How to Use AI in within the Creative Industry

There are so many layers to using AI in the creative industry. We are so early. It reminds me of the early internet. From an industry perspective, Midjourney and ChatGPT were breakthrough moments for me in the Generative AI space, accessing LLMs that work almost like magic. Look at the amount of companies popping up every week with new models that can do the craziest of things. From text to video and music to the promise of AGI (Artificial general intelligence) agents that can book a complex holiday, start a company, source and market products, all while you are asleep.

AI can be used across all areas from concepting ideas, quick key visuals and storyboarding to more advanced areas of strategy, design, motion and sound. This process doesn’t work for everything and not all jobs require this. A year ago, I released a few books to help creatives with prompting in Midjourney, the demand for this knowledge is certainly increasing.

The video capabilities are really exciting and with AI progressing rapidly, it will empower storytellers to share narratives previously untold and amplify voices that have long been unheard. We are playing with Luma and RunwayML at the moment and the latest release with image to video is so powerful. Every week there are new updates. AI has the power to revolutionise industries and reshape economies, so it's crucial to implement safeguards to protect the creative industry and the talented individuals who drive it.

I understand the fear around AI and automation but our society thrives on technology and innovation. I have regular chats with people around the world and across the Australian creative industry. There is still a general resistance where people get overwhelmed.  It is completely understandable, with a new field comes uncertainty, especially when the rate of change is so sudden. We can all agree that AI is extremely powerful, so it’s difficult to comprehend that AI right now is the worst it’s ever going to be. It’s completely bonkers.

We take AI very seriously at Thinkerbell, while also having fun. Being independent means we can move fast and implement quick decisions.  Maintaining data security and privacy is our main priority. We have agency AI guidelines that address many areas from fairness and accountability to specific policies around consent, biases, ethics and data protection.

We have clients that have an appetite for using AI in a responsible way, so we have a system that incorporates a plethora of AI tools that are updated weekly as we test and discard. We have a dedicated AI squad and most of the wider team use AI tools with some smarts going deep building bespoke GPTS to help with workflow. It blows my mind to see how the team is embracing it.

Lawsuits and questions around legalities are published daily across the AI world so it is wise to be in the loop.  We're all about using AI in a way that's smart, safe, and beneficial for everyone involved with an emphasis on experimentation and fun. We want everyone to be in the know and feel confident about playing with these exciting new technologies.

At this year's Cannes Lions, Elon Musk was quoted as saying, "AI will amplify human creativity, creating a magic genie situation where if you can think of something, the AI can make it happen."  This makes sense as we enter a new age of communication and economics.

He also said, "The most likely outcome of the future of AI is one of abundance, with a universal high income which will introduce a crisis of meaning."

So what does this mean? If AI bots are creating everything, what will humans do? Tax the bots and give the humans free money to do nothing? What will our purpose be? If that is the case, what will it mean for advertising is a rather tiny question. On a broader scale, what will it mean for humanity?

I see a future where roles in advertising will blur, and the traditional system will change in all areas from ideation to media. AI will drive personalization in goods and services. If we can think of a thing, describe the thing, AI can make the thing, market the thing and deliver the thing.

Seth Godin said that "AI is dramatically underhyped and wildly misunderstood," He also said that “AI will redefine marketing creativity, not replace it.”  

As we shift from the knowledge economy into the wisdom economy, the education system needs to adapt. New humans will re-define advertising completely as they interact with AI in the education space. While AI won't replace the innate need for human connection, it is impacting both manual and cognitive tasks, unlike the Industrial Revolution, which primarily affected manual labour.  Humans may use AI to filter out the stuff that isn’t important to them and that will include brands. Brands that focus on impact over profit will thrive.

When you think about the past seventeen years, before the iPhone, who would have predicted that on average, people now spend roughly 6 to 7 hours daily on screens, including apps that didn’t even exist back then? This dramatic shift makes us think well… What will advertising look like in the next 5 to 10 years?

Elon also said that there will be 20 billion humanoid robots on Earth in the not-too-distant future  and that everyone will want one. I am sure brands will figure out a way to sell clothes to the bots. So when they become ubiquitous, I will make sure to hide the kitchen knives.

It may come down to two choices: (a) plug your brain into Neuralink to compete with bots or (b) retreat to a cabin in the woods with a guitar and a fire. I’ll be heading for the warm music.