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As many of you already know, generative AI isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Analysts estimate that the generative AI market will reach $200 billion by 2032so I would bet that we are still very early in the evolution of this technology.
Of course, generative AI has been around since the 1960sbut with so much attention now focused on the price of AI, AI will likely develop more rapidly over the next few years than it has over the past six decades.
Knowing this, many in the marketing and communications industries have already started implementing generative AI into their workflows. Around 68% of marketers and 60% of communication professionals use AI at least sometimes in their daily work. Likewise, according to a survey conducted by Billion Dollar Boy91% of creators have used generative AI to create content and 92% of marketers have commissioned AI-generated content.
Most marketing and communications professionals already use generative AI, and those who don’t risk falling behind and losing a crucial competitive advantage.
In this context, the launch by OpenAI of a new text-to-video conversion AI tool called Sora is a huge deal. Although the company has stated that it will not release Sora widely to the public. visual artists, designers and filmmakers that have been granted early access to Sora are already showing a glimpse of what the technology is capable of. Take, for example, this very convincing elephant made of leaves.
Research of the Conference Board notes that many marketers are already using generative AI to summarize content, inspire thinking, personalize content and conduct research. Soon we’ll add video ideation and creation to the list.
It’s imperative to get ahead of the curve and start thinking now about optimizing text-to-video generative AI to avoid jamming once everyone is using Sora.
Here’s how marketing and communications professionals can start strategizing for text-to-video AI in an efficient, prepared, and innovative way.
Use text-to-video AI as a starting point
Let’s talk about the elephant – or the five-legged horse-in the room. Text-to-image AI can currently create stunningly realistic and truly exceptional images. However, where a human might know instantly that a horse has four legs, AI could generate an image where the beloved equine has an extra limb.
Getting anatomy right has been a problem for all kinds of AI-generated images. This seems like a particular challenge: you’ve probably already noticed how hands in AI-generated images rarely look like hands.
There is also biases and DEI concerns to consider when searching for AI-generated images. As any marketer or communications professional can attest, the last thing you want is to unintentionally spread potentially offensive or harmful content. Failure to clarify or acknowledge these biases when using generative AI could cause a serious crisis for your business or the brand you work with.
Additionally, it is important to understand how generative AI tools are formed as well as the moral and intellectual property implications that arise from them. Many artists have expressed concerns about theft of their intellectual propertyand some have reported seeing AI produce works that appear to have been trained in their craft without permission, recognition, or compensation.
Therefore, using AI-generated content as more than an ideation tool can have reputational implications that you and your customers need to be aware of.
At its current stage, AI is best used as an ideation tool – as a starting point – and not as a final product (think previews, not the film itself).
As a communications specialist, I know firsthand that it is essential to ensure that we produce quality content and offers with as few errors as possible. Perfection may be impossible, but careless oversight is also avoidable. And I’m willing to bet that when text-to-video AI becomes widely available, it may have similar or different issues to consider.
As creatives, human ingenuity and talent are as important as ever, with or without the use of technology. AI is a great ideation tool, just be sure to keep a close eye on what comes out of the generator.
Keep a close eye on what goes viral
Generative AI has created a whole new element in what goes viral, and it could be a secret weapon for marketers and communications professionals.
Take for example the AI-generated covers of new Beyoncé songs who were made to look like Miley Cyrus and received millions of views. Applied to video, the possibilities for breakout campaigns and PR stunts are endless.
However, what goes viral is not always trivial. We cannot forget the existence of deep fakes and manipulated videos like that of Big Ben on fire.
With Sora and similar technologies, it may become easier to create tacky videos aimed at misinterpreting the words of public figures or causing public outcry and panic. That’s why we need to be careful about what we create and share for the brands we work with.
Not all PR is good PR, and not all marketing is good marketing. We are professionals and, in many ways, trendsetters, and it has never been more essential to stay diligent.
Avoid getting too comfortable: be prepared and aware of AI risk factors
Sora will be an AI tool available to the general public and is undoubtedly a great starting point for creating engaging content for customers. ChatGPT and Bard are already useful for writing first drafts of ad copy, blog posts, website sections, and other branded writing.
However, there are risk factors to consider when using widely available AI tools. They are more likely to be exposed to the public and hacked, so be aware that any information transmitted to public text-to-video AI generators may be seen by external parties.
In cases of confidential information or risk of news or product leaks, it may be best to avoid using Sora and other publicly available generative AI platforms, even though they are excellent tools . If you have the resources, it might even be a good idea to look into AI tools specially designed for private companies which are designed to protect sensitive information.
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A big part of our job as creative and communications professionals is staying on top of the latest and greatest technology.
Text-to-video AI will likely be something that marketers, PR professionals, advertisers and others will need to learn to use.
Being successful means not only being open-minded, but also being prepared and knowing the ins and outs of this technology while remaining cautious.
More resources on using AI for video creation
(Webinar) Using AI to Create Better Video Content, Faster
Marketing at the Speed of Thought: AI Use Cases for Four Types of Content
FAQ: How to use AI to produce videos to support lead generation?
