Will computers replace creatives?
When I was an undergrad at Berkeley there was a prof in the Philosophy dept, Hubert Dreyfus, who wrote a book, “What Computers Can’t Do.”
Turns out, in a relatively short time, computers are now doing most everything Professor Dreyfus said they never would do.
I think computers will replace creative directors, writers and art directors one day. But not in the way you might imagine.
I suspect that in time the way people react to all forms of advertising - TV, Web, Direct mail - will become so well measured that computers will dictate creative direction.
What do you think?
Turns out, in a relatively short time, computers are now doing most everything Professor Dreyfus said they never would do.
I think computers will replace creative directors, writers and art directors one day. But not in the way you might imagine.
I suspect that in time the way people react to all forms of advertising - TV, Web, Direct mail - will become so well measured that computers will dictate creative direction.
What do you think?
Views: 9
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by TJ on -
Absolutely...
...when they can laugh at a fart joke,
...or get excited at that woman in the killer sun dress walking towards them,
...or when they can feel the pride swell when seeing a fireman save a house full of kids,
...or when they feel something tug deeply inside them after hearing the National Anthem at a funeral,
...or they get goose bumps from hearing Amazing Grace from a set of bagpipes,
...or when they go over and hug someone, because they felt the need for it.
Can it happen?
Absolutely.
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Permalink Reply by Lane Casteix on -
Roger that!
Lane
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Permalink Reply by Eugen Suman on
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It will probably happen - and probably in our life spans. But when that happens, most of the jobs would already be replaced by computers / robots - and we'll be sipping weird, chemical drinks on the beaches of the Arctic. Or something the likes of that.
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Permalink Reply by Deanna on -
It seems that about every ten years or so this question is posed in some way. When technology gave us photography, painters were alarmed and offended...oh no, the end of art; when "desktop publishing" made its debut, designers everywhere lamented the end of the designer (oh no, receptionists will take over!); digital photography had traditional photographers grousing (they still are); now we have pre-made web page templates for the cheap-a$$ client who doesn't want to pay me to design their Web site.
I have no doubt that technology will change the way we do many, many things. Widgets are giving individual users and small businesses access to dynamic tools for their site that would have cost thousands of dollars two years ago to have built.
However, there will always be a market for creative, intuitive thinking...in creative directors, writers, strategists. We may use computers in a broader way to assist our creativity. Strategy might be defined by collecting complex patterns of consumer behavior, our copywriting might be honed by formulas that attempt to draw on compiled data, etc. But there will always be a human at the other end of the data.
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Permalink Reply by Brian Schwartz on
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IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN!!! Okay, I just had to say that once. In interactive creative, dynamically created SEO copy is already performing incredibly well. But...there will always be a place for creatives who really understand how to make an emotional appeal in a compelling fashion.
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ooo, seo copy, that's incredibly creative. :/
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Permalink Reply by Peter Hill on -
I am in with Brian. It, being giant robot-transformer creative, just isn't possible. Inspiration does not come out of a hard drive. Perspiration can be automated somewhat and variations on an idea(DM and DR===> Google, Digitas, Widgets, SEO/SEM) can drive and variate a campaign but there is no digital solution to inspiration. Just look at what Poke London did on this brilliant site: www.unlimited.orange.co.uk. Imagination has no bounds.
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Permalink Reply by J.S. Gilbert on -
Judging from some of the work I've been seeing, I had naturally assumed that computers had ALREADY replaced some creatives. Actually, the computers have better grammar.
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Permalink Reply by Marc Lefton on
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I think computers will lead to more microtargeting, meaning that we'll need even more creatives to come up with very specific copy aimed at 57 year old female smokers who live on Broadway in the Upper West Side.
I come from the days where if you wanted reverse type, you needed to use a stat camera to do it. We all thought computers would cut our work down, but all it did was give us more choices. Maybe computers will again take some of the heavy lifting away, but then there will always be something that requires a human to help out with variations.
Plus, we'll still need someone to paste the concepts onto some nice black foam core, right?
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Permalink Reply by Sunil Shibad on
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The day computers get emotional.
Till then only SEO will be directed by the bots.
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Permalink Reply by Buddy 'Friendly' Wachenheimer on
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No.
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Permalink Reply by jef loeb on -
Microtargeted, micromeasurement and all the so-called mass customization tools coming on line (dynamic editing of content, RFID measurement of the contents of your fridge, so on, so forth) all make me wonder if there's going to much need/room for "creativity" in advertising - at least as we presently understand the term. If so, however, I can see how it might make for some interesting new award shows categories...
And now for the best one line e-mail that survived a spam filter and was streamed to Mr. Doofus Dunder at 3001 South Dreck Road, Minneapolis, Minnesota, the winner is Omniglobal Amalgamated Worldwide Intercontinental Publicis, LLP..."
Can't wait to put a few of those babies on the old award's shelf.
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