With growing AI adoption, it’s time to address ethical dilemmas in the creative industry

The emergence of Sora’s groundbreaking ability to transform text into video content raises profound questions about the future of creativity. As the boundaries between human ingenuity and artificial intelligence blur, creatives find themselves at a crossroads, grappling with the implications of this transformative tool.

Sora’s innovative capabilities promise to revolutionise the creative landscape, offering unprecedented efficiency and productivity. Yet, with this promise comes the looming specter of automation, sparking concerns about the potential displacement of traditional creative roles. Will Sora serve as a catalyst for evolution, augmenting the creative process and empowering individuals to achieve new heights of innovation? Or does its emergence signal a fundamental shift, threatening to erode the essence of human expression?

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A re-awakening in creativity

Sora will be a magical wand for creatives in advertising, filmmaking, and content creation, transforming words into videos almost instantly, says Vinay Babani, VP - Marketing, SRV MEDIA, who terms the new AI tool as an “indispensable creative partner”. This, according to him, allows artists and storytellers to bring their visions to life with just the right prompt.

“This leap forward means creative teams can spend more time dreaming up the next big idea, with less worry about execution limitations, budgets, and deadlines. Soon, Sora will become an indispensable creative partner, taking on the heavy lifting so creators can delve deeper into crafting stories that resonate and inspire,” says Babani.

He feels that with Sora’s capabilities, creatives might transition from traditional roles to becoming curators, directors and prompt engineers of AI-generated content. Instead of painting every stroke, they’ll orchestrate grand visions, guiding AI to bring these to life. “This evolution may also necessitate acquiring new skills, such as understanding AI’s capabilities, learning prompt engineering, and ethical considerations, to harness Sora’s potential fully while navigating the challenges of originality and authenticity in AI-assisted creation.”

Sora’s ability to generate video content from text inputs prompts a shift in how creators perceive their roles, says Neha Soman, Co-founder and Chief Business Officer, Hypergro.ai. She feels that many view Sora not as a threat to their positions, but as a valuable tool that enhances their creative abilities. By automating tedious tasks, she adds, Sora liberates creators to focus on more strategic and innovative aspects of their work.

“This can be particularly empowering for roles that demand a high level of creativity. To stay relevant in this evolving landscape, creatives may need to adapt their skills. This adaptation could involve learning how to effectively collaborate with AI and gaining a nuanced understanding of AI-generated content creation. Embracing Sora as a complementary tool can lead to a symbiotic relationship between creators and AI, fostering a more dynamic and efficient creative process,” says Soman.

On the other hand, Mayank Vora, Co-Founder & Director, Logicloop, feels that Sora’s capacity to transform text into video content raises questions about the evolution of creatives’ roles.

“While some express concerns about automation replacing certain tasks, many view Sora as a valuable tool amplifying their creative abilities. It is a means to streamline routine tasks, allowing them to focus on more innovative aspects of their work. The consensus leans towards Sora being a collaborative ally, empowering creatives rather than replacing them or dismissing their creative input. Audiences crave authentic human connections in advertisements across various platforms. This imparts a feeling of belonging and familiarity. AI-generated creatives and animations showcase innovation and creativity, serving as a foundation. However, the ultimate output from AI can be tailored to meet the specific needs of a brand. Customisation ensures that the creative output aligns seamlessly with the brand’s requirements. In essence, AI collaborates with creative agencies, working synergistically rather than replacing them,” says Vora.

According to Gypsy Moth Founder Priyanka Chugh, this is the age for imaginative minds to prosper. According to her, AI, in all its forms, isn’t just simplifying our lives; tools like Sora are empowering visionary individuals, enabling them to transcend the constraints of the tool itself.

“Capturing audience attention is more challenging than ever – so, while Sora’s seamless integration of AI and video production will enhance marketers’ ability to deliver compelling visuals that resonate with consumers on a deeper level, it will drive greater value and reach for creators who now have access to creating high-quality video output with minimal investment and technical know-how,” she adds.

Chugh reckons that Generative AI, and Sora in particular, present a new era of video production, and we are in for a re-awakening in creativity that was limited by the tools at hand till now. “Coming from Open AI, the ones who gave the world Chat GPT, it is an exciting time for video producers, editors and marketeers who have already experienced the text capabilities. While text-to-video/ video-to-video Generative AI has been in the picture for a couple of years, the quality that Sora promises is an absolute gamechanger. As Sora continues to evolve, marketers are eagerly anticipating its potential to transform the industry. With its democratising effect on video content creation, Sora represents a paradigm shift in how brands connect with their audience, promising a future where creativity knows no bounds,” adds Chugh.

Prateek Sethi, Founder, Trip Creative Agency, foresees a significant evolution in the roles of creatives with the advent of Sora’s capability. He predicts that this advancement will prioritise time efficiency, ultimately freeing up the design team’s schedule. Moreover, Sethi anticipates that it will facilitate smoother collaboration with previsualisation artists.

“This significantly accelerates the pre-visualisation process, allowing thorough preparation before stepping into the actual production process. Rather than seeing Sora as a threat to their roles, creatives view it as a valuable tool that makes the process time-efficient, allowing them to focus on more innovative aspects of their work. As technology advances, the possibility of generating high-quality content without budgetary constraints becomes even more promising, pointing towards a dynamic future for creative professionals,” he adds.

Automation complements...

