Navigating the AI Wave: Insights from Campaign Magazine UK’s Breakfast Briefing

As professionals, it’s essential to keep our knowledge up-to-date, especially in the ever-evolving world of technology. I make it a point to attend at least one event a month, and despite our busy schedules, these events rarely disappoint. When speaking with our new internal marketing specialist Reece about this event he did that thing that all marketing types do and said ‘write a blog’.  Who has time to write a blog right? However, in order to practice what I preach I figured I ought to put pen to paper or at least fingers to keys. Recently, I attended Campaign Magazine UK’s Breakfast Briefing on Generative AI, and here are my key takeaways.

The event was an enlightening and balanced discussion on Generative AI. The room was packed with creatives, brand experts, and content creators, and the stage mirrored this diversity. The resounding message was clear – investing in AI is imperative in today’s market.

Lloyd Davies from Making Science made a striking statement, calling AI the third significant market shift after the internet and mobile. He quoted Peter Drucker, saying, “The greatest danger in times of turbulence is not the turbulence itself, but to act with yesterday’s logic and yesterday’s ideas.”

The Future of Nature:

One of the highlights was the case study on The Future of Nature campaign by WWF. Holly McKinlay, evidently passionate about the brand, presented the campaign. The interest lay in her learnings, having been bitten by their foray into the NFT market. This was something they need to make sure was right. Legal is where most of the budget went, and they checked every single tiny detail. Holly also said don’t take your experts for granted you need them more than ever.

This discussion led us to the impact of AI on art. The consensus was that AI cannot replace the skill and precision of a trained artist. It’s essential to recognise and respect the value that artists bring to the table.

The Sceptics:

Not everyone is ready to embrace AI. The panel discussed that those who dismiss AI are often the ones who don’t understand it or are unwilling to do so. The business landscape is littered with examples of companies that failed to adapt to new technologies, such as Blockbuster, Blackberry, and Toys ‘R’ Us.

The Future:

Video AI was a hot topic. With advancements in text and image generation, video is the natural next step. Though current Video AI content is providing borderline demonic videos of people, rapid improvements are expected, like the evolution of AI-generated images. Six months ago, Midjourney’s images were not quite right, now they can create photo realistic images with ease.

For me, the most significant takeaway was the importance of understanding the legal aspects of AI. JJ Shaw from Lewis Silkin shared insights on AI policies, emphasising the need to be aware of where AI legislation is heading.

At Berkeley Communications, our brand, creative, and content creation teams are already harnessing the power of AI. It’s saving us time and fostering creativity. However, we recognise the importance of staying informed and adapting to the legal and ethical considerations that come with AI. As we navigate this brave new world, it’s crucial to keep an open mind and be ready to evolve and no we don’t have an AI policy yet.