For a long time, people have been worried that artificial intelligence (AI) would take away many white-collar jobs, particularly those of engineers and those employed in creative roles. However, due to the limitations of GPT-4, many assumed that any displacement would be years away. But it turns out that AI has already begun to encroach on white-collar jobs due to tools such as generative AI like ChatGPT and Stable Diffusion. Recently, a Chinese ad agency, BlueFocus, has replaced a number of its copywriters and designers with AI tools.
BlueFocus is a leading Chinese marketing and advertising company which was ranked first among Chinese firms and 11th world-wide in 2022 by Provoke Media. This year, the company became the customer of Microsoft, an important technology partner in terms of AI, as Microsoft has made a substantial investment in the ChatGPT developer OpenAI. This has provided BlueFocus with the platform for embracing generative AI, leading the company to cut down on the usage of third-party employees such as copywriters and designers. The firm has additionally created collaborations with Chinese ChatGPT equivalents and is analyzing the New Bing, which merges with the chatbot, to bring “all-new prospects for outbound advertisers” according to the Shenzhen Stock Exchange’s Q&A.
The advent of ChatGPT last November did amazement the world with its exceptional and innovative technology but it also caused anxiety regarding potential job losses. According to a research paper published last month by OpenAI, it estimated that nearly 80 percent of the US workforce may have some elements of their job affected by generative AI in the upcoming years. Goldman Sachs experts too projected that AI tools akin to ChatGPT could substitute about a quarter of existing jobs in particular occupations like administrative work and legal services.
In light of these concerns, some governments have started to consider regulating AI tools. For instance, the United States Commerce Department has recently started to accept public reviews on how AI regulatory practices should be arranged. In the EU, the Artificial Intelligence Act has been suggested since 2021 in order to enforce restrictions on AI products depending on the risks involved. In Italy, ChatGPT was forbidden for privacy issues, though recently its Data Protection Office revealed guidelines for its use if it is to be re-instated.
BlueFocus, founded by Ronnie Wu and Vicki Zeng in 1993, is an integrated marketing and advertising business with 4,400 employees in 30 key cities worldwide. BlueFocus has a broad portfolio of customers, both foreign and domestic, across a range of sectors including finances, retail, technology and services. The firm provides a full range of services including digital and social media strategy, public relations, media, branding and more. Its focus on digital transformation makes BlueFocus an ideal example to highlight the impact of intelligent technology on creative professions.
