Apple co-founder Steve Jobs was a college dropout who audited classes that interested him, including a calligraphy class. The aesthetic principles he learned there influenced the design of Apple's typography and user interface.

July 19, 2024

• Adapt or Die: AI's Inevitable Role in Advertising

• AI and Music: Harmony or Discord?

• Watching from the Sideline? It’s Time to Get on the Field

• Creative Insights with Creative Director & Storyteller, Dave Clark

• The AI Wire

• Creativity in Words: Andy Warhol

• Tools to Explore

Adapt or Die: AI's Inevitable Role in Advertising

In the US, 61% of agencies are using GenAI tools and 30% are exploring their potential. Interpublic Group (IPG) CEO Philippe Krakowsky asserts that AI adoption should be mandatory, likening it to the necessity of returning to the office post-pandemic.

Krakowsky highlights innovative applications like bAIgrapher, which creates AI-generated biographies to help Alzheimer's patients, and The Greatest Guide, a tool aiding mom-and-pop food stalls in Mexico City.

Despite acknowledging AI's risks to the creative profession, Krakowsky believes top-tier creatives will remain indispensable.

Perspectives:

Philippe Krakowsky, CEO of Interpublic Group (IPG): "There clearly do need to be non-optional mandates. You’re clearly expecting of folks that they’re going to be going deep and putting all the technology to use in their day-to-day, and that’s actually a KPI that a lot of our operators are measuring against."

Philippe Krakowsky: "A big risk to all of this is a reversion to mean. If everybody has all those tools, at what point can you really start doing things that use them to innovate and to break through?"

AI and Music: Harmony or Discord?

When it comes to the intersection of AI and music, the two most significant considerations are fostering creativity and maintaining ethical standards.

We’ve all heard some of these 100% AI-generated songs, and…oof.

As of this moment, it seems clear that AI's true potential lies in augmenting, rather than replacing, the creative process.

But where does “AI’s Creativity” come from? A central concern for artists and producers is the training of AI systems, emphasizing the need for transparency and ethical considerations in how these technologies are developed and utilized.

Perspectives:

• Julia Rowan, Senior Policy and Public Affairs Manager at PRS for Music: "It's important to distinguish between assistive AI and generative AI. Music creators can use AI tools for inspiration and completely transform AI output with their creativity."

• Julia Rowan: "We need regulation that would place an obligation on AI developers to disclose what their models have been trained on in a way that enables enforcement of their rights by music creators."

Watching from the Sideline? It’s Time to Get on the Field

According to a study by Engine Creative, 37.2% of Creatives have never used AI. That number seems a bit steep but the point is still made. There are a significant number of creatives who have not dipped a foot in the pool yet.

This reluctance could stem from various reasons, including intimidation or confusion about the process. To help ease this transition, here's a simple 5-step graphic to show you how easy it is to create generative AI media.

But remember, don’t be overly impressed by AI’s creations. They remain simply images/videos until you infuse them with a unique human purpose.

Now you have no excuse 😉. Try it out!

Creative Insights

Dave Clark
Creative Director & Storyteller
Twitter/X

Q: You have a diverse portfolio, including AI-generated films and branded content. Can you share insights into your creative process when integrating AI into your projects?

A: I usually start with a strong creative idea and then use generative AI to streamline tasks like storyboarding and visual effects. AI helps visualize ideas very quickly, allowing more time for refining the story and characters. It’s all about balancing technology with human creativity and storytelling.

Q: As a Creative Director working with AI, what are some of the biggest challenges you've faced, and how have you turned those challenges into opportunities for innovation?

A: My main challenge is ensuring AI-generated content has emotional depth and overcoming the learning curve of new tools. I turn these into opportunities by experimenting with AI to discover new storytelling techniques and continuously learning to better integrate AI with traditional methods​.

Q: Looking ahead, how do you envision the role of AI evolving in the creative industry, and what exciting developments or trends do you anticipate will shape the future of creative direction?

A: AI will become a standard tool in the creative process, helping personalize viewer experiences and streamline production. I’m excited about AI’s potential to democratize filmmaking, giving more people access to high-quality tools and enabling more diverse and unique stories to be told.

The AI Wire

Eureka Labs Pioneers AI-Native Learning: Eureka Labs is building an AI-native school featuring AI Teaching Assistants to enhance education. Their first course, LLM101n, teaches students to train AI models, blending digital and physical learning cohorts for an optimal experience. The platform aims to democratize and expand access to high-quality education.
For more details, visit Eureka Labs.

Apple, NVIDIA, and Anthropic Scrutinized for AI Training Practices: A recent report reveals that Apple, NVIDIA, and Anthropic utilized thousands of YouTube videos without permission to train their AI models. This practice has raised significant ethical and legal questions about data usage and privacy in AI development. The companies are now facing scrutiny over their data acquisition methods and the implications for content creators.
For more details, read the full article on Proof News: Proof News.

Google Launches AI Video Tool, Vids: Google has introduced Vids, an AI-powered tool that drastically reduces video production costs and time. Vids uses AI to create videos up to 10 minutes long, featuring AI-generated storyboards, customizable templates, and a royalty-free stock content library, integrated seamlessly with Google Workspace tools. This innovation is set to transform business communication and content creation.
For more details, read the full article on PYMNTS: PYMNTS.

Creativity in Words

"Don’t think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it’s good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art."

Andy Warhol
Artist

Tools to Explore

• Leonardo.ai - Leverage generative AI with a unique suite of tools to convey your ideas to the world.

• Elementor - Host, build & grow the website you’ve always dreamed of with the leading website platform for WordPress.