Meta will require advertisers to disclose whether the ads they submit for its websites have been digitally altered, including through the use of AI tools, if they're political or social in nature. Ads that have been digitally altered will be marked as such on Meta's platforms, in the same way some advertisements come with a "Paid for" disclaimer. The company will start implementing the rule in the new year, just as the campaign period for what's expected to be a brutal and divisive 2024 US presidential elections heats up. In a blog post, Meta explained that advertisers have to disclose in the advertising flow if they submit a social issue, electoral or political ad with photorealistic images or videos -- or one with realistic sounding audio -- that was altered to make a real person say or do something they didn't actually say or do. They're also required to tell Meta whether they're submitting an ad with a realistic-looking person that doesn't exist, a realistic-looking event that didn't happen or an altered footage of a real event that truly occurred. If they submit a fake image, video or audio recording of an event that allegedly took place -- say, something they created with the help of AI image generators -- they have to notify Meta, as well.

Finding a logical starting point for bringing artificial intelligence integration into your marketing strategy is intimidating, no matter what your budget looks like. However, for the SMB and startup entrepreneur without the wiggle room to experiment, getting started often feels incredibly risky or out of reach. But we're reaching a point where it's becoming a necessity for any brand looking to stay competitive. Instead of being intimidated by big brands and their respective AI capabilities, small businesses should look to them for inspiration and utilize the lessons already learned by these companies, who can burden the risk of trying different AI strategies. Here are three areas of big-brand AI implementations that we know work and are ripe for SMBs to try: search marketing, targeted displays and social media ads.

The power of social media continues to transform how brands engage their target audiences. It's also placed a burden on them to be "always on." And brands, for the most part, are responding to customer demand. Some 42% of customer service responses made through Facebook, for instance, are answered in the first 60 minutes. Marketers are still looking for solutions that allow them to create, test, and choose the most effective social media ads--and AI is making it possible.