We’ve all been shocked, amazed, scared and confused by the incredible achievements of AI large language models and more recently, text-to-art generation. Public opinion has generally fallen into one of two camps: either we’re doomed, or we can live in harmony with AI and use it to create even better work.

We knew it was coming, yet the release of OpenAI's Sora still managed to take a lot of us by surprise. Text-to-video creation is here and it looks near-indistinguishable from real footage.

The creative idea is still king of course, and how “truly creative” a language model can be is for another discussion. Yet we can’t escape from the fact that this ingenious technology will surpass and replace the need for large swathes of the production industry.

In the not-too-distant future, AI video generation will allow us to cheaply create visually brilliant and highly targeted ads, with targeted aesthetics and “casting” tailored to different markets and demographics. These ads will be fast to produce, bang on trend and they will be effective for brands.

When it comes to innovation, there is a long history of the pendulum swinging full tilt one way and then inevitably swinging back, often accompanied by a hunger for something left behind.

We’ve all embraced smartphones and the 24/7 connection to the world they offer, but we now seek “time out”, digital detoxes and phone-free spaces. This trend is reflected in the fact that 78% of millennials value experiences over products. Analogue film is back in vogue and last year vinyl sales rose for the 16th consecutive year.

This thirst for the tangible and the real is something AI will struggle to quell. Because there is one thing that AI will always struggle to deliver…

Authenticity.

As our world becomes filled with more AI-generated video, appetite and demand for authenticity will rise and its value will increase.

The essence of human connection, empathy, jealousy, love, idolisation and inspiration is intrinsically something AI can only ever mimic.

When we see suffering on the news it moves us. When we hear real human testimony it stirs something in us. When we see an Irish guy chase a bat around his kitchen it's funny…because it happened. That is not to say we can’t be highly entertained or moved by watching something we know is not true, but there are times we need to know what we are hearing and seeing is born from real human experience.

This is why deep-fakes are so concerning. Because the difference between what’s real and what isn't will become hard to spot, but making that distinction is vital. Proof of authenticity will become more important, whether it’s in news footage, sporting achievements or funny cat videos.

So brands that rely on authenticity and truth must closely examine AI’s achilles heel.

We created a film for Dell Technologies which documented the lives of five people living with Motor Neurone Disease. The campaign explored how technology can improve the lives of people living with MND. The success of this campaign relied on the authentic testimony of real people willing to share their stories for the benefit of others.

There are many examples of human truth being integral to an idea, from the Always campaign ‘Run Like a Girl’, to CALM’s ‘The Last Photo’, which featured the faces of people tragically lost to suicide.

If a brand wants to stand for genuine representation and authenticity, how does this align with the use of AI-created models – disregarding all the life experiences of real people who have overcome real barriers? In an AI-saturated market, these are ethical questions that our industry must consider.

The truth is that it may become harder to produce work with real people in a future where AI has dramatically lowered the cost of production, but authentic work is important today and it will be even more important tomorrow.

It is a challenge we welcome. The thirst for human connection and truth will never die, and stand-out authenticity will be vital as we become ever less sure of what is real and what is not.