🤖This Week in AI, Marketing Edition🤖

Meta's AI character experiment raises questions about social AI strategy

Meta has ended their AI character program after significant user criticism, highlighting potential challenges in AI social integration.

Why this is important to marketers:

1. This raises crucial questions about ad spend and metrics. When AI accounts can view and interact with content, it becomes unclear how these interactions are counted in advertising metrics - an important consideration for brands investing in Meta's platforms.

2. The strong negative user reaction to AI characters on social platforms sends a clear message: social media users want authentic human connections. For brands developing social strategies, this suggests keeping AI tools behind the scenes rather than as front-facing accounts.

3. While Meta pivoted away from company-created AI characters, they're still pushing forward with user-generated AI profiles through AI Studio. We recommend brands approach these tools cautiously and prioritize transparent, human-led engagement.

Adobe's TransPixar breakthrough brings Hollywood VFX to AI video

Adobe and Hong Kong University have unveiled TransPixar, an AI system that could revolutionize how we create video special effects.

Why this is important to marketers:

1. This is a massive leap forward for video creation. While current AI tools struggle with transparent elements, TransPixar can generate complex effects like smoke, magical portals, and shattering glass - effects that typically require expensive VFX teams and weeks of work. Just describe what you want, and the AI creates it.

2. The accessibility factor is huge here. Small and medium-sized businesses that could never afford professional VFX teams might soon be able to create cinematic-quality content. Imagine adding mystical glows to product reveals or smoke effects to brand videos - all through simple text prompts.

3. The efficiency of this system is remarkable. It needs minimal training data and can handle both visible content and transparency simultaneously (think Photoshop layers, but automated). This suggests that once released, it could dramatically reduce both the time and cost of creating professional-looking video content.

OpenAI's Altman Claims Path to AGI, Signals Shift in AI Development

OpenAI's CEO Sam Altman has made a bold claim about achieving Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), suggesting significant developments ahead in 2024.

Why this is important to marketers:

1. The discussion around AGI is moving from "if" to "when." While we should approach these claims with healthy skepticism, Altman's specific mention of AI "agents" joining the workforce in 2024 suggests we might see more sophisticated AI tools for business tasks sooner than expected.

2. The focus on AI "agents" that can "materially change the output of companies" points to a shift in how we might approach automation. Rather than just task-specific tools, we could see AI systems that can handle more complex, interconnected marketing workflows - from content creation to campaign optimization.

3. This development comes with both opportunities and considerations. While enhanced AI capabilities could streamline marketing operations, it's crucial to maintain a balance between AI automation and human creativity. The best approach will likely be integrating these advancing AI tools while preserving the human elements that make marketing effective.

CES 2025: AI gets weird (and maybe wonderful)

The Consumer Electronics Show never disappoints when it comes to bizarre tech, and this year's AI implementations are particularly interesting.

Why this is important to marketers:

1. The rise of AI wearables is fascinating - from Based Hardware's Omi (a temple-mounted AI assistant) to smart glasses with real-time translation. While some of these might seem outlandish, they signal how AI could become more integrated into daily life, potentially creating new touchpoints for brand engagement.

2. AI is moving into unexpected spaces. Take Spicerr, the "Keurig for spices" with AI measurement, or Birdfy's smart birdbath that uses AI for bird recognition. While these might seem gimmicky, they demonstrate how AI is being used to create premium versions of everyday products - an important trend for product marketers to watch.

3. We're seeing AI shift from purely digital to physical-digital hybrid experiences. Whether it's LG's AeroCatTower (an air purifier that uses AI to monitor your cat) or smart espresso machines with robotic baristas, brands are finding ways to combine AI with physical products. This suggests opportunities for marketers to think beyond purely digital AI applications.

AI moves fast. We make sure marketers don't get left behind.