Cannes Lions enters its AI era

Artificial intelligence won’t just be a talking point at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity this year; it’s claiming beachfront real estate.

Cannes Lions has always served as a temperature check for where the industry is headed. In recent years, that’s meant more focus on commerce, creators and performance. This year, AI is the connective tissue — influencing not just what gets discussed, but how companies design their presence in Cannes.

On Miramar Beach, in the space previously operated by WPP, PMG is launching an AI & Tech Sandbox. The activation turns one of the festival’s most visible footprints — steps away from the historic Carlton Cannes hotel — into a community hub for agencies, brands and publishers eager to see how AI moves from buzzword to competitive advantage.

The idea is simple: Show how AI and emerging tech actually function within media, creative and marketing workflows, and not just talk about them onstage.

“AI is rapidly changing the advertising, marketing, and wider business landscape,” George Popstefanov, founder and CEO of PMG, told The Current. "We're designing AI & Tech Sandbox to be a space to dive into key questions around how AI and technology can drive acceleration and actual impact for brands.”

PMG already offers the Alli Creative Engine, which uses AI to produce data-informed creative and optimize its distribution.

Throughout the week, the Sandbox will host interviews with executives working at the intersection of creative and technology, hands-on hackathons using AI tools and live demos exploring how automation and machine learning are reshaping campaign development and the consumer experience.

The timing aligns with a broader shift at Cannes. Organizers recently introduced an AI Craft subcategory under the new Creative Brand Lion, a new award designed to recognize internal systems, and not just the final campaigns. The addition signals a subtle but important reframing: Creativity isn’t only about the output anymore; it’s also about the infrastructure behind it, and that includes AI.

Last year at Cannes Lions, AI case studies were already being shared, and it was clear that tools that once felt experimental began to look operational — embedded in everyday production and measurement.

Informa, the parent company of Cannes Lions following its 2024 acquisition of Ascential, has also made AI central to its focus. The company just announced it will extend its partnership with Cannes for its fifth World AI Cannes Festival, scheduled for 2027. “At Informa, we have fully embraced and embedded AI into our business and our brand portfolio,” said Stephen Carter, Group CEO, Informa.

For anyone heading to the Croisette this June, expect even more AI in the weeks ahead. The industry isn’t just talking about the future of creative excellence; it’s being built in real time and in new, automated workflows.