Some videos and images online are created by AI. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this?

On the one hand, small entrepreneurs can leverage AI to compete with large corporations in the realm of advertising. To explain, while major firms have substantial financial resources to fund advertising campaigns featuring premium visuals, small enterprises often struggle to match their visibility, which typically translates into higher sales for larger corporations. However, thanks to AI, advertisements of comparable quality, virtually indistinguishable from real-life footage, can now be produced. Consequently, companies can deploy persuasive marketing content that influences purchasing decisions. Moreover, reduced financial barriers to AI technology facilitate greater recognition of emerging talent. Previously, only well-established directors with sufficient financial resources could produce artistic works for public audiences. In contrast, today, virtually anyone with creative ideas can share original stories featuring compelling narratives and unexpected twists, allowing them to generate revenue from their passion.

On the other hand, this trend can also trigger adverse consequences. First, this trend undermines labour market stability within certain professional domains. For instance, graphic designers, video editors and illustrators are currently being replaced with artificial intelligence at a rapid pace. As not only small businesses but also international organisations resort to content creation via artificial intelligence, the demand for such positions decreases, leading to a higher unemployment rate in these areas. Furthermore, AI-based content is also abused for malicious intentions. Worldwide, countless fraudulent activities are reported; senior members of society are particularly vulnerable to fake evidence, manipulated images and fabricated videos. For example, they are coerced into sharing their card details under the presumption that they are either contributing to charity.

To conclude, although machine-generated multimedia content helps small-scale enterprises with market penetration and broadening exposure for early-stage creative figures, it can also produce repercussions, including the proliferation of online misconduct and declining employability rates.