Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming the creative industry — reshaping storytelling, campaign production, design thinking, brand experiences, and the role of the modern Creative Director through the rise of Generative AI and emerging creative technologies.
As part of our official WMF 2026 coverage, Pump It Up Magazine speaks with Michele Cireddu, Creative & Innovation Lead at Leo Italia, about the future intersection of AI, culture, creativity, and human intuition.
At WMF 2026, Michele will participate in the roundtable discussion:
“Who am AI? How Artificial Intelligence is Redefining the Creative Director’s Role.”
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With a background in Strategic and Product Design from Politecnico di Milano and experience working with global brands including McDonald’s, Ferrero, and P&G, Michele brings a unique perspective that blends mathematics, systems thinking, storytelling, and emerging technologies.
As AI continues reshaping the future of creative production, digital storytelling, and brand communication, Michele shares how brands and creatives can combine technology, culture, and human intuition in meaningful ways.
About Michele Cireddu
Michele Cireddu — also known as Michi — is a Creative & Innovation Lead with over a decade of experience shaping campaigns for some of the world’s most iconic brands.
His work has been recognized with prestigious honors including ADCI, Effie, and Cannes Lions awards, and he recently served as a Judge at Eurobest, contributing to the recognition of Europe’s most innovative creative work.
Beyond agency life, Michele teaches Fenomenologia dei New Media at IED Milan, inspiring students to explore the evolving relationship between technology and human behavior.
Interview
What first inspired your passion for creativity, innovation, and emerging technologies?
Michele Cireddu:
“My first real love at school was mathematics. It never felt abstract or distant to me, but more like a game made of patterns, logic, and elegant solutions to complex problems. That early fascination naturally led me to study computer science in high school, where programming became a way to turn mathematical principles into something functional and alive.
For a long time, I was genuinely torn between studying Mathematics or Design at Politecnico di Milano. I saw both as creative fields in different languages: one creating systems through equations and algorithms, the other creating systems through form, function, and visual communication. That ‘in-between’ space shaped how I think today – I never fully chose one side over the other.
Mathematics and programming taught me that every big problem can be deconstructed into smaller, manageable steps. In the same way, a global 360 integrated campaign is never ‘one big idea in the sky’ – it is a system of touchpoints, technologies, channels, and audiences that all need to work together with precision and intention.
Innovation, for me, is simply curiosity made operational.”
Your WMF 2026 roundtable is titled “Who am AI?” How do you believe AI is redefining the role of the Creative Director today?
Michele Cireddu:
“AI is transforming the Creative Director into less of a ‘guardian of the idea’ and more of a director of systems – systems made of people, data, AI models, and cultural signals that all move together toward a clear purpose.
Instead of thinking in terms of single campaigns, the role now is to design dynamic ecosystems where human insight, machine intelligence, and creative craft continuously feed each other.
A good Creative Director today doesn’t chase every new AI feature, but chooses the few that genuinely amplify relevance, originality, and brand truth.”
Many creatives fear AI could replace originality. In your opinion, where does human intuition still remain irreplaceable?
Michele Cireddu:
“AI is raising the average level of execution, but originality has never been about what you can produce — it has always been about what you choose to produce, and why.
Human intuition is irreplaceable in defining the purpose behind an idea: understanding the brand’s role, the cultural context, and the real objective a piece of communication should achieve.
In a world of almost infinite possibilities, the most creative act is often the ability to say no.”
How can brands integrate AI into campaigns and content production without losing cultural relevance and emotional connection?
Michele Cireddu:
“The risk is not AI itself, but using AI as a shortcut instead of a multiplier of insight and creativity.
When brands adopt AI only to produce more assets, faster and cheaper, they usually end up with content that looks polished but feels generic, disconnected from any real cultural tension or human truth.
AI should sit inside the creative process, not above it — as a powerful instrument, guided by human judgment and cultural sensitivity.”
You’ve worked with some of the world’s biggest brands. How have you personally seen creativity evolve in the digital and AI era?
Michele Cireddu:
“Creativity used to be about launching a big campaign and hoping culture would respond; today, it is much closer to designing living systems that can listen, adapt, and evolve in real time.
The digital and AI era has shifted the focus from a few ‘hero’ executions to ecosystems of ideas, formats, and interactions, all connected by data and guided by a clear strategic narrative.”
What are some common mistakes brands or agencies make when using AI-generated creative content?
Michele Cireddu:
“One of the biggest mistakes is treating AI as a magic shortcut instead of a creative partner.
Another common error is confusing novelty with relevance. Many teams fall in love with what AI can do visually or technically, and forget to ask the only question that matters: why should anyone care?
The teams that use AI well are not the ones who automate everything, but the ones who design a process where AI does the heavy lifting and humans still own judgment, taste, and the final ‘yes or no’.”
How do you see the relationship between storytelling, design thinking, and technology evolving over the next few years?
Michele Cireddu:
“Storytelling, design thinking, and technology are no longer separate disciplines; they are becoming a single continuous process.
The next evolution is not only about how we create ideas, but about how people experience them.
In the next few years, the most interesting work will come from teams that think like designers, write like storytellers, and build like technologists — often in the same room.”
What skills should the next generation of creatives focus on developing in an AI-augmented industry?
Michele Cireddu:
“For junior profiles, hard skills are non-negotiable: they need to be fluent in AI tools, prototyping platforms, data-informed creativity, and the basics of automation.
For Creative Directors and senior roles, the real gap is increasingly on the soft-skill side.
Across all levels, two transversal skills become crucial: critical thinking and curation.”
At Pump It Up Magazine, we also focus on mindset, innovation, and personal growth. How can creatives protect their originality, mental wellness, and sense of identity in such a fast-moving digital world?
Michele Cireddu:
“For me, protecting originality starts from protecting how I think, not just what I produce.
Mental wellness and originality are deeply connected in today’s fast-moving digital world.
You cannot be truly original if you are constantly exhausted, anxious, and in comparison mode with the entire internet.
In a world where AI can replicate styles and formats at scale, the only real competitive advantage is the uniqueness of your perspective.”
Looking ahead, what excites you most about the future intersection of AI, fashion, culture, and creativity?
Michele Cireddu:
“What excites me most is the possibility to move beyond ‘image-making’ and into experience-making at scale.
Fashion has always been a powerful cultural language within digital culture and modern brand storytelling, and AI is now allowing us to prototype new aesthetics, narratives, and interactions between people and brands much faster than before.
The real opportunity will be for creatives who can connect dots across disciplines — mixing AI, craft, street culture, and brand storytelling into something that feels both futuristic and deeply human.”
Follow Michele Cireddu
- Instagram: @futuristarbeauty
- Instagram: @julian.van.dieken
Inspiration & References
Learn More About WMF 2026
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WMF 2026 Schedule & Speakers
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WMF 2026 AI Business Digital Event
