Why you shouldn't use Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools for video production

 Artificial Intelligence (AI) is never far from the news. Whether it’s taking jobs, wiping out particular professions or even threatening the future of mankind, AI is giving policymakers, tech specialists and the general public plenty to think about.

The range and scope of AI tools available grows on almost a daily basis. Some of them are diverting and fun, others have the potential to improve human health or make work processes more efficient. One area in which they have provoked the most debate about their potential is the creative industries. From graphic design to scriptwriting and video production, could AI really replace the unique perspective of a creative human being?

While the release of Open AI’s ChatGPT sparked increased interest in AI, not least from journalists who perhaps worried it might soon take their job, the limitations of the technology soon became apparent.

How is AI faring in relation to video production?

AI and Video Production

At Eight Engines, we’ve been watching the development of AI with interest. Video production teams have always embraced the latest technology and the right AI tools could form an integral part of the creative process. Big industry names, such as Adobe, have already been developing AI tools to assist video production.

The evolution of this technology can create an illusion that businesses that might have used creative professionals in the past for particular projects can now dispense with their services. This would be a mistake. As well as the risk of turning out generic content, AI also lacks emotion - a vital ingredient when it comes to marketing.

The Importance of Emotion

Emotion is at the heart of great video marketing. It is a driving force behind sales, brand image, and consumer reactions, and no other medium conveys emotion quite like video. Research conducted by the University of Southern California revealed that emotional video advertisements have a success rate of 31%, while strictly rational content only results in a 16% success rate.

Emotion is key to what it means to be human and it plays a key part in the creative process. Emotion is also something that AI lacks. AI tools are currently unable to truly comprehend and convey emotions. While they may be able to provide a facsimile of emotion, their output lacks warmth and feels robotic.

Creative Limitations

While AI can be used as an aid to human creativity, on its own it tends to produce content that is highly generic and stylised. It’s relatively easy to spot AI-generated art, design and above all, video. Tools such as DALL.E require extensive human input to generate anything that might be considered remotely realistic.

There is a serious lack of originality in AI-generated video, producing uninspired and flat results. This tendency to be generic comes from how AI video tools currently work. The tools are trained on thousands of examples of art produced by humans. It then reworks these pieces without contributing anything original. This is why AI-produced content can look technically efficient but will often lack detail and the spark of originality that human creativity can deliver. Whereas human creativity is often unpredictable, AI-generated content is entirely predictable. While it may be consistent, it will be generic.

Will AI ever compete with human creativity?

Emotional intelligence is something that AI currently does not have. As emotional intelligence is a complex product of our brains, biology and human interaction, it’s questionable whether AI will ever be able to replicate it.

If you’re relying on AI to produce your marketing videos, the results are unlikely to cut through with your audience. In a competitive environment, they will lack the creative edge that gets a video noticed and shared on social media and across other platforms. AI may be a quick fix when it comes to marketing videos but it’s unlikely to do your brand justice.

A human approach from Eight Engines

At Eight Engines, we put relationships at the heart of everything we do. We apply that unique emotion-driven creativity to all of our projects. We ally this with the latest techniques, using tools and approaches that enhance the final product. We bring TV and film production standards to your marketing video content, creating the strongest platform for communicating your message.

If you’d like to learn more about how our team create videos that evoke emotions and resonate with viewers contact us today.