What will be the likely impact of Gen AI?

Our panel of experts is already very engaged and knowledgeable when it comes to the practical applications of Gen AI across the various parts of the media ecosystem. It’s clear that there are a number of exciting potential applications. However, there is also a strong desire to understand the limitations of Gen AI, largely focused on concerns that Gen AI content may be competent and usable, but not necessarily exceeding the average, the sum of its parts. There is concern about excess variation and personification of messaging diluting brand identity. Some of our experts are skeptical about how practical it will be to protect or license content that is used to educate models. Enthusiasm is tempered by a strong desire that Gen AI should be a tool to facilitate excellence rather than replace creativity with risk-free competence.

“In this current exploration and experimentation phase the biggest use case for us is rather efficiency driven because it's something that can trim down complex processes, gets rid of redundant tasks and can let our colleagues focus more on high-quality work. That's the major use case we are currently seeing rather than content creation. However, in the medium term, there will for sure be steps in creative processes which can be enhanced, accelerated or even substituted by Generative AI.”

Moritz Fries, ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE

At its best AI offers an opportunity to allow us to automate elements of the process that may be seen as labor intensive, freeing up time to concentrate on higher-impact tasks. Analogies that our experts used were moving from calculators to spreadsheets, or from acetates to PowerPoint slides. In that sense, AI could be an enabler. This may parallel developments in the field of Virtual Reality, where the initial focus on immersive virtual worlds has evolved into more of an emphasis on Augmented Reality, assisting rather than replacing.For the media space specifically, our expert panel largely agreed that used appropriately, Gen AI can be a useful tool rather than a threat.

“I'm very much personally of the position that it's a business tool. And how do you use that tool to do a better job now? Throughout history, tools have replaced people you know and it's not any different for AI, but it's still how do you devise and develop something that enhances your skills rather than just replaces it with a very average version of yourself."

Matt Deegan, Folder Media

Whatever our views on Gen AI, it is clear that media executives in all areas of activity cannot put their heads in the sand and hope that AI goes away. At its best, it will augment and enhance what we do, but that will require gaining the skills to understand how AI can best be used. Without that understanding, your job truly could be at risk to those who do have those skills.

“A quote that I heard internally quite recently was that when we talk about replacing people with AI and replacing jobs it's more a case of jobs and activities not necessarily being replaced by AI, but you may be replaced by someone that uses AI. AI isn't necessarily going to replace a lot of stuff that we do, but you might be superseded by somebody who is just really good at using AI."

Graeme Griffiths, IPA