30-3:30 p.m. at the JW Marriott Salon GH. Register now to discover how brands can
thrive in the age of AI while keeping the human element at the center of their strategy.