When OpenAi’s ChatGPT was getting “all the buzz,” I was surprised at how excited I felt. While my occasional check-ins on LinkedIN told me I may have been in the minority for someone paid by an industry built on generating strategies, ideas, visual imagery and films for brands, I didn’t freak. I’m not patting myself on the back here, I’m just saying it turned me on. But I didn’t do too much about it. Until I did.
As of February 2024, I’ve begun coursework to become both familiar and versed with Ai tools. The first custom GPT I made was for my “passion-project / think-tank” known as IFA. After learning how to coach it up with the right instructions, knowledge and conversation starters (thanks to helpful YouTubers such as this guy), the first time I prompted it to generate concepts for IFA Open Source Ideas, my reaction was pure gratitude. Here in front of me, based on some basic teaching of what really felt like a “creative assistant,” were eight ideas that I thought were better than any I’d received in the prior year. And a few were as good or better than my own. I was impressed. I wanted to learn more.
As I navigate completion of several AI-certification courses, I now devote one or two hours each day to soaking up and catching up on the latest AI trends, products, tools and news. I’m surprised how much it captures my interest. It’s fun. So I’m now referring to myself professionally as an “AI Creative Director.” This feels right, as I believe I am uniquely qualified. Since the early 90s I’ve been one of the most recognized advertising thinkers in the game. I literallly helped make successful one of the best creative agencies ever known. I co-founded my own, which was acquired in three years by Havas. I know what I’m doing here. But the point is this: I’m now inspired to use AI to bolster and support this “old-school skillset.” As one who’s spent years interfacing with creatives, “prompting them” to make ideas, with strategists to get the creative brief right, with clients to truly understand their problems and walk them through the process of honing, making and launching ideas to make their brands famous – I now see AI as a way to extend those same creative-direction skills to another thing. That “thing” being a Large Language Model. Whether that be in the form of an agent, chatbot assistant, image generator, mind board or text-to-video generator. I have what it takes to creatively direct AI and humans alike – while holding fast to the brand’s mission and specific project brief. I see my job as using directing, teaching and offering these incredible tools. For efficiency. Doing away with five-minute, 15-minute and even some of the 5-day tasks that can feel like drudgery.
I understand that AI can be seen as a threat. For some, it can be brutal, as it really does seem to be a case of “adapt or die.” But right now I see it as fun and inspiring. Let’s work together. | evan@evanfry.com | back
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