Tom Hanks and Gayle King Raise Alarm on AI-Generated Ads

Top stories from an overview of what's happening at the intersection of Advertising and AI this week:

• Tom Hanks and Gayle King Raise Alarm on AI-Generated Ads

• Decoding 2023's AI Lexicon: Navigating the Marketing Landscape

• Generative AI in Marketing: Beyond the Hype to Practical Implementation

• Small B2B Firms Pivot to AI Amidst Budgetary Challenges

  On Edge

• AI's Imaginative Realm: Crafting Fantasy Brand Collaborations

1. Tom Hanks and Gayle King Raise Alarm on AI-Generated Ads

Tom Hanks and Gayle King have recently become the targets of misleading advertising campaigns. These campaigns, rather than using genuine footage, employ artificial intelligence to craft seemingly authentic representations of the celebrities.

King, renowned co-host of “CBS Mornings,” took to Instagram to share a manipulated video that falsely promotes a weight-loss product. She labeled the video as “Fake Video” and urged her followers not to be deceived by such misleading content.

Similarly, Hanks expressed his concern over an unauthorized dental plan advertisement that featured an AI-generated version of him. The source of this video remains uncertain, and Hanks' representatives have yet to comment, leaving the possibility of legal action open.

Meta, Instagram's parent company, has not directly addressed these deceptive ads. However, they have reiterated their commitment to combating misleading content on their platform.

The unauthorized use of AI in the entertainment sector has been a growing concern. This issue was a focal point during the Writers Guild of America strike last month. Both actors and writers are wary of the potential misuse of digital replicas without proper permissions.

Reflecting on the increasing use of AI in films, Hanks recalled his experience with the 2004 movie “Polar Express.” He emphasized the emerging challenges the industry faces, both creatively and legally. Hanks pondered the potential of AI-generated versions of actors in future films.

As AI technology advances, its integration into various sectors poses complex ethical and regulatory questions.

Read the full story here 

2. Decoding 2023's AI Lexicon: Navigating the Marketing Landscape

The advertising world is abuzz with the transformative power of artificial intelligence. However, the myriad of terms and definitions can be perplexing. Annmarie Turpin, CTO for Ocean Media’s analytics team, notes, “Many encounter various definitions and then deduce their own interpretations.”

Digiday's recent glossary demystifies key terms that are redefining the advertising sector. Bid Optimization, for instance, involves AI fine-tuning bidding strategies during real-time auctions. This technique has led Google's DV360 to strengthen ties with Scibids, a leading AI entity.

Computer Vision, a technology that replicates human visual perception, is instrumental in enabling self-driving vehicles to navigate and in powering facial recognition tools.

Digital Twinning, on the other hand, crafts digital replicas of tangible objects. A case in point is Mars' M&M’s virtual pop-up at music events, immersing online participants in a festival-like ambiance.

Generative AI, epitomized by platforms like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, harnesses AI to craft diverse content, from text to imagery, based on user interactions. A staggering 71% of agencies now employ such innovations to augment their operations.

Yet, challenges persist. "Hallucination" in AI signifies moments when AI, with misplaced confidence, delivers flawed results. This issue underscores the potential risks of AI-driven misinformation.

At the heart of generative AI lie LLMs (Large Language Models). These intricate models, fed with extensive textual information, craft content mirroring human thought. Among the frontrunners are OpenAI’s GPT iterations, Google’s PaLM 2, and Stability AI’s StableLM.

For marketers, grasping these terminologies is crucial in this rapidly shifting AI domain.

Read the full story here 

3. Generative AI in Marketing: Beyond the Hype to Practical Implementation

The transition from mere curiosity about generative AI to its strategic implementation has been evident in the advertising and marketing realms. Stephen Noble of StarSocial remarks on the synergy between predictive and generative AI models, emphasizing their role in refining efficiency and precision.

Neil Dixit and Adam Bai of Glimpse shed light on the transformative role of gen AI in social listening. By crafting engaging questions and ensuring genuine responses, AI offers a nuanced grasp of consumer sentiment.

Yet, the broader implications of AI on humanity warrant attention. Joy Fennell of The Future in Black underscores the necessity of gauging AI's reception among diverse audiences. Foundational ethical tenets, including fairness and transparency, guide these evaluations.

