When You’re Disappointed in AI, Turn to the Freelancers

Generative artificial intelligence has been on everyone’s lips this past year. You can’t go anywhere without hearing someone talk about how the technology will disrupt the advertising industry and change the way we live and work forever.

 

Agencies and brands are experimenting with AI and while for many it’s still in its early stages, others are already using it to create marketing and advertising campaigns. As a result, chunks of marketing budgets are likely to shift from investing in talent to investing in technology in the near future.

 

But while companies are rushing to adopt technology in order to streamline their operations and cut costs by slimming down teams, some people are perhaps forgetting a vital detail. Consumers connect with the more human elements of advertising. They want to be moved emotionally, whether that is from seeing serious and purpose-driven work or more humorous campaigns.

 

Don’t get me wrong. AI definitely has a place in the creative process and we’re hearing a lot of creatives saying that it is particularly useful and valuable as a brainstorming tool to prompt ideas that teams can then build on. It can also, of course, be incredibly useful when it comes to analysing data and effectiveness.

 

What AI can’t do however, is be truly creative. AI models can create text and images using information that is already available, but they cannot apply emotions or think of new ideas that have never been done before.

 

Indeed, the initial cries that it will overhaul everything including the creative process have started to die down as brands and agencies continue to test the technology. However, there is no doubt that the use of AI will lead to changes for the industry and that it will be an important tool to increase efficiency.

 

And while many people in adland are now taking a more measured approach to AI, the undeniable reality is that job losses are still very likely.

 

Combined with the cost-of-living crisis and clients cutting down on adspend, some companies may start to rely too much on technology in order to reduce their costs.

 

Some ads that have been created using AI are already out in the wild, and while it is possible that the technology will improve enough to create perfectly acceptable ads, at the moment  they just don’t cut the mustard. Consumers can instantly spot the fake images and stilted language and many are unimpressed.

 

There are also added legal issues that still need to be addressed and there is a lot of work currently being done in the industry around the ethical use of AI technology in advertising. A recent example is the Advertising Association’s new AI taskforce. But that is a topic for another article.

 

So what can companies do if they find themselves in a situation where they are disappointed in the work that has been created by AI and no longer have enough full time creative staff on hand to change it themselves?

 

This is where freelancers will become even more important and valuable to the industry. With more creative talent either choosing to go freelance for the flexible lifestyle or as a result of layoffs, agencies and brands have an enormous pool of high-quality talent to tap into. Hiring freelancers as and when they need people will also help them keep their operating and recruitment costs down.

 

Over the last few years we’ve seen the rise of the freelance platforms and I believe they will be an important resource for companies going forward.

 

Some of these platforms are specifically geared towards the creative industries. For example, at POD Ldn we focus on post-production with a model that has all the benefits and infrastructure that agencies are used to when it comes to working with post houses but operates on a competitive day rate like a freelancer.

 

For agencies looking for creatives there is also Moonshoot.inc, which is set to launch in the near future, as well as Twine and Mayple.

 

There are a plethora of other freelance marketplaces such as Fiverr and Upwork, as well as PeoplePerHour and Toptal, which work to connect freelancers with the agencies and brands that need their services.

 

So, when you are disappointed in AI, fear not. The freelancers are there to put the human touch back into the work.