Bluefocus Intelligent Communications Group Co. has announced plans to replace their external copywriters and graphic designers with ChatGPT-like generative AI models, as was first reported by Bloomberg News. A subsequent internal staff memo stated the $3 billion company’s plans to reach out to tech giants Alibaba and Baidu for their AI technology. The news of this memo sent Bluefocus’s share price up 19% at their peak, though the stock gave back most of those gains by the end of the week.
Bluefocus is one of China’s most renowned media and public relations firms, boasting such big name clients asSamsung and BMW. But now the company is leading the pack in embracing the use of AI for creative solutions, taking OpenAI’s ChatGPT technology to the next level and utilizing it to create poetry, essays, and fiction in addition to ads.
Despite the promise of AI, many executives remain wary of the potential damage it could cause, seeing generative AI as yet another technology that could steal readers and advertisers in much the same way the internet did. Some are hoping to balance the risk posed by AI with solutions such as walled-off content and legislation. But Bluefocus is taking the exact opposite approach, confidently moving ahead with AI-generated content and halting all external human contributions with regards to copywriters and designers.
Elon Musk has been vocal in his criticism of the power of AI, encouraging a “global pause” on its development in 2020. However, Twitter is actively working to develop AI, diversifying its team to tap the power of machine learning for advanced market research and strategic user engagement. Even OpenAI, for whom Musk has been a creative advisor, is putting up prizes up to $20000 for users who report flaws in its ChatGPT platform.
Kuwait has also been exploring the world of AI, debuting the world’s first AI-generated news presenter known as “Fedha.” And Alibaba recently showcased its Tongyi Qianwen AI technology, soon to roll out within all of its applications.
Bluefocus’s embrace of AI is a strong move that could pave the way for other agencies to do the same, potentially ending the age of human-generated advertising in favor of AI-generated content. It remains to be seen whether the technology can live up to its promise and replace human creativity, but until then all eyes are on Bluefocus as they take their bold step forward.
