In the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence (AI), tech giants and startups alike have dedicated the past year to developing generative AI tools tailored for users and advertisers. As the year concluded, significant strides were made with the introduction of improved generative models such as OpenAI's Sora, Amazon's Nova, and Google's Veo, signalling an era where AI-generated content is becoming more integrated into marketing and advertising strategies.
The Digiday report highlights a diverse spectrum of opinions surrounding AI-generated content. Proponents view it as a revolutionary form of creativity, while critics dismiss it as mere "AI slop" or accuse it of jeopardising jobs and intellectual property. The ongoing discourse raises pertinent questions regarding the long-term acceptance and viability of these perspectives.
Looking forward to 2025, there is anticipatory momentum for the broader adoption of AI tools across various platforms including TikTok, Meta, and Amazon. Enhanced efficiency and reduced costs are expected to drive an increase in the production of AI-generated content among both users and businesses. However, concerns regarding copyright legislation and potential legal disputes could pose challenges to innovation, leading to uncertainties in how these tools will develop and be utilised by industries.
One startup particularly noted for its innovative approach is Pika, which recently unveiled its Pika 2 AI video model. Lindsay Brillson, Pika’s head of brand and content, reported a growing trend among brands using Pika for both organic and advertising content. "It’s fun and it gets people’s attention and it feels native to the space,” she explained, noting a shift towards greater creative control that allows users to tailor aspects such as characters, backgrounds, and props in their content.
Social media platforms like Pinterest, Meta, and Snap have been proactive in enhancing advertising capabilities through AI. Kevan Yalowitz, global industry lead for software and platforms at Accenture, expressed enthusiasm for these developments, highlighting the potential of customised, dynamic advertising that responds directly to individual user queries.
The application of AI in marketing is particularly advantageous for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), as indicated by Jon Morgenstern, executive vice president and head of investment at VaynerMedia. The TikTok Symphony Creative Studio exemplifies this with its functionality allowing users to generate content by simply pasting a URL, enabling smaller brands to leverage these new tools without the same level of concern regarding data privacy and intellectual property that larger corporations might face.
Conversely, the transformative impact of generative AI on creative outputs is still emerging. Barney Worfolk-Smith, chief growth officer at DAIVID, noted that AI's utility in enhancing predictive analytics and synthetic audiences could overshadow the quality of creative outputs. In comparative analyses between human-made and AI-generated advertisements, he found significant disparities in emotional engagement, particularly in ads for established brands like Coca-Cola, where AI outputs elicited lower emotional warmth.
Amid these developments, the future compensation model for content creators remains uncertain, particularly as their work is increasingly used to inform AI training sets. Gartner analyst Andrew Frank has pointed out initiatives by firms like Bria, Getty Images, and Adobe intended to establish compensation mechanisms based on the contributions of creators to AI-generated content.
"The overall mood is that we’re at a high point of anxiety, not only because of politics, but because things have been changing so quickly," Frank remarked, emphasizing the sense of unease surrounding the rapid technological advancements occurring in 2023. As the industry navigates this change, the question of control over innovations in AI creative tools looms large, leaving stakeholders to ponder the direction these developments will take in the near future.
Source: Noah Wire Services