It wasn’t so long ago that we were seeing the emergence of strange and intriguing AI-generated images from the likes of Dall-E and Stable Diffusion. It was an unusual time, with headlines telling us that our jobs were doomed, which I’m sure everyone in the creative industry really appreciated. Thankfully, the quality of the images wasn’t exactly filling us with fear.
Several software releases later, the capabilities of these AI platforms have vastly improved. Images are now more lifelike, and resolution and detail are pretty impressive too. Having experimented with several of these AI tools over the last few months, we’ve been able to form our own opinions. And what we learned might surprise you.
We started to use Midjourney’s AI image generation at the beginning of the year, and it wasn’t long before we started using it on live projects. Clients and the rest of the Valiant studio were completely enthralled by the results.
I believe that AI image generation is a huge benefit to agencies like ours, and here’s why:
Speed and efficiency
Rather than sinking hours into searching through generic stock libraries for photographs that are “Yeah, good enough”, we can create our own unique image in a fraction of the time, and one that’s tailored to the exact requirements of the project.
Budget optimisation
By spending fewer hours on asset production, we are in a better position to serve the clients that come to us with smaller budgets. Suddenly, high-quality imagery isn’t cost-prohibitive because we’re not wedded to the prospect of a photoshoot or additional (and billable) time spent sourcing images.
Bigger ideas
With broader creative opportunities, we can be more adventurous in nurturing our clients’ briefs, no longer limited by real-world restrictions such as location or practicality. In fact, this is perhaps the most exciting part of all because the very nature of AI enables infinite possibilities.
A briefing tool
All of this said, true craft is far from dead. We can use AI as a supplementary tool alongside professionals such as photographers, video producers, illustrators and voiceover artists to conceptualise and experiment with ideas before we execute them in a more traditional way.
I’m truly fascinated by the rapid development of AI and what it means for us as a creative agency. Is it taking over? Absolutely not. Is it taking us to new places? Yes, it is. And we’re here for the ride.