AI in Marketing: How Automation is Changing Creativity
AI in Marketing: How Automation is Changing Creativity
By Georgia Wood
Illustration by Max Marlow
Technologically savvy college students are facing a new crisis as they step into the
workforce – thanks to Artificial Intelligence.
AI is reshaping industries, and for many young professionals, AI feels like a threat to their
very livelihood.
But the question is: How can we use AI to benefit us as creatives? And maybe even more importantly, how is it going to change creativity as a whole?
Creativity in an AI World
Creatives are in the business of understanding people.
If one doesn’t truly understand human behavior - our habitual deep emotional desires that
overflow into language or the display of funky human habits – there is no resonation or
connection to the audience that they are attempting to reach.
A successful campaign doesn’t necessarily need to reach everyone; but it does need to
connect deeply with a specific audience.
Consumer appeal is rooted in community, not reputation. AI falls short. AI doesn’t truly understand humanity because it will never be human. It cannot feel.
The Power of Authentic Connection
A target audience will continue to support a message or product if it reaches them in an
authentic manner. A small but passionate community can hold incredible power by
building a commercial and emotional relationship with a brand.
AI can analyze data and predict trends, but it cannot replace the human understanding of
connection.
Use of AI as a Tool
As AI infiltrates classrooms and workplaces, people risk complacency by using AI as a
crutch. Effective AI use can strengthen skill sets, not diminish them.
Prompting is becoming a valuable tool, but prompting is just the tip of the iceberg. Deep
diving into soft and technical skills – such as mastering Adobe Creative Suite, coding a
personal website, or managing budgets in Excel - can help expand personal horizons by
utilizing AI as support.
Pros of AI
AI excels at the “What, Where, When, and Why.”
It can deliver an almost overwhelming amount of information with efficiency. It is great for
minimizing busy work to grammar check, condense reports, or preform basic
brainstorming tactics.
It can help hardwire your brain when the creative juices just aren’t flowing or elaborate on concepts that one would like to expand.
All that being said, AI produces fine work. It lacks something essential, something human.
Uniqueness.
The Human Edge
Because of the utter neutrality that AI has to oKer, it generates a lack of originality that
is rooted in the personalities, drives, and uniqueness of humanity. It can mimic creativity
but not feel it.
Anyone with basic prompting skills can generate a passable design with AI. But the magic of a creative doesn’t come from efficiency, but from layers of messiness and personal background.
This individuality – shaped by our view of the world and molded by our backgrounds - gives
creative work, its soul, drive, and connection.
AI can be used to support this process, but it cannot replace it, as it isn’t an individual.
Humanity drives art, storytelling, and innovation. Creatives tap into feelings through true human understanding. AI won’t take away creativity. It will challenge curiosity and growth. It will change the field. And, if used well, you could change with it.
