In case you haven’t heard, Meta has proposed a vision where businesses provide their objectives and budgets, and AI handles the entire advertising process on their platform. From creative development to audience targeting to performance measurement. This notion has sparked quite a debate, which is to be expected.

 

For small and medium-sized businesses, this automation offers a cost-effective solution, democratizing access to sophisticated advertising tools that were previously accessible only to large enterprises. However, the challenges remain in balancing automation with maintaining the level of quality and originality being produced—a major crux of effective brand building and sales.

 

Meta has responded to such concerns by emphasizing that AI is intended to complement, not replace human creativity. Its executives state that the role of branding and marketing companies remains vital. Particularly in strategic planning and commercial storytelling. Areas where human insight is irreplaceable. Of course, in this, we hardly disagree.

 

That being said, the industry is certainly at a crossroads. While AI offers efficiencies and scalability, especially for smaller businesses, it also leaves a lot of room for error, lack of understanding, and under-supervised automation. These things can wreak havoc on your advertising budget in terms of results, as well as your brand's image if left unchecked.

 

The key to navigating this shift will be finding a balance between leveraging AI's capabilities and preserving the human elements of strategy and creativity that drive positive, successful business outcomes. The fact remains that AI is still in its infancy, yet the most problematic issue, and one that we may never see AI overcome, is its ability to have and express taste. True taste isn’t a learned quality. It’s inherent and unpredictable. It's conceived and understood through feeling.

 

AI does not feel. It cannot grasp the subtleties of human aesthetics. To appeal to people you need people expressing themselves in ways that only a feeling for what works and what doesn't work in any given situation can properly articulate. In ways that are fresh and unexpected.

 

AI is a learning machine. It can only pull from what’s been done. It doesn't experience things. It doesn't dream. It doesn't share our aspirations, defeats, fears and compromises. And once our social feeds are populated by the same content with the same style, tone, feel, everything will simply bleed together and nothing will stand out.

 

The worst thing a brand can do is be ignored. That's why those brands and businesses that team up with companies who understand the power of AI, but also its limitations, will be the entities that reap the greatest reward. Those who understand that AI is pattern-based, not human-based.

 

Like most new technologies that have a significant impact on our future, AI-driven business development and communications tools present both opportunities and challenges. However, AI will never truly replace our human ability to introduce significant strategic approaches coupled with effective creative solutions. Instead, AI will transform the current industry roles in positive ways, but only if utilized appropriately by the craftspeople implementing these tools.

 

Of course, this will require adaptation and a reevaluation of how authentic value is delivered to clients. However, those business-building institutions that refuse to accept the wave of change that is already clearly upon us, are destined to repeat the same failures the large holding companies are now experiencing. Because connecting with people in authentic and intentional ways will always require human involvement.

 

Viva la humans!