And then, there is this lingering question of tools like Sora doing away with manual workforce. But nobody is saying that automation will replace human creativity, it only complements.

The likes of Vinay Babani are sure that there’s no need to worry about automation or AI reducing the importance of creatives in the industry. According to him, tools like Sora should be viewed as a way to improve the quality of outputs.

“For example, at SRV Media, creating specific video content was challenging when shoots were not possible, and stock videos were unsuitable. With Sora, the creative possibilities are endless. This reflects the industry’s adoption of Midjourney and DALL·E 3 for static creativity, and GPT for generative content, enhancing rather than replacing human creativity. For instance, creating a 60-second motion graphic might now take half the time it used to with Sora, freeing up resources to focus on better ideas and work that adds more value and elevates industry standards. This is generally how AI’s role should be viewed,” says Babani.

With Sora’s ability to generate video content from text inputs, the roles of creatives are poised to evolve significantly in the future, says Sachin Kumar, Founder, Bottle Openers.

“While some may express concerns about automation potentially replacing certain aspects of their work, many see Sora as a powerful tool that enhances their creative abilities and streamlines repetitive tasks. Rather than displacing creatives, Sora empowers them to focus on more innovative and strategic aspects of their work, freeing up time for experimentation and ideation. Creatives recognise Sora as a tool that complements their skills rather than supplants them entirely. By leveraging Sora’s capabilities, they can amplify their creative output and explore new avenues of storytelling and visual expression. As the industry embraces AI technology, creatives will play a pivotal role in shaping its ethical and responsible use, ensuring that AI-generated content aligns with their values and artistic vision,” Kumar says.

Ethical dilemmas

AI models like Sora, like all other AI models, pose ethical dilemmas in the creative industry. It is a tight-rope walk; apart from the issue of ethics, creative professionals need to ensure that the content generated aligns with their values and doesn’t perpetuate harmful stereotypes or misinformation.

Mayank Vora reckons that deploying AI tools like Sora in the creative industry demands a dual focus on innovation and ethics. According to him, transparency, user privacy, unbiased algorithms, and accountability are pivotal.

“To ensure professional values, rigorous content guidelines, diverse datasets, and ongoing human oversight are crucial, in preventing the perpetuation of stereotypes and misinformation. Balancing creativity with ethical standards is key to upholding integrity and trust in the creative process,” says Vora.

Ethical considerations include copyright and intellectual property rights, ensuring AI-generated content doesn’t perpetuate biases or misinformation, and respecting privacy, points out Vinay Babani. Additionally, transparency about AI-generated content is necessary to differentiate it from human-created work, addressing concerns about authenticity and originality.

Babani suggests that professionals can align AI-generated content with their values and avoid perpetuating harmful stereotypes or misinformation by actively engaging in the content’s review and curation process, establishing clear ethical guidelines, and using bias detection tools. Continuously updating and refining AI models based on feedback and ethical considerations is crucial.

Babani cites the case of Rashmika Mandanna as a stark reminder of AI’s double-edged nature. “A deepfake video, created without her consent to inaccurately portray her, spread rapidly across the digital landscape. This incident was not just about unauthorised use; it was a wake-up call on how AI, if left unchecked, could alter the narrative of reality, potentially for the worse. To navigate these challenges, professionals can implement strict content guidelines, use AI responsibly, and advocate for the transparent labelling of AI-generated content. Learning from incidents like Mandanna’s, it is clear that the creative industry must prioritise ethical considerations and actively work to prevent the spread of misinformation and technology misuse,” he says.

The use of AI models like Sora in the creative industry raises important ethical considerations, says Neha Soman. To address these concerns, she suggests that the industry must establish clear guidelines for the ethical use of AI-generated content. Professionals should be well-versed in these guidelines, ensuring responsible and legal utilisation of such tools. Additionally, she adds, collaboration with legal experts becomes crucial.

“Professionals may need to work closely with legal advisors to navigate the complexities of copyright laws, especially as they evolve in response to advancements in AI technologies. This collaborative approach ensures that content generated by AI aligns with ethical standards, avoiding perpetuation of harmful stereotypes or dissemination of misinformation in the creative industry,” says Neha Soman.

Ethical considerations in using AI models like Sora are similar to the existing concerns in the creative industry, particularly plagiarism, observes Prateek Sethi. As with any creative process, Sethi adds, professionals are increasingly relying on advanced software to detect AI-generated content and maintain ethical standards.

“The presence of strong watchdog tools is expected to strengthen over time, ensuring that AI-generated imagery and text align with ethical guidelines. While technology may be prone to manipulation, the industry’s commitment to ethical standards, combined with monitoring tools will help reduce the risk of harmful stereotypes or misinformation produced by AI-generated content,” he concludes.

Sachin Kumar is certain that the integration of AI models like Sora into the creative industry raises complex ethical considerations that demand scrutiny and proactive measures.

“As creators harness the power of AI to generate content, they must remain vigilant against perpetuating harmful stereotypes, misinformation, or deceptive practices. Ethical guidelines and best practices must be established to govern the responsible use of AI-generated content, prioritising transparency, authenticity, and respect for diverse perspectives. Professionals in the creative industry bear a collective responsibility to ensure that AI-generated content upholds ethical standards and aligns with their values. This necessitates thorough vetting and oversight processes to mitigate the risks of misinformation, manipulation, or exploitation. Reliance on any AI tool cannot be there. Factual checking has to be done at an individual level,” he concludes.