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posted on Mar. 12, 2026 at 7:49 pmMar 16, 2026

Augmented intelligence: Substance and strategy > speed and scale

posted on Mar. 12, 2026 at 7:49 pmMar 16, 2026

Campaign Middle East speaks to marketers, tech experts and agency leaders about the barriers facing AI adoption, how to break down the barriers and how an effective roadmap for AI implementation can be actioned.

Top row, from left, Kiran Haslam, Chief Marketing Officer, Diriyah Company; Tareq Amin, CEO, HUMAIN; Dr. Hoda Daou, Managing Director, Annalect MENA; and Faheem Ahamed, Group Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, G42. Second row, from left, Joe Lahham, Managing Director, TBWA\RAAD; Mario Soufia, Regional Managing Director – Growth and Marketing, WPP Media MENA; Elie Bassel, Business Lead, Digitas; and Alex Jena, Chief Strategy Officer, dentsu MENAT. Third row, from left, Elias Aziz, Head of PMO, VML MENA; Andreas Frangeskides, Global Data and Technology Lead, HAVAS Middle East; Ryan Fletcher, Regional Head of Data and Technology, Initiative MENAT; and Roy Aftimos, CEO, C2 Comms.

Let’s get the artificial intelligence (AI) fundamentals out of the way before the deep dive: What comes to mind when “AI-augmented marketing” is spoken out loud? If the words speed, scale and shortcuts are the unspoken mental response, it’s time to pause.
The problem with speed is that it’s not quite the same as direction. Unless there’s a course correction, many marketers in the Middle East might accelerate away from intended outcomes. Think of AI as a quad-turbo V12 engine dropped into an old car. Sure, it might speed up for a bit, but the chassis will still rattle; the steering will drift; and the shifty dashboard will still navigate to the wrong exit – only faster.
The prob

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Tags:Advertising AI AI adoption AI application AI literacy Alex Jena Analytics Andreas Frangeskides Annalect MENA Anup Oommen Artificial Intelligence audiences augmented intelligence barriers behaviour Brand C2 Comms Clients compliance Consumers content context cross-functional teams customers data dentsu MENAT Digitas Diriyah Company Dr Hoda Daou efficiency Elias Aziz Elie Bassel Empathy Faheem Ahamed G42 generative AI Havas Middle East Hoda Daou HUMAIN humans Initiative MENAT innovation intent Joe Lahham Kiran Haslam Leadership leadership gaps Mario Soufia marketing measurement optimisation organisational culture Performance regulation reporting Roy Aftimos Ryan Fletcher scale skills software special feature speed Strategy structures substance systems talent Tareq Amin TBWA\Raad technology trust upskilling VML MENA workflows WPP Media MENA

the authorAnup Oommen

Anup Oommen is the Editor of Campaign Middle East at Motivate Media Group, a well-reputed moderator, and a multiple award-winning journalist with more than 15 years of experience at some of the most reputable and credible global news organisations, including Reuters, CNN, and Motivate Media Group. As the Editor of Campaign Middle East, Anup heads market-leading coverage of advertising, media, marketing, PR, events and experiential, digital, the wider creative industries, and more, through the brand’s digital, print, events, directories, podcast and video verticals. As such he’s a key stakeholder in the Campaign Global brand, the world’s leading authority for the advertising, marketing and media industries, which was first published in the UK in 1968.