Creativity in the cloud: Could AI really be a game changer for the creative industries?

Artificial intelligence's ability to transform creative working practices has been thrust into the spotlight of late. When CHI & Partners chief executive and partner Sarah Golding launched her IPA presidency on a tech-focused agenda in April, she revealed plans to roll out IPAi – a platform aimed at encouraging experimentation among member agencies and a training programme to demystify what she called the "history and hype around AI". Then, in June, during the Cannes International Festival of Creativity, the industry was rocked by the news that Publicis Groupe is bowing out of the event and cutting its entire marketing budget in order to invest in a new artificial intelligence platform called Marcel. According to Joe Stanhope, vice-president and principal analyst at Forrester, the "hype" and "consternation" surrounding the Marcel announcement is disappointing. Such a reaction, he argues, often ends up dampening enthusiasm for a transformative technology by sending expectations skyrocketing and setting the stage for disappointment. Nonetheless, Stanhope believes that AI is a game changer for the marketing and advertising industry, and will herald a "renaissance in creativity".