Creative AI tools are trending, and they're worth the investment
The dawn of the AI age sparked anxiety in the creative world—will craft be replaced by computers?!—but it’s quickly becoming a valuable ally. From image generation to content production, AI tools are helping creative disciplines reclaim time and improve output. Rather than replacing designers and writers, AI tools can augment their work.
Ramp data suggests that companies are already realizing how AI can uplevel creative and marketing teams. AI-powered creative tools are increasingly making the list of top SaaS vendors on Ramp. Design software giant Adobe (which has expanded into AI) made the list in June for the first time this year, as did AI video editor Descript. May’s list also included Jasper, an AI marketing campaign platform. Canva, which allows users to design assets using AI, is a mainstay on the top vendors list month after month.
As finance leaders evaluate technology budgets and resource allocation, they should consider how AI can support their company’s creative operations. Plus, finance teams can leverage these tools in their own work. Here’s how.
1. Reduce low-impact tasks and free up time for creative thinking
Creative teams often spend a significant amount of time on repetitive tasks: resizing images, renaming and organizing files, summarizing team brainstorms, and updating ad copy. AI can help automate many of these processes, making space to focus on more strategic, high-value work like storytelling, brand development, and campaign strategy.
For example, designers can use Canva to auto-resize a batch of digital ads for different channels, avoiding the tedium of manual cropping. A content writer might use ChatGPT to conduct desk research for a story that would otherwise take hours.
Finance teams can follow suit by using AI to automate recurring, rote tasks such as categorizing transactions, pulling variance reports, or summarizing meeting notes to free up time and brainpower for deeper analysis and better planning.
2. Move faster without sacrificing quality
Creative deadlines are usually tight, but expectations remain high. Instead of churning out rushed deliverables, teams can use AI to speed up the early stages of production, leaving more time for refinement.
For instance, ChatGPT can help create email subject lines or UX copy for A/B testing, while tools like Midjourney, Canva, and Adobe can help generate the accompanying art. These tools don’t always deliver polished creative on the first go, but they provide solid foundations that help teams get to a finished product faster.
Finance professionals can also leverage tools like ChatGPT to create first drafts of reports and presentations, giving teams more time to dig into insights and craft the narrative behind the numbers.
3. Empower non-creatives to self-serve without sacrificing brand standards
Teams across the organization—like finance, sales, and product—often need top-notch content but aren’t always allocated the creative resources for it. AI-powered templates or co-pilot tools can enable these teams to generate on-brand assets on their own, allowing creative teams to manage approvals rather than end-to-end execution.
A content strategist could spin up a custom GPT trained on brand voice and tone that allows sales reps to generate on-brand one-pagers without ongoing creative support. Designers can set up their design systems in Midjourney, Canva, or Adobe so finance teams can create board-ready charts and visuals without consuming valuable resources.
4. Scale personalization efforts without manual work
Bespoke creative can require substantial time and budget. Now, tools like ChatGPT, Canva, Descript, and Runway can help generate copy, assets, and video tailored to specific audience segments, channels, or behaviors with lower production overhead.
For example, social media marketers could use Descript to create multiple video variations with voiceover in multiple languages. A writer can prompt AI to adapt boilerplate brand copy for different industries. Finance teams can create department-specific budget summaries or regional reports with limited effort.
5. Support data-driven creative strategies
AI can help creative and marketing teams surface revealing trends and understand what’s resonating with audiences in seconds. These insights can inform future creative direction and help teams make data-informed decisions more quickly.
A brand marketer might ask ChatGPT to analyze a campaign’s performance across platforms and suggest specific improvements to help it resonate with different audiences.
Similarly, finance teams can use AI to analyze budget vs. actuals, forecast accuracy, or spend by vendor category, then use those insights to improve models, recommend adjustments, and support business decisions faster.
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Finance leaders face constant demands to do more with less, and they should consider how AI can help creative teams maximize ROI and improve efficiency. Thoughtful investment in creative AI tools can increase output, improve turnaround times, and allow teams to focus on what they do best.