Air CEO Shane Hegde published a handwritten letter in the New York Times arguing AI will never replace creative professionals, listing his personal mobile number for anyone who disagreed. This comes as his company has raised $70 million to build AI tools for creative teams. Hegde's central thesis: machines find patterns and recommend common answers, but lack the creative inefficiency and risk-taking that produces great work. He positions Air as automating logistics like file management and approvals whilst preserving human judgment in creative decisions. Founded in 2017, Air targets companies scaling creative output. Nearly all product resources have shifted toward AI-centric features. Hegde maintains humans will remain essential for the "zero-to-one moment" in creative work, though he acknowledges creative professionals face declining freelance rates as routine tasks become automated.

Air debuts AI tools with handwritten ad saying they'll never replace creatives. Last Updated March 26, 2026 10:00 AM EDT Air, the creative operations platform, is introducing new AI tools for creatives with a handwritten New York Times ad featuring a somewhat counterintuitive message: a mini-manifesto emphasizing AI's limitations.