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Senior Creative Manager
Integration
It’s been impossible to escape the discussion around AI in digital marketing. Something that seemed a million miles from becoming a viable, working reality is now at our fingertips, led in the mainstream by ChatGPT and many other easily accessible online technologies.
Naturally, the use of artificial intelligence has set alarm bells ringing in the creative industries, the most high-profile case being 11,500 Hollywood Writers Guild members going on strike due to the looming threat of its use for writing scripts.
However, at Search Laboratory, the Creative team is more optimistic about the potential uses of artificial intelligence. This article highlights various ways we’ve already adopted AI into our creative processes. Plus, we share details about AI tools the team is closely monitoring for future use.
There’s much to consider when integrating artificial intelligence tools into your work in 2024. Not only are there many practical and ethical questions, but your team must also consider how it streamlines and elevates your output instead of just speeding up a process that leads to less quality work.
Our Creative team has adopted several AI tools to capitalize on this innovation in their day-to-day work.
Although many enjoy playing around with ChatGPT, the AI tool can hugely benefit content writers. As ChatGPT collects and synthesizes countless sources from around the web, writers can easily explore a new idea, scope out a project, or research new topics on the fly. ChatGPT is one of many tools that can improve written content, though.
Programs such as Grammarly have always provided AI-related features, but the tool has increased use with its AI Writing Assistance. And Semrush’s SEO Writing Assistant leverages real-time data insights to craft optimized SEO content.
ChatGPT does not always provide the most accurate responses due to the sheer amount of data it scrapes from all corners of the internet. We’ve found that when looking for statistics, the tool pulls together some questionable numbers without providing references for sources.
Additionally, ChatGPT is “time-static,” meaning it doesn’t update in real-time. The information ChatGPT relies on can be months out-of-date.
With that in mind, we advise doing extra research, or at least a form of verification, on top of ChatGPT exploration to ensure quality when creating written content.
AI-generated design improved by 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 test how artificial intelligence can enhance the work of digital designers or even provide quick concepts to show clients before more time-consuming design work starts. Adobe Firefly especially 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 benefit of offering an indemnity guarantee against copyright infringement. You might be thinking, “Is that something I really need?” Considering AI’s primary function is to shape something new from pre-existing work, it’s better to be safe than sorry!
If you’re hoping to produce finished images using AI tools, we’d advise against it. There’s no substitute for the creative mind of a human designer when it comes to ideating unique, artistic imagery. But quick fixes, such as generative fill, are genuine game-changers that save time without sacrificing quality or the human touch.
There are many uses for AI in video. From editing and creating quick animations to full-scale video production, creators have so many options to explore, with most of this technology new and improving over time.
That said, these AI tools can significantly streamline your team’s 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 cost of using a human voice actor.
As always, we must warn 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. To ensure proper localization, relying on those fluent in the language is still recommended.
Copyright is the number one concern for many people. If you’re using an artificial intelligence tool, ensure you’re not using something that mimics the voices of non-consenting actors and that the service provider has 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 writer’s strike) that those in executive roles, distanced from the art itself, will see cost-cutting as the number one priority.
As things currently stand, AI will always need human review – someone with a creative vision who can produce true originality and the proper commands for the AI to follow. Without that creative process, there’s nothing original for artificial intelligence to work with. These creative experts are necessary to refine anything produced by AI to provide a level of quality control.
For most of us, the fact is simple – you can avoid AI at all costs and risk missing out on the scale and opportunity artificial intelligence can provide your team. Or, creative marketers can explore and use the enhancements of artificial intelligence. Like SEO experts and the search journey, they can begin integrating, adapting, and embracing AI as part of their work in the future.
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