Late in 2025, Salta With Us developed an AI creativity manifesto, a living guide on how it handles AI, tied to authorship, transparency and accountability. Below, Creative Director and co-founder Alfonso Cuesta, who authored the guidelines, shares background on the framework, with advice on how agencies and brands can incorporate AI guidance into their practices.
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Why we felt the need to develop this
Over the past year, AI has gone from experimental to embedded in almost every creative workflow. We were already using it in different ways across projects, so it became clear we needed to define our stance.
That became even more apparent during conversations with some of our nonprofit clients, who raised thoughtful concerns about how AI is used in final production, particularly in areas like video enhancement. Those conversations pushed us to be more intentional, to listen, reflect and ultimately define a clear point of view, not just internally, but publicly.
How we incorporate it into our process
It’s not a static document; it’s more of a working framework.
At a practical level, the framework informs decisions at key moments in the process:
- During concepting and mockups, where AI is helpful and is encouraged.
- At the transition to final production, where we become much more restrictive.
- In areas like accessibility, where we actively use AI to improve outputs.
It also serves as a shared internal reference point, helping the team align on what’s acceptable and what’s not, especially as tools quickly evolve.
Key takeaways
AI is not the problem; unintentional use is. The biggest risk isn’t the technology itself, but how easily it can erode authorship, trust and creative integrity if used without clear principles.
We don’t think the industry needs less AI. We think it needs more clarity, more transparency and more human judgment around it.
Opinions expressed by SmartBrief contributors are their own.
