The Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) recently published a story stating that researchers believe that AI images of teenagers show a false and over-positive reality. This got me thinking about these types of images used in marketing. In short, research has been carried out into what kind of images are generated, and in the main, well-dressed, slim and beautiful people with perfect skin and extraordinarily beautiful hair are generated. This is obviously cause for concern, as it gives an unrealistic picture of reality. We’re already familiar with this from the fashion industry and ultra-thin models. Apart from the fact that people look so beautiful that they disturb our self-image and self-confidence, AI/KI images have several negative aspects – from a marketing perspective.
The unpolished reality
The trend in marketing today is real stories, real people, less polished reality. It’s not without reason that UGC marketing is a fast-growing industry. Here, the unpolished reality and the proximity to the ordinary man in the street is a prominent feature. AI/KI-generated images would be too unrealistic.
Principles?
But can you really put two lines under the answer? No, absolutely not. You simply have to consider what is most appropriate in each individual situation. Do you want to sell a dream? Yes, then the otherworldly perfection can be right in the spotlight and be the best seller. So as with everything else, it depends. In many contexts, the possibility of computer-generated images can be an advantage. Just think how easy it is with product images where you can see the product from all angles, or illustrations that would be difficult to take a picture of. In home sales and new builds, you can visualize how a house and its furnishings might look. In other words, very useful.
Conclusion
For my part, I find it more interesting to look at real images. So if real images are available, I prefer them. I’ve tried many times to use AI images for use on the websites I create, but almost always end up browsing through image archives with real images. Often, customers want me to come and take pictures of the people and premises of the company. There’s something about the intimacy that is lost when the image is generated with the help of artificial intelligence. You kind of lose your soul along the way.
