On AI Appreciation Day, I was honored to share Avenue Z’s approach in TechRound’s spotlight on how companies are harnessing AI, but one quote only scratches the surface. Here’s the full story behind how we think about artificial intelligence and why the future of influence demands more than tools.
We believe AI is only as powerful as the principles behind its use. It’s easy to get caught up in the promise of scale, speed, and automation, but for us, appreciation means responsibility.
We Built an AI Council for a Reason
According to Reuters, 72% of professionals using generative AI engage with it at least weekly, and over 40% use it daily or multiple times per day. The more our employees use AI, the more room for error when used incorrectly or irresponsibly.
That’s why we didn’t just adopt AI tools. We built governance around them. Our AI Council, which I chair, runs weekly AI office hours open to all employees across the agency. These are working forums where we stress-test tools, share research, and evaluate ethical use cases.
We explore real-world questions like:
- Is this tool making our team more strategic?
- How do we stay human-first in our content and campaigns?
- Are we pushing performance while protecting trust?
This is how we prevent AI from becoming a gimmick and ensure that it becomes a multiplier.
We’re not alone in this. Several large companies have implemented their own AI Councils. Microsoft operates a company-wide Responsible AI Council alongside its Office of Responsible AI, championing safety, fairness, and accessibility across all of its internal AI initiatives.
Data-Driven Influence Isn’t Optional
We believe AI is not just a backend efficiency engine – it’s a frontline strategic asset. That’s why we developed the AI Visibility Index (AIVx), a proprietary research tool that tracks how brands are showing up across large language models like ChatGPT and Perplexity.
Today, these tools are gatekeepers of attention. As stated in The Wall Street Journal, LLM-based search tools accounted for 5.6% of U.S. desktop search traffic as of June 2025, more than double the percentage from 2024. That number will only continue to grow exponentially.
If your brand isn’t showing up, you are losing relevance by the minute. AIVx helps our clients see exactly where they stand and what needs to shift to win in AI-powered search and discovery.
Tech With a Soul
The biggest myth in marketing is that automation kills creativity. The truth? When done right, it sets it free.
AI lets us remove friction from workflows, but we refuse to outsource thinking. We still believe in original insight, human connection, and big ideas. That’s why our creative teams use AI to accelerate, not replace. We spend less time generating filler and more time crafting resonance.
AI is a tool to make our strategy sharper, our insights faster, and our impact greater.
A Final Word
AI appreciation is about defining your values before you define your tech stack. For us, that means transparency, governance, and an unwavering commitment to blending human strategy with machine intelligence.
We don’t chase AI. We shape it.
Is your brand using AI to its full potential? Talk to our team and see how we can help.
Optimize Your Brand’s Visibility in AI Search
Millions turn to AI platforms daily to discover and decide. Make sure they find your brand.