James Addlestone of Journey Further introduces the imperative of AI explainability. The challenge lies in designing models that balance efficiency with human interpretability, ensuring ethical oversight.

Programmatic advertising, enriched by gen AI, delivers tailored narratives to audiences. Abhay Singhal of InMobi Group accentuates the innovative facet of gen AI, highlighting its capacity to amplify user engagement.

The audio realm, particularly podcasts, is also experiencing AI's influence. Fatima Zaidi of Quill elaborates on AI's role in streamlining transcriptions, fostering creativity, and optimizing time.

As the contours of marketing shift, mastering generative AI's nuances is crucial for forward-thinking enterprises.

Read the full story here (Paywalled content summarized by Edge)

4. Small B2B Firms Pivot to AI Amidst Budgetary Challenges

While larger B2B entities have traditionally enjoyed the perks of early access to innovative technologies, recent trends suggest that smaller firms are quickly catching up, keenly exploring the benefits of automation and advanced tools.

Integrate's comprehensive report provides a deep dive into the prevailing challenges b-to-b marketers are set to encounter in 2023. A substantial 38% are gearing up for inevitable budget cuts, while a concerning 40% are actively considering staff reductions. This tightening of purse strings is having a ripple effect across traditional marketing avenues. Field and event marketing, once deemed indispensable for brand outreach, is now grappling with a 20% reduction. Similarly, content creation, which has long been the cornerstone of digital engagement, is facing an 18% cutback.

Yet, in the face of these adversities, a beacon of hope shines through. An impressive 44% of these marketers are demonstrating resilience by redirecting their dwindling resources towards marketing technology. This strategic pivot not only underscores the growing significance of automation and AI in the current landscape but also highlights their role in optimizing processes, broadening reach, and ensuring a trajectory of sustainable growth.

In this ever-evolving industry landscape, one insight stands out prominently: even when faced with financial constraints, the spirit of innovation remains undeterred. Smaller B2B firms, far from being mere spectators, are actively shaping and leading this transformative journey.

Read the full report here 

On Edge

This week, On Edge delves into a fascinating shift in the advertising landscape. Traditionally, brand collaborations have been the realm of human creativity, where renowned names merge to produce iconic products. However, a groundbreaking trend is emerging: collaborations conceived not by human minds, but by the intricate algorithms of artificial intelligence, challenging our very understanding of reality.

Pioneering AI tools, such as DALL-E and Midjourney, are empowering creators to design and bring to life imaginative brand partnerships. These range from the playful fusion of Pokémon and Dr. Pepper to the unexpected alliance of luxury brand Hermés with convenience store giant 7-Eleven. Such AI-spun collaborations are captivating audiences, creating a buzz and sparking vibrant conversations across social platforms.

BrXnd.ai, an innovative venture by Noah Brier, stands as a testament to this evolving trend. This platform offers users the ability to blend from a vast catalog of 600 brand names, producing distinctive brand visuals and promotional content. These tools are setting a new precedent in brand collaborations, unlocking a realm of boundless creative potential.

However, the ascent of AI-generated brand imagery isn't without its challenges. Michael J. Miraflor, a brand strategist at Hannah Grey VC, ponders the implications for brands when AI whimsically reinterprets their identities. The line demarcating authentic and AI-conceived collaborations is becoming increasingly blurred, potentially leading to brand identity conundrums.

Highlighting the vast capabilities of AI, Benjamin Benichou's designs, including a conceptual Nike outlet on Mars, showcase the expansive horizons AI introduces to the design arena. Such groundbreaking concepts, once deemed labor-intensive or far-fetched, are now effortlessly achievable.

Yet, as AI continues to redefine the boundaries of brand collaborations, it raises pivotal questions. How will brands navigate this transformative landscape? How can consumers differentiate genuine collaborations from AI-spun ones? And, as Brier aptly poses, in a world where AI continually blurs distinctions, how will we discern the tangible from the AI-imagined?

Read the full story here (Paywalled content summarized by Edge)

Thank you for reading!
Unleash the power of AI in Advertising and stay ahead with Edge.
Subscribe now