Dorota Jasińska
Marcin Dobosz
There’s no doubt AI is a widely used technology in many fields, especially marketing. The content generation capabilities of GenAI models can be applied to create images, texts and videos quickly and for a competitive price. More and more tools for such content generation appear on the market, and some companies involve them in their marketing campaigns.
Perspectives for AI in content creation
The tools for video and image creation and text generation are widely available and used by marketing departments to create promotional materials at a low cost and with results delivered much faster than in a traditional way. Now, the quality of generated content is almost human-grade, at least at first sight. However, the morality of such implementation is questionable.
The ease of use of tools that generate content is one of the reasons why they’re so popular. Even tech giants turned to AI-generated content to promote their products. For example, Amazon utilizes AI for marketing and uses AI to make ads more engaging. This, however, was not the case when they published promotional graphics for their new Fallout TV series. The community claimed it was AI-generated and of poor quality. We covered the details of the controversy further in the article.
But what has actually led to this point? In order for you to understand we’d need to get deeper into the topic of AI content generation tools and their capabilities.
AI content generation tools
Before we move on to the specific AI content-generation tools, let’s focus on how they are useful for marketing. Starting with improved work efficiency, people can use them to speed up the creation process of marketing materials. Such tools are also a great source of inspiration for artists, as they can generate references based on prompts. These are the general benefits of AI tools, the specifics are described below along with the tool types.
There are a few types of tools that can be used to generate content in marketing. These include text, image and video generation. While these tools are a source of fast content generation, they still need human guidance and refinement to provide the required results.
Text generation tools
These tools generate text responses to text prompts. They can be used to quickly create content for various uses. For example, AI text generators create outlines, introductions, or even full blog posts, saving time on research. The same goes for social media posts. The tool may be a source of catchy snippets and scripts for videos targeted at the audience.
The tools also help generate compelling product descriptions for e-commerce. Thanks to AI, clothes and other products shown to potential customers can be quickly characterized. Moreover, the tools are capable of creating many text variations for ads and banners that can be A/B tested for performance.
Text generation tools may also be implemented to personalize email marketing. Creating personalized subject lines, email content, and calls to action tailored to the recipient are just a few examples. Website content can also be personalized for the users, including featured products and proposing purchase options.
ChatGPT is one of the tools that can be used for text generation. It can help streamline the content creation process, enhance engagement with the audience, or support the overall effectiveness of marketing strategies. ChatGPT can generate content, analyze data and insights, help brainstorm ideas, optimize SEO, and many more.
Another tool worth mentioning is Google Gemini. This tool is great for creative collaboration. Its capabilities include content creation, research and analysis, brainstorming, proofreading, editing, summarizing, and more. Its performance depends on the quality of the instructions provided.
Image generation tools
AI can also be used to quickly generate images based on prompts. The images are often ready-to-use or improved by graphic specialists. There are many tools with different models that make image generation fast and easy. That’s why they’re a great option for marketing content.
Marketing departments may utilize AI tools to generate conceptual images and product visualization to quickly deliver a draft for the client. The images can be easily changed by AI or improved by humans to meet specific requirements. Depending on the client’s feedback, the generated image can be adjusted almost instantly with the use of AI.
Also, marketers can easily generate custom images for ads or banners that fit the brand’s aesthetics. These include images for specific campaigns that need to be updated a lot or A/B tested. Such use allows for the quick generation of multiple images in different styles and various recipients.
Midjourney is a very popular tool operating on Discord. It can deliver a few options for every prompt. Then, the user can alter the generated image to fit the requirements. The tool can also work on uploaded images and use them as references.
DALL-E is an image-generating system created by OpenAI and can be used within ChatGPT. The system can be used for rapid prototyping to visualize concepts, customize and personalize images, and adjust to the brand style.
Video generation tools
Video generation tools enable fast video-making with the help of AI. They can be used for marketing and social media creation. Using a tool to create a video is much faster than the traditional way. The tool can also produce a lot of content quickly that can be used to refresh the advertised materials.
