Our lives are more dominated by A.I. than we probably realise. From Face ID and Alexa to banking chatbots. But as A.I. becomes more ingrained – even expected – the question we need to ask ourselves as marketeers is: How can we use it to enhance creativity?
Since Alan Turing first developed the Turing test in 1950, A.I. has evolved beyond recognition. And since the late 90s the rate at which it’s changed has gathered pace – and will continue to do so.
A.I.: Simulation of human intelligence processes by machines.
Generative A.I.: Artificial intelligence capable of generating text, images and other media.
Machine learning: Computers learn and adapt without following instructions.
Deep learning: Creating artificial neural networks modelled on the human brain.
Technological advancements are happening so fast, it’s how we went from disasters like Microsoft’s racist A.I. chatbot Tay, to talking about ChatGPT making people redundant in considerably less than a decade.
The pace at which it’s evolving probably means a lot of what’s in this article could be out-of-date if you’re reading it even a month after it’s published. It’s the nature of the game and it’s fast moving.
As Bill Gates heralds in the Age of A.I., he explains that ‘artificial intelligence is as revolutionary as mobile phones and the internet. It will change the way people work, learn, travel, get health care, and communicate with each other. Entire industries will reorient around it. Businesses will distinguish themselves by how well they use it.’ So as marketeers, we now need to work out how we work with it, rather than against it.
Already there are countless programmes designed to help us with the day-to-day. From writing, SEO and image generation to video generation, video editing and presentation design – the list really is endless.
ChatGPT: Language processing tool that can answer questions and perform writing tasks, such as emails, essays and code.
Grammerly: Language app that improves the correctness, clarity, engagement and delivery of people’s writing.
Midjourney: Image generation tool that uses a text-to-image model. While not the first to do this, it’s quickly becoming one of the most popular.
Synthesia: Video generator tool that enables anybody to create professional videos without microphones, cameras, actors or studios.
And while there is that lurking fear that one day we might all be redundant, there’s also an opportunity to create work that’s different, efficient and exciting – if only the industry embraces it rather than runs from it.
“Ultimately, every company will become an A.I. company”, Arvind Krishna IBM CEO.
The possibilities are seamlessly endless when it comes to A.I. and creativity – but here are just a few predictions that have been batted around.
First and foremost, we can all agree that A.I. is only going to get more powerful and knowledgeable as it continues to learn. This will ease uncertainty around plagiarism, misinformation, or problematic content. It will also help automate processes such as A/B testing, research, segmentation and programmatic advertising, allowing people to focus more on the creative output.
A.I. also has the potential to help overcome the limits of human creativity with its ability to produce infinite possibilities. This is starting to be explored through collaborations such as award-winning choreographer, Wayne McGregor, and Google Arts & Culture Lab. An A.I. algorithm was trained on thousands of McGregor’s videos, spanning 25 years of his career, before creating 400,000 new McGregor-like routines.
And finally, there’s deep learning, which has been pegged as the next big thing. It has the potential to transform brands and businesses through the ability to predict consumer behaviour. A better understanding can only lead to better, more effective creative. Google and Facebook are already forging ahead with advancements in this area, with cloud software and DeepFace respectively.
Many brands have already experimented with A.I. in their campaigns. There’s the fully immersive shopping experience offered by Pernod Ricard Travel Retail on the Chinese island of Hainan. A first for the industry, the luxury cognac boutique blends virtual and real-life theatre with fully digitalised merchandising units, robot bartenders, and a guide through the range with personalised recommendations.
There’s the witty Heinz A.I. Ketchup campaign, which saw A.I. generate a Heinz-like bottle of sauce when asked to generate a Ketchup sauce bottle. And it did so no matter the prompt it was offered – perfectly playing to the line ‘It has to be Heinz’.
In India, there was the creative – and efficient – use of A.I. in ‘Not just a Cadbury ad’. Local store owners who had suffered financially after covid were encouraged to create an ad for their own shop using an A.I. version of a popular Bollywood star.
And of course, there’s the comical, which saw age-old burger rivals go head-to-head in neighbouring typographical posters. McDonald’s first asking A.I. ‘what’s the most iconic burger in the world?’, with Burger King following up with ‘And which one is biggest?’
When used right and with purpose, A.I. can seamlessly lift a campaign. It’s not about using A.I. for A.I.’s sake; it’s about knowing when it can bring something fresh to a brand.
According to a report from McKinsey Global Institute, generative A.I. is set to add up to $4.4 trillion of value to the global economy annually. They also predict that it will automate half of all work between 2030 and 2060 – an accelerate forecast due to the sheer power of generative A.I..
In terms of the A.I. opportunity for marketing and sales specifically, they see the opportunity translating to $1.4-$2.6 trillion of value across the world’s businesses. $1.4-$2.6 trillion.
We need to move past the thought of being replaced as creators. A.I. should be seen as an opportunity to enhance creativity through with tools that are constantly learning and adapting to fast-changing consumer landscapes and markets. And those who act fast will be the ones who take a bite of that very lucrative pie.