According to Grand View Research, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasing at a compound annual growth rate of almost 40% globally. And with no signs of slowing down, all industries are being affected.
AI programs seem to be capable of doing almost anything these days. So, are designers and writers still necessary? Do businesses still need to hire public relations and communications agencies, or can they fulfil these functions themselves? To answer this, let’s deep-dive into AI’s real capabilities versus those of its supposed ‘human dinosaur’ counterparts.
According to Grand View Research, Artificial Intelligence (AI)
is increasing at a compound annual growth rate
of almost 40% globally. And with no signs of slowing down, all industries are being affected.
AI programs seem to be capable of doing almost anything
these days. So, are designers and writers still necessary?
Do businesses still need to hire public relations and
communications agencies, or can they fulfil these
functions themselves? To answer this, let’s deep-dive into
AI’s real capabilities versus those of its
supposed ‘human dinosaur’ counterparts.
People have already been using AI for a long time. A simple example is the predictive text function on our cellphones; however, there are always mistakes. Designers have made use of design programs such as InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop for decades, but one of the most significant impacts of AI on graphic design is the automation of repetitive tasks, for example colour-correction, image resizing and font selection. This is particularly useful for designers working to tight deadlines or who need to create a large number of designs quickly.
Designers can use AI platforms such as Astria to upload photos and create product shots or stylised portraits; LUMA AI turns photos into 3D images; Runway is a video editing tool; Durabl can create complete websites in seconds; Autodraw can turn doodles into improved images of the object; Craiyon can generate a selection of images; Font Joy can mix and match fonts to create new ones; Khroma creates colour combinations that can be tested in various applications. These are just a few of the many platforms available.
There is a significant crossover between design and content-creation. While designers sometimes use content-creation AI platforms to provide text in their designs, the content is often generic and lacks evidence of the expert knowledge that professional writers have about their clients. Designers use AI-generated text as a starting point, but it needs to be shaped by writers to powerfully reflect the brand’s messaging.
Grammarly, for example, can be helpful for checking grammar, spelling and punctuation; however, seasoned writers probably avoid the program as there are inconsistencies, which take time to fix.
Articoolo is a content-creation tool that allows users to input a topic and generate an article, but again, it lacks originality and a professional writer’s in-depth knowledge of clients.
ChatGPT can supposedly provide responses using its own intellect and create anything from articles to theses. But its databases are only up to date to the end of 2021 and the content it generates can be fairly generic.
Will AI replace the jobs that humans now do, leaving an incalculable number of people without work around the world? It can; however, the unique qualities, skills, language mastery, and the ability to build relationships, is beyond AI’s scope of capabilities. At this present time, AI can only do what its human operator tells it to do.
Take the DALL.E2 program as an example. The designer could ask it to generate an image of a soldier holding a rifle in a war zone. The image it generates could be usable, but most often, it will include anomalies, for example, an image of a soldier with an inappropriate uniform or background.
Designers then need to either feed new, more refined and nuanced prompts into the program, or fix the image themselves. The fact is, a user may get some hits, but currently, they’re likely to get a lot of misses.
When instructing AI programs, it takes additional skills to ensure that the language input is crafted with accuracy and creative thinking, along with the nuances needed to produce the best results. Fortunately, designers either already have this knowledge or attend courses to learn the skill.
Public relations and communications agencies have access to a wide range of tools and resources that enable them to develop and execute successful campaigns. These tools include media databases, industry connections, and analytics tools that provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of a campaign. It is time-consuming and resource-intensive work. By working with an agency, clients can focus on their core business functions, and leave comms to the experts.
Looking to work with a communications agency that is adept at boosting brand awareness in the age of the digital (r)evolution? Send an email to info@eclipsecomms.com and one of our experts will be in touch.
Eclipse Communications is an adaptive and agile full-service communications agency with a strong track record and wealth of experience across Arts & Entertainment, Consumer & Lifestyle and Corporate clients.
We are one of South Africa’s fastest growing, independent communications agencies, acknowledged as the Best Large PR Consultancy at the 2020 PRISM Awards and Public Relations Agency of the Year at the fm AdFocus Awards 2020.
Over our 20+ year history, we have evolved our service offering to include digital media strategy and execution, reputation management, content creation, influencer management and relations, event management and production, to name a few.
+27 86 132 5472
info@eclipsecomms.com
Charlton House, Hampton Office Park, 20 Georgian Cres E, Bryanston East, Johannesburg, 2191
+27 86 132 5472
info@eclipsecomms.com
8 Kloof Street, Buitenkloof Studios, Unit 603 and 605, Cape Town CBD, 8000
Zaona Rabetsitonta-Bahadoor
+230 5704 4913
zaona@eclipsecomms.com
Eclipse communications ensures all information is secure, private and will not be sold or distributed.
Eclipse Communications is an adaptive and agile full-service communications agency with a strong track record and wealth of experience across Arts & Entertainment, Consumer & Lifestyle and Corporate clients.
We are one of South Africa’s fastest growing, independent communications agencies, acknowledged as the Best Large PR Consultancy at the 2020 PRISM Awards and Public Relations Agency of the Year at the fm AdFocus Awards 2020.
Over our 20+ year history, we have evolved our service offering to include digital media strategy and execution, reputation management, content creation, influencer management and relations, event management and production, to name a few.
+27 86 132 5472
info@eclipsecomms.com
Charlton House, Hampton Office Park, 20 Georgian Cres E, Bryanston East, Johannesburg, 2191
+27 86 132 5472
info@eclipsecomms.com
8 Kloof Street, Buitenkloof Studios, Unit 603 and 605, Cape Town CBD, 8000
Zaona Rabetsitonta-Bahadoor
+230 5704 4913
zaona@eclipsecomms.com
Eclipse communications ensures all information is secure, private and will not be sold or distributed.
Please provide us with your information and we will get back to you as soon as we can.
Please provide us with your information and we will get back to you as soon as we can.
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