The tools allow you to generate personalized videos for specific customers and audiences. They also enable fast demo video creation to demonstrate products and offers in various settings. Such tools are great for social media content. Engaging, short videos can be optimized for specific platforms, such as Instagram Reels or TikTok.
Some video-generating tools focus on AI avatars that can be used for testimonials. The avatar could present a product, describe its features, and give recommendations to the target audience. Such AI avatars are also an excellent option for explanatory videos.
Sora by OpenAI is one of the newest video-generating tools that is being developed but is not yet available for public use. Its capabilities are showcased on its website, and what is shown there suggests a breakthrough in terms of the video generation capabilities of the model. The possible impact of Sora is discussed in this article.
Another tool that can be used for video generation is Lumen5. The tool allows a quick conversion of articles into videos through information imported from the URL. The content can be modified in a presentation-like format. Such an editing option makes it easy for many people to use.
AI-generated marketing content – use cases
AI’s capabilities of generating marketing content make it a great option for creating ads faster than ever. This could be the reason why Amazon may have used AI to promote its TV show. There are a few more real-life examples of AI being used in marketing strategy.
Amazon’s Fallout TV show
Amazon uses AI as a tool to innovate its services. This includes improved product listing, creating engaging ads, and more. Maybe that’s why the community of Fallout fans accused the company of using AI to generate a promo image for the TV show.
Fans noticed the poor quality of the 1950-looking Los Angeles postcard with Vault Boy from the Fallout game series. They pointed to some anomalies in the graphics and claimed it was AI-generated. What was off? For example, a three-legged woman, a disjointed tree, and the misplacement of a steering wheel in a taxi are just a few examples.
But the quality of the image was only one part of the fans’ outrage. This image stirred a discussion about AI replacing human artists. It seemed as if the image was not improved by a human, but entirely artificial.
What’s more, Forbes added an article about recreating Fallout art in 10 minutes. The author summarized the controversy around the image and pointed out that “Amazon, a trillion dollar corporation (…) couldn’t pay one artist some amount of money to make one promo image for this enormous show not using AI.”
He recreated the image in Midjourney, and so did we using the prompt from the article. This is what we got:
Overall, the similarity to the original is visible. We used Midjourney to create the background and DALL-E to generate a character inspired by Vault Guy.
Although Amazon didn’t release an official statement concerning the claim, the community and artists are convinced the image was AI-generated.
There are a few problems with the topic. First, the quality of the image suggests it was not edited by a human artist. So, the community addressed the issue of AI replacing artists who lose their jobs as a result. Second, Amazon’s lack of response to the accusations. Third, the fact that the tech giant has published such an image at all.
Marvel’s Secret Invasion opening credits
Another case when AI was used in marketing, or even in the product itself, is the animation of the opening credits of Marvel’s Secret Invasion. The show faced criticism on social media due to the fact that the intro was created with AI. The director confirmed the use of AI and added that it fitted the show’s theme.
The community argued that AI will put actual artists out of work. They also addressed concerns about ownership and copyrights, as AI imitates already existing graphics. The controversy was also connected with the ongoing strike of writers who claimed AI is a threat to their jobs. This also stirred a discussion about guidelines and regulations for the use of AI.
In this case, Method Studios, the AI vendor responsible for the intro, stated that incorporating AI tools did not replace artists’ jobs. The statement included a description of the creation process, involved artists, and also mentioned the use of other tools.
The Marvel’s intro was probably the first instance of AI being overtly used in such a production.
Deepfakes
Another case worth mentioning is the use of deepfakes in marketing. Deepfakes are images, videos, or audio created using advanced AI techniques, such as deep learning. AI analyzes a target person’s look and behavior to superimpose their face and voice onto another person.
While deepfakes can, for example, revive historical figures or create tailored advertising experience, the potential of misinformation is tremendous. Due to highly realistic resemblance, people may not recognize that the content is fabricated.
