The democratization dilemma, Marketing & Advertising News, ET BrandEquity

Image used for representative purpose (iStock)

“/>Image used for representative purpose (iStock)
By Pavan Padaki

Beware! The next time you tell people you use AI at work, you might be in for a surprise. AI could turn out to be a bad word that could harm your business.

Let me quickly narrate what happened 9 years back. I watched the box office hit movie, Baahubali, and was in awe for days. As a filmmaker myself, I was in wonder, thinking about how the makers visualized the scenes, composed the shots, and used technology to breathe life into each spectacular sequence.

Cut to me getting into a cab at Chennai airport. As we drove into the city, a song from the movie played on the local FM radio. I curiously asked the cab driver if he had watched Baahubali. His matter-of-fact reply disappointed me: “Yes sar, all Computer Graphics film!” (“Computer Graphics” being the local slang for special effects). He had trivialized a mind-blowing movie into two simple words: “Computer Graphics!”

Horrifying, I thought. All that hard work by talented professionals, amazing technology, awesome storytelling, jaw-dropping advanced imaging techniques costing millions were now just two simple words: “Computer Graphics!” (CG).

Cut to 2024, Ditto! The same treatment applies to AI.

I find similar reactions when you tell clients and industry peers that you’re presenting something using AI. Be it research, insights, strategy, content, logos, images, campaigns, or videos, the perceived value of the work crashes the moment they know AI has ‘generated’ it. After all, it’s just a machine doing the work, right? It trivializes your professional value, intelligence, experience and expertise.

Gen AI is rapidly becoming a “democratizing” tool. Previously complex tasks like image generation, writing, and music composition are now seemingly accessible to everyone. This accessibility, while exciting, presents a branding and marketing challenge and certainly a problem of bringing down the price tag of AI-assisted services. Three factors are at play here: the erosion of the ‘Wow factor’, the emergence of the “Credit paradox”, and the perception of AI-generated content as superhuman.

1. The “Wow Factor” Erosion: As Gen AI becomes commonplace, the initial awe surrounding its outputs is diminishing. People have started taking the results for granted, overlooking the human ingenuity behind the prompt.

2. The “Credit Paradox”: The lines between the AI tool and the human user are blurring. Credit for impressive outputs seems to go solely to the AI, diminishing the value of the person who crafted the prompt – the one who strategically used their knowledge, creativity, and experience to get the desired outcome.

3. The “Superhuman Perception”: Anything seemingly humanly impossible is perceived to be machine or AI ‘generated’ rather than ‘created’ or crafted by a human. This perception snuffs out recognition of human talent and intelligence, further devaluing the role of the expert behind the AI tool.

The marketing and advertising industry should take the initiative to address this “Democratization Dilemma” through strategic PR programs and campaigns. Here are five aspects to begin with:

a) Championing Prompt Engineering: Emphasize the importance of the human element. Marketing can highlight the skill required to craft effective prompts, showcasing it as an art form requiring expertise and strategic thinking.

b) Celebrating Human-AI Collaboration: Frame Gen AI as a tool that augments human creativity, not replaces it. Marketing materials can showcase successful collaborations where human vision combined with AI capabilities produces exceptional results.

c) Showcasing Value Beyond “Wow”: Shift the focus from the initial “wow factor” to the practical benefits of Gen AI. Marketing can demonstrate how AI-generated content streamlines workflows, improves efficiency, and unlocks new creative possibilities.

d) Creating Case Studies: Showcase real-world examples of how brands and individuals have used Gen AI to achieve remarkable results.

e) Developing Training Programs: Offer workshops or tutorials that teach people how to effectively use Gen AI tools, emphasizing the importance of prompt engineering and strategic thinking.

By addressing these issues, brands and marketers can ensure Gen AI is seen not as a tool that trivializes human input, but as one that empowers creativity and unlocks new levels of achievement. This approach will also help people appreciate the professional price tag of services that uses AI.

Let’s continue to appreciate the magic in AI and not forget the magician at work.

(The author is a branding coach and an author ‘Brand Vinci-decoding facets of branding’)

(The opinions expressed in the article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publication.

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