HBR Study Finds Gen AI Speeds Creative Work But Inflates Client Expectations

The Common Question

Does AI save money on creative projects?

The Lesson in This Case

Teams that adopted generative AI saw faster output but also absorbed significant rework costs when AI-accelerated timelines inflated client expectations beyond what delivery could support. The speed gains came with a hidden tax: clients anchored to AI-compressed schedules then pushed back hard when reality diverged, turning time saved into budget lost. Senior leaders approving AI tools for creative workflows should account for expectation management as a line item – not an afterthought – before the efficiency case pencils out.

Originally reported by Harvard Business Review. Read the full story here.