The role of AI in the creative process

AI can help bridge the gap between brands and their audiences, connecting them in direct and practical ways. This fuels the question, however, about how AI can and should be used, and where its benefits can be applied most effectively.

The news of the first film trailer created using AI brought into focus the rapid pace with which new applications are being surfaced. But it should be noted that what the AI actually did was to select scenes from which the trailer would be created, based on its analysis of hundreds of previous movie trailers. The task of assembling those scenes, editing them and adding music and effects to tell a coherent story (i.e. the actual creative task) fell to a person.

This should not detract from the achievement of the AI, which is remarkable, but it does clearly demonstrate the continuing importance of humans in the creative process. AI will help us solve the world’s biggest problems through its ability to draw profound insights from huge data sets. Through Natural Language Processing (NLP), its ability to understand and interpret language already enables us to use AI to provide expert and personalised knowledge to those who need it most – regardless of their lack of previous experience – communicated clearly and immediately.

This dissemination of useful information on a ‘mass one-to-one’ basis enables brands to provide direct value to their audiences using the vast amount of sector expertise they may have built up over many years, and which is important to their products and services, but which otherwise presents no direct business value in itself. The opportunities here are almost endless. There are huge numbers of people expressing a need for helpful information, but lacking the means to access that information.

By bringing people together and addressing their needs through AI, we hope to create products and services that add true value for everyone.

Andy Hood, Head of Emerging Technologies, appeared live on Sky News, Sept 2016.