Can Robots Take Over the Creative Industry?
Creatives, what would we do without them? Extremely talented individuals who possess a unique craft that is hard to recreate. But the ongoing debate surrounding AI vs humans in design is not only leaving a sour taste on social media but it also poses many ethical questions: Will AI ever be able to replicate the intricate artistry and insights born of human creativity? Do humans possess the capability to match the precision and speed inherent with AI? Is AI going to take our jobs? While the answers remain uncertain, some brands have been ramping up their usage. Creative, Shannon, is here to delve more into the controversial world of AI.
Disney’s Secret Invasion AI Introduction
Clever or plain stupid? The Secret Invasion series, a pioneering AI-generated project by Marvel, raised eyebrows with its AI-generated opening credits. The use of artificial intelligence to depict the show’s plot led to concerns about the ethical implications and potential threats to creative careers. Many claim that the move is unethical and poses a threat to creative careers, but why? Disney asserted that AI merely assisted their teams, not replacing anyone. However, ambiguity surrounds the origin of AI-generated projects, leading to issues of unclear credit for human creators. For how much longer will craft outweigh the costs?
Coca-Cola CokeGPT – An unsuccessful experiment.
Coca-Cola’s AI-designed Y3000 flavour aiming to capture global experiences fell flat. The AI-created peanut-smelling, berry-tasting fizzy drink with unconventional packaging failed to resonate with, well, anyone. This serves as a cautionary tale to the product designers, highlighting that AI may struggle to understand and replicate the nuanced preferences, emotions, and tastes humans seek in products. Whilst it was meant to be a glimpse into the future, this experiment suggests a red flag against allowing AI influence over the flavours of tomorrow. We know exactly what we want… AI can’t replace that. 👀
Over the past year, we have also seen some great examples of AI-led creativity…
Nestlé’s ‘Taste the AI’ Campaign
Nestlé takes a positive approach, successfully merging AI and creativity in their ‘Taste the AI’ campaign. Celebrating their 100th anniversary of condensed milk in Colombia, Nestlé crafted ten unique recipes using AI to blend historical facts, iconic flavours, and artistic trends. The campaign highlights AI’s capacity to inspire and enhance creative processes without replacing human efforts, exemplified by an entertaining Kit Kat ad poking fun at the idea of AI taking over designers’ roles. computers and humans working in harmony? We think it could work.
Heinz AI Ketchup Campaign (Effective Collaboration)
In a continuation of the ‘It has to be Heinz’ campaign, Heinz leveraged Dall-E 2 software to create a series of imaginative images tied to ketchup-related phrases. Demonstrating that AI can enhance rather than replace human creativity, the campaign reinforces the idea that AI can serve as a creative partner within your own creativity.
The crossover between artificial intelligence and creativity remains a dynamic and often contentious realm. The puzzle of whether robots can take over the craft of creatives is still unfolding. Some brands, like Nestlé and Heinz, are thriving and showcase successful collaborations between AI and human ingenuity. Others exemplified by Coca-Cola’s Y3000 experiment, prove the challenges and limitations AI has in capturing the nuances of human preferences and emotions.
There is a fine line between AI assistance and the potential replacement of careers within design. For now, and for a long while, AI has been a creative partner. We don’t think it’s going anywhere, anytime soon but don’t stress creatives… your jobs will be safe. After all, AI can’t replace human craft.