UK agencies and marketers more impressed by generative AI than their US counterparts

The great majority (81%) of agencies and brands on either side of the Atlantic expect usage of generative AI in the creative process to increase in the next 12 months, according to new research from WARC and Spotify, but UK creatives are around twice as likely as their US peers to say the reality of using the tech has exceeded epectations. 

A survey* of 350 marketers and advertisers across the US and UK indicates that a majority of this group (58%) sees the primary potential of the tech in streamlining repetitive tasks, freeing up valuable creative resources and driving down the cost of production.

But they were almost as equally focused on the other side of the coin: 48% felt AI would allow them to explore new creative possibilities and ideas, the second most cited opportunity.

Interest is high

• 79% have already adopted AI to at least some extent, with 11% saying it has been widely adopted across multiple projects. 
• 26% are strong advocates, actively encouraging the use of AI across creative processes; a further 55% declared themselves intrigued and keen to experiment.
• Adoption of generative AI in the creative process to-date is significantly higher among agencies (91%) than brands (75%).

• Longer term, almost all (98%) expect to see AI becoming more integrated into the creative process.

Scope is expanding 

Currently, AI is most widely used in the early stages of the creative process. It’s seen as a valuable tool to generate initial ideas and accelerate desk research.

Over the next 12 months, however, the survey findings indicate a shift towards more downstream, customer-facing activities:

• + 16% increase in creating, editing and visualising existing ideas.
• + 24% increase in optimising campaign assets based on real-world performance.
• + 31% increase in generating creative at scale for different audiences and formats. 

There are concerns 

• Ethical and legal considerations relating to data usage and privacy are seen as the biggest limitation (50% agencies, 44% client organisations).
• There are also concerns AI could lead to an erosion of creativity and originality. (43% agencies, 36% client organisations).

But human creativty is paramount

AI is powerful but it is not seen as a replacement for human creativity: 75% feel that generative AI has potential but that human creativity will always play a crucial role, while 72% feel that generative AI will never outperform humans in delivering better quality creative.

Spotify says

“We are currently focused on education as we explore how best to utilize generative AI and machine learning to support advertisers and publishers and while we will proceed with caution, we’re hopeful about the opportunities of this technology to push audio advertising and creativity forward” – Rich Frankel, Creative Director at Spotify Advertising.

*Marketers and advertisers who were primarily responsible for the direction, execution and development of creativity were surveyed in June 2023 (230 in the USA and 120 in the UK).