Insights
Senior Creative Manager
Integration
In the digital marketing industry, it’s been impossible to escape the discussion around artificial intelligence. Something that seemed a million miles from becoming a viable, working reality, suddenly arrived, led in the mainstream by ChatGPT and many other easily accessible online technologies.
Naturally, the use of AI has set alarm bells ringing in the creative industries, the most high-profile case being 11,500 Writers Guild of America members going on strike due, in part, to the looming threat of its use for writing scripts.
However, at Search Laboratory, the Creative team has kept an open mind regarding AI. This article highlights various ways we’ve already adopted artificial intelligence into our creative processes. Plus, we share details about AI tools the team is keeping a close eye on to use in the future.
There’s much to consider when integrating artificial intelligence tools into your work in 2024. Not only are there many practical and, more importantly, ethical questions to ask, but there also needs to be considerations made around whether these AI tools are currently fit for purpose in a professional setting. Bearing in mind that many artificial intelligence tools are designed to be, or at least can be, used to create efficiencies, the Creative team has adopted several into their day-to-day work.
Although many know it as an AI tool to play with for a bit of fun, ChatGPT can be a huge benefit to content writers. As ChatGPT effectively pulls together various resources from around the web, it can be fantastic for scoping out an idea or researching on the fly instead of, as many assume, creating an entire article to go online. ChatGPT doesn’t represent the only use of artificial intelligence within written content.
Programs such as Grammarly have always had elements of AI but are increasing the breadth of that with AI Writing Assistance, and Semrush’s SEO Writing Assistant leverages real-time data insights to craft SEO content.
ChatGPT has a reputation for not always providing the most accurate responses. We’ve found that when looking for statistics, it pulls together some questionable numbers and doesn’t provide references for sources. Plus, ChatGPT is time static.
Being time static means it doesn’t update in real-time, and the information it does pull can be months behind factually. With that in mind, we advise doing extra research, or at least a form of verification, on top of what ChatGPT provides you with or other AI tools you use to help when creating written content.
AI-generated design came on leaps and bounds throughout 2023. From AI image generators such as DALL.E 2 to built-in features in the Adobe suite, 2024 is a great time to start testing how artificial intelligence can enhance digital designer’s work or even provide quick concepts to show clients before more time-consuming design work starts. Adobe Firefly promises to be at the forefront of AI design over the coming months.
Designed to ‘help people expand upon their natural creativity,’ Adobe Firefly also has the added benefit of offering an indemnity guarantee against copyright infringement. You might be thinking, “Is that something I really need?” but, considering AI’s main function is pulling reference from existing work, it’s better to be safe than sorry!
If you’re hoping to produce finished images using AI tools, it’d be advisable to steer away from them. Quick fixes, such as generative fill, are genuine game-changers that save time without sacrificing quality. However, there’s no substitute for the creative mind of a human designer.
AI’s role in video production is varied. From editing and creating quick animations to full-scale video production, much of this artificial intelligence technology is currently, truth be told, in its infancy and certainly isn’t ready for use at a professional level. However, certain AI technologies can significantly improve efficiencies within video production.
For example, the team has adopted LOVO AI, a tool that provides realistic voiceovers in various accents and languages. LOVO AI means the team can create narrated ads for clients with a much quicker turnaround and at a fraction of the price than using a human voice actor.
At this point, it feels apt to caveat this by saying that AI voiceover is not a replacement for using human talent – it’s simply an option for those scenarios where a voiceover artist wouldn’t otherwise be affordable or feasible.
Copyright is the number one concern for many people. If you’re using an AI tool, ensure you’re not using something that mimics the voices of non-consenting actors and that the provider gives an indemnity to protect you if they make a mistake.
It’d be easy for creative marketers to panic at the thought of robots coming in to take their jobs. There are genuine, justified concerns in specific industries (such as the SAG episode in Hollywood) that those in executive roles, distanced from the art itself, will see cost-cutting as the number one priority.
As things stand, AI will always need a human command; someone sat behind it, someone with a creative vision that can produce true originality and produce the right commands for AI. Without that creative process, there’s nothing original for artificial intelligence to work with. And that same person will most likely be required to refine anything produced by AI to provide a level of quality control.
For most of us, the fact is simple – you can avoid artificial intelligence at all costs and risk being left behind. Or, creative marketers can explore the enhancements artificial intelligence brings and, like SEO experts are doing in line with the search journey, begin integrating, adapting, and embracing AI as part of their work in the future.
Keen to know what the Future of Digital Marketing will look like?Download and read our free whitepaper
Insights
Insights
Insights