In the early 19th century, the Luddites, a group of English textile workers, destroyed weaving machinery as a form of protest against the mechanisation that threatened their jobs. Fast forward to today where a curious trend has emerged on LinkedIn. Advertising professionals, particularly copywriters and planners, are publicly pitting their skills against AI. The trend is almost formulaic. A creative professional posts a truly lacklustre prompt into ChatGPT. The AI responds in kind, generating what is deemed to be uninspired copy or insights. The human then takes to LinkedIn, triumphantly brandishing their “superior” creation as evidence that their job is safe from the encroaching AI tide. It’s a spectacle that elicits nods and likes within the advertising echo chamber but does little to advance the discourse on AI’s role in creative industries.
Their message is clear: “See, machines can’t replace us.”
The fear of obsolescence is understandable but not excusable for a lack of curiosity. The advertising professionals who are publicly dismissing AI’s capabilities are not just doing a disservice to themselves but also to an industry that is desperately lacking in innovation, an industry still married to the business structures designed by Bill Bernbach and his contemporaries in the middle of last century. They’re the modern-day equivalent of those horse-and-buggy manufacturers who dismissed automobiles as a passing fad. Their public disdain for AI is not a badge of honour; it’s a mark of fear, incuriosity and, quite frankly, a lack of vision.
Contrary to the fleeting trends that often captivate the advertising world – be it the metaverse, 3D printing, or viral videos – AI is not a mere shiny gimmick. Artificial Intelligence is a major act, a transformative force that’s here to stay. Unlike these ephemeral fads that often serve as little more than conversation starters at industry conferences, AI has already proven its mettle. It’s not just a shiny new toy; it’s a powerful workhorse across industries, and it’s barely scratched the surface …yet.
From automating mundane tasks to generating insights from big data, AI is redefining the boundaries of what’s possible in advertising (and every other industry for that matter). It’s not a question of whether it will become an integral part of the industry but how quickly those who adapt will leave the sceptics behind.
As someone who worked in the music industry for many years, I witnessed the seismic shifts in that industry – from physical to digital formats and channels, I find this reluctance to embrace change both sad and dangerous. When Napster disrupted the music industry, the initial reaction was to mock, then fear and litigate. But those who adapted, who saw the potential in digital distribution, thrived. iTunes, Spotify, and a host of other platforms emerged, changing not just how we consume music but also how artists create and distribute it. In the realm of advertising, AI can research vast amounts of data, spot unexpected patterns, provide cognitive assistance, analyse, create and test strategies, and yes, even assist in creative processes, from concepts to copy to imagery to video and film creation and production. It’s astonishingly powerful – and generally very good – even now in its nascent form. And it hasn’t even started …yet.
And Artificial General Intelligence is waiting in the wings, ready to provide another leap in capability.
If you find yourself sceptical about generative AI, consider this: The tool is only as good as its user. A poor craftsman blames their tools, but a great one knows how to use them effectively. Instead of inputting half-baked prompts, imagine your generative AI engine is the most promising and intelligent young employee you’ve ever hired. Coach and guide it as you would this person. Give it a clear understanding of what “great” looks like. Give it detailed input and a very clear understanding of how to respond. And when it doesn’t respond the way you would like, ask it to revise, give it guidance, care and guardrails that might allow it to improve. Then, use AI to sift through data for consumer insights. Brainstorm campaign ideas. Create better briefs. Test the limits of creative concepts within a campaign. The possibilities are endless for those willing to explore. Push the technology hard. The future of advertising is not an Orwellian landscape devoid of human creativity. Rather, it’s a hybrid model where AI and human ingenuity coexist. Just as architects use CAD software to draft more precise building plans, advertisers can use AI to enhance their creative output.
Advertising professionals who publicly mock AI are essentially crafting their own public epitaphs. But the irony is that by deliberately setting up AI to fail, these advertising professionals are doing a disservice not just to themselves but to an industry in dire need of innovation. It’s akin to a self-fulfilling prophecy: you won’t find what you’re not willing to look for. They may not lose their jobs to ChatGPT or its successors, but they will lose them to their own unwillingness to adapt and innovate. In an industry that values creativity and curiosity, this is the real tragedy. So, instead of fearing and mocking AI, embrace it as another tool in your creative arsenal.
Or at the very least, naysayers might consider appending their LinkedIn laments with a humble “…yet.”
