Is Artificial Intelligence The Next Step In Advertising?

First Ever Artificially Intelligent Poster Campaign

Artificial intelligence for some is a step into science fiction. The variety of artificial intelligence would perhaps not bring about ruin of humanity but could be used to shape how advertising can be created and directed. Partnership of M&C Saatchi, Clear Channel and Posterscope had recently disclosed what they dubbed as `the world’s first ever artificially intelligent poster campaign’.

Chief innovation officer of M&C Saatchi, David Cox, had defined its significance – that it’s the first time a poster has been let loose to entirely write itself, based on what works, instead of just what a person thinks could work. The basic evidence is that the poster which is based around a fictional instead of an ordinary coffee brand,`Bahio’ could read the reactions of its audience and adjust itself accordingly.

22 ads were created in each generation from its initial `gene pool’ of pictures as well as copy, with the poster evaluating the level of success of an ad and if successful, a certain ad moves onto the next gene pool, being a part of the next generation. Those which tend to be unsuccessful are removed. Cox states that `it’s a Darwinian algorithm, it will evolve to be more and more effective and so we are hoping to see fewer outcomes emerging over time’.

Big Ideas for AI Posters – Future of Out-of-Home Advertising

Till July 20, 1540 ads were automatically generated over 70 generations and the initial outcome indicated that shorter copy was more popular, with heart images, which was a frequent incidence at the time of viewing. Poster using Kinect to work out and who’s standing in its vicinity, could assess 12 people at a time. At the time of taking into account the reactions, its audience does not see immediate alterations.

The main part of the concept is to capture movements that of the consumers. Initial trial runs over 42,000 interactions were tracked by the ad. Based on initial viewing, art directors as well as copywriters would be able to rest easy.

 Cox admits that it is not writing the best ad in the world, but there is a lot of weird copy though in 10 years, one may not know the outcome of it. CMO of Clear Channel, Sarah Speake, has big ideas for what AI posters could mean for the future of out-of-home advertising.

AI – Ability in Perceiving/Understand Meaning

Speake states that they could be pushing the boundaries of where creativity meets technology in a very scalable way with a level of engagement that has not been possible till now and this symbolizes where they are going and creating the future of the industry’.

The reason why AI has shown to be so controversial as well as elusive is due to the concept of intelligence which is difficult to define. A working definition could be difficult to make. Nevertheless, intelligence in the broadest sense could refer to the ability in perceiving and understand meaning.

According to David Chalmers, Australian National University philosopher, he states that intelligence is external performance, in a sense, it is about sophisticated behaviour’. Established on this definition, it is speculated whether computers would be anywhere near achieving an artificial version of such intelligence.