AI and the creative industries: survival of the fittest?

What is our competitive advantage as humans over machines? Dado identifies 4 major categories to compare humans to AI.

Key categories to compare humans to AI.

Knowledge

According to Dado, we are not going to beat AI in terms of knowledge. "I think we can all agree that computers and machines have more knowledge today thanks to those gigantic amounts of data. So we have to be aware that we can't beat them at the IQ level."

Creativity

Creativity is often considered man's trump card, but is it really? "It is becoming increasingly difficult for the average human to be more creative than machines. I think people like artists and agency creatives will be able to compete with the creativity of these types of systems for a long time to come, but if you look at the quality of a poem from ChatGPT or even a photo or video, you can see that creativity is extremely high anyway."

Emotion

Humans feel emotions, robots don't. So you would think this is where we hit our stride. Or is that thinking too soon? "In a study in the U.S., 100 people talked to a doctor about their clinical picture and 100 people in a control group talked to an AI system without knowing it. What turned out? Much more empathy was felt in the control group with AI. My theory goes like this: we feel emotion, a computer does not. But do we also show emotion? I think computers can often show emotion better and remain empathetic longer," Dado said.

Relationships

The real power of humans, according to Dado, lies in the relationships we build. "Especially in the medium term, we still have a unique asset with this that we need to play better. Building relationships between people has to be done by people."

Despite the possibilities of AI, Dado emphasizes that the joy of creativity remains. He believes the appreciation for human creativity will increase as it becomes easier to make things with AI.

Influencers emerged as a way to humanize brands and instill more trust with the public. At a time when consumers were becoming increasingly critical of the authenticity of advertising, influencers offered a solution. They provide a bridge between the brand and the consumer and increase the credibility of a product or service.

But now a paradox is emerging, with the rise of virtual influencers that are entirely AI-generated. They have their own appearance, personality and voice, developed by algorithms. AI influencers can interact with followers, create content and even promote products. All without a real person behind them.

Consider Lil Miquela, a virtual influencer who not only collaborates with major brands, but also releases music and attends events. According to research, 78% of Generation Z follow at least 1 virtual influencer. The emergence of Belgium's first virtual influencer Bobbi Lee shows that this trend is also spreading locally.

"There is indeed a paradox. Generation Z and Alpha are said to be more awake to sustainability, but at the same time are still shuffling massively to fast-fashion chains. I think the same logic applies here: they follow a certain influencer because it stands for certain values. At the same time, they follow figures that don't exist, who they also often know are not real," says Dado.

Creating a virtual influencer, is that "easy peasy lemon squeezy"? Launching such an influencer is easy, but keeping it live, getting the audience excited and building a community is not so easy, according to Dado.

Community managers will be more crucial than ever to build relationships and create connections between brands and consumers. Dado notes that many organizations have thought too much from the perspective of technology. Consider a "digital-first" strategy, whereas a "community first" approach might be more effective.

A good example is the brand Chubbies, which uses user-generated content to build a strong community. Dado explains how Chubbies began offering swim shorts in a competitive market in 2011: "They fully played the card of community. By actively involving the community in content creation, they developed a successful strategy that led to $100 million in sales."

So to reach Gen Alpha's, who value relationships even in digital environments, brands must build a community. That consists of 3 essential elements. "When those come together, they reinforce each other," Dado said.

1. Financial benefit: there must be something that rewards people, such as a loyalty program.
2. Functional benefit: the community must provide a unique experience or access that others do not have.
3. Emotional connection: this is the glue that holds everything together.

The integration of AI into the creative sector offers opportunities to improve existing processes and explore new forms of creativity. Yet it is crucial to maintain the human elements of connection as we learn to work with these new technologies. "The key for the future lies in how we use these tools. Humans will not be replaced by AI, but by other humans using AI' sums it up well," Dado concludes.

Want to learn more about the impact of AI on the creative industries? Then our podcast By Humans is for you.

Listen to By Humans: episode 3