Salvador Dali was brought back to life in an advertising campaign of the Dali Museum in Florida through AI. The campaign clearly marked the use of the technology. The aim was to create a lifelike version of the artist who interacted with museum visitors.
Due to easy access to deepfakes, people tend to use the technology to feature celebrities in ads without their consent. Taylor Swift, the Person of the Year according to Time magazine, was also targeted by deepfakes. Supporters of Donald Trump posted fabricated content of Taylor Swift supporting the politician on X. The platform took action under its policy of manipulated media.
Controversy around using AI in marketing
The use of AI in marketing has raised many concerns about privacy, misinformation, transparency, copyrights, and job displacement. The debate over the ethics of using AI for advertising is ongoing.
One of the issues of AI implementation in marketing is the data collection method, storage, and usage. This also includes the security of collected data. AI tools rely on personal data when customizing content. Demographics, browsing patterns, and purchase history are just some of the examples of the data. They may be enough to build consumer profiles that could be used for manipulative marketing practices.
Another concern is the possible spread of misinformation, manipulation, and deception. AI may target audiences based on people’s vulnerability and influence their choices. Deepfakes are one of the examples, as fabricated content may be used for political endorsement or product advertisement without proper consent.
What’s more, people are concerned about AI replacing humans in their jobs. Artist, writers, marketers, analysts or even programmers notice the potential use of AI to replace their skills or result in underpayment for their positions.
Possible solutions to controversies
How can these concerns be addressed? Starting with transparency of AI-generated content by companies, clear information about the use of the technology and data collection is necessary. What’s more, the AI-tools should be supervised by humans and used as a support instead of replacing specialists.
Some companies implemented guidelines to regulate the use of AI. For example, Meta announced it will add metadata to AI-generated content and label such content on their platforms for transparency. With metadata, other companies can easily detect AI technology. Tech giants such as Google, OpenAI, Microsoft, Adobe, Midjourney, and Shutterstock implement their plans for adding metadata to images created by their tools.
The problem of deepfake misuse can be addressed with deepfake detectors, such as deepfakedector.ai or similar platforms. Any suspicious content can also be reported and verified. X allows for comments added by the community if published media or information is misleading or lacks context.
More and more companies introduce guidelines and policies on how to handle AI-generated content. X has synthetic and manipulated media policy. Meta works with other companies to develop common starnards for AI identification. For instance, Meta AI images are labeled according to Partnership on AI (PAI) best practices.
The future of AI use in marketing
There are two perspectives that can be taken into account. The optimistic one focuses on the creative side of AI-generated content. AI could be widely implemented to speed up content generation to save time and costs. Moreover, it’s capabilities could be used for ad personalization for better results.
The use of AI could also shift the focus of marketers to more important matters. The time saved on creating content is a gap to fill in with, for example, improved strategy. Artists may work with higher efficiency while keeping high quality of their work if they use AI technology as a support.
However, there are many controversies revolving around the quality of AI-generated content. That’s why it’s important to control and adjust whatever is generated by the tools. Human touch is still important to deliver satisfactory results.
The optimal approach should include the balance of the use of AI in marketing. AI is a great assistant in many fields and can free humans of repetitive, mundane tasks or speed up the content creation process. Still, the need for human supervision is relevant.
FAQ
How can other content creators and marketers leverage AI based on the lessons learned from Fallout’s marketing campaign?
Looking at the reception of the audience, people noticed the poor quality of graphics. AI in marketing can be used in different ways than to generate images or content. It is very important to manually fix the results created by AI to avoid a situation that happened in the Fallout’s campaign. Instead, marketers can use AI to analyze data and adjust the campaign accordingly. AI has great potential that can be very beneficial if used correctly.
Conclusion
There’s no doubt AI is a powerful tool for content creation. Its capabilities bring about many benefits for marketers but also raise some concerns.
Considering the possibilities AI gives marketers and the controversies around the technology, there are still issues that need to be addressed. One solution for mitigating controversies is finding the right balance between AI-generated content and human impact on it.
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