From Ai4: Big Spaceship’s CEO Taryn Crouthers on prioritizing human judgment while moving fast


The Agile Brand with Greg Kihlström® | Listen on: Apple | Spotify | YouTube 

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When a brand says it “used AI,” that could mean anything from a tool speeding up a human’s first draft to a system generating and shipping work on its own — and almost all of the real risk lives in the difference. So as AI moves deeper into creative work, which decisions are you certain still belong to a human?

Real agility here isn’t being quick with the latest tools. It’s moving fast without losing the through-line that makes a brand recognizable — the ability to know exactly where human judgment stays non-negotiable.

Today we’re recording live at Ai4 2026 in Las Vegas at the Venetian, and we’re going to talk about:

  • Drawing a clear line between where AI sharpens creative work and where it introduces unacceptable brand risk.

  • A practical look at how AI was used in a national campaign to improve the creative process, not just automate it.

  • The strategic shift as consumers move from traditional search engines to AI-powered platforms for discovery and research.

To help me dig into this, I’d like to welcome Taryn Crouthers, CEO at Big Spaceship.

About Taryn Crouthers

Taryn Crouthers is the CEO of Big Spaceship, MSQ Partners’ award-winning creative agency. A passionate leader, Taryn has spent her decades-long career inspiring teams to create work that moves both people and business. Her work spans advertising, media, entertainment, and the distribution and commercialisation that scale them. She is the former President of social-first global media company ATTN:, where she helped lead the company from pre-revenue through its $100M acquisition.

Along the way, she earned recognition including Campaign’s Inspiring Women (2026), 40 Over 40 (2025), Ad Age Leading Women (2024), Cynopsis’ Corporate Visionary, and Top Women in Digital.

An entrepreneur at heart and a nationally recognised voice on the future of creativity and AI integration, Taryn brings a founder’s mindset to scaling creative businesses and developing new revenue models. She has served on juries for Cannes Young Lions, The One Show, ADC, Webby Awards, and other prestigious industry competitions. She serves on the Advisory Board of Miami Ad School and is an active investor in emerging creative and technology-driven companies.

She is also a co-founder of the Women in AI Summit for the Creative Community and launched the Women in AI Creative Cohort, which selects 15 top global executives for a six-month AI mentorship program.

Taryn Crouthers on LinkedIn

———- Resources ———-

Big Spaceship

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