Creatives given keys to unlock growing potential of AI

A seminar designed to inspire and support Torbay-based creatives with Artificial Intelligence (AI) marketing tools proved to be an engaging and insightful evening.

Titled AI for Creatives, the event was organised and chaired by Liz Mackie, founder of The Creatives Universe, and took place at South Devon College in Paignton on Wednesday, January 29. 

It was generously sponsored by Chris Coward, co-founder and managing director of Torbay Weekly.

The two-hour event featured an introduction from Liz, followed by three key talks from guest speakers: Peter Blackler from Insignia Creative, Simon Beer from Big Wave Media, and Bill Mansfield from Leonardopower.

Above: (L to R) Insignia spokesperson, Peter Blackler, Bill Mansfield, Liz Mackie, Simon Beer

The seminar addressed a common challenge among creatives—many of whom are self-employed or run small businesses with limited resources—who often lack the time and budget to effectively market their work.

Liz emphasised that AI tools can empower freelancers and small businesses, levelling the playing field by offering accessible and often free marketing solutions.

The event aimed to equip creatives with the confidence and knowledge to utilise AI as an increasingly valuable, accessible, and often free resource.

Liz said: “AI is advancing at an incredible pace, and within the next decade, we think that 45 per cent of all the jobs that people do today will disappear.

“AI can act as a partner, taking over many lower-level administrative tasks, freeing up time for creatives to focus on doing what they love.”

In her introductory talk, Liz highlighted that 70 per cent of AI adopters report revenue growth, while 28 percent experience cost reductions.

She also noted that employees who use AI effectively are 50 percent more productive than those who do not.

With 2024 now being referred to as the year of AI, this era marks a turning point where human-computer interaction is becoming more widespread than ever before.

Adoption of AI appears inevitable rather than optional, with the opportunities it presents being potentially transformative for businesses of all shapes and sizes.

Bill Mansfield from Leonardopower outlined how AI optimisation can revolutionise content creation, process automation, brand development, social media and email campaigns, persona development, grant applications, content interaction and chat, as well as video and image creation.

AI is advancing to a point where it can generate visual content with minimal human input.

Members of the audience were keen to share both their concerns and their praise of AI abilities.

Audience members shared both their concerns and their appreciation for AI’s capabilities.

In response to a question posed by Bill Mansfield, the majority of attendees admitted feeling more uncertain about AI’s implications than fully embracing it. One participant said this hesitation was due to a lack of understanding, while others cited the need for stricter regulations on privacy and data protection. There were also concerns about AI’s potential impact on human creativity.

While the widespread adoption of AI is still in its early stages, experimenting with popular AI tools like Gemini, ChatGPT, Otter.ai, Google Lens, Adobe Firefly, and Infuzu could be the solution to streamlining your workload.

Throughout the presentation, Liz stressed the importance of maintaining a human element in all AI applications, emphasising that AI is still prone to errors and should complement, rather than replace, human creativity and judgement.

You learn more about the work done by the Creatives Universe on their website: https://thecreativesuniverse.com/.