1284 MD George Oliver spoke as a panel member at De Montfort University’s Creative Conference about how AI is changing creative practice and industry strategy.

Hosted by DMU’s School of Art, Design and Humanities - and facilitated by lecturer Dr Thom Corah, School Lead for Digital Pedagogy and AI - the session brought George onto a panel with Mat Mabe, co-founder of Leicester digital agency Bulb Studios, and cultural strategist Michelle Bowen.

They spoke in front of an invited audience of DMU creative teachers and researchers as part of a practical conversation covering industry applications of AI, creativity and the future of work.

George drew on 15 years in regional journalism - including four years as editor of the Leicester Mercury - and his current role leading a chartered PR consultancy focused on East Midlands IP and regional growth. He also referenced his board role at East Midlands Chamber and chairing Leicester‑based charity Charity Link, which has recently begun using technology to better understand 150 years of data on local poverty. 

That mix of Big Media, small business, and charity shaped George’s core message - that it is not an option to do nothing but that what organisations feel comfortable doing varies significantly. Through his own work, for example, he noted that AI implementation looks very different if you’re transforming a media PLC, scaling a small business, or setting guardrails aligned with the mission of a non-profit.

For small creative firms, George said that, used effectively, AI compresses weeks of work into hours. This is particularly particularly around research, data,  and lead generation - enabling teams to rapidly scale up impact and outputs without losing the human relationships and creativity that sit at the heart of the industry.

At 1284, for example, AI is already being used to build and cleanse prospect lists at scale and run “virtual discovery” exercises to qualify whether potential clients are a good fit before outreach. 

“The aim is to let AI handle more of the background heavy lifting so consultants can spend more time on human, judgement‑based work that machines cannot replicate,” he said.

George also highlighted how generative AI is increasingly dominating the content space (to mixed effect) as agencies and clients use it to draft material. In response, he told delegates how 1284 is deliberately pivoting towards human engagement - stakeholder relationships, networks and nuanced persuasion rooted in lived experience and trust. 

George also pointed to early research suggesting that while generative tools may save significant time, organisations still need robust human editing processes to protect quality and reputation. Various high profile examples were cited by the panel as to negative impacts of generative AI outputs being published without checks.

In terms of Charity Link, George explained how AI’s potential to unlock insight from historic data must sit within a clear framework agreed by trustees, with policy and guardrails designed around mission and values rather than bolted on afterwards.

Across the panel, there was strong agreement that universities must move faster on AI - not just in teaching tools, and skills such as prompt engineering, but in developing human knowledge, creativity, and critical thinking which are not replicable by machines.

Michelle argued for more focus on critical thinking and robustness, while Matt predicted a near‑term shift from prompt‑based tools to AI agents that handle complex tasks in the background.

George emphasised two priorities for institutions:

• Teaching students how to prompt and review AI effectively and efficiently, thereby reducing environmental impact and improving outputs..
• Strengthening local ties with employers, so universities can spot “students to watch” early and steer them towards known local employers for placements and ultimately graduate employment.

As an employer, he warned that - as more candidates use AI to write applications - it is becoming harder to distinguish people from each other on paper. This presents an opportunity for entrepreneurial students to use human initiative and authentic communication to set themselves apart in a jobs market in which all candidate applications are starting to look the same.

Throughout the discussion, George and his fellow speakers returned to what AI cannot do: lived experience, emotional depth, and the materiality of human‑made work. 

For 1284, that “human premium” is already shaping services - using AI to accelerate analysis and planning while keeping storytelling, stakeholder engagement and decision‑making firmly in human hands.

“DMU’s Creative Conference brought industry and academia into the same room to talk honestly about what AI is changing - and what needs to stay human,” George said.

“Small businesses, charities, and universities all face the same challenge - using AI to do more of the heavy lifting, but double-down on judgement, ethics and lived experience. That’s where the real value will be.”

The panel came after George spoke at the CIPR’s Midlands PR Conference after 1284 won Best Use of AI at the Midlands PR Awards 2026.

• If you’d like 1284 to take part in a university panel or session on how universities and the PR industry are using AI, you can book a meeting with us to explore it further.